US2538332A - Flashlight - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1951 sc 2,538,332

FLASHLIGHT Filed D80. 15, 1945 INVENTOR. DONALD c scuespea AT Tom/2Y5 Patented Jan. 16, 1951 FLASHLIGHT Donald G. Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Fulton Manufacturing Corporation, Wauseon, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 15, 1945,, Serial No. 635,301

(Cl. I24010.'6)

2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to the art of electric illumination and more particularly to a novel lighting element adapted for attachment to a flashlight and to a flashlight including said element.

A flashlight of simple construction and convenient size and shape and having a plurality of illuminating elementshas long been an unsatisfled need. The utility of such a flashlight in industrial or home use is readily apparent. Such an instrument could, for instance, be provided with light elements of various colors and intensities for sig-nalingand for extracting the greatest amount of electric energy from battery elements in an efficient and effective manner.

In attempting to produce a device meeting this need others have only succeeded in making flashlights too complicated for commercial production and sale in competition with ordinary flashlights, and too cumbersome for practical flashlight uses. The devices of the present invention, on the contrary, are simple in construction and can be made and sold at prices competitive with ordinary flashlights and flashlight lighting elements and are otherwise fully responsive to this persistent but heretofore unsatisfied demand.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification:

Fig. l is an elevation view partly in section of one embodiment of my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing certain parts in a different position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective, fragmentary View of the novel lighting element of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view partly in elevation taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the element of the present invention, which is adapted for attachment to a source of power and for integration with a flashlight as depicted in the other figures above, comprises a disc 1, an arm 2 extending outwardly from said disc, and bulb t, sheath 5 and spring 6, all co-axially disposed within said tube, and cap 1.

The disc I is composed of electrically conductive material, preferably a thin copper plate, and is of substantially the same diameter as a conventional flashlight shell. This disc is preferably formed integrally with arm 2 and is provided with a central opening. Except for the inner peripheral area of the disc where it is joined to the tube 3, the disc is substantially monoplanar.

Arm 2 has its broad or side surface disposed at right angles to the plane of the disc and is curved spring member.

2 goodcontact with the inner surface of a flashlight shell or metal contact element of the shell if the shell is plastic and not electrically conductive.

Tube 3 may be made of any suitable electrical conducting material such as copper, steel or plastic with metal contact strips, and is of generally uniform cylindrical shape except in the vicinity of the end immovably fixed to the disc where the inner wall is bent inwardly appreciably thereby forming a shoulder 8 and constricting the tube opening and is then flared outwardly to form a flange 9, thereby defining an annular recess between the shoulder and flange in which the inner peripheral edge of the disc is received. Firm and immovable attachment of the tube and the disc is accomplished by crimping, i. e. compressing, this inner edge of the disc I between the flange 9 and the external shoulder '8 of the cylinder. At the opposite end of the tube 3 are located three lugs I!) which are formed integrally with the tube and extend a short distance toward its axis from points equally spaced around the tube circumference.

Sheath 5 is a cylindrical metal shape threaded upon its inside wall to receive and hold a conventional screw bulb 4. This sheath is flanged outwardly as at i I at its end remote from the disc and is seated upon the three lugs l0 and at its other end has free sliding engagement in tube 3, except for the restraining influence of spring 6. This spring is compressed and disposed between the inner surface of tube 3 and the outer surface of the sheath 5 and bears at one end upon the flange l of the sheath and at the other end upon the internal shoulder 8 of the tube.

Although bulb 4 is inserted and secured in tube 3 and extends through the opening in disc I, it is not, either in the assembly or the operation of this device of my invention, in direct physical contact with either the tube 3 or the disc I. It is engaged in threaded connection with sheath 5 which, in cooperation with tube 3, confines spring 5 and which is movable lengthwise relative to the tube upon compression and de-compression of the As illustrated in the various figures, the bulb 4 at all times extends through this sheath 5 and projects beyond it at both ends, the filament being at one end of the sheath and its central filament terminal being at the other end of the sheath. As shown in Fig. 2, however, the terminal end of the bulb does not always project beyond the tube 3, the two lying in the same plane and engaging a common surface when the spring is under the maximum compression emo w r ly t press h face a inst, and make played in normal operation of the device.

