US2458136A - Lamp - Google Patents

Description

Patented Jan. 4, 1949 LAMP Kornel Berger, Kew Gardens, N. Y. Application October 2, 1946, Serial No. 700,713

This invention relates to lamps. More particularly, the invention pertains to the attachment of lamp shades to lamps.

At the present time the construction of conventional lamp shades is such that the finial must be taken off before the lamp shade can be detached. Once it is off the finial may, and often is, dropped or lost. Dropping of the finial may break it or mar a piece of furniture; and breaking or losing the finial will materially decrease the value of the lamp.

Accordingly it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a lamp shade construction such that the shade can be removed without detaching the finial.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a lamp shade of the character described which can be employed without modifying conventional lamp construction.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a removable lamp shade such as described which comprises no more pieces than a conventional lamp shade and can be made for approximately the same price without a radical departure from the present-day tools and dies.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are shown several various possible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view of a lamp, the shade whereof is constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the lamp;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, but drawn to a larger scale so as to better illustrate the connection between the lamp harp and the frame of the lamp shade, the finial being partially loosened;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the attaching portion of the lamp shade frame as it appears when removed from the lamp, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of a modified form of attaching portion.

In conventional lamps the connection between the lamp shade and the lamp is effected by providing the lamp shade with an annular member,

1 Claim. (01. 240-148) e. g. a washer, which is slipped over a post forming part of the lamp, said member being clamped against an element at the base of the post by a' finial threadedly mounted on the post. The shade also includes spider arms or any other suitable supporting means extending outwardly from the annular member to the shade frame. With such an arrangement, it is, of course, neces sary to completely detach the finial when the lamp shade is to be removed, in orderto allow the annular member to be slipped off the end of the post.

Pursuant to the present invention, this removal of the finial is avoided by providing an opening or slot running from the inside to the outside of the annularmember. Then, if it is desired to remove the lampshade, it is only necessary to partially unthread the finial in order to loosen the pressure of the finial on the annular member, whereupon the annular member can be slid laterally off the post, said post passing through the slot.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1-5, 10 denotes a lamp in which the present invention is incorporated. Said lamp constitutes a suitable ornamental base 12 carrying a standard light socket l4 and a lamp harp l6. The lamp harp includes the usual wire bail l8 at whose top is mounted a suitable means for detachably holding the frame of a lamp shade. Said means may be entirely conventional, as the present invention is intended to be used with lamps of standard construction.

In essence, said means constitutes a post attached at one end to the bail l8 and at the other end to a member such as the finialZO. One of these attachments, as for instance the attachment to the bail, may be of a permanent nature, but at least one of the attachments, as for instance that to the finial, is extensible longitudinally of the post. The means shown herein for detachably holding the shade frame is of the type known in the art as a swivel fixture, the same comprising a base plate 22 with two pairs of dependent integral jaws 24 encircling and frictionally gripping the straight top section 26 of the bail. Said plate supports'a threaded post 28 which extends outwardly away fromthe bail and is adapted to have the finial 20 screwed thereon.

The lamp is equipped with a lamp shade 30 connected to the lamp harp in accordance with the instant invention. Said frame includes a decorative cover 32 which is carried by a suitable frame 33 constructed, for example, from wire. The frame is supported from a set of slender spider arms 34 extending outwardly from an annular hub such as a flat thick stiff washer 36. Said hub has a radial slot 38 sufficiently large to permit the threaded post 28 to be slipped freely therethrough in a sidewise direction.

Means is provided to secure the arms 34 to the washer 36. Thus said arms may be welded to the washer or, as illustrated, said washer may be provided with radial openings 46 into which the arms are set, the washer 36 then being depressed at the points 42 to firmly lock the arms in place.

To put the lamp shade on the fixture, the finial 20 is unscrewed far enough to permit the washer 36 to be interposed between the bottom of said finial and the base plate 22. The frame then is placed over the lamp with the washer 36 near the swivel fixture and just above the level of the base plate and with the slot 38 lined up with the .post 28. Then the washer is moved laterally to introduce the post into the slot 38, the movement being sufficient to position the post in the central aperture 44 of the washer. Finally the finial is tightened to firmly clamp the washer between said finial and the base plate. The lamp shade is removed by practicing the aforesaid steps in reverse order, it being noted that the finial need not be completely removed when it is desired to remove or put on a lamp shade.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the construction of the lamp need not be modified in any respect whatsoever insofar as the post and finial are concerned and thatthe requisite changes in the construction of the lamp shade can be easily accomplished, so that if it is desired to employ the present invention all that need be changed is the washer in the lamp shade. Therefore, this invention can be incorporated in present day lamps simply by employing the new type of washer in the lamp shades which are .to serve as replacement or as new shades.

'It will be appreciated that any changes might be made in the connection between the shade and lamp without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, although the washer .36 is .solid, having been fashioned by machining, die casting or forging, said washer could equally well be made from sheet metal. Such modified construction is shown in Fig. .6 wherein the washer 36' consists .of a segmentally circular centrally apertured sheet metal disc .having a radial opening 48 large enough to :pass the .post 28.. Flanges 50, 52 depend from the inner and outer peripheries of the disc'to give the washer sulficient depth. The outer flange 51) includes extensions 54 of 'U-shaped transverse section, the

base whereof is uppermost. These extensions are adapted to receive the spider arms 34 and to be clinched thereto.

It will thus be seen that there are provided devices which achieve the several objects of this invention and are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. i

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, itis to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In combination in a lamp, an upwardly facing light socket adapted to support an electric light bulb with the axis of symmetry thereof vertically arranged, a lamp harp extending vertically from below said socket to a point substantially above said socket, athreaded post, means to secure said post to the top of said lamp harp, a washer having acentral aperture with a radial slot extending from said aperture to the outer circumference of the washer, said slotbeing wider than the diameter of the post and said post being higher than the washer, a finial screwed on said post and adapted to be turned down to frictionally engage said washer, said washer being detachable from said post by slightly backing off the finial without removing the same thereby to permit the slotted portion of the washer to he slid past the post, a lamp shade including a frame having a decorative cover, said frame comprising a set of spider arms extending outwardly from said washer whereby the shade is secured to the post by "and is removable from the post with said washer.

- KORNEL BERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,533,639 Ziska May 4, 19.26 1,776,101 Brady Sept. 16, 1930 1,7 96,464 Kevork-ian Mar. 17,1931 2,164,901 Chilo July 4, 1939 FOREIGN PA'I'EN'IS Number Country Date 8,219 Great Britain 1915 404,148 Great Britain 1934

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