US2984738A - Rotating light fixture - Google Patents

Description

May 16, 1961 K. E. BELAU ROTATING LIGHT FIXTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1959 ennaih Baku y 1961 K. E. BELAU 2,984,738

ROTATING LIGHT FIXTURE Filed Sept. 16, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 16, 1961 K. E. BELAU ROTATING LIGHT FIXTURE Filed Sept. 16, 1959 y 1951 K. E. BELAU 2,984,738

ROTATING LIGHT FIXTURE Filed Sept. 16, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Kenneih IE7. .Eezau HMM/WW United rates Fatent @tiee 2,984,738 Patented May 16, 1961 ROTATING LIGHT FIXTURE Kenneth E. Belau, Milwaukee, Wis, assiguor to Spincraft, Inc, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Sept. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 840,472

14 Claims. (Cl. 240-49) This invention relates to electric light fixtures and, like that of my pending application Serial No. 779,341, filed December 10, 1958, now abandoned, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, has as its purpose to provide a light fixture with which it is possible to produce an animated effect upon a field illuminated by the fixture.

Broadly stated, the light fixture of this invention comprises a rotary turret carrying a plurality of electric lamps, preferably spot lights, and rotatably mounted on a stationary supporting structure. An electric motorpowered drive mechanism carried by the supporting structure rotates the turret, and the lamp sockets into which the lamps are screwed are electrically connected with supply lines which enter the supporting structure, in a manner accommodating the orbital motion of the sockets as the turret rotates.

For a light fixture of this type to be commercially practicable and to meet underwriters laboratory requirements, its entire mechanism must be enclosed within a housing and all current carrying parts of the fixture, except, of course, the lamp sockets when the lamps are removed, must be inaccessible from the exterior of the fixture. To meet this overall requirement, the stationary supporting structure of the fixture of this invention comprises a panshaped metal housing having an end Wall and a side wall encircling it and terminating in a circular rim which defines the open end of the housing; and the turret which carries the lamps is a generally cylindrical plate or disc having its periphery contiguous to the rim of the housing side Wall so that the turret substantially closes the open end of the housing.

Bearing in mind that the turret closes the housing, and also the need for electrically connecting the lamp sockets with the supply lines entering the housing, despite relative rotation between the housing and the turret, it is a specific object of this invention to provide an improved and simplified current transmitting connection of the brush and slip-ring type, having cooperating and separable contacts carried by the stationary housing and the turret, which contacts are automatically brought into cooperative engagement simply by assembly of the turret with the housing.

The light fixture of this invention is exceptionally well adapted for the illumination of displays of merchandise, and is particularly elfective for lighting the display windows of jewelry shops because the constant movement of the light sources as its lamps are revolved in their orbits causes jewelry illuminated by the fixture to sparkle and glitter. Because there are several light bulbs in the fixture, the illumination obtained thereby is substantially constant over the entire area or field being illuminated, but the orbital motion of the light sources tends to create slight moving bright areas and shadows which are almost unnoticeable except in their elfect and, therefore, the spectator is not likely to look for the cause of the apparent animation which has attracted him, but tends to concentrate his attention on the displayed merchandise.

In its use for the illumination of window displays, the

light fixture is generally suspended from above with its lamps directed downwardly, and for maximum efiectiveness, the fixture is so mounted as to be out of view from outside the window. But the fixture is not limited to such downward projection of its light, and, accordingly, it is another object of this invention to provide a fixture of the character described which may be mounted at any angle.

The invention also contemplates a fixture of the character described having a small motor in its housing by which the turret is rotatably driven through an inexpensive worm gear drive mechanism, and with this in mind it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive very practical impositive driving connection between the turret and the drive mechanism to preclude injury to the drive mechanism as a result of inertia of the turret tending to keep it turning after the motor has stopped.

Another specific object of this invention resides in the provision of a simple and inexpensive impositive driving connection between the turret and the shaft upon which it is mounted that permits of ready removal of the turret to provide for access to drive mechanism and wiring inside the housing, but wherein the turret is nonetheless very stably supported.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a light fixture of the character described which is so designed and constructed that its major parts may be readily fabricated as metal spinnings.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come Within the scope of the claims.

