US3093322A - Lighting fixture - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1963 A. o. BOUTELLE LIGHTING FIXTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1960 INVENTOR ALLEN 0. BOUTELLE BY W ,amm ATTORNEYS 8 \nmm June 1963 A. o. BOUTELLE 3,

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed June 20, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR ALLEN O. BOUTELLE BYE/11 M,

ATTORNEYS June '11, 1963 A. o. BOUTELLE 3,

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed June 20. 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. ll FIG. l2

INVENTOR ALLEN O. BOUTELLE BY/BEW 9M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,093,322 LIGHTING FIXTURE Allen 0. Boutelle, Jefferson, Wis, assignor to Thomas Industries Inc., Fort Atkinson, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed .lune 20, 1960, Ser. No. 37,171 13 Claims. (Cl. 240-48) This invention relates to lighting fixtures, and more particularly to ceiling light fixetures provided with novel and improved latch and hinge means for detachably securing a cover or lamp receiving globe of such a fixture to its base.

Although it is highly desirable to be able to completely separate the globe from the fixture base as when the globe has become so soiled as to require a thorough washing, there are many instances when it would be more satisfactory if the globe could be merely swung out of the way to permit access to the fixture base, as, for example, when it is necessary to replace a worn out bulb.

Advantageously, such globes or covers are made of translucent or light diffusing glass which material is frangible. Moreover, they are often of sufficiently large size and weight as to be awkward to handle, particularly when it is necessary to reach upwardly over ones head to grasp the cover, or when working from a position which involves standing on a chair, a stool or a small step ladder. In these situations, the average individual does not feel safe in trying to change a bulb in a ceiling fixture while balancing the globe or cover in his other hand, but prefers to make several trips up and down the ladder, which in itself is also a source of annoyance.

Thus a first and principal object of the present invention is to provide a construction of ceiling fixture having conveniently operable means by which the lamp receiving globe, shade or other cover may be swung to one side so as to depend from the base of the fixture without becoming detached, or, at the workmans option, may be completely detached therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ceiling light fixture having a novel hinge and latch arrangement for detachably securing such a globe, shade or other lamp cover to its base which will be both simple and easy to operate, involving uncomplicated movements while at the same time affording a positive connection of the globe or cover to the base of the fixture.

Thus, the present invention contemplates a novel hinge and latch arrangement including tension means by which the globe or cover of the fixture is supported from the base at diametrically opposite points but which may be overcome to permit unlatching the cover at one point, so that it may be swung downwardly and away from the fixture base but without its detachment from the base at the other connection point and which therefore acts as a hinge. In the preferred forms of the invention this will be conveniently accomplished by grasping the cover and bodily moving it transversely of the base. However, in other forms of the invention it is accomplished by extending a similarly directed transverse force but which force is applied to a suitably located handle part of the tension means itself.

Although the aforesaid bodily movement of the cover, or handle part of the tension means, in a direction transversely of the base is sufficient to unlatch the cover, it is a further feature of the invention that this does not permit the cover to become completely detached from the base but rather the cover remains hingedly connected. However, in accordance with the invention, such a complete detachment of the cover can be obtained simultaneously or thereafter by also bodily raising the cover. In the preferred forms of the invention this bodily raising of ICC,

the cover must be accomplished simultaneously with the transverse movement thereof. One action without the other does not suffice to allow the cover to separate from its hinged connection with the base of the fixture. This has an advantage in preventing accidental separation of the cover from the base. However, in other forms of the inventions these actions are carried out sequentially.

Another feature of the invention and/ or more specific object of the invention is that said novel hinged latch arrangement, in its preferred forms, is so located as to be relatively inconspicuous and not apparent to one viewing the fixture when the lamp cover or globe is in its normally closed position.

Still another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of ceiling light fixture having a base in the form of a housing or canopy provided with a narrow peripheral wall and containing one or more lamp holders or sockets characterized in that the globe or other cover for the lamps mounted in said sockets or holders has a flanged neck or the equivalent which protrudes into said base and is provided with a retainer ring having spaced offset portions which releaseably seat in suitably located catch means provided within the base housing, in or on the wall thereof.

