US2917869A - Electric lamp making apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 22, 1959 w. P. scHoENoFF ETAL 2,917,869

ELECTRIC LAMP MAKING APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1957 lm/erwclsr'. WaLciemaw- P. Schoerwoef,

' PaulLVaTg-gn,

Then'vv Abbo1-rwe9- United States Patent ELECTRC LAMP MAKING APPARATUS Waldemarl. Schoenof, Mnslsego, Wis., and Paul Vargo,

Lyndhurst, hio, assignors to General Electric Com- ,pany,a corporation of New York l Application April 29 1957, SeriallNo.- 655,854

4 Claims. `(Cl. 494-2) turefinto a sealed-beam lamp, and is aneimprovement of f the'apparat-us described and claimed in UCS;Patent`2,237, 186, issued Aprill, 1941, to I. Malloy, and ULS. 'Patent '2,334,123, issued November 9, 1943,to F. yC.Perkins, both assignedto the same assignee as the instant application. A

Electric lamps of'thetype disclosedv in the'abovefmentioned Wright patent vcomprise a pressed `reiiector section-which supports a filament or other light `sourceand Vhasa definite interior yoptical shape, usually parabolic, with a reflecting coating thereon applied-to redirect 'the light from the ilamentin a predetermined pattern. y"Over 'thelmouth of the reflector section,ewhich-has the general form of a cup and constitutes Aone portion of the lamp bulb, issealed .another pressedglass cover or'lens section-constituting the other portion of the/bulb and'. which `is usually provided with light refractin'gemedia or'pane'ls forA concentrating or diffusing the light -in a denitefpatvtern. The sealing together of ythe two glass sections'is fe'lfec'ted at theirperipheral edges -which are providedjfor er' IC@ exterior of 'thelens section thereof which are 4*accurately "formed and located during manufacture with respect to f the axial center line of the lamp` and to the` axis ofthe lreflector section thereof. s

Anotherobject of our invention isyto provide ynew and improved apparatus for making-an Aelectric lamp with reference surfaces or bosses such as described vabove which may be incorporated on existing lampernaking equipment such as that disclosed in the above mentioned Malloy APatent 2,237,186. v

Still another object of our invention is to provideapparatus for making an electric lamp with reference surfaces or bosses of the type described which may 'be operated at high speed and'with precision and reliability.

Briefly stated, inaccordance with one aspect of our invention, the ylens or cover glass sectionof an electric lamp of the abovejdescribed character is preformed with "a plurality'of aiming bosses extending upwardly from the lens at points inwardly Yof kthe sealingllange of vthe lens.- A sealing machine .of the indexing carrier type, such as is conventionally employed .to seal together .the lens 'and reflector sections of a sealed-beam typea'lamp, is provided, at'one Vof the work stations, with a heating means to soften the vglassvaiming bosses .to ya plastic Vcon- Athis/purpose, with cooperating annularsealing surfaces. i

definite relation to the axial center lineof the lampas Well 'as the axis of Vthe reecting'surface o f the lamp. Since thereflectorsection, lthe'lens section andthe filaments are'all accurately located Y:with vrespect-to "one another duringfinanufacture, itis desirableto'rihcorporate such reference surfaces onv the-lamp lens `during manufact-ure of the lamp so that they will necessarily beacn 'curately `located with respect tofthe axial `center lline of -the lamp and to the optical axis of the reflecting surdition. Itis further provided with means-to engage the aiming bosses when ina heated plasticrstate to deform them and shape the reference surfaces vsost-hat the surfaces are accuratelylocated withk respectto Vthe axial center line ofthe lamp and the .optical axis `ofv the rrellecting surfac v Further objects and'advantagesof theinvention will appear from the following detailed rdescription thereof and 1 from 'the Vaccompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is adiagrammaticp1an viewof a lamp` sealing mac'hine comprising the invention. p

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the turret ofthe sealing machine taken on the line 2--2 of'Fig. 1..

