US2974920A - Illuminator bracket - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 1961 J. H. SPAULDING 2,974,920

ILLUMINATOR BRACKET Filed July 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH H SPAULDl/VG BY W W ATTO N Y March 14, 1961 J. H. SPAULDING ILLUMINATOR BRACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 15, 1958 v INVENTOR. JOSEPH H. SPAULDl/VG ATTOR llnited States Patent ILLUMINATOR BRACKET doseph H. Spauldingf4814 S, Raebum Drive, Cincinnati 23, Ohio This invention relates to an adjustable mounting bracket, and in particular an adjustable mounting bracket for outdoor fluorescent lighting fixtures.

An object of the invention is to provide an adjustable mounting bracket for an outdoor lighting fixture which includes means for effecting accurate adjustment of the fixture whereby to provide a zone of maximum illumination at or over a particular ground area.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mounting bracket which is adapted to be interposed between the upper end of a vertically extending mounting pole and a fixture mounted thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bracket having the hereinabove described. characteristics and which includes means for enabling the bracket to be adjusted while supporting an illuminator.

Still a further object of the invention is toprovide a mounting bracket of the type described which includes means for effectively precluding intentional or unintentional introduction of foreign objects into the interior thereof, the presence of which foreign objects would or could impair the operating characteristics of the bracket and/or interferes with the electrical system or circuits in the bracket.

These and otherobjects are attained by the means described herein and as disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view, with parts thereof broken away, illustrating a bracket in use.

Pig. 2 is a side elevational view taken from the right end of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the bracket of Pig. 2, showing the relationship of parts when in a fully lowered position.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the relationship of parts when in a fully elevated position.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 3 with parts omitted.

6 is a vertical sectional view through a modified type of bracket embodying the teachings of the present invention.

With particular reference now to the drawings, the numeral 10 denotes generally a vertically disposed mounting pole to the top of which a lighting fixture 12 is to be mounted for illuminating a predetermined ground area.

The numeral 14 denotes generally the bracket of the subject invention which is adapted to be interposed between pole 1t and fixture 12 for securely though adjustably mounting the fixture relative to the pole whereby the locus of maximum illumination may be conveniently altered and/or adjusted.

With particular reference now to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the subject bracket comprises a fixed part and a movable part 22 which is pivotally secured to the fixed part as at 24 by a pivot pin or bolt 25.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, fixed part 20 comprises a socket portion 26 having a bore 28 2 dimensioned to telescopically receive the upper end 39 of support pole 10, the free upper end 32 of which will abut stops 34 provided in the upper end of socket 26. The socket may be securely though releasably fastened to pole 19 by means of anchor bolts 36 which engage internally threaded bores of boss 38. If desired, a bolt 48 may be inserted through the side walls of socket 26 and the walls of pole It) as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, for further securing the bracket to a mounting pole.

In addition to socket portion 26, the fixed part 20 includes an upwardly extending front wall or forward member 50 which constitutes a rugged, bifurcated support for the movable part 22 and the illuminator fixture 12 carried thereby. The lower portion of member 50 may be considered as a bottom wall 51 which termimates in a forwardly and upwardly extending, outwardly inclined tongue 52 integral with the forward edge of member 50.

The balance of the fixed part 20 is defined by an upstanding, arcuate rear wall 54, and a pair of laterally spaced side walls 56, for thereby defining, with the rear face 53 of wall 50, a hollow, open-topped upper chamber or portion above the socket 26 which, in horizontal section, is substantially rectangular, as best illustrated in Fig. 5. a

The movable part 22 comprises a hollow housing having parallel, laterally spaced side walls 70, a top wall 72, a rear wall 74, and a narrow partial front wall '75 which terminates in a downwardly and rearwardly extending lip 77. The said side walls 70 are dimensioned to extend over and loosely receive the outer faces of side walls 56 of the fixed part 20. The forward portions of the side walls 70 are cut away whereby to provide a right angular opening (note Fig. 6) defined by edges 82 and 84, which are disposed at meeting at an apex 86 which is located immediately forward of pivotal connection 24. Bosses such as 96 and 92 may be provided in the forward end of top wall 72 and upper end of front wall 75 adjacent faces 82 and 84 for providing internally threaded bores 91 and 93, respectively, adapted to receive mounting bolts 90a and 92a (see Figs. 3 and 4) by which the mounting bracket 94 of an illuminator 12 is securely affixed to movable part 22.

