US2976400A - Lighting fixture - Google Patents

Description

March 21, 1961 c. STEBER 2,976,400

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed April 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LIlIIMIIIIIJ T '4 Illllllllll m 6/ J g-1mm CLARENCE LSTEBER LIGHTING FIXTURE Clarence L. Steber, River Forest, 111., assignor, by mesnc assignments, to The Pyle-National Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 17, 1953, Ser. No. 72?,090

Claims. (Ql. 240-133) This invention relates in general to a lighting fixture and particularly to a device for securing a reflector lamp shade in position. More specifically, the invention relates to a socket hood or other light fixture which is secured to a conduit, outlet box or other receptacle, the socket hood embodying means for the application to, or the removal of, a reflector lamp shade.

The invention comprises a socket hood which is adapted to be secured to an electrical fixture, such as an outlet box. The socket hood is adapted to project from the ceiling or wall, and embodies means for quick detachment from, or application to, the lamp shade or reflector. The socket hood is provided with novel means to permit the neck of the shade to be snapped easily in place so that it may be readily and easily applied and easily removed. A spring-controlled trigger-like member, which includes a pair of horizontally arranged prong-like members, cooperates with additional holders or projections to hold the shade in the socket hood. The upper end of the socket hood, beneath its top, includes a plurality of peripherally arranged spring fingers which engage the upper end or top rim of the shade to create a spring pressure thereagainst. The upper movement of the shade permits the holder projections to abut against the spring fingers and the holder projections to be received in an annular recess formed immediately below the shade rim, whereupon the two spaced prong-like members on the trigger-like member will snap beneath the shade rim and hold the shade in place. To release'the shade, the trigger member is pressed inwardly, thus releasing the prong members and permitting the shade to become free from removing'the'shade from the projections. The spring fingers aid in releasing the shade when the trigger member is depressed.

The primary object of the present invention consists in the provision of new and improved means for securing a lamp reflector shade to a socket hood.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a new and novel socket hood embodying a plurality of circumferentially spaced supporting members, the hood being formed with an integrally formed housing, recessed from the normal interior of the hood to receive a trigger member for releasably supporting the shade.

A further important object of the invention resides in the formation and application of a new and improved spring clip holder or trigger element which is secured to a socket hood so as to permit easy application and removal of the shade with respect to the socket member,

and to hold the shade in position against spring tension fingers which are mounted inside of, but below the: top of, the socket hood. 1 Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the progress of the specification.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a certain selected embodiment of the, invention, and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. l is a detail elevational'view, partly in section,

2,976,400 Patented Mar. 21, 1961 scale and the reflector shade being omitted; 10

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of operating lever for operating the spring pressed trigger member;

Fig. 5 is a detail elevational view of the socket hood of the invention having a shade of a particular form applied thereto; and

Fig. 6 is a detail elevational view of the socket hood of the invention having another type of shade applied thereto. 7

The particular construction herein shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention comprises a socket head 1, Fig. 1, which is preferably made of metal and cast in one piece as an integral unit. The socket hood 1 has an integral upstanding neck 2 which may be provided with internal screw threads 3 about a central opening 4 formed in the neck to receive external threads 5 on a support member 6 to which the socket hood is attached. The socket hood 1, therefore, is applied by screwing the same to the member 6 which may comprise a conduit, hickey, outlet box or other fitting.

The socket hood 1 includes an intermediate annular part 7 which is integral with the neck 2 and terminates in an annular bell-shaped lower body part in the nature of a depending skirt 8. The entire socket hood 1, therefore,

comprises an integral unitary bell-shaped body member which includes the neck 2, the intermediate annular part The sockethood 1, near the lower end thereof, and exy tending longitudinally along the skirt 8, and merging with the intermediate part 7, is provided with an ofiFset or out 1 J wardly projecting part to provide a housing 11,Figs. 1 to 3. .This housing 11 is adapted to receive a spring-con; trolled holder or latch member 12 for a shade, Figs. 2

and 3. The latch 12 is shown as being mounted on a transverse shaft 13, the ends of which are supported by the side walls 14, 14 of the housing part 11, Fig. 3.

