US2360448A - Fluorescent lamp fixture - Google Patents

Description

Cd. 17, 1944. SCHOCKETT I 2,360,448

FLUORES GEN T LAMP F I XTURE Filed June 7, 1943 S L 6 HARRY U "$55223;

2am M Patented Oct. 17, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUORESCENT LAMP FIXTURE Harry U. Schockett, Denver, 0010.

Application June 7, 1943, Serial No. 490,114v

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fluorescent lamp fixtures.

It is the principal object of this invention to produce a simple and substantial fixture that can be manufactured at a comparatively low cost of material and labor.

Another object is to produce a lamp fixture especially well adapted for use in industrial plants and which shall be of such construction that it can be readily cleaned and in which the lamps can be quickly and easily inserted and removed.

Another object of this invention is to produce a lamp fixture in which the entire outer surfaces of the lamps can be exposed for cleaning.

A still further object is to provide a lamp fixture of such construction that at least a portion of the light will be directed upwardly so as to illuminate the ceiling.

Another object is to produce a fixture in which the reflectors may be rotated from the normal or operative position into an inoperative position so as to completely expose the lamps to facilitate cleaning.

A further object of the invention is to produce a lamp fixture in which the reflectors can be readily removed and replaced.

And a still further object is to produce a lamp socket of such construction that it can be applied to the ends of a fixture body and removed therefrom without the necessity or use of many screws and securing devices.

The above and other objects that may become apparent as this description proceeds are attained by means of a construction and an arrangement of parts that will noW be described in detail and for this purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated in its preferred form, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lamp constructed in accordance with this invention, portions being broken away so as to better disclose the construction;

tion as shown in Figure 3. With this form of body, a metal sheet is bent in V-shape so as to have two angularly inclined sides ll and the top is closed by a cover I2 having downwardly and inwardly ranging sides l3 that fit over the sides H. The two parts may be connected by means of spotwelding.

It is to be understood that although the lamp illustrated has a tubular body member ID of the construction shown and described, the exact cross sectional shape of this member is immaterial, as it can be replaced by members having any other suitable cross section, such as square, rectangular circular or U-shaped.

Secured to the body member I0 at a point substantially at the middle thereof is a ballast I 4. The wires from the ballast to the lamps pass within the tubular member and have therefore not been shown. At each end of the ballast supporting loops l5 encircle the body and attached to these are supporting chains, rods or other suitable members It, whose upper ends are connected. to the housing H, which in turn is connected to the ceiling 18 by means of suitable bolts l9. Since the lamp may be of various lengths, it has been shown in three parts in Figure 1. Extending transversely of the body are channel shaped brackets or hinge members 20. These may be secured to the cover l2 by spotwelding or in any other suitable way. The flanges of the brackets 20 are provided near the ends with curved slots 2! for the reception of a U-shaped hinge member 22 that extends through the reflector 23 in the manner shown most clearly in Figure 3. The purpose of this construction will be explained hereinafter.

Secured to the ends of the body II] are two multiple sockets which have been designated in their entirety by reference numerals 24. In the present construction these sockets are eachformed from three separate members and the construction which has been illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6 will now be described.

Each socket consists of a member of insulating material comprising a flat sheet-like portion 25 from one side of which a projection 26 extends. The projection 26, in the present embodiment, consists of a central web 2'! that connects with the flat top portion 28'. The edges of parts 21 and 28 are bevelled and of such size that they can be inserted into the interior of the tubular body H] in the manner indicated in Figure 5 where the tubular body has been shown in dotted lines. Secured to the angularly extending portions 29 of part 25 are sockets 30 of the type now commonly used in connection with fluorescent lamp fixtures and which are constructed in accordance with Reissue Patent No. 21,545. Since no novelty is claimed for the sockets, they will not be described in detail.

The sockets are secured to the portions 29 by means of bolts or rivets 3|. Although the multiple sockets shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 are built up of three separate parts, it is to be understood that they may be molded in such a way that the portion 25 with its projection 26 forms an integral part of th socket structure.

The lamps 32 are of the usual construction and can be readily inserted and removed by subjecting them to a rotary and lateral movement in the manner now common.

