US2863041A

US2863041A - Lighting fixture

Info

Publication number: US2863041A
Application number: US633153A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas M Steinbach
Original assignee: Stiffel Co
Current assignee: Stiffel Co
Priority date: 1957-01-08
Filing date: 1957-01-08
Publication date: 1958-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 1975-12-02

Description

Dec. 2, 195s T. M. STEINBACH 2,863,041

LIGHTING FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1957 Dec. 2, 1958 T, M sTElNBACl-lA 2,863,041

LIGHTLN'G FIXTURE:

Filed Jan. s, 1957 ,United States Patent O pas.

LIGHTING FIXTURE Thomas M. Steinbach, Park Ridge, Ill., assigner to The Stitel Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 8, 1957, Serial No. 633,153

4 Claims. (Cl. 240-81) This invention relates to a lightingxture.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a supporting rod formed of a plurality of sections which are rigidly and firmly supported in spaced relation to each other to accommodate and support between said sections and in alignment therewith a lighting fixture such as an electrical socket and light bulb. With this invention it is possible to form lighting fixtures in which the rod. or tubular member is formed of a plurality of sections with the sections rigidly supported in a spaced relation toeach other to permit lighting means to be interposed and supported in a straight line with said sections to give the effect of a continuous rod.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lighting fixture formed of spaced rods or tubular members to form a cage effect wherein a plant or the like may be positioned therein to be surrounded by the lighting fixture.

3 Another object is to provide a lighting xture of the foregoing character in which the rods support in vertical alignment therewith light means positioned between the opposite ends of the rod.

Another object is to provide a lighting fixture formed of rods in which the rod is formed of a pair of sections and connected in spaced relation to define a space therebetween, within which space is supported a light bulb in alignment with the two sections.

Another object is to provide a lighting xture of the foregoing character in which the light means are positioned at different heights on said rods to present an ornamental and pleasing light effect.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lighting fixture of the foregoing character which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble and which may be readily disassembled for replacement of the light bulbs.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses. Y

In the drawings:

-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the lighting fixture.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section taken on lines 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view taken on lines 4-4 of Fig. 2. v Fig. 5 is an exploded view of certain of the parts.

Fig. 5a is an enlarged fragmentary cross section taken on lines Sa-Sa of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the connecting member. The lighting fixture generally indicated at 10 is shaped to provide a bird cage` effect, and generally described comprises a ring like base indicated at 12 to which are secured' three .equally spaced attaching rods 14 and a plurality of (preferably 9) spaced light'fixture supporting rods or tubular members 16 each of which supports an electrical socket 18, light bulb 20 and globe or shade 2.2. The upper ends of attaching rods 14 and light fixture supporting rods 16, are secured to a fixture housing 24 which supports a night light bulb 26.

2,863,041 Patented Dec. 2, 195.8.

ICC

More specifically described the ring like base 12 has inclined spaced

side walls

28 and 29 connected by a horizontal flat top wall 30. Interiorly of the ring and spaced below the top wall 30 is a horizontal flangev 32 provided with 3 equally spaced openings 33. The top wall 30 is also provided with 3 spaced openings 34 in vertical alignment with openings 33. The lower ends of the 3 attaching rods 14 are each provided with a threaded end 35 and which passes through the

openings

33 and 34 and is secured to the ange 32 of the base ring by a nut 36. A collar 37 is secured to the rod 14 and helps to maintain the rod in an upright position and to facilitate locking of the rod with respect to the ring base. The attaching rods 14 are spaced and positioned around the ring base as best shown in Fig. 3. The upper ends of each of the rods 14 are curved or arched inwardly and downwardly at the upper ends thereof as indicated at 38 and terminate in externally threaded ends which are secured to the night light fixture supporting housing generally indicated at 24.

The' housing 24 ymayinclude a hollowv upper end 42 shaped like a pair oftruncated conesujoined together and secured at the lower end thereof is an inverted annular dishushaped member 44. The threaded ends 40 of each of the attaching rods 14 are inserted in suitable openings in the member 44 (Fig. 5a) and are secured thereto by a pair of nuts 46 secured to the threaded end on the opposite sides of member 44 to rigidly secure the attaching rods 14 to the member44. u

' An annular dish shaped member 48 is secured to the member 44 and said member 48 supports a small shade member 50 secured thereto. An electrical socket 52 has a rod 54 connected thereto and the rod extends upwardly through the hollow member 42 and is suitably supported at the top of member 42 for supporting the electrical socket 52. The electrical socket 52 supports a small electrical night light bulb 26 which serves as a night light.

