US2683800A

US2683800A - Lamp shade

Info

Publication number: US2683800A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tradelius Carl
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-02-21
Filing date: 1950-02-21
Publication date: 1954-07-13
Anticipated expiration: 1971-07-13

Description

July 13, 1954 Q L Us I 2,683,800

LAMP SHADE Filed Feb. 21, 1950 FIG. I m FIG.3 5 4 FIG.4

10 31 6 19 17 I/P/W l8 9 111%? [F INVENTOR CARL TRADELI US Patented July 13, 1954 UN 1 TED STATES PATENT F FI-CE.

LAMP SHADE Carl 'lradelius, New York, N. Y.

ApplicationFebruary 21, 1950,. Serial No. 145,436

'8 Claims.

This inventionrelates toimprovements inv'lamp shades, and includes new lamp shade elements tachable to and removable from. the upper and.

lower wires of a conventional lamp shade frame and. when attached thereto in overlapping relation form an attractive lamp shade made up of similarly appearing orcontrasting elements. The new lamp shade elements are made of thin, resilient, flexible slats or strips, of somewhat curved or arcuate cross-section and of uniform width. The lamp shade elements or slats are advantageously made of the thin sheet material about two inches in width and about /1c0 of an inch thick, such as the strip material, made of aluminum or aluminum alloys widely used in making Venetian blind slats and sold under the trade name Flexalum. This material is provided with a baked enamel finish and is available in a number of difier-ent colors. It is normally slightly curved in cross-section and :isadvantageously given a somewhat increased curvature before the slats or elements for the lampshade are made-therefrom.

In producing the newlampshadeelementsor strips or slats, the-thin flexible.resilientmaterial, which is available in continuous lengths. having a slight cross-sectional curvature is advantageously first given .a somewhat greater curvature or arcuate cross-section and sections are then cut flOII-l the continuous-strip of a length somewhat greater than the distance between the top and bottom wires of the lamp shade to which they are to be attached, sothat they will extend above and below the wire .frame members of the shade.

The new lamp shade elements orslats are-provided at their ends with one or more offset portions for engaging the top and. bottom frame members of the shade. These offset portions may be provided at each end of the slat or element, as by cutting the. elements lengthwisefrom each end to form tongues .or portions thereof which can be bent into an ofiset portion to .en age the inside of the top and bottom frame members when the .elementsarethemselves placed on the outside of the frame members. The distance apart of these o'fiset portions will be such that when the offset portion at one end engages the upper frame member of "the shade-the lower offset portion will engage the lowerframe mem- .2 ber. The resilient flexible nature of the thin strip material permits the elements to be bent permit the ofiset portions at their ends to engage the frame members of the shade.

The curved or arcuate cross-section of the individual elements is advantageous not only in giving increased longitudinal stiffness or rigidity but also in insuring that, where the elements overlap, there will be engagement of the overlapping edge with the surface of the element which is overlapped. The lam shade as a whole is generally circular or cylindrical or oval or square or polygonal in shape and the curved or arcuate form of the individual elements assumes a smooth, closed a pearance of the shade in fin ished form when all of the elements are placed thereon.

In using the new shade elements in making the new lamp shade-theelements are-successively applied to the frame by causing each element to engage the upper and lower frame members. Where the upper wire frame is smaller than the lower wire frame of the shade, the upper portionsof the elements of uniform width will overlap each other a greaterv distance than will the lower portions thereof. At the bottom they may not overlap at all but the extent of the overlap=will increase to a maximum at the top. They may also overlap to some extent at the bottom.

The ofiset portions of the elements are advantageously so arranged that they will be covered up by the overlapping portion .of the next adjacent element-at the-top of thesihade, where the upper frame wire is smaller than the lower. Th y may or zmayznot overlap at the bottom of the shade.

The wire frames used in making the new lamp shades. may be the-conventional wire frames with upper and lower circular, oval, rectangular or polygonal wire membeinof: the same or different sizes, and upright uniting them. Where the frame members are entirely covered up by the overlapping upright shade members or elements, they will not be visible from outside the shade. Where they appear in an. offset portion of the elements which is :not covered up by the overlapping adjacent element, the frame members advantageously madeoi special material such as bronze .or are provided with a coating which 'harmonizes with. the shade elements .applied thereto.

The thin, flexible sheet metal shade elements may he made of strips of difierent colors. The elements of the entire shade may be of the same color where this is desired, e; g.', green orrose- 3 colored, or blue, etc.; or combinations of elements of different colors can be used in the same lamp shade to give pleasing color combinations, e. g., by using alternating elements of different colors or by using elements of a number of colors arranged in the desired color combination in the shade.

