US2805325A - Flashlight - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 3, 1957 K. z. CRAWFORD FLASHLIGHT 2 Sheeis-Shee A. ll

Filed Aug. 9. 1954 SePt- 3 1957 K. z. CRAWFORD 2,805,325

FLASHLIGHT Filed Aug. 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Otlce Patented Sept. 3, 1957 FLASHLIGHT Kenneth Z. Crawford, Crawfordsville, Ind., assignor to Plastene Corporation, Crawfordsvlle, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application August 9, 1954, Serial No. 448,554

Claims. (Cl. 24010.65)

This invention relates to battery-powered hand hashlights. Among the objects of the invention are to pro-- duce a ashlight which can be simply and economically manufactured and which will possess an attractive appearance; to provide a ashlight which can be used while held in the hand, while resting on a table or other at surface, or while hung from a nail; to provide a simple and economical mounting for electrical contacts; and to provide an improved switch controlling connection of the lamp bulb to the batteries.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred embodiment l form of a suitable molded plastic a hollow casing divided interiorly by a central rib which extends vertically and which is provided with a series of horizontal slots receiving and retaining contact elements and connectors of resilient sheet metal. Such sheet-metal elements project laterally from the rib, support drycells located on opposite sides of the rib, connect such dry cells in series, and provide a pair of normally separated spring fingers serving as a switch. A switch button mounted for vertical sliding movement in the rear wall of the housing is employed to move the switch-fingers into engagement with each other to complete the circuit to the lamp bulb. The lamp bulb is supported at the center oi a concave reilector mounted in a removable cover forfthecasing.v Certain of the sheet-metal elements mentioned previously have extensions through which current from the batteries is supplied to the lamp bulb when the switch fingers are closed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the ashlight;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through the flashlight on the axis of the lamp bulb;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section'through the flashlight;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a `front elevation of the ilashlight with the front cover removed;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal View of the contact-supporting rib; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmental vertical section illustrating details of the switch-operating mechanism.

The flashlight shown in the drawings comprises a hollow casing having a at back wall 10 and a peripheral wall 11 projecting forwardly therefrom. Projecting rearwardly from the back wall 10 near the top and bottom thereof are posts 12 to the rear ends of which a handle 13 is secured. The handle 13 is conveniently of a general U-shape in horizontal section, and its web is provided with an inverted keyhole slot 14 by means of which the ashlight may be suspended as from a nail 15 projecting from a vertical surface.

The open front end of the casing-body 10-11 is closed by a cover 17 having ya rearwardly projecting peripheral flange 18 which is desirably rabbeted for reception of the peripheral wall 11 of the casing-body. An inwardly directed annular ange 20 on the cover denes an opening in line with which a circular lens 21 and a concave sheet-metal reflector 22 are supported, such lens and reflector being held in position by an annular series of webs 23 engaging their edges. At its center, the reflector 22 is provided with a anged opening in which the metal socket of a lamp bulb 24 is secured.

Extending vertically across the back wall 10 and within the casing is `a separate rib-like contact support 26, which is desirably of channel-shape in horizontal crosssection and arranged with its open side against the back wall 10. Screws 27 extend through openings 28 in the support 26 and through the posts 12 into the ends of the handle 13 to hold the support and handle in place.

The support is provided near its bottom with a horizontal slit 30 and near its top with a series of three horizontal slits 31, 32, and 33, all of which extend through the web of the support and for a distance into the flanges thereof. The lower slit 30 receives a resilient member which projects laterally `from the support 26 for engagement with the lower ends of two ash light batteries 36. The sides of the casing and the sides of the support 26 are so spaced as to receive the batteries 36 rather closely, and the support 35 urges the batteries upwardly to maintain them in engagement with lips 37 projecting laterally from the sides of the support 26. ln this manner, each of the batteries is resiliently held in fixed position by the support 35, which can be resiliently deflected downwardly to permit insertion and removal of the batteries.

The slot 31, which conveniently is located irnmedi` ately above the lips 37, receives a resilient sheetmetal contact member 38 which projects laterally Ifrom the support 26 for engagement with the upper end of one of the batteries 36. The slot 32 receives a second contact member 39 which projects laterally in the opposite direction from the support 26 for engagement with the upper end of the other battery 36. The contact 39 has an extension 40 which projects oppositely from the sup port 26 and serves as one of two switch-fingers. The remaining slit 33 receives a second switchdinger 41 the free end of which is normally spaced from that of the finger 40 but which can be depressed into engagement with the linger 40 by a switch-operating device to be later described. The switch finger 41 has a forwardly projecting extension 42 which engages the metal reflector 22, while the contact member 38 has an extension 43 which extends downwardly over the front face of the support 26 for engagement with the central terminal of the lamp bulb 24.

For the purpose of holding the various members 35, 38, 39, and 41 in proper association with the support 26, each of them may be provided with one or more small tongues 45 struck up from the plane of the member, as indicated in Fig. 2. When the various members are forced into their respective slits, the tongues 45 are resiliently detlected to permit their passage through the slits in the web or front wall of the support 26; but when the insertion of the member is completed, each tongue springs back to its original position in which it engages the rear face of the front wall of the support 26 and retains the member in position.

