US2893344A - Combination horn and flashlight - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1959 M. M. MEYERS 2,393,344

COMBINATION HORN AND FLASHLIGHT' Filed Oct. 19, 1956 f TRANSPAAEWT,

coz 0/950 7 7 M Ill/ton M M gyers INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 2,893,344 COMBINATION HORN AND FLASHLIGHT Milton M.-Meyers, Fort Worth, Tex. Application October 19, 1956, Serial No. 617,097

1 Claim. (Cl. 116-112) This invention relates to battery-energized lighting devices, particularly adapted for use in connection with canes and crutches used by persons who are incapacitated by blindness, or other causes, and it has special reference to a device which is capable of producing light signals while having means thereon for also producing sound, and it has for its principal object the provision of a light structural article which can be readily attached to a cane for guiding a blind person, or one who is incapacitated by some infirmity, as in connection with either a cane or crutch, and it is contemplated that the device include elements for projecting light signals laterally as well as in the forward projection of the invention.

An object of the invention is that of providing a battery energized signal whereby the user can apply the same to a cane, in case of blindness, and indicate his presence in trafiic, or otherwise, by flashing signals, or by lighting the device to continuously produce a light signal, in crossing streets, approaching tratfic, and in other activities.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device in which is embodied a sound-signalling element which is economically constructed and capable of producing certain audible warning signals by which both pedestrians and motorists can be apprised of the presence of a person who is incapacitated so that proper assistance may be administered or care exercised in respect to the welfare of the person.

A further object of the invention is that of providing a compact unit having a means thereon for applying the same to any portable object or vehicle, such as a bicycle, and embodying both visible and audible signals, and energized by a simple arrangement of batteries.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects will become manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the appended drawings wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view of the invention, showing an attaching clamp, and showing a light source and sounding bulb.

Figure 2 is another elevational view of the invention, especially illustrating the light switch.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the invention showing the lamp and reflector, the batteries for the lamp, and illustrating the sound-producing bulb, and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the invention on lines 4-4 of Figure 3 illustrating the annular sound channel about the battery chamber concentrically of the housing.

Accordingly, the invention comprises a housing which is cylindrical and may be formed of any suitable material, such as metal or plastic, and preferably having a'flared portion 11 toward its forward end, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The housing 10 has a thickened portion 12 in its lower side and this portion is integral with an inner cylindrical container 13 which has a closure 14 formed integral with its forward end but having a central opening 15 therein whose purpose will become manifest. The flared, or bell-shaped portion 11 at the forward end of the casing or housing 11 is partially formed with the inner cylindrical container 13, as is apparent in Figures 3 and 4.

The housing 10 is formed to be applied and used in any rotative position desired, that is, the device may be employed in its position shown in Figure 1 or 2, or in any other desired position. It is readily understood that,

when the casing 10 is applied to a cane or crutch, for example, by the clamp member 16, with its complementary device 17, to a cane or crutch, neither of which are illustrated, the housing 10 may be utilized in the position shown in Figure l or 3. However, when the invention is attached to the handle bars of a bicycle, or used in a similar manner, the housing 10 may assume the position shown in Figure 2 or 4.

While it is not intended that the invention be limited to any special design in structure and appearance, it is to be noted that the flared portion 11 of the housing 10 has a series of louvers 18 formed therein whose openings 19 are directed forwardly of the housing 10 in order to augment the sound channel 20 which is formed about the concentric inner cylindrical container 13 which contains a plurality of batteries 21, as illustrated in Figure 3. Sound is produced through the medium of a compressible bulb 22 by which air is compressed through a reed tube 23 concentrically of a cylindrical base member 24 of the bulb 22, as shown in Figure 3. This arrangement is a well known principal of producing sound.

The base member 24 of the bulb 22 is disposed in the neck 25 of the latter and both are secured in the flange 26 of a circular cover 27 threaded to the rear end of the housing 10, as depicted in Figure 3. The bulb 22 has a skirt 28 which provides a liner for the cover 27 and extends about the latter inwardly to embrace a spiral spring 29 whose inner coil engages the rearmost of the batteries 21 and provides a ground therefor, the electrode 30 of the rearmost battery being engaged with the inner end of the companion battery whose electrode 30' is contacted by a tensioned conductor 31 which connects the former with the positive electrode 32 of a filament bulb 33, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The bulb 33 has a base 34 which is enclosed in a socket 35 in the reflector 36 which is semi-spherical in form and has a perimetrical flange 37 retained by a cylindrical cap 38 having an interiorly threaded flange 39 threadedly applied to the outer perimeter of the bellshaped portion 11 of the housing 10, as shown in Figure 3. The cap 38 is preferably of plastic and has the flange 39 colored red or green, or any desirable hue, to produce a luminosity capable of attracting attention from right-angle viewers as may be attracted by the light projected through the lens 40 of the device, the latter being secured by the cap 38.

A ground conductor 41 is attached to the reflector 36 and is connected to a switch strip 42 secured by a rivet 43, or other suitable device, to the housing 10 and has a portion 44 which is contacted by a sliding switch member 45, to the opposite side of which is attached a grounding strip 46 which is tensioned so that its convolutions are in contact with the housing 10, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The clamp members 16 and 17 are connected by screws 47, as apparent in Figure 1. Obviously, some type of flasher device, such as a mercury switch, can be employed to produce intermittent lighting of the filament bulb 33.

The invention is designed for use in any manner where both visible and audible signals are desirable, and any changes or modifications in its form or application can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

prising a cylindrical casing, a "clamp for attachment f the'casing to; a-fcane in transverse relation ft heiftdfia battefy actuatelf 1551p; and a lens anda iefie ctdr thefef o i in one end of the casing, a battery chamber formed concentrically pf"thecasing intermediate itsends, one

OILQIQILB hatteries inlthe battery chainbeijfof illuin'inat'ing lam aa nv er- 9 2 vP fi' 1 fiLi ising'iabou tthe batte 'y eha nlbe side opening s in the end of the; casing. adj aeent the lamp communicatingwiththe sound passage, 3. reed tube aligned aXially with the casing and positioned in-theend thereof-opposite-the-lamp;-

in communication with the sound passage, and a compressible bulb attached to the adjacent end of the casing and acting on the reed tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED sTfifsPhTENTs 1,137,239 Sparks Apr1-2fi19 1s 1,198,147 Pieg nan; X Sept,"12, 1916 2,253,952 Desimpne an Aug, 26L 1941 2,218,408 Meyei-hdefef on. 151 1940

Images