Still another more specific object of the invention is to provide at least one of said catch means in the form of a spring operated hook or latch which releaseably engages about one of said offsets of the retainer rings and is so biased as to retain the other offset of said ring in engagement with a second catch means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide said hook as the out-turned end of a depending member mounted on the inside of the housing and adapted for pivotal movement against the tension of a suitable spring member cooperating therewith.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the mentioned second catch means as a ledge or opening formed in the housing wall for receiving the second offset of the retainer ring under the tension of a spring member cooperating with a first catch means for supporting the opposite side of the cover.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hinge and latch arrangement for a ceiling fixture as aforedescribed wherein the second catch means comprises a blade spring member biased toward the first catch member which may or may not be an oppositely biased hook member and which blade spring member may be provided with a handle extending externally of the housing base through a cutout whereby it can be deflected to unlatch its engagement with the second offset and allow the cover to swing downwardly about said hook member within the grasp of which the first offset is caught.

A still more specific but also important object of the invention is to provide a ceiling light fixture and/ or novel arrangement of combined latch and hinge means therefor which obtains all of the aforedescribed objects, advantages and features of the invention while also being of a construction sufficiently simple as to be economical and practical to manufacture.

Many and other more specific objects, as well as features and/or advantages presented by the invention over the prior art will be at once apparent, or will become so, from a consideration of the detail description of preferred embodiments of the invention which will be now de scribed.

Therefore, now referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partially fragmented with portions cut away to illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmented sectional view taken along lines 2-2 in FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 33 in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmented view taken along lines 4-4 in FIGURE 3, said FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 serving to indicate the preferred manner of mounting and securing the hook member and compression spring of my novel latch and hinge arrangement for mounting a lamp cover to the base of a ceiling light fixture;

FIGURE 5 illustrates in plan the preferred form of retainer ring and which has been used in the embodiment according to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 illustrates an alternate form of retainer ring;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view taken to illustrate a second embodiment of the invention utilizing still another form of retainer ring as well as alternate arrangement of mounting the hook member;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along lines 8% in FIGURE 7 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows to show the means employed to mount the compression spring;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmented sectional view of still another embodiment .of the invention utilizing a tension spring to introduce the desired bias on the hook member;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmented sectional view generally similar to FIGURE 9 illustrating an alternate arrangement for mounting the tension spring;

FIGURE 11 illustrates another form of hook member and compression spring mounting;

FIGURE 12 illustrates an alternate construction wherein the hook spring comprises a blade spring welded at one end to the upper inside surface of the fixture base;

FIGURE 13 is a vertical sectional view of still another embodiment of the invention wherein the catch means for the two offsets of the retainer ring each comprises a blade spring riveted in one instance to the inner side wall of the fixture base, and in the other instance to the inner top wall thereof;

FIGURE 14 is a sectional view taken along lines 14-14 of FIGURE 13; and

FIGURE 15 is a fragmented sectional View generally similar to FIGURE 12 showing a still further arrangement of blade spring type hook member.

Referring now to FIGURES '1 through 5, and more particularly to FIGURE 1, a preferred embodiment of the invention is there illustrated as a ceiling light fixture comprising a base which may be in the form of a pan, canopy, or other housing 29 having a narrow depending continuous outer wall 21 which defines an entrance 22 into which the neck portion 23 of cover 24 extends. Said cover may comprise a light bowl, globe or shade of transparent or translucent material, such as glass or plastic, and have the illustrated hammer head shape. It also may be of any other desired configuration. For example, it might have a more nearly cubical, conical or frusto-conical shape.

Housing is preferably formed of sheet metal, such as aluminum, and in FIGURE 1 is shown to have an annular surface 25 which abuts with the ceiling surface C, and a frusto-conical shaped wall 26A which with circular shaped bottom wall 268 provides a recess 26 for insulation material 27 which may comprise a compressible fiberglass batt, for example. Cemented to the underside of said wall 268 is an insulating layer 28 which may have a heat reflecting exterior surface of aluminum metal. Mounted on said wall 263, by means of brackets 29, are one or more lamp sockets 30, each provided with a pair of electrical leads 31 led through eyelets 32 in wall 263 and insulation batting 27 for connection in an appropriate conduit box CB with an electrical system following approved methods. The housing 2t may be secured to the ceiling C in conventional manner as by screws (not shown).

As shown in FIGURE 1, neck 23 of lamp cover 24 extends within entrance 22 of the base and has a diameter sufficiently smaller than the diameter of said entrance 22 defined by the outer wall of the housing 25 as to permit limited transverse movement of the cover therein, for reasons which will hereinafter be made clear.

There are many instances when it is necessary to remove the cover from the housing. At othcr times, as when it is necessary to replace a worn out bulb in socket 30, it would be as useful, and much more convenient, if the light globe or cover 24 could be merely unlatched and portion 23 thereof swung out of its position in entrance 22, but without completely disconnecting the cover 24 from the housing 29.

