US2308462A

US2308462A - Metal lamp shade

Info

Publication number: US2308462A
Application number: US338463A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oliver H Williams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-06-03
Filing date: 1940-06-03
Publication date: 1943-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1960-01-12

Description

a 1943. o. H. WILLIAMS 2,308,462

METAL BAM'P SHADE Filed June 5, 1940 Patented Jan. 12, 1943 umrso Sm TEN QFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to lamp shades and more particularly to an improved lamp shade structure and novel method of manufacturing the same.

In the present modes of lamp styling, metal lamp shades comprising a plurality of louvers have become increasingly popular, and while the various individual lamp shade designs all have their individual design characteristics, yet a great many of the most popular designs on the present market are characterized by louvers in which the main body of the lamp is finished by painting or lacquering while the marginal edge of an individual louver is finished in a contrasting manner, as, for example, by chromium plating.

It will be appreciated that in the manufacture of lamps of this general character, the industry has been faced with rather serious manufacturing difiiculties since it has heretofore been regarded as necessary to form each individual metallic shape or louver of the lamp out of a single piece of metal and apply different ornamental surface coatings to different areas of the metal;

for example, it is frequently necessary to coat the main body of the lamp with a white enamel and to provide narrow chromium plated bands adjacent the marginal edges of the metal. From a manufacturing standpoint this has been a very difiicult procedure and has been very expensive, since some provision must necessarily be made to mask or otherwise protect the separate portions of the lamp while the finish is being applied to the other portions.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved ornamental louvered lamp structure wherein the portions of the lamp having contrasting surface finishes are individual and separate pieces which may be assembled after finishing to eliminate the necessity of masking any part of the work at any time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel method of manufacture of louvered lamp shades comprising the steps of stamping, forming the sections of the lamp, assembling these sections, painting the entire lamp, separately forming ornamental auxiliary sections having a contrasting ornamental surface finish, and thereafter applying the auxiliary sections and lockin these in position on the main body of the lamp.

A further object of the invention is to provide ornamental metal strips adapted to be secured in predetermined position on a metal lamp shade and to provide novel means to lock these strips in position on the lamp.

A further object of the invention is to provide an olTset retaining shoulder parallel with and adjacent the edges of metal lamp segments and to secure the flanged band in position on th marginal edge of the metal to enclose and conceal the edges of the metal.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Referring now more particularly to the drawmg:

Fig. 1 illustrates a characteristic type of metallic lamp shade constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a lamp shade of modified design also constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 i a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 55 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective view of a preformed metal band or strip constructed in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure.

The lamp shades illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, may be regarded as characteristic louver lamp designs and are here illustrated to point out the variety of individual designs in which the principles of this invention may be advantageously utilized. It will be noted that each of these lamps is composed of a lurality of metal shapes or louver segments, as, for example, the top H] and louver sections H and I2 of the lamp illustrated in Fig. l, or the top [3, end portions M and louver sections l5 of the lamp illustrated in Fig. 2. Each of the lamps has a similar characteristic, however, in that each is provided with a plurality of relatively long and narrow ornamental bands It to enhance the appearance of the lamp structure. tomary to apply contrasting ornamental surface coatings to these bands IE to improve the general appearance of the design and to bring out desirable contrast between these bands I6 and the metal areas H], H, l2, l3, l4 and 15. Various contrasting finishes are used in the art, but usually the areas IE! to I5, inclusive, are finished with enamel, lacquer or suitable paint while the bands It are silvered or chromium plated.

It may be pointed out at this point that the metal shapes ii] to I5, inclusive, are customarily fabricated by stamping a blank out of flat sheet metal and drawing the edges of this blank downwardly at the edges, as, for example, as illustrated at I! in .Fig. 3, to produce three-dimensional metal shapes which may be thereafter welded to In the present state of the art it is cusgether to form the complete lamp. When this forming operation takes place, however, it will be understood that the outer edges I8 of the metal may be somewhat irregular and rough, particularly on curved portions of the shape, and will invariably be quite sharp unless some steps have been taken to remove the sharpness after the metal blanks have been sheared from the continuous sheet of metal. This is an expensive operation and shouldbe avoided if possible. In addition to this it should be understood that it is an extremely expensive operation to apply a paint or similar finish to the main body of the lamp shape and to apply chromium plating to other portions. From a design standpoint, however, it is highly desirable that the portion I6 be brightly plated in order to give the proper' appearance to the completed lamp.

