US2258685A - Combination memorandum pad and illuminating device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 14, 1941. MATTLATzKl 2,258,685

COMBINATION MEMORANDUM PAD AND ILLUMINATING DEVICE 'Filed Aug. 8, 1938 INVENTOR. A: FRED Mm'nATzK/ BY W7 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBDJATION MEMORANDUM PAD AND ILLUMINATING DEVICE Alfred Mattlatzki, New York, N. Y. Application August 8, 1938, Serial No. 223,740 3 Claims. (01. 2404.4)

This invention generally relates to a combina- Referring now to the drawing, the writing imtion writing or like implement and electric illumiplement in which may be made of any suitable nating apparatus or unit, and more particularly material, as for example of a plastic material, to memorandum pads the surface of which may metal or the like, comprises the compartment H be illuminated for writing or other purposes in for receiving a loose leaf paper pad l2 therein dark rooms or places during night time by the and the casing i3 which may be associated with afore-mentioned apparatus. said compartment ii. Casing l3 accommodates It is an object of this invention -to provide a .on support 2| an electric dry cell battery I4 for practical, economical and inexpensive device of supplying electric current through the connecthe above nature. tions ll, 22, 23 to the incandescent lamp or bulb Another'object of the present invention resides l5 located on a switch block i6 within said casing in the provision of an electric lighting device in i3. Bulb protrudes from said block i6 cooperation with a writing pad or the like wherethrough an opening in wall ll in such manner so by said device may be controlled at will by the as to illuminate the top sheet ii of said pad i2, pencil or like instrument used in connection with 15 if desired. To this end, wall 19 of said casing i3 the pad. 1 is curved and provided with an arcuate port-ion It is still another object of this invention to 20 at its upper end to direct and reflect light rays provide switch means to control said lighting emitted from said bulb toward the surface of the device. top leaf i8 of said pad i2.

A further object of the present invention con- 2 Switch block l6 which carries the leaf spring templates the provision of a pencil which may be contact bars 22, 23 may be made of a suitable brought into operative or inoperative position in insulating material and has in its base portion 24 said switch means for the aforementioned pura lodgement or bore 25 for receiving therein a pose. pencil 26. Pencil 26 is provided with a flat part Still another object of this invention is to pro- 25 27 for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

vide means to control the said unit, and a mem- The contact bar 23 is secured at one end to ber adapted to actuate said means, said member block l6, as at 23' and is adapted for spring for connecting and disconnecting said means with engagement with contact bar 22. Block i6 has said unit respectively upon releasing of said mema cut-out ii for the reception of the inwardly ber from said means. 30 bent or looped portion 22 of bar 22. Communi- Still another object of this invention is to proeating w e C re 25 is a Op 5"- vide a member for selectively connecting and dis- If the pencil 26 is inserted within the bore 25 connecting said means and said unit respectively. e looped portion f e b r 12 Will u A still further object of this invention is to proains h p n i 26 causing th r 22 o be vide a catch associated with said switch means 5 flexed outwardly and its end 22' out of engageto intermittently engage said member for conment with the contact bar 23 thus breaking electrolling said means. trical connection. In order to maintain this dis- The above and other objects of the invention connection, that is, to maintain the switch in and the means for their attainment will be more inoperative position the following provision is apparent from the following detailed description 40 made: taken in connection with the accompanying Provided on block i 6 is a catch or trigger 28 drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment by which may consist o a ba 29 d of sp i ey which the invention may be realized and in material and which is fixedly secured at its one which: end to block l6 by suitable means, such as a Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a pad provided with screw 30. Its free other end 3| is provided with a casing for housing an electric illuminating unit a projection 33 adapted for engagement with bar therein. 22 for maintaining the latter out of contact with Fig. 2 is a sectional side view along line 2-2 of a 23 in the inoperative position- The bar 29 is Fig. 3. provided with an abutment 32 which extends Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device of through an opening 32' into bore 25 of block i6. Fig. 1. By the insertion of pencil 26 within bore 25 and Fig. 4 is a perspective fragmentary view of the in engagement with abutment 32 the catch 28 is switch portion in inoperative position. flexed outwardly and the looped portion 22" of Fig. 5 is a perspective fragmentary view simibar 22 is in engagement with pencil 26 through lar to Fig. 4, the switch being shown in operative Ope i a shown in position. If the pencil is now rotated in bore 26 until its Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the pencil with fiat port on ich s O a o er p a e a s its fiat portion thereon. arcuate portion) is adjacent the looped portion Figs. 7-10 inclusive show diagrammatically the 22", the latter will be caused to retract. During different positions of the switch actuated by the this et ac o c c 2! is fl ed hus allow ng pencil. the bar 22 to freely contact bar 23 without being interfered with by the projection 33, as shown in Fi 10.