To accomplish this, the outer end of neck 23 of the cover 24 is flanged outwardly as at 33 to provide an encircling groove 34 in which is located a retainer ring 35. As illustrated in FIGURE 5, said retainer ring 35 is shaped to provide a pair of diametrically opposite generally U-shaped offset portions 36 and 37 and terminates in opposed ends 38, 39. These ends 38, 39 are bent back and are joined by coil spring 40, which resiliently holds the ring in place about the neck of the cover 24. Although a construction of retainer ring, such as is illustrated, for example, by FIGURE 6, which does not employ a connecting coil spring, may be substituted therefor, the retainer ring illustrated by FIGURE 5 is to be preferred. It is easier to assemble within the groove 34 about the neck of the globe 24 because of the wider separation of its ends 38, 39. Also, the resilience of the spring 4% allows the ring to give more easily and wherefor the ring will more readily accommodate slight variations in the diameter and/or shape of the neck.

The two offset portions 36 and 37 of the ring constitute means to be engaged by suitably located catch means provided on the base of the fixture, and which will be now described.

Referring again to FIGURES 1 and 5, offset portion 36 is provided with a horizontally disposed U-shaped projecting part 41 which engages in a first catch means comprising a suitably located slot 42 provided in wall 21 of the base while offset portion 37 of the retainer ring 35, also of generally U-shape, has a bight portion 43 acting as a pintle in the grasp of the hooked end 44 of a member 45 comprising a second catch means so that the cover 24- may be held in its illustrated closed position over entrance 22 or swung to an open position by withdrawing part 41 of offset portion 36 from slot 42. In said latter position the grasp of said hooked end 44 of catch member about bight 43 serves to retain the cover in suspended relation to base 20. To create a smooth hinging action, in said swinging of the cover to an open position, bight portion 43 of offset portion 37 is desirably disposed approximately normal to the diameter of the circular shaped retainer ring 35, or more correctly, normal to extensions of said diameter which bisect the two offsets 36 and 37. It should also be disposed in a horizontal position when considering the normal position in which said fixture is mounted to a ceiling.

Catch member 45 preferably comprises a strip of shaperetaining resilient sheet metal folded to the illustrated generally U-shape so as to have a forward leg 46, a rearwardly inclined leg 47 and an intermediate section 48, the lower end of said forward leg 46 being bent forwardly and upwardly so as to constitute the mentioned hook 44 in which the bight 43 of the U-shaped ofiset portion 37 is hingedly disposed. The intermediate portion 48 of said hooksupporting member 45 extends over a bridging portion 49 of bracket 50 secured to the underside of annular wall 25 as by rivets 50A. Portion 49 serves as a fulcrum support for member 45 about which it may pivot or rock within the limits permitted by the angled relation of forward leg 46 and intermediate section 48 of said member 45.

Wall 21 of the base has a cutout 52 located and sized to allow the hook shaped lower end 44 of member 45 and the bight 43 of oflset 37 when seated therein to pass therethrough in the forwarding rocking of member 45. However, tensioning means in the form of a coil spring 53 are provided to counteract said rocking and to stabilize member 45 in a position as illustrated where its upturned end or lip 44A will lie in the cutout 52, that is substantially in the plane of wall 21.

Although any suitable means may be relied upon for operatively mounting compression spring 53 to member 45 for said stabilizing purpose, FIGURES 1-4 show a preferred arrangement. In this preferred construction, coil spring 53 is located to engage the upper side of a less vertically inclined portion 54 of wall 26A and has an integral outer extension 55 which extends axially through the coil 53 and terminates in a looped end 56 which extends through slot 57 in wall portion 54 and is caught about a projection 58 formed by U-shaped cutout 59 provided in the angled end portion 51 of the rear leg 47 of said catch member 45. It will be appreciated that in this construction, spring 53 is placed under sufficient compression to hold end portion 51 of member 45 against the undersurface 54A of portion 54 of wall 26A. Preferably, however, inclination of end portion 51 is so related to the disposition of intermediate section 48 that portion 51 will engage surface 54A when section 48 of member 45 engages the underside 25A of wall 25. Consequently, spring 53 need only be under sufficient compression as to restrain member 45 against rocking in a direction outwardly from the stable position obtained by said dual engagement on undersurfaces 25A and 54A, and which may be obtained without placing any substantial amount of strain on member 45 itself.