` Fig. 3y is aperspectivevview of aflarnp made in accordance with the invention. n lFig. v,4 is a perspective View ofaa section of Va1-lamp showing seating and 'locating padssand .part of the-machine head kin which vthe pads .must rest. A Referring to Fig. l, the apparatus shown .therein is similar to that describedand claimed in theabove identifled Malloy and Perkins patents, and comprises af'rotatable Avcarrier or turret lrprovided around nits :periphery with a pluralityof heads`2 forsupporting and carrying glass reflector sections 3 (Fig. 2) which are-to -bejindi'- vidually sealed to a cover glass or lens sections-4 to form the envelope or bulb ofthe lamp. The -h`eads-f2 which themselves rotate on the turret, areadaptedtosupportthe glassreilectorsections *3 in anupright position with their concave reflecting surfacesf facing upwardly.l `The turret lis rotatably mounted on a vertical ycentral shaft or column Y6 and it is intermittently indexed about the shaft 6 by suitable indexing means (not shown-)bf lamp sections 3 and 4 yin each head 2k progressively toa succession of work stations A'to Q where variousoperalface. -Su'chreference surfaces afford aready meansr for *l .mechanically aiming Vthe lamp while mounted in place on the vehicle.

To this end, the apparatus of the Vinstant linvention is provided with means vto locate such aiming reference surfaces or bosses on the Vlamp lens during thecourse' of manufacture lof the lamp thereby eliminatingthenecessity 'for special finishing roperations after fassemblyfof the lamp parts. v

-It is -an object-of our inventiony to provide a no'vel ap.-

v When the assembled lamp is installed in `a vehicle-a 'seriesv .paratus for making ian electric lamp of the above men'- tio'ncdtype lhaving reference -surface's ior bosses on the tions not `concerned with the y'instantinvention .formed/on thesaid lassembled lamp sections.

As shown Yin Fig. 2 .each head 2fcomprises a'l ringshaped main lamp holder 7 having 'a lamp seating rim Sat `are, i perits upper end provided with a plurality of flat seating Ysurs faces 9 on which seating surfaces 510 of lamp 'orienting bosses l of thereflector section `3 are adapted to -re'st to support and orient the reflector ysectionwinrthe head.

ofseatingsurfaces 19a onbosses llaon the :lamp'se'c'tion f3 serves ,as reference surfaces toA properly seat'ltheflamp with respect -.to the vehicle, while bosses.lfserveztorient. the'lamp about its own axis. While these surfacesrltla may be used to orient and seat the lamp section 3 on the seating rim 8, it is preferable to use the seating surfaces of bosses 11 to permit more clearance between the lamp section 3 and the seating rim 8, thereby facilitating they assembling operations performed at prior Work statio/ns.4 It is possible to use surfaces y1t) rather than surfaces 10a for seating the lamp as surfaces 10 are accurately formed parallel to surfaces 1011.

The holder 7 is mounted on an upper bracket 12 supported by standards or posts 13 extending upwardly from Ya lower bracket 14 having a depending sleeve 1S. The Asleeve 15 extends through and is rotatively mounted in a bearing 16 on the turret 1, a ball bearing 17 being interposed between the underside of the bracket 14 and the upper end of the turret bearing 16 to thereby support, and permit free and easy rotation of the head 2 on the turret. Thelheads 2 are rotated, at each station around the machine except the loading and unloading stations lA' and Q, and the boss surface forming station P, by means of a pulley 18 fastened to the lower end of the sleeve/15 and engaged by a moving belt 19. The head 2 is restrained from rotation or movement at stations A, 'P and Q by the engagement of a pin 2t), which is secured vto pulley r18, with a track 21.

