US2636109A

US2636109A - Illuminated fender guide

Info

Publication number: US2636109A
Application number: US137353A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph H Cone
Original assignee: Casco Products Corp
Current assignee: Casco Products Corp
Priority date: 1950-01-07
Filing date: 1950-01-07
Publication date: 1953-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1970-04-21

Description

April 21, 1953 J. H. CONE 2,636,109

ILLUMINATED FENDER GUIDE Filed Jan. 7, 1950 3nnentor Josep/z (one (Ittomegs Patented Apr. 21, 1953 I'LLUMINATED FENDER GUIDE Joseph H. Cone, Bridgeport, Conn, asslgnor to Casco Products Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application January 7, 1950, Serial No. 137,353

1 Claim.

This invention relates to illuminated fender guides for automobiles and the like, and more particularly to fender guides of the type having "the source of illumination or bulb disposed in the bracket or housing which is at the bottom of the sight s taiT of the fender guide.

Anobject of the invention is to provide an improved illuminated fender guide of the type identified; which is characterized by the bulb mounting being extremely simple and economical toproduce, and enabling quick and easy replacement of the bulb to be effected.

;A further object of the invention is to provide an improved fender guide as set forth above,

wherein adequate electrical contact with the bulb is maintained at all times, and wherein the bulb is firmly supported and held against vibration. A feature of the invention is the provision of an improved illuminated fender guide in accordanoe'with the foregoing but-having an adjustable staff, wherein the bulb is retained in its mounting and the staff adjustment maintained by means ofa single manually operable cap.

Another feature of the invention is the provision, in an illuminated fender guide as above characterized, of an improved and simplified housing and bracket structure which is simple and economical to fabricate.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is an elevational view of the improved iender guide of this invention, mounted on an automobile fender.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the lower portion of the fender guide.

Fig. 3 is a vertical axial section, enlarged, showing the details of the lower part of the fender guide.

Fig. 4 is an inside elevational view of the lower part of the fender guide, looking in the direction of the arrows, 4, 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse or horizontal section, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

As shown, the present improved fender guide comprises an elongate upright housing [0 so arranged as to enable it to be cast, said housing having a threaded hole II in its lower portion, receiving a hollow screw l2 adapted to pass through an automobile fender l3 whereby the housing may be rigidly secured to the fender.

The housing It has a vertical bore 14 extending downward from its top, and surrounding the mouth of the bore is an externally threaded flange l5 adapted to carry an apertured threaded cap It, the cap and flange having interior spherical surfaces I! and I8 cooperating to form a socket in which a ball I9 is carried.

In accordance with the invention a. novel. and improved mounting is provided in the bore I4 of the housing ill, to receive and support an incandescent electric bulb 20 which is of the type having a smooth cylindrical base 2! and a pair of bayonet prongs 22. This mounting means com prises a plurality of projections 23 spaced circumferentially within the bore M, Fig. 5, the projections 23 being separated by spaces 24. The spaces 24 are preferably just large enough to slidably receive the bayonet prongs 22 of the bulb 20, and preferably the spaces 24 and also the projections 23 are made tapering, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, to facilitate the locating oi the bayonet prongs 22 between the projections.

The spaces 24 are in the form of slots which are closed at their bottom ends, and the bayonet prong 22 engage the ends of the slots when the bulb is fully seated in the housing ll], thereby to establish efiective electrical contact between the housing and base 2 I of the bulb.

The bore I 4 of the housing has an upper portion of relatively large diameter to accommodate the globe of the bulb 20, and a lower portion ofrelatively small diameter, meeting with the'projections 23 and closely fitting about the base 2 l of the bulb.

In the small-diameter lower portion of the bore I4 is provided, a yieldable means comprising a helical coil spring 25 and a disk 26 of insulation material resting on the upper end of the coil spring, to normally urge the bulb 20 upward and outward of the bore [4. A center contact 27 carried by the disk 26 engages the tip contact of the bulb base, and is connected with a wire 28 which passes downwardly through the coil 25 and through the hollow center of the mounting screw 12 of the fender guide.

