US2690504A - Electric lamp switch - Google Patents

Description

Sept- 28, 1954 l.. H. MoRlN 2,690,504

ELECTRIC LAMP SWITCH Filed April 25, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTO NEY INVENTOR. LOUIS H. MORIN Sept 28, 1954 L. H. MORIN ELECTRIC LAMP SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1952 A INVENTOR. LOUIS H. MORIN HTTO? EY Patented Sept. 28, 1954 ITED STATES ELECTRIC LAMP SWITCH Louis H. Morin, Device C0., of New York Bronx, N. Y., assignor to Rotolite Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation Application April 23, 1952, Serial No. 283,917

2 Claims.

This invention relates to lamp constructions. More particularly, the invention deals with a lamp having, as part of the lamp structure, means for actuating a switch mechanism in the bodily rotation or oscillation of the lamp to control igniting and turning-off of the lamp or in controlling a series of circuits or laments of a circuit. Still more particularly, the invention deals with a lamp structure, wherein the column or lamp stem is utilized as the switching or circuit controlling member or medium of the lamp.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. i is a sectional View through the lower portion and part of the upper portion of a lamp made according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the structure with part of the construction shown in section and with part broken away.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing another adaptation of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a complete base of modified construction and also diagrammatically illustrating the circuit to an electric bulb; and

Fig. 5 is a partial section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

In lamp constructions of the type and kind normally used, the bulb, or bulbs, of the lamp are usually controlled by pull chains, rotary switches or push switches disposed in the upper portion of the lamp or, in other words, in close proximity to the bulb or the socket in which the bulb is mounted. With this type of construction, it has always been essential to reach in under a lamp shade to feel around in the eiiort to locate and then successfully operate the switch, particularly with the push-type of switches and rotary-type of switches. This has been further inconvenient from the standpoint that quite often a person, while seated in a chair, desires to change the amount of light from a lamp to increase or decrease the wattage and, in order to accomplish this operation, it has been necessary to rise from the chair to perform the operation.

The purpose of my invention is to construct what I term a switch lamp, wherein a body portion of the lamp itself, such for example as the column or stem, can be utilized as the switching member, element or medium and simply given a rotary or rotary oscillatory motion to control the ignition of the bulb or bulbs or the lament in a multi-filament bulb in operating from a shut-on to a fully on position and, further, whereby the lamp may be actuated so as to move from a high wattage to the next lower wattage rather than in following the normal procedure of actuating a switch from the high wattage stage to a completely shut-onc stage and then to the desired stage of operation.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, I have illustrated one adaptation of my invention, in which I6 represents a lamp base in which is arranged a supporting body II. At I2 I have shown the column or upstanding tube which, according to my invention, becomes the switch member, element or medium controlling actuation of the switch mechanism which is employed. I have also indicated diagrammatically at I3 means for supporting a lamp shade of any type and kind around a lamp socket I4, the lower portion only of which is shown.

In the supporting body II is arranged a bushing I5 in which is rotatably mounted a tubular shaft I8, through which the circuit wires, not shown, from the socket I 4 pass into and Contact with the switch mechanism I8 supported on the body II within the base IIJ. The switch member I2 or column is fixed to the shaft I6 through a cap or plate I9 and another cap or plate 2E) is in the upper end of the column to support the shade brackets I3. The upper end of the shaft is threaded, as seen at 2 I, to receive and support the bulb socket I4.

The lower portion of the shaft I 6 has substantially a square key portion 22, to which is keyed a switch actuating member or cam 23 held in place by a nut and spring washer structure, as at 24, the latter also serving to maintain the assemblage of the lamp structure with the base I0 and the supporting body II.

The cam 23 is generally of the contour seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing and includes a protruding cam portion 25 for actuating the button 26 of the switch I8, which, for illustrative purposes, can be a micro-switch, which requires a minimum amount of operation in control of the circuit. It will be understood, however, that in utilizing other types of switches, or simply a switch operating button as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4, a greater cam surface is provided on the cam 23.

Secured to the body II are spaced stop pins 2 which limit oscillatory movement of the switch actuating cam 23 and also the movement of the member i2 or any oi the parts or mechanisms carried or supported thereby. In this connection, it might be well to point out that the lamp shade supporting brackets I3 can provide a nxed coupling with a lamp shade so that simple rotation of the shade will actuate the switch mechanism to control the circuit, as will be apparent.

The switch Yof Vthe structure shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing will operate to control a single circuit to turn the circuit to a lamp on or off. This may controla single bulb, or a series o bulbs, arranged in a single circuit, or a circuit controlled from a single switch.

In Fig. 3 o the drawing, I have shown a slight modication of the structure lshown in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein I have substituted for the cam 2.3 a switch actuating member or lever 23, having limited motion between stop pins lil', similarr to the pins 2l, and the lever 28 is movableitoward and from a switch button 26 of a switch lll', otherwise Isimilar `tothe switch i8. Here again, a circuit, similar to the circuit o1 1Figs. l and 2, is controlled.