Theears 15, '15 are arranged inwardly of the'sides 14, 14 of the housing 11 with the shaft 13, passing through the openings 16, 16 and journaled in the sides 14, 14, Fig.

3. The latch 12 is provided with latch clips 17, -17, Fig. 3, to engage the neck 19 of a shade 18 below the shade rim 2G. The latch 12 has spaced ears 15, 15 having alined openings 16, 16, Fig. 4, whichopenings receive the shaft 13, Figs. 1 to 3. The shade 18, Figs. 1,2, 3, 5 and 6, comprises a re hector body in theform of a depending skirt terminat- I ing at one end in the hollow annular reduced neck 19 which is receivable into, and supportedv'by, the latch prongs 3.7 and inwardly projecting rigid prongs. 21, 2 1,

Fig. 3, in the socket hood 1. The upper end of the re fiector neck 19 may be rolled over, or otherwise formed,

to provide the annular bead 20, Figs. 1 and 2, thebead 25) extending completely about the opening in the neck.

A lamp (not shown). extends through the neck 19 and is threaded into a socket member. .The reflector ismay" assume various forms and configurations, only two forms being specifically shown, FigsCS. ando. The reflector shade 18, which maybe made in various sizes and dimensions, is preferably an integral one piece metal memher.

The latch member 12 comprises a main flattened body portion 22 from which the cars 15, 15 are bent downwardly, the latch clips 17, 17 being bent upwardly from the body portion 22, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. At the outside, or rear end, of the latch 12 there is provided an elongated lever 23. The latch clips 17 extend inwardly in a plane above the normal horizontal plane of the main body part 22, being carried by a vertical part 24 which is integral with the body 22 and the clips 17, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2. A spring 25 is anchored, at one end thereof, upon the housing part 11 of the socket hood, and extends between said housing part and the vertical portion 24 of the latch, so that the spring 25 may normally urge the latch member 12 in one direction, on the shaft 13, toward shade clamping position determined by the engagement of the end of the body portion 22, remote from the clips 17, with a downwardly facing shoulder 25 formed on the housing part 11 beneath the anchored end of the spring 25, said interengageable end of the body portion and said shoulder 25 forming cooperating stops for limiting the turning movement of the latch member on the shaft under the influence of the spring. When the latch member is in shade clamping position determined by engagement of said operating stops, the spring 25 may also serve to urge the latch member 12 on the shaft 13, as permitted by the elongated slot 16, in order to engage the lamp shade clips 17 yieldingly beneath the shade bead 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

A shade or reflector 18 is applied by first arranging the shade in position so that the bead 20 of the shade will be below the fixed prongs 21, whereupon pressure exerted against the shade at a point remote of the prongs (Where the housing 11 is arranged) may be pressed upwardly against the spring action of the member 12, and thereupon cause the shade to be snapped into position. The shade 18 may be released by pressing inwardly on the pressure lever 23, against the spring action of the spring 25, whereupon the latch clips 17 will be released from the head 20, and the shade may be tilted outwardly away from the fixed prongs or projections 21.

,A pair of spring members 26, Fig. 2, are arranged on the underside of the top of the socket hood and surrounds the opening where the light socket 7 is positioned so as to normally and continuously exert a flexible pressure against the bead of the shade, thus preventing any rattling from occurring because of vibration, or otherwise. The spring members 26. may be secured to the underside of the top by means of screws 27, there being a flexible part extending from each side of the screw 27. Therefore, when the shade 18 is in normal hanging position, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 6, the shade is securely locked to the socket housing 1, and rattling is overcome; and removal may be had easily by pressing inwardly on the lever member 23.

The socket housing 1 is arranged to provide for different connections, whether it be to a pipe, a hickey, or to an outlet box, whether located on a side wall or overhead. Also, the arrangement and construction of the socket member is such that the socket hood will accommodate various sized shades, as well as shades of varying contour.

The invention provides a fitting which permits easy and quick application of a shade to the socket hood, and holds the shade steadily in place without any rattling due to any vibration which may exist. The latch clips 17 allow for a certain amount of tolerance and still hold the shade tightly, thereby permitting shades of difierent sizes to be interchanged. Also, the flexible arrangement of the spring members 26 further prevents rattling, provides for a flexible mounting, andassists in permitting easier removal of the shade when the lever or tongue 23 is depressed.