Extending through and vertically movable in the sleeve 15 but rotatively interlocked therewith so as to rotate as a unit with said sleeve, is a hollow spindle or inner sleeve 22. At its upper end, the spindle 22 is provided twith a secondary support or holder 23 for the reflector section 3, the said secondary holder having openings 24 'which receive the customary metal filament terminal thimbles or ferrules 25 on the reflector section. Engage- Vment of the thimbles 25 with the openings 24 positively prevents relative rotation between the holder 23 and the reflector section 3. The llower end of the spindle 22 is provided with a shoe 27 which, during rotation of the turret 1 and consequent movement of the respective heads 2 in a circular path around the machine, rides on the upper surface of a cam track 28 extending vertically around the machine and supported from a stationary part of the machine. The shoe 27 is provided with an aperture 29 vextending therethrough from its undersurface and commumcating with the hollow interior of the spindle 22 and linner sleeve 26. When the head 2 is positioned-at different stations around the machine, the aperture 29` in the shoe 27 aligns with different ports (not shown) in vthe cam track 28 at such stations, different ones of said `ports being connected to a source of inert or reducing gas'for lamp ushing purposes, to a source of vacuum, or to a source of inert or reducing gas under pressure, vdependmg upon the particular operation which is to take `place atreach station.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lens reector section 3 is provided with a sealing ange 30 around the periphery thereof which mates with a corresponding sealing flange 31 formed as part of the lens section 4. Proper mating of the parts is assured by cooperating recesses and projections on the flanges (not shown) which means that the lens section 4 will be properly positioned with respect to l the lamp filaments. In addition, the lens section is provided with a plurality of upstanding reference surfaces or bosses 32 which are molded integrally with the glass lens section at the time of its manufacture and which are located at spaced intervals around the flange in predetermined position with respect to the bosses 11 when the lens section and reflector section are assembled together.v Three of such reference surfaces or bosses will provide a sucient number to give a proper reference plane for the mechanical aiming device previously mentioned. Until such time as the lens section 4 is united or fused to the retiector section 3 to form the complete lamp bulbV assembly, it is not possible to predetermine the exact lengths or proper orientation of the ends of the bosses 32 so that they may be used vwith the aiming 4 device. This step in the manufacture of the lamp will be described later.

At the first or loading station A of the machine, a lamp reflector section 3 and a lens glass section 4 are assembled together and placed on the secondary holder` 23 of the head 2 so as to rotate with the head. At this station the holder 23 is in an elevated position with respect to the ring-shaped main holder 7 because of the engagement of shoe 27 at the lower end of the spindle 22 with an elevated portion of the cam track 28. This means that the thimblesrZS are seated in openings 24 to orient the lamp assembly on the holders 23; since at this position pin 2t) engages track 21 the result is that the lens structure and aiming bosses 32 are properly oriented for all subsequent operations as the assembly is indexed around the turret. Turret 1 then indexes the head 2 with the assembled reector and cover glass ,sections 3 and 4 thereon progressively throughstations B through O where the flanges 30 and 31 of the glass sections 3 and 4 are heated, rolled and sealed essentially as described in the above identified Perkins Patent 2,334,- 123.

In accordance with the instant invention, and in order to x the exact lengths and proper orientation of the ends of the bosses 32 so that they may be used for cooperation with the aiming device, the turret is provided at station P with means to heat the bosses to -a plastic state and then deform or displace them to provide the proper reference surfaces for engagement with the de vice. To this end, the apparatus is provided with a burner structure 33 shown at the top of Fig. 2. Heating gas is supplied through a burner inlet 34 and passes through a manifold 3S forming part of the burner structure 33, there to be directed at the upper portions of the aiming bosses 32 by a plurality of nozzles 36. The burner structure 33 slides vertically upon spaced pins 37, being restrained in its lower position by the engagement of pin head 38 with a surface 39 of the burner structure. The burners 36 may be adjusted vertically to proper position to direct the gas ame againstthe bosses 32 by adjustment of a plurality of set screws 40. During operation the set screws rest on the glass lens section 4 while the aiming bosses 32 are being heated.

Suitable displacement means 41 is also provided at station P for determining the exact lengths of the bosses V32 and for properly orienting their upper surfaces 42 ,relative to the reector section 3 so that the bosses will cooperate properly with the aiming device. As shown in.Fig 2, the said displacement means 41 comprises a supporting frame 43 overlying the main holder 7 and the lamp envelope at station P and is provided with three depending dies 44 having flat under surfaces 45 disposed approximately in a horizontal plane and adapted to engage the initially rounded tops of the aiming bosses 32, as shown by the dotted line 46. The supporting frame `43 is carried by a support arm 47 overhanging the periphery of'the turret 1 and fastened to the upper end of a .vertically extended operating rod 48. The operating rod 48 is mounted for vertical reciprocating movement in a stationary support or ,bearing 49.