One advantage of the new lamp shade is that the individual elements are readily removed and replaced, thus permitting ready washing or cleaning of the shade or replacing of elements of one color with elements of another color, or with elements giving a new color combination.

The individual slats or elements, being made of thin sheet material of uniform width and uniform curvature and with the offset portions similarly arranged in the slats can be closely packed and a customer desiring to purchase a shade may select a number of slats of any desired color, or slats of different colors and assemble the shade to give a shade either of uniform color or of varied color.

In making the individual shade elements or slats a continuous length of the thin sheet material with slight cross-sectional curvature is advantageously first given a somewhat increased cross-sectional curvature and is then stamped out or cut out into standard lengths corresponding to lamp shades having standard distances between the upper and lower frame members and the offset portion can also be stamped out at the ends at thesame time. The elements can thus be made continuously and in large numbers by a simple cutting and stamping operation with one or more offset portions formed in each end of the individual elements at the time they are cut from a long, continuous strip.

The form and nature and arrangements of the offset portions at the ends of the elements or slats can be varied. Certain advantageous forms and arrangements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings but it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a lamp shade frame of conventional form with two elements or slats secured thereto at different places in the frame;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of a completed lamp shade;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of one type of slat or element such as is used in the shade of Fig. 2 and illustrated in Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views of the slat of Fig. 3 taken along the lines 44 and 55 respectively and with the thickness of the slat T somewhat exaggerated for purposes of illustration;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a modified form of slat or element;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of another modified form of slat or element; and

Fig. 8 is a partial view of a lamp shade in which the slats of Fig. 7 are used.

The lamp shade frame illustrated in Fig. l is a conventional type of frame comprising an upper circular frame member I9, a lower circular frame member ll of larger diameter than the frame member ID, and upright inclined wire stays I2 connecting the frame members together.

The individual vertical elements or slats [3 shown in Figs. 1 to 5 are of thin, flexible, resilient material such as Venetian blind slat material, sold under the trade name Flexalum, of about two inches in width and /100 of an inch thick, and with an arcuate or curved cross-sec- 4 tion similar to that used in making Venetian blinds, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

At its upper end the slat I3 is cut or slotted at I 5 and 16 to form a portion I! which is bent back and forms an offset portion to engage the top frame member of the shade as illustrated in Fig. 1. As shown in this figure, the offset portion I? is near one edge of the slat or element and has a narrow portion 18 on one side and a much wider portion [9 on the other. This arrangement of the offset portion near one edge enables it to be covered over by the overlapipng portion of the next element when applied to the shade frame, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The element of Figs. 1 to 5 has similar cuts or slots 20 and 2| and the portion 22 between them is bent back and offset to engage the lower wire member of the frame as illustrated in Fig. 1. With this arrangement the offset portion will not be covered up by the overlapping slat at the bottom of the shade, and the bottom frame wire will show in front of these offset portions at the bottom of the shade, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Although the length of the individual elements or slats is greater than the distance between the upper and lower wire frame members, the flexible nature of the elements enables them to be bent so that the projecting portions can readily be hooked around the wire. And the curved or arcuate cross-section of the elements causes them to return to and stay in their upright position. The front slat l3 of Fig. 1 is shown in conjunction with another slat, shown in dotted lines, illustrating how this slat when applied will cover up and conceal the offset portion I! at the top of slat I3.

A modified form of upright element or slat is shown in Fig. 6. In this form the element is cut longitudinally or slotted at 25 at one end near the edge and the portion 28 is bent back and offset, leaving the greater portion of the top of the element unchanged in appearance. Less overlap of the elements at the top of the shade is required to cover up the offset portion 26 in this case than in the case of the slats of Figs. 1 to 5.

The bottoms of the elements or slats of Fig. 6 are cut or slotted in two places, 28 and 29, near the edges and the

outer portions

30 and 31 are bent back to form offset portions for engaging the wire frame, leaving a wide central portion 32 of the element unchanged in appearance. In this case the elements will not be overlapped at their lower ends but will be overlapped at their upper ends, concealing the upper frame member from view, while the lower frame member will be partially in view at the offset portions.

A further modification is illustrated in Fig. '7. In this case the element 33 is provided with two cuts or slots 34 and 36 at its upper end near one edge and two cuts or

slots

39 and 40 at its lower end so that the intermediate portions 35 and 4| can be bent back to form the offset portions for engaging the wire frame. This leaves only

narrow edge portions

31 and 42 at the ends of the element. This arrangement permits the elements to be overlapped at both their upper and lower ends, with a greater extent of overlap at the upper portions, so that all of the offset portions are concealed from view as illustrated in Fig. 8, where the concealed offset portions of one of the elements are shown in dotted lines.