Fig. 9 shows the relative positions of pencil 26, looped portion 22" of bar 22, and catch 28 during a stage of operation.

To cause disconnection of contact bars 22 and 23, the pencil 26 is inserted within bore 25 causing thereby the catch 28 and bar 22 to flex sufficiently outwardly to allow the edge of the bar 22 to clear the projection 33 of catch 28. After this clearing has been accomplished and the pencil withdrawn, catch 28 will automatically retract,

uses and therefore is not intended that it be limited to the aforesaid application. This switch arrangement may be employed in any part of an electric circuit whereby connection and disconnection of the circuit is desired by the manipulation of a member or key in a manner or similar to that explained hereinabove.

In order to make accessible the parts within housing l3, there is provided a removable bottom plate 40. Plate 40 is supported at one end by a flange 4|, the other end of plate being,

supported by the lugs 42. By swinging these rugs 42 about their pivots 43 bottom plate 40 may be readily withdrawn with its parts mounted there- Pad l2 may be of *the type .wherein a binding strip I2 is employed to keep the sheets of said pad together. The pad is preferably placed with its strip l2 against wall ll whereas the other loose end of the pad is releasably held by any suitable resilient means, such as springs 44. If it is desired to remove the top sheet from said pad, said sheet is frictionally engaged with a finger of a hand and withdrawn from under the spring means 44 and then separated from said strip. Of course, it is understood that a new pad may be easily and readily inserted within the compartment ll after a previous pad has been used up.

Any suitable design may be applied to the casing 13 and a section 45 may be used for receiving a name plate or any desired engraving.

In order to fix the position of the pencil, particularly during darkness, there is provided a fiat surface D on the projecting end of the pencil and which is in alignment with flat surface 21. By these means the operator can easily feel the location of the flat part for its purpose, namely to engage the looped portion 22" of bar 22 with the flat surface 21 of the pencil, releasing the catch 28 as set forth above.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantage of the construction and operation of the device shown will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains; and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device changes may be made as are within the eope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a writing pad device and the like having an electric lamp for illuminating the surface of said pad; a switch block provided with a bore and carrying said lamp, a member provided with a flat part, said member being removably slidable in said bore, contact bars mounted on said block for conducting current from a supply source to said lamp, one of said bars being movable relatively to the other of said bars and having a looped portion, said block having an opening and a cut-out, said opening and said cut-out communicating with said bore, and catch means on said block and provided with a projection, said looped portion protruding through said cut-out and said projection extending through said opening into said bore, said looped portion and said projection being actuatable by said member to connect and disconnect contact between said bars, said catch means being adapted to maintain said contact disconnection upon engagement of said projection with said fiat part of said member and subsequent sliding movement of said member along and out of said bore.

2. In a device of the character described having a writing pad and the like, a lamp for illuminating the pad surface, a pair of contact bars one movable relatively to the other for connecting and disconnecting electric current supplyto said lamp, and a writing member for said pad and engageable with one of said contact bars;

I a support having a bore for slidably receiving shown is merely illustrative and that such therein said member, said member being provided at the circumference thereof with two portions in different planes, and catch means mounted on said support, said catch means and said one contact bar being actuatable by said member and separated from each other upon insertion of said member in said bore, said one contact bar when in contact with one of said portions and upon sliding movement of said member longitudinally of said bore engaging the other of said bars and connecting said lamp to said current supply, said one contact bar when in contact with the other of said portions of said member and upon sliding movement of said'member longitudinally of said bore engaging said catch means and remaining out of engagement with said other of said contact bars thus disconnecting said lamp from said current supply.

3. In a device of the character described having an electric illuminating unit; a pair of engageable contact bars joined through a circuit to an electric current supply source and adapted to respectively open and close said circuit to which said unit is connected, a catch adjacent one of said contact bars and provided with a projection, and a member provided with two faces at relatively difierent levels, respectively, said member being removably positioned adjacent said one contact bar and said catch, said faces being engageable, respectively with said projection and a portion of said one contact bar, whereby upon removal of said member with its faces from respective engagement with said projection and said contact bar portion, said one contact bar may engage selectively with said catch to interrupt the circuit or clear said catch for engagement of said one with the other contact bar to close said circuit.

ALFRED

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