The acompanying drawings illustrate two complete examples of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is essentially a sectional view axially through a light fixture embodying the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale of the central portion of the turret, together with the drive shaft on which it is mounted and the slip ring contactor assembly;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary disassembled. perspective view of the slip ring spool or drum and its cooperating turret carried contact members;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a somewhat modified embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the fixture shown in Figure 4, with parts broken away.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts, it will be seen that the light fixture of this invention comprises a stationary housing 5 and a rotary turret l6 carrying a number of downwardly opening lamp sockets 7 into which light bulbs 8 are screwed. Preferably, the bulbs are of the spot light variety.

The housing 5 may be formed as a unitary metal spinning in the shape of an inverted bowl or pan having a flat end Wall 9 which forms the top of the fixture when it is mounted to illuminate a field from above, and a substantially conical side wall 10 turned in at its lower edge to provide stifiness and improved appearance. Attention is directed to the fact that the rim or edge of the side wall lies in a plane normal to the axis of the turret, and spaced outwardly, i.e. downwardly beyond the turret and even beyond the exposed faces of the lamp bulbs,

, 3 so that the fixture may be laid on a fiat surface without danger of damaging any part-thereof.

The fixture is adapted to be suspended by chains or the like (not shown) attached to eye bolts 11 which are liked to the end wall 9.

The turret 6 has its periphery contiguous to the rim or edge of the housing side wall, and thus substantially closes the bottom of the housing. It is detachably supported in this position by a rotatable drive shaft 12 depending from a drive unit 13 mounted in the housing. Leads 14 enter the housing to connect the fixture with a current source, and these leads are electrically connected with the lamp sockets through a slip-ring and brush assembly designated generally by the numeral 15.

In that form of the invention shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the drive unit 13 is secured in place by a dished mounting plate 16 bolted to the underside of the housing end wall 9, and comprises a downwardly projecting bracket or frame 17 having the drive shaft 12 rotatably supported therein. The drive shaft depends from this bracket or frame coaxially of the fixture and has the turret mounted thereon. An electric motor 18 mounted in thebracket or frame, is positively drivingly connected with the shaft through speed reduction gearing indicated generally by the numeral 19 and including a worm and wormwheel 20 and 21.

The turret is detachably mounted on the lower end of the drive shaft 12 in a manner which provides an impositive torque transmitting connection therebetween and allows quick and easy assembly of the turret with the housing; To this end, the turret has a smooth bored bushing 22 rigidly fixed thereto at its center by being confined between the upper or inner face of the turret and the underside of a plate 23 spotwelded or otherwise fixed to the turret. The ends of this bushing are stepped into holes in the turret and the plate 23 and lie flush with or slightly below the outer faces thereof.

The lower end portion of the drive shaft 12 passes through the bushing with a close though freely rotatable fit, and the bushing has sufficient axial length to hold the turret against tilting even if it is not in exact static balance.

The lowermost end portion of the drive shaft is threaded and is also slabbed off as at 24 (see Figure 2 to give it a non-circular cross-section, and a washer 25, having a correspondingly shaped hole fits thereon, between the turret and a nut 26 threaded onto the shaft. The washer is thus constrained to rotate with the shaft, and the washer, in turn, imparts rotation to the turret through a frictional driving connection which includes an escutcheon member 27.

The escutcheon member 27 is formed with a central cup, having a flat bottom or end wall 28 and .a side wall which terminates in a slightly resilient curved skirt 29. This skirt embraces the central cup and has its edge lying in a plane spaced beyond the plane of the flat bottom or end wall of the cup.

The escutcheon member is fitted onto the lower end of the drive shaft with the fiat bottom or end wall 28 of its cup bearing against the top of the washer and the edge of its skirt 29 bearing against the underside of the turret. Thus there are two frictional driving connections between the drive shaft 12 and the turret, the first being between the washer 25 and the escutcheon member and the second between the escutcheon member and the turret.

The escutcheon member 27 has an additional function, to be later brought out, and, of course, also serves to dress up the appearance of the fixture, in which purpose it is aided by a cap 30 snap-fitted into the mouth of the cup in the escutcheon member.

By virtue of the impositive nature of the torque transmitting connection between the drive shaft and the turret, the turret can continue to rotate about the shaft after the motor is stopped, so that the worm gear and worm wheel i of the reduction gearing will not be damaged as a result of turret inertia. This permits use of an inexpensive and rather light drive mechanism.

