US2340101A - Flashlight structure - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 25, 1944. G. BAILHE 2,340,101

' FLASHLIGHT STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 27, 1942 ,n vll x 28 .Z7 Z5 Z6 INVENTOR..-

Patented Jan. 25, 1944 i craft Corporation, New

tion of New York George Bailhe, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to Fred- York, N. Y., a corpora- Application August 27, 194g, serial No. 456,309 z c1aims .,(cl. 24o-10.68)

This invention relates to ashlight structures f 1:

and more particularly to pocket flashlights or lamp devices of this character.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a flashlight which is inexpensive to manufacture, very eicient during use and operation, and which due to its simplied construc-L tion necessitates but a few metallic parts. f 1 It is anotherr object of the present invention to provide a flashlight structure equipped withA a to unobstructedly emanate light rays before, during, or after operation of 'theflashlight I A further object of the present 'invention is to provide a lamp structure including iarbulb,

with said reector means, whereby said bulb may unobstructedly project light rays from said lamp structure during operation 'of said bulb, whereas said luminous means, during inoperative period of said bulb, may also unobstruct- -1 edly send out light rays and from a. continuous surface area on which said luminous means extend. g Still another object of the present invention'is for ordinary use but also in darkened areas, during blackouts, etc.

Still a further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a flashlight which provides not only the usual flashlight service,

such as a continuous glow lightresulting primarily from the flashlights own light source, which activates the aforesaid luminous means f automatically even in darkened areas vat any time the flashlight is in use oroperation, thus mal:- ing this auxiliary light independent of any 'outside light source, such as sun rays or the like,; but being activatable by them at al1 times.

. These and other new and useful obiectsmayy be attained as will appear from the .following disclosure of the invention, which consists lin; the features of novelty in construction, combinar tion and arrangement of the several parts, hereinafter more fully described and shown in the l0 reector which'includes luminous means adapted l5 reflector means, and luminous means connected :.1';

to provide means for securing the bulb of the is to provide a ashlight particularly adapted of theouter wall I1 and the inner wall I8, thel but also provides an auxiliary or secondary light;

accompanying drawing illustrating this invention l In the drawing:

Fig. 1i is a longitudinal sectional view of the flashlight made in accordance with the invention, the flashlight being shown in its assembled and inoperative position. j

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the flashlight of Fig. 1, a part of the ashlight being broken away. Fig.-3 is a. partial sectional view of the housing ofthe ashlightseen in-Fig. l, but turned180 from 'thatfillustrated in Fig. l.

Fig. 4^is Aa longitudinal sectional View of the cap or cover ofV the ilashlight, turned 90 from thatshown in Fig. 1,a'nd in a somewhat modied form.

Fig. 5 isla cross-sectional view of a contact member `employed in the switch arrangement of the flashlight.4 V I B ,eferring now particularly to the drawing, there is shown in'Fig. 1 a'flashlight, generally designated by numeral I0 comprising a lower shell or base housing `II and la cap or cover I2. Housing `I I -has the outer wall I3y and the inner wall M made of cardboard and pasted together. in any'suitable manner. Housing II may alsoi be made ofi an ordinary tube of cardboard or the like to which a' bottom is attached in form of an: end wall.l :Walls I3 and I4 may have at their" upper end a shoulder or neck I5 of 'reduced' cli-f. ameter to .permit slidable frictional engagement withthe-inner wall of cover I2 fat I6" (Fig. 4).' The diameter of lower housing II, whenmade fromj-ordinarytube material may be the same throughout'its length, cover I2 thus slidably en#v gaging the'outer wall of the open end of housing II, which said cover VI2 thus embraces and closes. Housing II may be adapted to hold two` batteries B superpositioned upon each other in a conventional manner. Cover I2 is composedlatter forming` a shoulderV I9 for glass or simi-- lar-transparent plate 20 held in position betweenv it `and ridge or flange 2I provided at the end ofA outer wall Il. Within cover I-2 there isprovidedaf partition 22 connected to and'iormin'g'an" end wall ofy inner cover wall I8 and simultanev` o'usly a 'base or seat for a lamp orbulb 23. ljnd wallor partition 22 and wall nI8 form the light* projecting endof said flashlight. yThe surfacel 24'of partition 22, in Ythis example, is substantiallynat and provided with va reiiector layer, such f as luminous coating 24, which may Y'ior- I' wardly yextend from ,Said partition allngfthe.- inner wall, IQ at 24a to 'permit unobstructed ,prf

jection oftne light rays through lens or elast As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, on bottom 25 of housing II, there rests a wire coil 21 supporting" battery B, wire coil 21 being part 0I mductor" member 28 which extends between the inner wall I4 and batteries B and term neck portion I5, as at 29.""'Conductor member 28 passes from inside through shoulder or neck sunlight or other outside light source for activatlng the luminous means. In the present case, the flashlight may even solely be used duringV blackouts or in darkened areas, its own light source being then capable of activating the luminous means, which is eiectuated automatically vatany time the flashlight will be in operation.