Cap 1 has an annular shoulder I2 bearing against disc 1, and has a screw threaded skirt l3 to engage with the threaded end of a conventional flashlight shell. This cap is composed of translucent material and may be colored, as desired.

Referring next to Figs. 1 and 2, the foregoing assembly is depicted in operating attachment to a flashlight comprised of shell l4, batteries 15 within the shell, a-light bulb 16 within cup I! of electrical insulating material screwed on shell It and a switch I 8 for operatively connecting said batteries and bulb electrically. Cup l1 includes an end portion [9 of suitable transparent electrical insulating material which is provided with an annular threaded flange 20 screwed into the outer end of cup IT, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in in Fig. 1, the apparatus is so adjusted that bulb 4 is lighted and bulb I6 is not lighted. Bulb d is in series in the circuit which consists of the batteries I5, bulb 6, tube 3, disc I, metal shell l4, switch I8 and bulb Hi.

In Fig. 2 the tube 3 is in direct physical and electrical contact with batteries 15 and the bulb I 6 is illuminated while bulb 4 is not. In this case the circuit is the same as stated above except that the bulb A is short circuited by direct contact of tube 3 with the batteries I5. In this case cap I is threaded further upon the shell l4 and has pressed tube 3 against the adjacent battery.

Referring further to Figs. 1 and 2, the device of this invention is operated by closing the switch [8 and adjusting cap I on shell 14 to bring tube 3 into or out of contact with the adjacent battery or by adjusting cap H to effect the same result by urging batteries 15 toward cap 1. When tube 3 is out of contact with the battery, bulb l, sheath and tube 3 constitute the connection of the adjacent battery to shell l4; and when the tube 3 is in contact with the battery, bulb ii is substantially short circuited and is not lighted. The circuit through bulb 4, sheath 5, and spring 6 is of higher resistance than the circuit through tube 3 and accordingly substantially no current flows through bulb 4.

By turning cap I through a few degrees or by turning cap I! a few degrees, it is possible to light one or the other of bulbs 4 and 16 but not to light both together; Bulb 4 may be lighted mlvhen the batteriesbecome too Weak to light bulb In the depicted assembly bulb I6 is of relatively high amperage, i. e., 0.5 ampere, and bulb 4 is of substantially less amperage, i. e., 0.25 ampere. Both are, however, of substantially the same voltage and of voltage corresponding to the capacity of the batteries in series circuit.

Having thus described my present invention so that others skilled in the art may be able to understand and practice the same state that what 6 I desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed.

I claim:

1. In a flashlight assembly comprising a flashlight shell, dry batteries in the shell, an electric light bulb adapted to be lighted by electricity provided by the batteries and a transparent cap to engage the shell and enclose the bulb, an elec- I trically conductive device for supporting and electrically connecting the bulb to the shell and for shunting the bulb out of a circuit including the batteries, said device consisting of an electrically conductive disc having a central aperture, a tube connected to the disc in register with the aperture to receive the base of the bulb, spring means in the tube to engage and urge the bulb endwise of the tube when the cap is moved endwise relative to the shell, and a resilient metal arm electrically connected to the disc and extending outwardly therefrom to assure constant electrical contact between the shell and disc when the cap and bulb are thus moved relative to the shell.

2. A flashlight comprising an electrically conductive shell, a battery, a light bulb of relatively low electrical resistance but of voltage corresponding to the capacity of the battery, and a switch operative to connect said elements electrically, a second bulb of substantially greater electrical resistance than the first bulb but of voltage corresponding to the battery capacity, a transparent cap to engage the shell and enclose the second bulb, and an electrically conductive device for supporting and electrically connecting said second bulb to the shell and for shunting the second bulb out of a circuit including the batteries, said device consisting of an electrically conductive disc having a central aperture, a tube connected to the disc in register with the aperture to receive the base of the bulb, spring means in the tube to engage and urge the bulb endwise of the tube when the cap is moved endwise relative to the shell, and a resilient metal arm electrically connected to the disc and extending outwardly therefrom to assure constant electrical contact between the shell and disc when the cap and bulb are thus moved relative to the shell.

DONALD G. SCHAEFER.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,287,186 Beard Dec. 10, 1918 1,421,093 Matson June 27, 1922 1,734,230 Roe Nov. 5, 1929 1,816,065 Weidman July 28, 1931 2,194,992 Walsh Mar. 26, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 450,647 England July 22, 1936

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