It will be seen that the washer 25 also keeps the nut 26 from turning on the shaft at times when the turret is rotating relative to the shaft, so that the nut will not be tightened or loosened by such relative rotation. However, the nut is preferably of the self-locking type to insure that it will hold its position despite any possible vibration.

The slip ring and brush assembly 15 by which electric current may be transmitted to the electric light bulbs while the turret is rotating comprises, in general, a brush holder 31 of insulating material mounted on the bracket or frame 17, a slip ring spool or drum 32 on the drive shaft, and a terminal board 33. The slip ring spool or drum, which is freely rotatably mounted on the drive shaft, above the turret, is made of insulating material and has a pair of axially spaced apart metal slip rings 34 en; circling it. Each of these rings is engaged by a brush 35 which is endwise slidable in a bore in the brush holder and yieldingly urged towards its slip ring. The brushes are connected in a well known manner with terminals 36 at the side of the brush holder opposite that from which the brushes project, and these terminals have the leads 14 connected thereto so that when the leads are connected with a source of current the slip rings are hot. The terminals 36 also accommodate conductors 37 connected with the motor windings and through which the motor may be energized.

The terminal board 33 comprises an elongated flat piece of insulating material which fiatwise overlies and extends diametrically across the top of the plate 23 fixed to the turret, being secured thereto by screws 38. A hole 39 in the center of the terminal board permits the drive shaft to extend therethrough. At its central portion the side edges of the terminal board are notched as at 40, to provide a relatively narrow medial key portion 41 which fits snugly into a transverse slot 42 in the bottom of the slip ring spool or drum 32 to constrain the same to rotate with the turret.

The top of the terminal board has a pair of contact members or conductor strips 43 formed or mounted thereon, and each of these strips extends lengthwise along the terminal board from a point near the hole 39 at its center, to the adjacent outer end of the board. Terminals 44 mounted on the end portions of the board in electrical contact with the conductor strips have the several light sockets 7 electrically connected thereto, in parallel, so that upon connection of the conductor strips with the hot slip rings, the light bulbs in the sockets will be lighted.

To connect the contact members or conductor strips 43 with the slip rings, contacts 45 are located in the opposite ends of the slot 42 in the bottom of the slip ring spool or drum, to engage the inner end portions of the conductor strips. Each of these contacts is electrically connected with one of the slip rings through a conductor 46, and to assure that the contacts engage the conductor strips, the contacts project slightly above the bottom of the slot 42. The slip ring spool or drum is preferably formed as a plastic molding into which the slip rings, the conductors 46, and the contacts 45--which may be integral parts of the conductcrsare secured at the time of molding.

Good contact between the contacts 45 and the contact members or conductor strips 43 on the terminal board, of course, requires that there be adequate contact pressure therebetween. This is assured by correctly fixing a stop-collar 47 to the drive shaft above the slip ring spool or drum. With this collar properly located, the slip ring spool or drum is held in such a position that tightening of the nut 26 places the skirt 29 of the escutcheon member 27 in compression and thereby urges the turret upward to press the contact members or conductor strips against the contacts.

It will now be seen that by virtue of the described connection between the turret and the housing, two very significant results are accomplished. First, correct orientation between the contacts at the bottom of the slip ring spool or drum and the contact members or conductor strips on the terminal board are automatically assured during assembly; and, by the same means, the slip ring spool or drum is constrained to rotate with the turret. This follows from the reception of the medial key portion 41 of the terminal board in the transverse slot 42 in the bottom of the spool or drum.

Secondly, the assembly of the turret with the housing automatically establishes the desired impositive frictional driving connection between the motor driven drive shaft and the turret and, at the same time, provides good contact pressure between the separable contact surfacm of the electrical connection between the turret carried instrumentalities (the lamp sockets) and the supply line which enters the stationary housing. Specifically, this follows from the fact that during assembly of the turret with the housing, the slightly resilient collar provided by the escutcheon member 27 and particularly its skirt 29 is placed in compression between the underside of the turret and the fastening nut 26.

It should also be observed that all of the major parts of the fixture can be produced as metal spinnings. Even the receptacles 48 in which the lamp sockets are mounted, can be formed in this manner and then spot welded or otherwise secured to the upper surface of the turret above appropriate openings therein.

The modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 is essentially very much like that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but there are differences which give this modified embodiment of the invention some signif icant improvements.