The light fixture supporting rods or tubular members 16, nine of which are shown are arranged in three groups of three rods in each group and are spaced as shown in Fig. 3. When combined with the three attaching rods 14, the

rods

14 and 16 are equally spaced around a circle to form a cage effect with equally spaced rods. It will be understood however that any number of rods may be employed in any suitable arrangement.

The light fixture supporting rods or tubular members 16 are all of similar construction and of equal length, they vary only as to the length of the sections which are joined to form the rod and this permits the-light bulb on each rod to be at a different height. A description of one will suice for all such rods and same is best shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The light fixture supporting rod 16 is formed of two separate

tubular sections

56 and 58 forming the lower and upper portions respectively. The lower end of each of the lower sections 56 (Fig, 5) is received in suitable openings in the top wall 30of the base and is suitably attached thereto iny any conventional manner. The lower end of section 56 may be threaded and secured to the base by a suitable nut if desired. The upper end of tubular section 56 is swedged inside the bore 60 of a cap 62, the upper portion of the bore is internally threaded as at 64 for threaded' engagement with a threaded sleeve 66. The cap 62 tapers outwardly and is provided at its upper end with a recessed portion 68 and a raised annular lip 70. The threaded end of qleeve 66 extends upwardly of the cap 62 as shown in' A connecting member generally indicated at 72 and best shown in Fig. 6 is supported on the cap 62. The connecting member 72 comprises a lower ring 74 `to which is secured a rigid rod 76 which supports a plug 77 having a reduced externally threaded portion 78 and a pin 79. The lower ring 74 is positioned in the recessed portion 68 on the cap 62 to surround the threaded sleeve 66 and is secured thereby by a nut 80. The electrical socket 18 has an internally threaded extension 82V which is lin threaded engagement with the sleeve 66 for supporting the socket 18. The electrical socket 18 supports the light bulb 20. The globe or shade 22 preferably of translucent glass is shaped at its opposite ends to provide a reduced lip 84 at each end thereof. The lower lip 84 seats on the lip 70 of the cap 62.

An upper cap 86 similar to cap 62 is provided with a bore 87 which is internally threaded at its lower portion as at 88 for a portion of its length. The cap 86 is supported on plug 77 Vof the connecting member 72 and is in threaded engagement with the threaded portion 78 of the plug. The section 580i the rod or tubular member 16 has permanently secured at its lower end an externally threaded sleeve 97 which is received in the bore 87 of the cap and is in threaded engagement with the cap 86. The pin 79 of the plug 77 being positioned inside the section 58 of the rod. While the position of the plug 77 of the supporting member 72 is in a fixed position, the upper cap 86 is adjustable relative to the plug by rotation of the cap in either direction. The threads of the sleeve 97 which is attached to section 58 are in threaded engagement with the threads of cap 86, but the bore 87 of the cap has a larger inside diameter than the outside diameter of the threads of the sleeve 97 so that when the cap is rotated to disengage the threads of the sleeve 97 the cap may be slid upwardly on the section 58. The upper cap may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly with respect to the plug to provide more or less space between the lower and

upper caps

62 and 86. The upper lip 84 of the globe 22 is confined and in engagement with the lip 89 of the upper cap. Thus the globe or shade 22 is securely positioned between the upper and lower caps and locked therebetween. Compensating adjustments may be readily made for globes or shades of varying heights. For the purpose of inserting or replacing a light bulb, the upper cap 86 is rotated so that it moves upwardly on the upper section 53 and when past threaded engagement with section 58 the cap may be slid upwardly on the section as best shown in Fig. 5. The cap will also then be Unthreaded from the plug 77 thus allowing the shade or globe 22 to be moved upwardly and exposing the electrical socket 18 for insertion or removal of the light bulb.

It will be seen that the lower and

upper sections

56 and 58 of rod 16 are in vertical alignment and that the sections are maintained in spaced relation with each other by connecting member 72 to define a space between the sections of the rod to accommodate the light bulb which likewise is supported in vertical alignment with the rod sections. The shade or globe 22 surrounds the light bulb and also hides from view the supporting member 72. The shade or globe is so integrated'with the rods 16 that an attractive symmetry rand continuity is obtained and the appearance is presented of light emanating from the rods 16. The upper and

lower sections

56 and 58 of the rod are rigidly and firmly supported substantially as though it were a continuous rod.

