US2261000A

US2261000A - Flashlight

Info

Publication number: US2261000A
Application number: US232257A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bernard F Muldoon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-09-29
Filing date: 1938-09-29
Publication date: 1941-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 1958-10-28

Description

Get. 28, 1941. F, MULDQON 2,261,000

FLASHLIGHT Filed Sept. 29, 1938 W e/had ffiv/w, INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 28, i941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT Bernard F. Muldoon, Mountainview, N. J., assignor to Henry Hyman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application September 29, 1938, Serial No. 232,257

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-10.6

This invention relates to a flashlight in which the casing is divided longitudinally with a portion or portions thereof movable relative to one another so that the battery can be inserted therein from the side and the casing can be readily and easily closed and fastened.

The casing of this flashlight is so constituted and arranged that translucent colored material is kept in position to be rendered visible by the light bulb of the flashlight so as to serve as warning or danger signal.

The casing is so shaped that it is non-circular in cross section. It is flattened on one side and a large portion of the remainder thereof is made oval in cross section, with its glass or lens as well as the translucent material at an angle to the axis of the flashlight. Also, the reflector is made longer or extends forwardly farther along the flat side of the casing than along the opposite side thereof. In this way it becomes convenient or natural for the user of this flashlight to so hold it in carrying it that his fingers grasp the rounded or oval portion while his thumb rests upon the flat portion where the switch is located, and, by so carrying it, light is not only projected forwardly but a considerable amount of light is also projected downwardly near his feet. On the other hand when this flashlight is laid down it is naturally laid upon the support with its flat side down. This results in causing the light rays to be projected not only forwardly but also upwardly as much as up to 90 or more to the axis of the flashlight.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 33 of Fig. 1; with the section I removed; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through Fig. 1.

In the drawing, reference characters'I and 2 indicate two sections of a flashlight casing divided longitudinally. Grooves 3 are provided in the edges of the section I to enable it to slide along the rim 4 of the section 2. The rear end of the section I overlaps the section 2 as indicated at 5.

A ring 6 of translucent material, such as glass, synthetic resin and the like, which becomes visi ble from the sides when the flashlight is lighted, is installed at the front end of the casing at an angle of about 45 to the axis thereof. The ring 6 may be kept in place, for example, by an extension '1 at the lower front end of the section 2, to which extension the ring 6 may be attached by means of a rivet or the like. A bezel 8 is provided on the front side of the ring 6, into which the glass or lens 9 is snapped and held in place.

The front ends of the casing sections I and 2 are enlarged, as indicated at I0 and III respectively. Flanges II and I2 are provided along the inner edges of the front ends of the casing sections I and 2, and these flanges extend into a groove I3 that is provided along the inside of the ring 6 when the casing sections are in assembled relation.

The lower portions of the ring 6 and casing section 2 are flattened, as shown at I4 and I4, and a lug I6 with a flattened end is provided near the rear end of the section 2, the flat portions at I4 and I6 being in the same plane.

A reflector I1 is installed in proximity to the glass 9 and held in place in any convenient way, preferably with its rim at an angle of about 45 to the axis of the flashlight so that rays of light from the flashlight bulb are not only projected forwardly but are also reflected by the extended portion of the reflector at different angles up to about a angle to the axis of the flashlight.

Lugs I8 and I9 are provided on the casing sections I and 2, to which lugs spring strips 20 and 2| are attached in such positions that they engage each other frictionally when the casing sections are assembled so as to retain the section I in closing position when it is slid forward to cause the flange I I thereof to enter the groove I3 in the ring 6. The springs 20 and 2| may be provided with rounded transverse ridges 22 along their contacting faces so as to retain them. more securely in place, but permitting them to be pulled apart longitudinally.

Th battery 25, lamp bulb 26, switch 21, and electrical connections 28 are no part of the present invention and are therefore merely indicated somewhat conventionally or diagrammatically, as these elements ar well known and different arrangements of the same can be used in this flashlight.

The space 30, as shown in Fig. 3, is very convenient for accommodating the connecting strips 28 without interfering with the location of the battery cells.

Instead of having the casing sections I and 2 longitudinally slidable with respect to each other, they may be hinged together so as to open laterally, in which case the ring 6 would be attached to the shorter section and the flange I2 or at least a portion thereof would be omitted from the longer casing section.

What is claimed is:

l. A flashlight casing, comprising upper and lower longitudinally extending sections each having a beveled end at an angle to the axis of said casing, a ring attached to the lower section and fitting its beveled end, said upper section having its end fitting against said ring, and a reflector in said casing having its edge parallel to said beveled ends and in proximity thereto.

2. A flashlight casing, comprising upper and lower longitudinally extending sections each having a beveled end at an angle to the axis of said casing, a ring attached to the lower section and fitting its beveled end, said upper section having its end fitting against said ring, and a reflector in said casing having its edge parallel to said beveled ends and located within said ring, and

said ring framing the light-emitting opening and forming a support for a lens.

3. A flashlight casing, comprising upper and lower longitudinally extending sections each having a beveled end at an angle to the axis of said casing, a ring attached to the lower section and fitting its beveled end, said upper section having its end fitting against said ring, a reflector in said casing having its edge parallel to said beveled ends and in proximity thereto, and an electric lamp located substantially along the longitudinal axis of said casing, said reflector having a portion of its surface reflecting rays from said lamp forwardly and another portion reflecting rays from said lamp substantially normal to the plane of said beveled edges.

BERNARD F. MULDOON.