One of the major differences between the two embodiments of the invention resides in the fact that, in the modified form (Figures 4 and 5) the driving connection between the turret 6 and its drive shaft 12 is positive. By making this connection positive, the need for closely adjusting the tension needed to maintain the frictional drive is eliminated; but, of course, the drive transmission 13 must be capable of withstanding the forces engendered thereon by the rotational inertia of the turret whenever the drive motor is started or stopped. This is accomplished not only by making the component parts of the drive mechanism more rugged, but also by using a different motor and having the motor shaft 49 drive the turret shaft 12 directly through a worm 50 on the motor shaft and a worm-wheel 51 on the shaft 12.

The connection between the turret and its drive shaft is established by simply tightly clamping the slip ring spool or drum 32 between the top of the turret and a shoulder 53 on the shaft by means of the clamping nut 26'. Not only does this serve to hold the turret to the shaft for rotation therewith, but it also maintains the required contact pressure between the contact members or conductor strips 43 and the contacts 45.

The manner in which the turret drive shaft 12 is mounted in this form of the invention is also different, and the difference achieves greater stability for the structure.

As shown, a bearing 54 at the upper end of the shaft 12' is received in a sleeve 55 fixed to a plate 56. The plate 56 is rigid and is supported in the housing by being secured at its peripheral portion to the small diameter end of an annular substantially conical ring member 57, the large diameter end of which is secured to the end wall 9' of the pan-like housing. To assure quietness in operation, the connections between the plate 56 and the ring 57 incorporate cushioning bushings 58 of rubber or other resilient material.

The sleeve 55 is staked to the plate 56 so that, in effect, it becomes an integral part of the plate. The bearing 54 which is received in the sleeve is held in place therein by a set screw 59, and its inner race is suitably secured to the shaft which passes through it, so that by the securement of the bearing in the sleeve 55, the shaft 12' and, hence, the turret are held against axial displacement with respect to the housing, whether the fixture is in its position shown with its turret bottommost, or is mounted in any other manner as, for instance, with its axis of rotation inclined and its turret facing at an upward angle.

The plate 56 also provides a mounting for the brush holder 31, in which the brushes 35 are mounted for engagement with the sides of the slip rings .34.

Attention is directed to the fact that the divergently sloping side wall 10' of the pan-like housing, and the adjacent oppositely sloping conical wall provided by the ring 57, between them define an annular space in which the socket carrying receptacles 4 8 travel as they move around their orbit with rotation of the turret. This results in a desirable compactness coupled with an exceptionally sturdy construction.

Fromthe foregoing description taken with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that this invention provides a highly practical, easily manufactured and assembled rotating light fixture or similar device, wherein a plurality of electrical instrumentalities such as the lamp sockets of the instant fixture, are supplied with current brought into the stationary housing of the device, despite the fact that these instrumentalities are carried by a rotary turret and that the required electrical connection between the supply line and the electrical instrumentalities on the turret is achieved in a very simple, expeditious manner as an incident of the assembly of the turret with the housing, as is also the impositive driving connection between the turret and its drive shaft required in one form of the invention to assure against injury to the speed reduction gearing used therein to connect the shaft with the motor.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. In a device of the type wherein a rotatable turret extends across the open bottom of a housing to substantially close the housing and carries electrical instrumentalities adapted to be energized at times when the turret is rotating, means for rotatably suspending the turret from the housing and for impositively driving the turret from a motor in the housing, said means comprising: a shaft concentrically mounted in the housing and constrained to rotation, said shaft projecting downwardly through the housing and extending through a concentric aperture in the turret; means providing a positive driving connection between the motor and the shaft; a nut threaded onto the lower end portion of the shaft and by which the turret is held on the shaft; and a frictional impositive torque transmitting connection between said shaft and the turret, said connection comprising a washer having a splined driving connection with the shaft and resting on the nut, and a slightly axially resilient collar confined between the washer and the turret, the impositive nature of said connection assuring against injury to the positive driving connection between the shaft and the motor due to inertia of the turret upon starting and stopping of the motor.