.Rod.48.is vertically reciprocated in timed relation yto the indexing movements of the turret 1, e.g., operating from the main cam shaft of the machine. A cam 50 whichis operatedfrom the main cam shaft, imparts essentially vertical motion to a follower roller 51 which, in turn, rocks lever 52 about its stationary pivot 53. A pin 54 at the lower end of rod 48 rides in a slot 55 formed at'the endof lever 52 so that as the lever rides about its pivot, vertical movement is imparted to rod 48. The reciprocating vertical movement of operating rod 48 imparts periodic reciprocal vertical movement to the displacement means 41 in such a manner that the displacement means 41 and the burner structure 33 suspended therefrom are raised during'indexing of the turret 1 rand are lowered to an operative position lwhen the findexiagfof the peachi-nuergis:complete` zBu-rner l,structure 33 follows `upwardrvertieal movement, of frameuit'because pins 37 are mounted in the frame and the pin ends 38 engage surface -39 to `lift-ftheburnerv structure out of engagement withthe lens vrsectionupon indexing ,of,the.turret. A group of stop pins, ,5671s located on the support frame 43 outwardly Yofandfspaced more yorV less r`.equally around and concentric .Withthe annular stop ,'tdies 44 thereon so as to just clear-=the outerfperiphery lof.theseatirrg rim '8 on the'lamp holdergring 71when the displacement means 41 is vertically r,alignedtherewith ,an/d located lat its lowered operativelposition. .A's shown, .t'he'stop pins 56 are vertically adjustable in the support lframe`j43 so that they can ybe adjusted to locate 'the under surface 45 of the dies 44 in the desired predetermined relation, eg. in parallel relation to the seating surfaces 9 of the holder ring 7 when the displacement means 41 is at its lowered operative position with the stop pins 56 in engagement with an annular flange 57 on the holder ring 7.

The lowering of the 4displacement means 41 into an operative position, after the upper portions 46 of the aiming bosses 32 have been heated to plastic states by the burner 33, brings the under surfaces 45 of the dies 44 into contact with the aiming bosses 32 thereby pressing and deforming the upper portion of the aiming bosses 32 to the position represented by the upper surface 42. The exact vertical alignment of the dies in relation to the main lamp holder 7 is accomplished by the adjustment of the stop pins 56 so that the upper surface 42 of the aiming bosses 32 is held in precise and accurate relation to the seating surfaces 1G on the under side of the lamp bulb. This means that the reference surfaces or outer ends of the bosses 32 will be accurately located with respect to the lamp filaments, the reector and the axial center line of the lamp.

In operation, the cam 50 is so constructed as to khave the displacement means 41 and the burner 33 in a raised position during indexing of the turret 1. After the head 2 has moved into positionat station P the operating rod 48 moves downwardly a suflicient distance to permit the set screws 40 on the burner structure 33 to contact the lens section 4 of the lamp, the burner 33 thereby having nozzles 36 properly aligned to adequately heatl the upper portion of the aiming bosses 32. Upon continued'downward movement of operating rod, 48, the burner'33 v remains stationary due to the disengagement of the pin heads 38 with surface 39.of the burner 33. This continued downward movement of the operating'rod 48 then causes the dies 44 to engage the heated bosses 32 to accurately form and locate the upper surfaces v42 ofthe aiming bosses 32 as described above.

To permit the engagement of all the stop pins 56 with the ange 57 on the main holder ring 7 when the displacement means 41 is lowered to ts operative position, thereby insuring the proper plane positioning of the undersurfaces 45 of the dies 44 in exact predetermined relation to, eg. parallel with the reflector section seating surfaces 9, the displacement means v41 is supported on the support arm 47 by a suitable connection 58 which allows a limited 4amount of rocking movement of the control means 41 and preferably, in addition, a limited vamount of lateral shifting movement as well. To lock the operating rod 48 against rotation within the bearingg49 so as to prevent swinging movement of the support arm 47 about the bearingv and thereby maintain hanger post 59rof'the displacement. means 41 in true vertical alignmentY with -the holderring 7 of each head 2 when positioned at station P, the operatingrod 48 is provided withia cross.- pin 60 which snuggly itsrand slides up and down within a vertical slot 61 in the bearing 49.`Y` To prevent rotation fro f6 -teationswill foccurf :totthoseskilled 1in-.t thefart andmmurnaber of `eequivalents Qmay sfberfsubstituted. We, therefore, swish;toihaveittunderstood thatl iwel intendinthe @appended claims-tol cover.alLsuchemodications lasy fall zwithin-Lthe ztruespirit tandiscope fof.y our invention. y