The present invention overcomes these difiiculties and provides a convenient and extremely economical way to produce lamps styled according to the preferred trend and yet adapted to rapid and economical manufacture. To accomplish this a relatively thin and narrow metal band 2| is fitted over the bands It and is provided with a pair of

opposed flanges

22 and 23 along each of its opposite edges. An offset retaining shoulder 24 is provided in the metal shape at a point adjacent to and parallel with the sharp edge l8 of the metal in order that the band 2| may be positioned with the flange 22 interlocked against the retaining shoulder 24 and the flange 23 enclosing and covering the sharp edge i8.

Preferably, the band 2| is provided with a polished or plated surface to present an attractive contrast with respect to the painted surface of the lamp, but it i contemplated that other types of ornamental surfaces may be used and that the band 2| may b utilized even in situations where a color contrast is not desired, since it provides an effective shield for the sharp sheared edge l8 of the metal and may be formed and applied to cover any wrinkles or irregularities along this edge and to present a smooth, rounded marginal surface on each of the segments of the lamp.

By examination of Fig; 4, it will be noted that the offset shoulder 24a need not necessarily be formed exactly as illustrated in Fig. 3, but may be of any other configuration since it is only necessary that it be in sufficiently close proximity to the edge I811 so that the flanges 22a and 23a may interlock between the shoulder 24 and the edge l8 of the metal. The interlocking action of these flanges is effective to retain the strips 2| against transverse movement, but to completely lock the strips 2|, it is desirable to provide tab portions 26 at the ends of the strips 2!, which may be bent around the edges of the metal of the lamp shade, as illustrated in Fig. 5. It is contemplated, of course, that other retaining means may be substituted for the tabs 26, but this arrangement has been found to be particularly advantageous since it is extremely economical, and since the smooth exterior plated surface of the band 2| is not marked in any way as might be the case in the event that it was secured in position by screws, rivets or spot welding.

To facilitate easy and neat assembly of the lamps itis contemplated that the strips 2| may be pre-formed to correspond exactly with the dimensions of the shape to which they are to be applied (see Fig. 6). It is not regarded as essential that this be done in all instances, but it is pointed out that if the strips 2| are thus preformed the chromium plating or other ornamental surface will not be bent after the surface finish is applied.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that by practicing the principles of this invention modern streamline, louvered lamps may be produced at a manufacturing cost far below the costs heretofore regarded as minimum, since the entire lamp shade may be assembled and painted as a complete unit, as, for example by spraying or dipping as contrasted to the elaborate masking or shielding heretofore used in the art.

It is also pointed out that additional economies of manufacture may be accomplished by the practice of this invention, since it is urmecessary to correct any irregularities or roughness that may be formed along the edge |8 during the forming operation for the reason that this edge I8 is completely and smoothly enclosed by the strip 2|.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, I am aware, however, that it is subject to numerous variations and modifications, and, therefore, wish the scope of the invention to be considered as limited only by the appended claim.

I claim:

A metal lamp shade comprising a three-dimensional sheet metal shape having a marginal rim portion defined by an offset retaining shoulder adjacent and parallel to the marginal edges of the metal, a surface coating on all of the exterior surfaces of said metal shape, and a metal band coextensive with the aforementioned marginal rim portion and secured thereto, said metal band including an edge flange in interlocking relationship with the retaining shoulder, a second edge flange covering and in interlocking relationship With the marginal edge of the metal shape, and tabs at each end of the band interlocked with the said metalshape to secure the band in position.

OLIVER H. WILLIAMS.