2. In a device of the character described: a stationary structure; a driven shaft carried by said structure; a turret rotatably supported on the shaft to be driven thereby, said turret carrying electrical instrumentalities adapted to be energized at times when the turret is rotating; a terminal board of insulating material fiatwise overlying and secured to one face of the turret, across the center thereof, and having an aperture through which the shaft extends; a pair of conductors carried by said board with a part thereof exposed and facing the stationary structure near the aperture in the terminal board; means electrically connecting each of said conductors with the electrical instrumentalities on the turret; a spool of insulating material mounted on the shaft directly adjacent to said terminal board, said spool having at its end adjacent to the terminal board a slot extending'diametrically thereacross and in which a portion of the terminal board is engaged to constrain the spool to rotate with the turret; a pair of spaced apart slip rings on said spool; a pair of contacts carried by the spool, each of which is engaged with the exposed portion of one of the conductors carried by the terminal board; means connecting each of said contacts with one of the slip rings; a pair of brushes, each slidingly engageable with one of the slip rings; and stationary brush holder means, carried by said stationary structure supporting the brushes in contact making engagement with the slip rings.

I 3. In a device of the type having a turret rotatably supported on a downwardly projecting shaft near the bottom thereof, means providing an impositive driving connection between the shaft and the turret, said means comprising: a nut threaded onto the lower end portion of the shaft below the turret; a Washer splined to the shaft and supported by the nut; a slightly axially resilient escutcheon member interposed between the washer and the underside of the turret, said escutcheon member having a downwardly facing central cup, the end Wall of which bears fiatwise upon the top of the washer, and a skirt extending from the edge of the cup with its edge bearing against the underside of the turret; and an abutment fixed against upward axial displacement with respect to the shaft, between which and the nut the turret, escutcheon member and washer are clamped.

4. In a device of the type wherein a rotatable turret extends across the open bottom of a housing to substantially close the housing and carries electrical instrumentalities adapted to be energized at times when the turret is rotating, and wherein the turret is adapted to be rotatably driven by a motor in the housing: a rotatable shaft concentrically mounted in the housing and projecting downwardly therethrough, said shaft extending through a concentric aperture in the turret; means providing a positive driving connection between the motor and the shaft; a nut threaded onto the lower end portion of the shaft; a washer splined to the shaft and resting on the nut; a resilient collar on the shaft between the turret and the washer to frictionally transmit rotation of the shaft to the turret; a terminal board of insulating material fiatwise overlying and secured to the upper face of the turret, across the center thereof, and having an aperture through which the shaft extends; a pair of conductor strips carried by the terminal board and exposed at the top side thereof near the aperture therein, each of said conductor strips being connected with the electrical instrumentalities on the turret;'a spool of insulating material mounted on the shaft directly above the terminal board; means providing an endwise separable torque transmitting connection between the spool and the terminal board to constrain the spool to rotate with the turret; a pair of contacts at the bottom end of the spool, each engaging the exposed portion of one of the conductor strips on the terminal board; a pair of spaced apart slip rings on said spool; a conductor electrically connecting each slip ring with one of said contacts; a pair of brushes, each slidingly engageable with one of the slip rings; and brush holder means fixed with respect to the housing, mounting the brushes in contacting engagement with the slip rings.

5. In a device of the character described: a housing open at its bottom; a drive shaft rotatably carried by the housing and projecting vertically from the bottom thereof; drive means carried by the housing and connected with the shaft to drive the same; a turret carried by the housing for rotation about the shaft axis and closing the bottom of the housing, the turret carrying an electrical instrumentality and having a hole at its center through which the shaft projects; a. current supply line entering the housing to supply current to the electrical instrumentality; means electrically connecting said instrumentality with the supply line including a pair of upwardly facing contacts fixed with respect to but insulated from the turret, said contacts being spaced from the axis of the turret and electrically connected with said instrumentality; a slip ring drum freely journalled on the shaft above the turret, said drum having spaced slip rings with which the conductors of the supply line are electrically connected, and a pair of downwardly facing contacts at its bottom, each electrically connected with one of the slip rings and spaced from the shaft axis to register with the contacts on the turret; an axially separable torque transmitting connection between the turret and the slip ring drum constraining the drum to rotate with the turret and holding said parts so oriented that the contacts on the drum and on the turntable register with one another; and common means providing an impositive frictional driving connection between the shaft and the turntable and holding said pairs of contacts engaged, said means comprising an abutment above the slip ring drum fixed against upward axial displacement with respect to the shaft and against which the slip ring drum bears, a nut threaded on the lower end portion of the shaft, a washer splined to the shaft and seated on the nut, and a resilient collar confined under axial compression between said washer and the underside of the turret, said resilient collar frictional ly engaging the washer and the turret.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the axially separable torque transmitting connection between the slip ring drum and the turret comprises a terminal board fixed to the turret and carrying the upwardly facing contacts, and a cross slot in the bottom of the slip ring drum in which the adjacent portion of the terminal board is received.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein the slightly axially resilient collar comprises an escutcheon member having a downwardly opening cup at its center containing the washer and nut with the end wall of the cup bearing against the top of the washer, and having an upwardly directed skirt extended from the edge of the cup with the edge of the skirt lying in a plane spaced slightly above the end wall of the cup and bearing against the underside of the turret.