Attention is called to the fact that when the lamps are in position they are separated on all sides from the fixture body and spaced so far away from any adjacent fixture surface that they can be readily cleaned over their entire outer surface.

Attention will now be called to the reflectors 23 and to the manner in which they are attached to the fixture. It will be seen from the drawing that each reflector comprises an opaque member of metal, or of any other suitable material, that has a curvature substantially like that shown in Figure 2. The upper end of each reflector is substantially flat and carries spaced hinge members 22 that can be inserted into the notch 2| so as to form a hinge like that shown in Figure 3. The upper or inner edge of the reflectors, which have been designated by reference numeral 33 in Figure 3, engages the under surfaces of the brackets 23 and limit the downward movement of the reflectors, holding them in .a position substantially like that shown in Figure 2. When the lamps are to be cleaned or when a lamp is to be replaced by another, the corresponding reflector is turned upwardly into the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. This exposes the entire outer surface of the corresponding lamp and the latter can therefore be quickly and thoroughly cleaned. The relationship of the U-shaped hinge member 22 and the slot 2i is such that after the reflectors have been moved into the dotted line position shown in Figure 2, they may be disconnected from the fixture and this greatly facilitates the assembly of the fixture and reduces the space necessary for shipping. Since the purpose of the U-shaped member 22 is to provide an opening for the reception of the end of member 20 any other mechanically equivalent way of effecting this may be substituted. The multiple socket may be clamped in position by means of a screw 34 or held from outward movement by any other suitable means. Each fixture is provided with a ,starter 35 for each lamp and this is positioned in a starter socket 36. Since no novelty is claimed for the starter or the starter sockets, these have merely been indicated in a diagrammatic manner.

Referring now to Figure 3, attention is called to the fact that the reflector terminates a short distance from the adjacent side of the body I leaving an open space 37 through which light may pass upwardly and in this manner that portion of the ceiling directly above the fixture will be illuminated. The width of the opening 3! can be made as large or as small as found desirable and may be omitted entirely where ceiling illumination is not desired.

Particular attention is called to the great simplicity of this fixture embodying, as it does, a single tubular body member like that indicated by reference numeral l0. As above explained, this body member has been shown as of triangular cross section, but may be replaced by a corresponding element of any desired cross section. The supporting chains or bars l6 are secured to the body by the straps I5 which are slipped over the body into the position shown and which may be held against longitudinal movement by some suitable means such as set screws. The multiple sockets are positioned in the body by the simple operation of inserting the projection 26 into the ends of the tubular body and if desired they can be clamped in position by means of the set screws 34 as above explained. The reflectors 23 can be readily put into position and removed and during shipment these can be packed separately and due to their shape will nest so that they take up very little space.

The feature of this invention to which particular attention is called is the ease with which the lamps and the reflectors may be cleaned and the ease with which the lamps may be inserted and removed. By this construction the maintenance cost is greatly reduced, as well as the original cost of manufacture.

In the drawing and in the above description, the multiple lamp sockets are shown as provided with projection 26 that are to be inserted into the ends of the tubular body. In some cases a reversal of this may be desired and the projections may then be provided with openings into which the end of the tubular body can be inserted. This modification has not been shown because it involves merely an obvious reversal and in both cases the multiple sockets are telescopically connected with the fixture body.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A fixture for use with fluorescent lamps, comprising, in combination, an elongated body,

a plurality of lamp sockets carried by each end thereof for positioning lamps in spaced parallel relation thereto, means for suspending the fixture comprising straps enclosing the body and slidable therealong, reflectors, means for attaching the reflectors to the body comprising, transversely extending hinge members secured to the body and projecting laterally therefrom, the ends of said members having upwardly opening hooks, the reflectors having their upper surfaces provided with loops for the reception of the hooks, the hooks and loops forming means for pivotally attaching the reflectors to the ends of the hinge members.

2. A fluorescent lamp fixture comprising an elongated tubular body, a multiple lamp socket removably connected with each end thereof, each socket having one side provided with a projection positioned for insertion into an end of the tubular body, and at least two sets of lamp terminals, the body having at least two hinge members projecting from each side, a downwardly concave reflector pivotally connected with the hinge members for movement from an operative to an inoperative or cleaning position, and means for limiting the downward rotation of the reflectors.

HARRY U. SCHOCKE'IT.

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