Quite often, lamps of the type andkind under consideration employ a series of bulbs, or a bulb having a series of filaments, whereby a diflerent degree oi wattage can be attained through actuation of a switch mechanism. In Fig. a of the drawing, I have diagrammatically shown amodified form of switch construction, as well as switch actuating mechanism. yIn this ligure, IE represents the lower end portion of a shaft, similar to the shaft i6, and at 2e and St I have diagrammatically shown two switch devices having stationary contacts 3E and al, respectively, and'movable spring contacts 33 and 35i, the latter being actuated by spring buttons 35 and normally supported by the thereon in inoperative position and moved into operative position to close the circuit between 3i and and'iiby a switch actuating member or cama?. The cam si' has two circumferentially short cam surfaces 3S and 39 and a somewhat longer cam surface lili, part of the latter being in'diagrannnatically opposed relationship with respect to The cam 3l has an extended control segment or plate portion il havingyin the upper surface thereof, a series'of spaced-. recesses 42,43, lll and Lia, the latter recess being shown in section .in of the drawing. At ii I have shown lpartei the suppcrting'body ci the lamp base and, in'this body is arranged aisleeve il@ supporting a bearing ball lll, at its lower end, the ballbeing tensioned by a spring it to engage the recesses "d2-#fie `as the cam 3l is rotated.

The cam Si, ortheplate portion il thereof, operates in conjunction with stop pins se and 5? checking movement of the cam in the limit ci rotary travel in both directions.

Associated with the showing .in Fig. l of the drawing, I have diagrammaticaily illustrated a lamp bulb 5l havinggbyway oi illustration, a 50 watt iilament at d2-anda 100 watt nlament at In this connection, it will be understood that the lamps Vary in these combinations and, quite often, have the 100 and ZOO'laments which provide the combination oi 1GO, 200 and 3G() wattage. `In the wiring diagram illustrated, 5@ designates the negative source o supply and 55 thepositive source of supply, the latterextending to the casing terminal 5t of the bulb 5 I whereas, 5d branches 5l and 58 which extend to the nxed contacts 3i and 32 of the switches 2d and respectively.

At 59 andl Sil are shown two other terminals of the lamp el, 59 being the center end terminal iYIhe cam 3l is shown in the oli-position in By rotating this cam in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 4, the cam portion 3&3 will be brought into engagement with the switch actuatiing button'SS and closing the circuit between contacts 3l and 33, thus completing the circuit to the :filament 52. In this operation, the cam 3l is momentarily held at rest by the ball M dropping into the recess dil. By continuing the rotation oi the cam 3l in the samefdireetion, the cam it is brought into engagement with the button 3S the'cam 38 has-released the button 35, thus the circuit throughdl and 33 is broken andthe circuit is completed betweenfcontacts 32 and 'thus ignitingthe .watt filament 53. In this position of the'cam 3l, the ball lll is in the socket Upon continuing the-rotary motion to the cam the camportion -'is vbrought into engagement with'the button againcompleting the circ-ui" through the contacts 3i and 33 and the cam i maintains the circuit closed'through the contam-J 32 and-3. In other words, both filaments 53 --will be ignited,-thus giving the 15G wattage in 1e example given. `In this last position of e cam'or switchactuating member 37, the bali .il will be in the 'socket d2.

With my improved switch construction and, assumingthat at a period of operation the lamp is set with the-switches-controlling the filament 53 givingva 100 .watt light, the control or switch actuating member S'can'either be moved in an anti-clockwise direction to provide a 50 watt light or rotatedintheclockwise direction to quire the watt light. VThe directions of rotation as herein noted are associated with the illustration in Fig. 4 ofthe drawing and are not indicative of the direction of rotation of the lamp when in actual use.

From a standpoint of description, the parts 23, 28 and .3l maybe said to comprise switch operating members and the cam portions 25, Se, andr!) can be referred to as switch actuating elements. In allcases, the members 23, 28 and 3l are in the form of thin plates.

vHaving fully described my invention, what I claim as new'anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lamp of the character described, comprising a base,a shaft rotatably mounted on and projecting above the base and having end extending into'the base, a switch actuating column secured to and enveloping the shaft above said base, the'base forming the support for s lamp, a-switch mounted wholly in and supported by the base in spaced relation to s id snai-t end, said switch having an inwardly extending actuating button andbeing in circuit with the light bulb of the lamp, a radially extending thinplateliker actuating member fixed to said end oi the shaft and rotatable therewith, means on the base and directly cooperating withsaid member for checking krotary :movement of the shaft and member inboth directions, and means on said member inV alinement with said button and adapted to actuate said button to control operation oi the lamp.

2. A lamp having a multiple filament light bulb, said lampl comprising a base, a shaft rotatably mounted on and projecting above the base and having an end extending into the base, a switch actuating column secured to and enveloping the shaft above said base, the :base forming the support for said lamp, a switch mounted wholly in and supported by the base in spaced relation to said shaft end, another switch mounted wholly in the base in spaced relation to the first named switch, both of said switches having inwardly extending actuating buttons, the switches being in circuit with the light bulb of the lamp, a radially extending thin plate-like switch operating member xed to said end of the shaft and rotatable therewith, means on the base and directly cooperating with said member for checking rotary movement of the shaft and member in both directions, means on said member in alinement with lboth switch buttons and adapted to actuate said buttons to control operation of the lamp, said means on said member being arranged at circumferentially spaced intervals in controlling, through actuation of both switches, the different filaments of the light bulb, and means in the base and on said member independent of said first named means checking rotary movement of the member to yieldably retain said member in diierent circuit controlling positions.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 985,234 Wagner Feb. 28, 1911 1,925,974 Beck Sept. 5, 1933 2,067,557 Allison Jan. 12, 1937 2,124,009 Schneider July 19, 1938 2,449,765 Brattain Sept. 21, 1948 2,604,793 Ellithorpe July 29, 1952 2,632,098 Marchese Mar. 17, 1953 2,674,689 Thornton et al. Apr. 6, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 810,408 Germany Aug. 9, 1951

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