Relative motion between parts 20 and 22 may be efliected by rotation of bolt 100, the head of which rides upon, abuts against and is carried by top .wall 72 of the movable part. The threaded shank of bolt engages the internally threaded bore of pivot block 102 which extends transversely between the inner faces of side walls 56 of the fixed part, and to which side walls said block is pivotally mounted such as by means of pivot pins 104, note Fig. 5.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that rotation of bolt 100 will cause movable part 22 to turn relative to the fixed part about pivot point 24, and that such turning action will automatically effect a shifting or movemention of illuminator 12 for altering the ground illumination pattern of the illuminator.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the lower end or lip 77 of front wall 75 of the movable part is disposed immediately beneath the forward edge 55 of tongue 52 of fixed part 2% when the movable element has been shifted to a fully elevated position; and, as shown in Figs.,3 and 6, lip 77 of the front wall 75 is disposed under that end of the tongue 52 which is adjacent to the socket 25 when the movable part has been moved to its fully lowered position. It is therefore evident that the relationship between tongue 52 of the fixed part and front wall 75 of the movable part is such that the front of the bracket is closed against the intentional or unintentional introduction of foreign objects into the interior of the composite bracket, as are the side and rear portions thereof. The relation- 3 ship between rear walls 54 and 74 is clearly apparent in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, whereas the relationship between side walls 56 and 70 is illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, ,a lock bolt 110 engages the internally threaded bore of a boss 112 provided on the lower end of rear wall 74 of the movable part, whereby the forward end of bolt 110 will engage the rear face 114 of rear wall 54 of the fixed part 20. Lock bolt 110 will enable the fixed and movable parts to be securely though releasably locked in adjusted position.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention a stop lug 120 is secured to and carried by the free upper end of rear wall 54 of the fixed part for providing an abutment which projects rearwardly of said wall, being eng'ageable with bolt 110 for limiting the maximum lowered relative position between the movable and fixed parts.

In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 6 relative movement between the fixed and movable parts must be manually effected, said parts being then locked in adjusted position by means of lock bolt 110.

The numeral 200 denotes generally an access plate se cured in place by fasteners 202, said plate controlling access to the interior of the composite bracket via opening 204 provided in top wall 72 of the movable part.

It will be understood that the weight of an illuminator 12 will exert a continuous turning force on the movable part 22 in a clockwise direction about pivotal connection 24. This force is resisted by adjusting bolt 100 which is under tension, whereby the movable part will be pivotedv upwardly in a counterclockwise direction incident to turning said bolt for pulling the rear portion of the movable part downwardly toward pivot block 102 which is secured to and carried by the fixed part.

Pivot pin or bolt 25 is located above and at or just forwardly of socket .26, whereas pivot block.102 is 10':

cated above and on the opposite side of the socket.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the outer surface 114 of rear wall 54 of the fixed part may be provided with suitable indicia, such as, by way of example, degree markings,

and the rear portion of the side wall of the movable part, provided with an indicator mark such as 150, for col. A bracket for adjustably mounting an illuminator upon a support, said bracket comprising two parts having a superposed relation, the lower part embodying an .opentop body having a back wall, spaced side walls, an upright front wall and means for securing the body upon a support, the upper part having an openbottom body including a back wall, space side walls and a top wall, said lower part body having the top portion extending into the open bottom of the upper part, a pivot means between the-adjacent side walls of the two parts, the axis of said pivot passing through the said upright front Wall of the lower part, the side walls of the upper part projecting beyond the said upright front wall, an illuminator mounting means extending across and secured to forward edges of said projecting walls at a location forwardly of said, upright front wall, and a thrust imparting means con-' necting the top wall of the upper'part. with the lower part at a location between the back wall and said upright front 4 wall of the lower part for efiecting oscillation of the upper part on said axis.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the said forward edges of the sidewalls of the upper part are recessed and said illuminator mounting means is formed to fit in said recesses.

3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said thrust imparting means comprises a pivot block pivotally mounted between the side walls of the lower part and located between the said upright front wall and the back wall of the lower part and a screw extending through and freely rotatably supported by the top wall of said upper part and passing through and having threaded connection with said pivot block.

4. The invention according to 'clarrn- 1, wherein the said back walls of the bodies of the upper and lower parts are arcuate and overlapping and concentric with said pivot axis, with means between said back Walls for securing the parts against turning.

- 5. A bracket for adjustably supporting an illuminator upon the top of a support pole, said bracket comprising a fixed part including a socket portion and a chambered body rising from the socket portion and defined by a curved upstanding rear wall extending from one side of said socket, a pair of laterally spaced upstanding side walls, an upstanding front wall and a bottom wall extending from the opposite side of said socket, said bottom wall merging with an upwardly and outwardly extending tongue, and a chambered downwardly opening movable part overlying and receiving in the chamber thereof a major portion of the chambered body and having a curved rear wall, a top wall, a pair of laterally spaced side walls and a partial front wall connected between the lower portion of the side walls and terminating in a downwardly and inwardly extending lip, pivot means between the side walls of said parts at a location substantially directly above the side of the socket opposite from said curved upstanding wall, the rear and side walls of said movable part being in overlapping relationship with the respective rear and side walls of said fixed part, the curved rear walls being parallel and concentric with the pivot means, the lip of the said front wall of said movable part being in underlapping relationship with the tongue of the bottom wall of said fixed part, an illuminator mounting means fixed to said movable part forwardly of its pivotal connection with the fixedpart, a

-major portion thereof housed within the movable part and having thrust connection with the fixed part whereby to effect the turning adjustment of the movable part on the fixed part.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,824,188 Anton Sept. 22, 1931 2,170,882 VWideroe Aug. 29, 1939 2,193,272 Crossley Mar. 12, 1940 2,593,075 Vale Apr. 15, 1952 Wiess Jan.,12, 1954

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