US2264109A

US2264109A - Safety light for automobiles

Info

Publication number: US2264109A
Application number: US321347A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lawrence D Bridge
Original assignee: L D BRIDGE Co
Current assignee: L D BRIDGE Co
Priority date: 1940-02-28
Filing date: 1940-02-28
Publication date: 1941-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 1958-11-25

Description

Nov. 25, 1941. L. D. BRIDGE l `SAFETY LIGHT FOR AUTOMBILES Filed Feb. 28, 1940 atenteci Nov. 25, 1941 UNTED STATES PATENTl OFFICE SAFETY LIGHT Foa AUToMonmEs Lawrence D. Bridge, Blairsville, Pa., assignor te L. D. Bridge Company, Blairsville, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania v Application February 2s, 1940, serial No. 321,347

(Cl. .M-8.26)

2 claims.

'I'his invention relates to lamps and has special reference to a vehicle lamp adapted for use onv the running board, wheel guard, front or rear of the body, or within the body of a motor vehicle.

One important object of the invention is to provide an improved general construction of lamps having a novel lens arrangement whereby the lamp emits a broad and shallow beam.

A second important object of the invention is to provide a lamp of this character having a novel arrangement of reilection thereon.

A third important object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of reflector and lens for such a lamp.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be presently apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved lens.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the central plane of the lens.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the vehicles running board and showing the lamp applied thereto.

Figure 5 is a schematic section through a running board showing the lamp applied thereto and provided with a shield or cover.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing one manner of mounting the lamp so that it may pivot to throw the beam in diierent directions.

In the embodiment of the invention here shown there is provided a lamp casing or housing having a rear portion I0 and a forward portion This rear portion I0 has a vertical rear wall I2 and vertical end walls I3 extending forwardly at right angles to rear walls |2, the walls l2 and I3 being of uniform heighth throughout. Furthermore the rear portion Ill has a top wall |4 and a bottom I5 which is parallel to the top wall. The forward portion has its rear side formed by a flange IS projecting at right angles to the walls |3, lli and |5 of the rear portion, and projecting from the periphery of this flange is a rectangular frame which is an offset from the walls I3, I4 and I5 to provide a shoulder |8.

Within the casing thus described there is mounted a reflector having a dat rear wall I9 bottom' edges of the wall I9,top and bottom walls 2| and 22 extend forwardly between the side walls 20. The wallsh20, `2| and `2,2 are provided at their forward ends with a peripheral ange 23 which seats on the shoulder I8. The reflector thus formed is of such size that it fits snugly between the walls I4 and I5 of the casing and it will be observed that the walls 2|) converge rearwardly from the forward open end of the casing. Walls 20, 2| and 22 are provided with reflecting surfaces on their inner sides. Fixed to the wall I9 is a lamp socket 24 wherein may be deposited a lamp 25 and from this lamp socket extends the usual conductor 23, an insulating bushing 2l being provided in the rear wall I2 to permit passage of the conductor outwardly. On top of the rear part of the casing is a clip or loop 28 which may be used to gui-de the conductor 26. Mounted on the forward face of the ilange 23 is a gasket 2S on which rises the rim 3|] of a lens 3| which is preferably of the character described thereupon in my co-pending application No. 321,348 for improvements in lenses filed of even date herewith. On the rim 30 rests a second gasket 32 and a securing frame 33 is held to bear against this gasket 32 and to rest on the wall by means of screws 34. The inner edges l I 36 which closely approach the outer face of the frame 33 so that very wide dispersion of light from the lamp 25 is obtained.

As shown in Figure 4 this lamp may be located beneath the running board 3l and may be provided (Figure 5) with an adjustable shield or cover 38, operable manually or by any preferred means not deemed necessary here to be shown, from within the vehicle.

Also, as shown in Figure 6, the lamp may be pivoted to the running board 3l or other part of the vehicle by a pivot 39 so that it may swing between a position which is shown in full lines to any desired position or angle as indicated generally in dotted lines in said ligure. Obviously any other pivot arrangements may be used and what is here shown is merely typical in order to illustrate the pivotal mounting.

It is now to be observed that with this arrangement of the reflector and lens, light from the lamp 25 will be reflected from the walls 20 in such manner that the light rays will strike the inner side of the lens 3| in many directions, such rays intersecting each other at numerous points so that the entire inner surface of said lens will receive substantially uniform illumination and this illumination will be refracted by the prisms on the inside of the lens and then divergingly directed by the convex lens portions. The refleeting surface at the top and bottom of the reflector aids in preventing loss of light through absorption at these surfaces.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material points thereof. It is not therefore desired to conne the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include .all fomns whichV properly come Within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is: n y n y 1. In a vehicle lamp adapted for use on a vrunning board as a side lamp to provide a vertically narrow and laterally spread light beam, a vertically narrow and laterally elongated lamp casing having an open front, a laterally elongated lens member closing said front and having vertically extending convex light distributing portions on its front face and vertical prismatic light refracting areas on its'inner face and arranged side by side, a retaining frame resting on the periphery of the lens member and secured to the casing, said frame having an opening therein into which the said convex portions project to extend substantially flush with the plane of the front face of the frame, and a reflector in said casing having a pair of plane reecting surfaces converging rearwardly from the lateral ends of the opening in the casing front.

2. In a vehicle lamp adapted for use on a running board as a side lamp to provide a vertically narrow and laterally spread light beam, a vertically narrow and laterally elongated lamp casing having an open front, a laterally elongated lens member closing said front and having vertically extending convex light distributing portions on its front face and vertical prismatic light refracting areas on its inner face and arranged side by side, a retaining frame resting on the periphery of the lens member and secured to the casing, said frame having an opening therein into which the said convex portions project to extend substantially flush with the plane of the front face of the frame, and a reflector in said casing having a pair of plane reflecting surfaces converging rearwardly from the lateral ends of the opening in the casing front, and having parallel top and bottom reflecting surfaces.

LAWRENCE D. BRIDGE.