What :we .fclaim.:as,fnew and desire :to securez'by ,Letters --Patent of theUnitedFStatesis: Y

l1. An apparatus for `locating .lamp aiming reference surfaces ony bossesl upstanding .from yaplamp zenvelope, ra g lder for ,supportinggtheglamp envelope, said..:holder y.beingprovidedfwith a stop flange, `a -supportingframe g-rnovable ;toward.,and aaway lfrom .the holder, a t .burner Tstructure r carried byA said' .supporting frame, I said burner Jsrlut'itlre :being provided I.with heatingnozzles i and .with means for engaging thelmp envelope as the supporting frame is moved toward the holder to locate such heating nozzles in position to direct a heating ame against the lamp bosses, die means carried by said supporting frame for engaging the heated bosses to deform them as the frame moves toward the holder, and stop means carried by said supporting frame for engaging said stop ange to limit movement of said frame toward said holder.

2. An' apparatus for locating lamp-aiming reference surfaces on bosses opstanding from a lamp envelope, a holder for supporting the lamp envelope, said holder being provided with a stop ange, a supporting frame movable towardvand away from the holder, a burner structure, means for supporting said burner structure on said supporting frame for movement with respect to said frame, said burner structure being provided with heating nozzles and with means for engaging the lamp envelope as the supporting lframe is moved toward the holder `to limit movement of said burner structure to bring said nozzles into position to direct a heating llame against the lamp y bosses, die means carried by said supporting frame for engaging the heatedr bosses to deform them upon further movement of the frame toward the holder, and stop means carried by, said supporting frame for engaging said stop flange to limit movement of said frame toward said holder. Y

3.,An apparatus for locating lamp-aiming reference surfaces on bosses upstanding from a lamp envelope, a holder for supporting the lamp envelope, a supporting frame movable toward andfaway from the holder, a burner structurecarried byv said supporting frame, said burner structure being provided with heating nozzles andV with means for engaging the lamp envelope as the supporting framel is moved toward the holder to locate said Yheating nozzles in position to directa heating ame against the lamp bosse'sydie means carried by said supporting frame for engaging the heated bosses to deform them as the frame moves toward the holder, and cooperating means on said holder and frame for limiting movement of said frame toward said holder.l

4. Apparatus for forming lamp-aiming surfaces on a cover glass section of a lamp envelope, said lamp envelope including a reflector section and a cover glass section having bosses integral therewith for the formation of said lamp-aiming surfaces,said apparatus comprising, in combination, a ring-shaped holder for the reflector and cover glass sections disposed with its axis vertical and having a seating rim at its upper end provided with a cave reflecting surface facing upwardly, said holder means also having stop flange means extending horizontally outof post 59 in the support'arm 47,- a key 62 is secured to i vward from the holder ring below and outwardly beyond thev seating rim thereon, a burner structurefor heating the bosses to a plastic state and adapted to move vertically downward to engage the cover glass section of the lamp envelope and including flame directing nozzles in heating relation to the bosses, glass-forming dies adapted to be moved verticallydownward over the bosses ,y while in the heated plastic state so as to deform the I upper edge of the bosses into lamp-aiming surfaces which lie in apredetermined transverse plane relative to the aXisrof the envelope,l displacement means mounting said Ydie members for limited vertical movement, connecting means secured to said displacement means'for vertically moving thedisplacementmeans and associated die member, stop pins extending downwardly from-said displaceholder ring` on downward movementv 'of the stop member to thereby accurately locate thedies in a predetermined '.'positionrelativen) said holder ring.with theY die members accurately disposed in a 'plane parallel' to and spaced a predetermined distance upwardly from the plane of the reflector seating surface on said holder ring.

Y References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,011,523 Swan Dec. 12, 1911 1,165,884 i La France Dec. 28, 1915 2,163,071 Stringer June 20, 1939 2,237,186 r Malloy Apr. 1, 1941 2,245,782 Holloway June 17, 1941 2,334,123 Perkins Nov. 9, 1943 2,514,878 Kuperus July 11, 1950 2,644,100 Braunsdori June 30, 1953 2,655,766

Haden Oct. 2o, 1953

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