In actual practice it has been found that the use of the invention makes it possible for a few difierent shade sizes to be employed instead of the usual very many sizes heretofore necessary, less models of shades, therefore, need be stocked. Shipping, warehousing and stocking of shades are, therefore, greatly reduced.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fall fairly within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A lighting fixture comprising a socket hood forming a cavity and adapted to support .a reflector shade having a mounting neck receivable in said cavity, a pair of spaced shade engaging projections on one side of the hood in said cavity in position to supportingly engage the neck of the shade, a support pin on said hood at the side thereof opposite said projections, a latch mounted for rocking movement on said pin between shade holding and releasing positions, said latch, while in shade holding position, being bodily shiftable on said pin in a direction radially outwardly of the shade to release the same, and spring means on said hood and connected with said latch to yieldingly urge the same rockably on the pin to ward shade holding position and bodily on the pin into holding engagement with the neck of the shade.

2. A lighting fixture comprising a socket hood forming a cavity and adapted to support a reflector shade having a mounting neck receivable in said cavity, a pair of spaced shade engaging projections on one side of the hood in said cavity in position to supportingly engage the neck of the shade, a support pin on said hood at the side thereof opposite said projections, a latch formed with an elongated slot receiving said pin whereby to mount the latch for rocking movement on said pin between shade holding and releasing positions, said latch, while in shade holding position, being bodily shiftable on said pin in a direction radially outwardly of the shade to release the same, and spring means on said hood and connected with said latch to yieldingly urge the same rockably on the pin toward shade holding position and bodily on the pin into holding engagement with the neck of the shade.

3. A lighting fixture comprising a socket hood forming a cavity and adapted to support a reflector shade having a mounting neck receivable in said cavity, a pair of spaced shade engaging projections on one side of the hood in said cavity in position to supportingly engage the neck of the shade, a support pin on said hood at the side thereof opposite said projections, a latch mounted for rocking movement on said pin between shade holding and releasing positions, said latch, while in shade holding position, being bodily shiftable on said pin in a direction radially outwardly of the shade to release the same, and a helical compression spring having an end connected on said hood and another end connected with said latch to yieldingly urge the same rockably on the pin toward shade holding position and bodily on the pin into holding engagement with the neck of the shade.

4. A lighting fixture comprising a socket hood forming a cavity and adapted to support a reflector shade having a mounting neck receivable in said cavity, spaced apart spring members secured in said socket hood in position to engage and press upon said neck when the same is in mounted position in said cavity, said spring members serving to yieldingly urge the shade in an ejecting direction, and latch means mounted on the hood and operable to hold the shade detachably in mounted position against the shade ejecting urge of said spring members, said latch means comprising a pivot pin supported in said hood, a latch member formed with an elongated slot receiving said pin whereby said latch member is movable on the pin, toward and away from'latching position in latching engagement with the neck of a reflector shade disposed asveaoo in mounted position in the hood, said latch member being also rockable on the pin, cooperating stops formed on the latch member and hood to limit the turning movement of the latch member on the pin in one direction, and spring means normally urging said latch member in said direction and also toward shade latching position on said pin.

5. A lighting fixture comprising a socket hood forming a cavity and adapted to support a reflector shade having a mounting neck receivable in said cavity, spaced apart spring members secured in said socket hood in position to engage and press upon said neck when the same is in mounted position in said cavity, said spring members serving to yieldingly urge the shade in an ejecting direction, and latch means mounted on the hood and operable to hold the shad-e detachably in mounted position against the shade ejecting urge of said spring members, said latch means comprising a pivot pin supported in said hood, a latch member rockably supported on said pin, cooperating stops formed on the latch member and hood to limit the turning movement of the latch member on the pin in one direction, whereby to normally present the latch member in predetermined angulated position on the hood,

spring means norm-ally urging said latch member toward said angulated position, said latch member being formed with an elongated slot receiving said pin, whereby said latch member, when in said angulated position, is movable toward and away from latching position in latching engagement with the neck of a reflector shade disposed in mounted position in the hood, said spring serving normally to urge said latch member toward latching position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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