From Figs. 2 and 8 it will be noted that the individual curved (in cross-section) elements special fastening devices are required for fastening the elements to the frame. The offset portions which serve to hold the elements in place on the frame are readily formed by bending and ofisetting a portion of the thin, flexible material. And the fiexible nature of the material permits the elements to be bent and their ends brought nearer together to permit the offset portions to hook over the frame members, in applying the elements to the frame.

The use of thin, flexible, curved sheet metal 1) elements gives an opaque lamp shade, that is, one which does not permit light to pass through it. At the same time, the curved nature of the elements on the inside of the shade, adjacent the lamp, is advantageous in giving a diffused reflection of the light.

Where translucent shades are desired the elements may be made of thin, flexible, resilient plastic elements, of thin plastic sheets having a desirable resilience and flexibility and from which the offset portions can be formed, e. g., by a plastic forming or bending and setting or molding action, to give offset portions similar to those above described in connection with the thin metal elements.

It will be evident that lamp shades of different sizes, both as to height and diameter, and of different shapes, including cylindrical, rectangular, tapered, etc. can be made using lamp shade frames, such as conventional wire frames, of the same or different sizes and shapes and by cutting of the individual elements or slats of different lengths corresponding to the frame to which they are to be applied.

The new lamp shade has the advantage that a number of wire frames of standard size, when tapered frames are used, can be shipped in nested form and a number of groups of individual slats or elements can also be shipped in fiat or nested form and shades can readily be assembled from slats of different colors or in different color combinations.

I claim:

1. A lamp shade comprising a pair of spaced frame members and a plurality of slats of thin flexible material of uniform width detachably connecting and arranged around the two frame members, each end portion of each slat having at least one open slot formed therein, the portion of the slat on one side of the open slot at each end of each slat being offset from the general plane of the remainder of the slat, each open slot substantially freely receiving the adjacent frame member without further substantial deformation of the slat, a portion of said frame member lying between the plane of said offset portion and the general plane of the slat,

each slat being preshaped to have a curved transd a portion of one adjacent slat and underlies a portion of the other adjacent slat.

3. A lamp shade as set forth in claim 1 in which the slats are detachably connected to the frame members and in which the main body portion of each slat forms a portion of the outer surface of the lamp shade and at least one of the offset portions of each slat underlies the main body portion of an adjacent slat.

4. A lamp shade comprising a pair of spaced frame members and a plurality of slats of thin flexible material of uniform width detachably connecting and arranged around the two frame members, each of the ends of each slat having a pair of open slots formed in it, the portion of the slat between a pair of slots being offset out of the general plane of the main body portion of the slat and each pair of slots substantially freely receiving a frame member without further substantial deformation of the slat, the frame member lying betwen the plane of said offset portion and the general plane of the slat, and each slat being preshaped to have a curved transverse section and partially overlying one adjacent slat and partially underlying the other adjacent slat.

5. A lamp shade as set forth in claim 4 in which the pair of slots at one end of each slat is substantially centrally located therein and in which the pair of slots at the other end of said slat lies closer to one edge of the slat than to the other edge thereof, the slats being detachably connected to the frame members in overlapping relation so that said last-mentioned pair of slots in each slat underlie a portion of an adjacent slat.

6. A lamp shade as set forth in claim 4 in which the two pairs of slots in opposite ends of each slat lie closer to one edge of the slat than to the other edge thereof.

'7. A lamp shade as set forth in claim 6 in which the main body portions of the slats form the outer surface of the lamp shade and the slats are detachably connected to the frame members in overlapping relation so that the offset portions of each slat underlie the main body portion of an adjacent slat.

8. A lamp shade comprising a pair of spaced frame members and a plurality of slats of thin flexible material of uniform width detachably connecting and arranged around the two frame members, each of the end portions of each slat having a pair of slots formed in it, the portion of the slat between a pair of slots being offset out of the general plane of the main body portion of the slat and each pair of slots substantially freely receiving a frame member without further substantial deformation of the slat, the frame member lying between the plane of said offset portion and the general plane of the slat, and each slat being preshaped to have a curved transverse section and partially overlying one adjacent slat and partially underlying the other adjacent slat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 671,814 Catlin Apr. 9, 1901 1,923,555 Provenzano Aug. 22, 1933 2, 2 ,795 Stuber Nov. 5, 1940 2,230,186 Johns et al Jan. 28, 1941 2,311,716 Walker Feb. 23, 1943 2,400,944 Morgenroth May 28, 1946