I also provide manually removable means engaging the upper portion of the globe of the bulb 20 to hold the bulb in operative position in the housing I0, said means consisting of a second helica1 compression spring 29- which is interposed between the top of the bulb 20 and the bottom of the ball 19 carried between the socket surfaces I1 and I8.

The ball I9 is provided with a diametric bore passing completely through it, and press fitted in said bore is the lower end 30 of a staff 3| which is preferably formed of methyl methacrylate or acrylic resin, commonly known as Lucite, which has the property of conducting or transmitting light.

By such organization I provide an extremely simple and efiective means for mounting the bulb 20 within the housing I0, and one which is reliable in use, prevents undue vibration of the bulb when the fender guide is carried on an automobile and enables the bulb to be easily and quickly replaced when this becomes necessary.

For example, to replace the bulb '20 it is only necessaryto unscrew the cap 19 and remove the staff 3| and press fitted ball [9 on its lower end. The coil spring 29 will, as a result of its no longer being confined, extend itself whereby it may be readily reached and lifted out by the fingers.

The release of pressure from the top of the bulb 20 will enable the compression spring 25 to extend itself, raising the bulb 20 a substantial distance in the bore 14 of the housing 10. merely necessary to employ a small strip of ad- It is now hesive tape, such as Scotch tape or the like, pressing this against the top of the globe of the bulb whereupon the bulb may be completely lifted out of the bore 14 by withdrawing the tape. A new bulb may then be readily dropped in place and the parts again assembled, whereupon the pressures of the

springs

25 and 29 on the bottom and top portions of the bulb will securely hold the bulb in mounted position against excess vibration, and will also provide for adequate electrical contact to the base 2| of the bulb.

' No twisting of the bulb is necessary during this installation, since the retention of the bulb does not depend on the prongs '22 being locked in bayonet slots, as has been the custom heretofore.

The light from the bulb will pass through the spring 29 and strike the lower end of the staff 3|, whereuponit will be transmitted upwardly through the staff and illuminate the tip of the latter.

Angular adjustment of the staff 3| is readily had by the provision of the ball [9 in the socket formed in the cap l6 and flange l5, and tightening of the cap will securely hold the ball I9 and the stafi Si in any adjusted upright position.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claim and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim: In an illuminated fender guide, a lamp hous= ing adapted to be mounted on a fender, said housing having a vertical bore extending downward from its top for wholly receiving an electric bulb, base downward, and for contacting said base, and having a threaded flange around the mouth of the bore; yieldable contact means in said bore and insulated from the housing, said means being engageable with the base of the bulb, tending to raise the bulb in the bore; an apertured screw cap threaded on the flange of the housing, said cap and flange constitutin a socket which be- .comes smaller when the cap is tightened; a ball in said socket, adapted to be seized thereby, said ball having a diametric bore passing through it; a yieldable ring-like member interposed between said ball and the top of the bulb, holding the latter downward in the bore of the housing against the action of said yieldable means; and a light-conducting sight staff fitted into the bore of said ball and supported by the ball, said staff extending upward through the screw cap whereby light from the bulb passes through the ring-like member and the ball, and is transmitted upward by said staff.

JOSEPH H. CONE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,028,025 Hunter May 28, 1912 1,301,253 Grether Apr. 22, 1919 1,326,300 Smit Dec. 30, 1919 1,555,902 Brady Oct. 6, 1925 1,756,070 Schupp Apr. 29, 1930 1,965,865 Thompson July 10, 1934 2,081,703 Germonprez May 25, 1937 2,224,032 Kline Dec. 3, 1940 2,252,267 Lofgren Aug. 12, 1941 2,413,381 Rylsky Dec. 31, 1946 2,420,772 Dalton May 20, 1947 2,473,981 Wood June 21, 1949 2,474,677 Kirkland June 28, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 460,062 France Sept. 24, 1913