It is, ofcourse, understood that the reflector shown may assume any other desired shape and Y:may be entirely or partly covered by luminous means or layer to bring about the aforesaid efinate, 'at reduced 'la of the invention a I5 to the outer surface of shoulder l5, asclarli seen in Fig. 3, and may be anchored any convenient manner.

On the surface of partition 22 'andbelowlum nous layer 24 there is xed a conductor member 30 (Fig. l) contacting socket of bulb 2 3 and having an opening through which said bulb socket may protrude. Extension 3| of conductor member. 30. is bent inwardly and. downwardlyzto :exqtend along the inner face of outer wall Il and may be preferably accommodated in arecessgor on the face of said wall I1. l 4 It will be evident from the foregoing that upon frictional engagement of inner wall vI of cap I2 with shoulder I5 ofhousing II, cap I2 --may be turned so as to bring about increased "frictional engagement upon contact between member 3| and member 29. Member29 bears againstth'e outer surface of shoulder I5. Bulb 23 maybe screwed home so that its pole 33 always abuts against battery pole 34, whereas upon-rotational movement of contact member 3| (shownfinseethereon. 'in

tion in Fig. 5) relatively to conductormember 28, the bulb 23 may be switchedonfand O f'ii will. p It canbe realized from the above explanations that the electrical circuit will always beastabm lished through contact between bulb pole 33 and battery pole 34 and that interruptionofqtheeilrfr cuit may be brought about due torQtation-of cover or cap I2 (with contact member '3I-)rcla tively to housing II (with-contact'member219), in the direction of arrow A. It will be apparent that the rays-otifhulbl' will be reflected by the luminous layerL-jwhich upon switching off of light bulb 23eis-enaliledu to emanate from its entire contiuuousitycrzslil* face light rays in darkened areas orfduringblackouts, so that the ashlight willbe very faseful for air raid wardens, etc. In Fig. 2 thereisshown; a mark or arrow 32 which ispreferablyprovlded. on the luminous reflector means 24, arrow 32 pointing to conductor member 3I,so ais-toenable the operator during blackouts or in darke ened areas to easily manipulate cap I2- for bringing contact members 3| and29 inteoperative'l positions.

feet.-

V While there have been shown and described and'rpoited out the fundamental novel features s applied to the above embodiment, it will" be understood that various omis- `and.substitutions and changes in the form and details of the means illustrated and its op- 'eration may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

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

1. d ashlight comprising a housing of elec trically non-conductive material for containing an electric battery therein, said housing having an open end and being provided with an outer wall, a closure cap made of electrically non-con ductive material removably placed over said open end and having an inner wall frictionally engaging with the outer wall of said housing and for sliding, movement thereon, electric contact means anchored on the outer surface of said housing-wall adjacent said open end and on the inner surface ofv said, cap, respectively, said contact means being adapted to increase the frictional engagement' of said cap with said housing when Vsaid contact means are in superposition upon movement -of said cap on said housing, said cap` forming a light projecting end including Aa partition, a bulbfixed on said partition and free'-, ly exposed in said cap, a circuit including said contact means for operating said circuit and connected with said battery and said bulband lumi; nous; means positioned on said partition suba stantially `rearwardly of said bulb and forming. thesurfaceofaa reileetor, whereby upon relative movement of said cap to said housing make and (i break of contact-between said contact means will be had,-so that-light -rays either from said bulb er fremsaidreiflector surface and luminous means pass unobstructedly through said light projectmilena It is well understood that -the husingll "and .Y

this invention is not only useful "fortle`rdinary flashlight service, but valso peri z"il t"s' aiseeondary or glow light caused by andn'siiltik, from the operation of the electricbulb'fmtle flashlight (own light source) f said luminous. coating b 2. Ina lfiashlight structure having a iiaslilight body of velectricall-y non-conductive material; a cover 'of electrically non-conductive material riemovably mounted on said flashlight body, a partitionvwthin isaid cover forming a seat for the, bulb of the iiashlight, an extension arranged rearwardly bf. said Vpartition for removably a-Ii'c slidablymonting said cover on the flashlight body, `a wall-'within said cover forwardly extend., ing fr-"oiri:said..,"I'Jar'titicm, said wall together wit-l said partitionr *formingV v'the light Vprojecting end. o ffsaid aslilight, and. a luminous coating disp's'ed'. dir "saidiarttin and 0n Said Wall, Where.- by. light afys from the bulb may b unobstructedly 'projctd'thllgh Said light projecting end.

eing adapted to unobstrctdly emanate light rays from said lightljetigedfWhen thefblllb Of said flaSl'ilight

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