8. A light fixture for producing an animated effect upon a field illuminated thereby, comprising: a pan-like circular housing having an end Wall and a side wall terminating in a circular rim which defines the open end of the housing; means on the housing by which it may be suspended with its open end facing the field to be illuminated; turret drive means fixed in said housing and having a drive shaft disposed centrally of the housing perpendicularly to a plane containing the rim of its side wall and projecting toward the open end of the housing; a turret of a size to substantially close the open end of the pan-like housing; means removably mounting the turret on the drive shaft with the periphery of the turret adjacent to the rim of the housing so that the turret substantially closes the open end of the housing; outwardly facing lamp socket means on the turret adapted to receive electric lamps; and means to supply electric current to the lamp socket means including a pair of rotatable slip rings inside the housing and concentric with the drive shaft, a contact electrically connected with each slip ring and located adjacent to the inner face of the turret, a pair of brushes mounted in the housing and bearing upon the slip rings, and a pair of contact members mounted on the turret but insulated therefrom, said contact members being electrically connected with the lamp socket means and connectible with the slip ring contacts as an incident to mounting of the turret upon the drive shaft.

9. The light fixture of claim 8, further characterized by the fact that the slip rings and their contacts are carried by an insulated spool which is mounted on the drive shaft with one end thereof facing the inner side of the turret, the slip ring contacts being carried by the spool and being exposed at said end of the spool, and the turret carried contact members facing said slipring contacts to engage the same as the turret is mounted on the drive shaft.

10. The light fixture of claim 9, wherein said slip ring contacts are angularly spaced from one another and the turret carried contact members are correspondingly angularly spaced about the axis of the turret; and further characterized by interengageable means on the spool and the turret to align the contact members with the slip ring contacts during mounting of the turret on the drive shaft.

11. The light fixture of claim 9, further characterized by a motor and bearing supporting plate fixed in the central portion of the housing inwardly of and substantially parallel with the plane containing its rim; a combination radial and thrust bearing mounted on said plate at the center thereof, the drive shaft being supported in said bearing, and the spool being located on the drive shaft between said plate and the turret; brush holders fixed to said plate in the space between the plate and the turret and having the brushes mounted therein; an electric motor mounted on said plate in the space between the plate and the closed end of the housing; and reduction gearing connecting the motor with the drive shaft.

12. The light fixture of claim 11, wherein the housing is substantially a truncated cone so that its side wall is divergently sloped; an oppositely sloping annular wall having its large diameter end fixed to the end wall of the housing and its small diameter end fixed to the peripheral portion of the plate to provide the mounting for the plate, the sloping side wall of the housing and said oppositely sloping annular wall defining an annular space opening towards the turret; the turret being essentially a circular plate and having a plurality of angularly spaced holes therein in line with said annular space; an inverted cup fixed to the turret over each of said holes and received in said annular space; and the lamp socket means being mounted in the closed ends of said cups so that lamps fitted therein are disposed in the cups and may have their outer ends protruding therefrom.

13. The light fixture of claim 12, wherein the rim of the pan-like housing projects beyond the outermost portion of the turret, so that the fixture may be set upon a flat supporting surface With only its rim contacting the supporting surface.

14. The light fixture of claim 11, wherein the drive shaft has means defining a shoulder facing its outer end; the spool being confined between said shoulder and the turret; and the turret being held in place by a nut threaded on the outer end of the shaft and bearing against the turret so that the turret and spool are clamped together and thereby secured to the drive shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 987,245 Langstafi Mar. 21, 1911 1,960,534 Gibney May 29, 1934 2,345,382 Cramer Mar. 28, 1944 2,810,222 Terre Get. 22, 1957

Images