The two batteries 36 are placed in the casing in relatively reversed postions, so that they will be connected in series by the member 35. The upper end of the one (right-hand) battery is connected to the central terminal of the lamp bulb through the member 3S and its extension 43, while the upper end of the other battery is connected to the socket through the switch- tingers 40, 41, extension 42, and the reector 22. Accordingly, when the switch- fingers 40 and 41 are engaged, a circuit will be completed through the lamp bulb 24.

For the purpose of controlling engagement of the 1ingers 40 and 41 the rear wall 1.0 of the casing is provided near the free ends of the fingers with a vertical slot 50 which slidably receivesrthe shank 51 Voa switch-operator preferably molded of an appropriate plastic to have a head 52 at the rear face of the wall 10. The shank S1 projects into a position above the upper switch-finger so that it can be depressed to cause engagement of the fingers 40, 4E. or elevated to permit the separation of such iingers. To retain the switch operator in association with the rear wall of the casing and aiso to serve in resiliently holding it in either of its controlling positions, iemploy a plate 53 of spring sheet-metal having a central slot through which the shank 51 extends. The metal at the sides of the shank-receiving slot in the plate 53 is bent inwardly to form inclined lips 54 which resiliently grip the shank 51 between them. The plate S3 continues above and below the shank 51 where it'is formed to provide fingers 56 bearing resiliently against the inner face of the back `vvall 10 of the casing. Such back wall may be provided on its inner surface with a boss 57 cooperating with one of the fingers Se to form a detent which will releasably hold the switch-operator in either its upper (full-line) position or in its depressed (dottediine) position. The lips 54 possess a ratchet-like action in Vthat when the plate 53 is applied to the shank 51 the lips yield readily and permit the plate to be slid along the shank until the fingers `53 hear resiliently against the casing-wall 19; but when the plate is urged in the opposite direction, as it is by the stress in the fingers, the lips bite into the softer plastic and prevent the plate from moving. v

To retain the cover 17 removably in place it may be provided with a stud 60 which passes through aligned holes in the support 26 and back wall i0 and is threaded at its rear end for reception of a nut 61 bearing against the back wall. By removing the nut 61, the cover 17 can be Withdrawn to make possible the replacement of the lamp bulb 2.4 or the batteries 36.

It is to be noted that the speciiic device illustrated and above described is set forth merely by way of example and that modifications of the embodiment may be made without departing from the invention as deiinedin the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a flashlight, a hollow casing having a wall, an elongated support projecting from said wall and dividing said casing into two spaced compartments for the respective reception of batteries extending parallel to the support, said support being provided with a transverse slot, a resilient sheet-metal contact member disposed in said slot and supported by the walls thereof against displacement longitudinally of said support, said contact member project# ing laterally from said support into one of said compartments for engagement with a battery therein, said slot opening into the face of said support remote from said wall to permit said contact member to be inserted into the slot by movement toward the wall and means cooperating with said support for locating said Contact member in the plane of the slot.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said support is hollow and has an inner surface transverse to the plane of said slot, said locating means comprising a tongue struck up from the material of said Contact member, deformable to permit its passage through such slot into the interior of said support, and abutting said inner surface of the support beyond the plane of the slot.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said casing has a back wall, said support being of U- `iaped cross-section with an intermediate wall and side walls and with its open side directed toward said back waii, said siot extending through said intermediate wall and into said side walls, said locating means comprising :e struck up from the material of said contact menide ble to permit its passage through such slot into the interior of said support, and engaging the inner surface of the support beyond the plane of the siot.

4. in a ashlight, a casing have a back wall and an open front, a support of electrical insulating material dividing said casing interi-orly into two battery-receiving compartments, leafspring elements projecting laterally from said support for electrical contact with batteries in said compartments, leaf-spring switch elements projecting iaterally from said support, and having end portions which are engageable and disengageable by relative movement parallel to said back wall, a switch actuator slidably mounted in said back wall and having a portion cooperating with one of said switch elements, a cover for the open front of the casing, a lamp bulb mounted in said cover, and means for electrically connecting said lamp bulb to the batteries through said switch elements.

5. In a liashlight, a hollow casing having a back wall, an elongated support dividing said casing into two batteryreceiving compartments, leaf-spring elements projecting laterally from said support and parallel to said wall for electrical contact with batteries in said compartments', a handle in rear of said back Wall, and common means for securing said support and handle to said casing, said means comprising a screw extending through said support and back wall into cooperative relationship with said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Y 1,857,993 Wiley May 10, 1932 1,918,347 Mitchell July 18, 1933 1,920,314 Muldoon et al. Aug. 1,A 1933 2,010,089 Korte Aug. 6, 1935 2,014,266 SherbondyV Sept. l0, 1935 2,234,972 Lennan Mar. 18, 1941 2,288,808 Kopp July 7, 1942 2,320,193 Powell et al May 25, 1943 2,543,036 May 'Feb. 27, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTSV Y 372,937 Germany i Apr. 5, ,1923

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