The upper end of section 58 of each of the rods 16 is curved or arched similar to rod 14 and is externally threaded at its end and is secured to the member 44 by a pair of nuts similar to that of the rods 14.

The electrical socket 52 in the upper housing is connected by a suitable conducting wire 91 which extends through one of the tubular rods 16 to a tumbler switch 92 mounted on the ring base 12. Each of the electrical sockets 18 supported by the rods 16 is connected through a. conducting wire 94 extending through the tubular rod and connected to the tumbler switch 92. A conducting wire 96 leads from the switch 92 to a source of current. By operating the switch 92 the lights 20 on the rods 16 Gil i are turned on or the night light 26 may be turned on and the other lights turned off.

As previously explained the rods 16 and their connecting parts are all of uniform construction. While the rods 16 are all of uniform lengths the lengths of

sections

56 and 58 vary so that when the sections are connected together to form a rod the light source namely the light bulbs and shade are positioned at various heights. Thus in forming a cage the rods are arranged with light sources l at different heights to provide a very effective pattern.

This lighting fixture may be supported on a oor or supporting stand or may be suspended from a ceiling. lf desired a plant, fiowers or the like may be positioned inside the lighting fixture so that the lighting fixture surrounds the plant or fiowers.

it will be understood that various changes may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A lighting fixture comprising a base, a plurality of spaced light fixture supporting rods secured to said base, said light fixture supporting rods each formed of an upper and lower section with the lower section supporting an electrical socket, means between said upper and lower sections for spacing said sections from each other a distance sufficient to accommodate a light bulb therebetween in said socket and to support said light bulb on said lower section in vertical alignment with the upper and lower sections, a cap member secured to each of the spaced ends of said upper and lower sections with the open ends of said cap members spaced from and facing each other, and a globe adapted to surround said light bulb with the opposite ends of said globe supported in the open endsof said cap members to form a contnuous enclosure extending between the spaced upper and lower sections so that from an outward appearance the upper and lower sections of each supporting rod appear as a single continuing rod with a bulbous illuminating portion in direct alignment therewith.

2. A lighting fixture comprising a base, a plurality of spaced light fixture supporting rods secured to said base and arranged in a circle, said light fixture supporting rods each formed of an upper and lower section with the lower section supporting an electrical socket and a light bulb, means between said upper and lower sections for spacing said sections from each other a distance sufficient to accommodate a light bulb therebetween, a light bulb supported in said lower section in vertical alignment with the upper and lower sections, the upper ends of said upper sections being arched inwardly so that said ends extend to positions adjacent the vertical axis of the fixture, a socket housing secured to said inwardly arched ends, and a light bulb supported by said socket housing.

3. A lighting fixture comprising a base, a plurality of spaced light fixture supporting rods secured to said base and arranged in a circle, said light xture supporting rods each formed of an upper and lower section with the lower section supporting an electrical socket and a light bulb, means between said upper and lower sections for spacing said sections from each other a distance sufiicient to accommodate a light bulb therebetween, a light bulb supported in said lower section in vertical alignment with the upper and lower sections, the upper ends of said upper sections being arched inwardly so that said ends extend to positions adjacent the vertical axis of the fixture, a socket housing secured to said inwardly arched ends for supporting a light bulb, and switch means on said base for operating said light bulbs.

4. A lighting fixture comprising a base, a plurality of light fixture supporting rods secured to said base and arranged in a circle to provide a cage effect, said light fixture supporting rods each formed of an upper and lower section with one of said sections supporting an electrical socket to accommodate a `light bulb, means between said upper and lower sections for spacing said 5 'sections from each other a distance su'lcient to accommodate the light bulb therebetween in vertical alignment with said upper and lower sections, a cap member secured to each of the spaced ends of said upper and lower sections with the open ends of said cap members spaced from and facing each other, and a globe adapted to surround said light bulb with the opposite ends of said globe supported in the open ends of said cap members to form a continuous enclosure extending between the spaced upper and lower sections so that from an out- 10 2,748,257

ward appearance the upper and lower sections of each supporting rod appear as a single continuing rod with a bulbous illuminating portion in direct alignment there with. Y

References Cited in therle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,707,539 Propp Apr. 2, 1939 2,254,679 Gaskill Sept. 2, 1941 Bennett May 29, 1956