As aforementioned, projection portion 41 of offset 36 engages in opening 42 and is held therein by the action of spring 53 on rockable catch member 45 which tends to counteract any tendency for said projection to slide out of its position of rest in said opening. Oifset portion 36 also includes outwardly and horizontally extending leg portions 60 (see FIGURES 1 and 5) which join angled portions 61 and serve to locate said cover 24 in a desired horizontal or enclosing position as illustrated by FIGURE 1 when the essentially U-shaped projection 41 is in alignment with opening 42 in wall 21.

To permit a snap closure of cover 24 into said hori zontal closed position, a portion 62 of wall 21 beneath opening 42 therein is outwardly flared to provide an inclined surface on which the bight portion 63 of the U-shaped projection 41 will ride as cover 24 is swung upwardly about the hinged connection of the bight 43 of offset 37 in the hooked end member 45. This surface eifectively acts on bight 63 of projection 41 forcing cover 24 bodily in a direction to the right of FIGURE 1 against the restraining action of compression spring 53 and forcing the hooked end 44 of member 45 and the bight 43 of outset 37 outwardly through cutout 52. Once projection 41 is thus guided by surface 62 into alignment with slot 42, the force on compression spring 53 is released so that the aforesaid bodily movement of the cover 24 is reversed and the newly created force of spring 53 will move the projection 41 into the slot thereby latching the cover 24 and holding it in a position enclosing the opening 22 in the base of the lighting fixture.

To disengage the globe or cover 24 from base 20, as for example to replace a bulb in socket 30, one merely has to firmly grasp cover 24 and bodily move it transversely of the opening 22 toward the hinge member 45 with a force suflicient to overcome the biasing action of compression spring 53 and a distance sufficient to allow projection 41 to free itself from slot 42 whereupon the cover 24 can be rotated downwardly about its hinged connection with member 45. On release of said force, compression spring 53 acts to automatically return the hinge member 45 to its stable position where lip 44A lies within cutout 52. In this position of lip 44A, offset 37 cannot be 6 accidentally separated from member 45 even though its bight 43 is accidentally raised out of the hook 44 which partialy encircles it. However, if for any reason it is desired to completely detach cover 24 from base 20,- this may be easily accomplished by pushing on the handle-like extension 64 of portion 52 of hinge member 53 with a force suflicient to overcome the biasing action of compression spring 53 and to rock member 45 to its forward position where its hooked end 44 will be moved through cutout 52. While continuing to hold member 45 in this position, cover 24 may be raised vertically a distance sufficient to lift the bight portion 43 out of the hook end 44 of member 45, now outside base 20 and so as to completely free the cover from its grasp.

Other means of mounting the coil spring and other types of tensioning arrangements may also be employed within the spirit of the broader aspects of the invention to obtain the desired stabilizing effect on catch member 45. Thus an alternative construction is illustrated by FIG- URES 7 and 8 wherein a catch member generally similar to member 45 in the preferred embodiment according to FIGURES 14 comprises a firstleg 146 and a rear leg 147, the first leg having its lower end shaped as a hook 144 to receive bight 43 of offset 37 and terminates in an upturned end or lip 144A which is maintained'in cutout 52 of the housing wall 21 in the stabilized normal position of member 145. However, in this alternate construction, legs 146, 147 of the rock member 145 are sharply angled at 148 so the rearward rocking of member 145 about portion 49 of supporting bracket 50 is limited by the engagement of angled portion 151 of said rear leg 147 against the underside of inclined wall 26A of recess 26 on the upper side of the housing 20. It will, however, be noted that angle portion 148 of member 145 is located similarly to intermediate section 48 with respect to the intersection of walls 25 and 2 1 of the housing so that the pivot axis of member 145 is essentially in the corner defined by said walls of the housing 20. C-oil spring 153 similarly engages about slot 57 in wall 26A. Although inclined wall 26A is not shown in FIGURE 7 as including a portion 54, the fiat surface 54A provided by portion 54 is preferred as a limit or stop to the current shape of wall 26A and may therefore be included, if desired. Spring 153 in this embodiment of the invention is connected to portion 151 of rock member 145 and held. under compressive force against the surface area of wall 26A about slot 57 by a U-connection member 155 having a bight 156 which engages about projection 158 in cutout '159 provided in said portion "151 of leg 147. Arms 156a of said connection member 155 extend upwardly through slot 57 and axially through coil spring 153 and its ends 157 are turned back over the outer end of said spring so as to confine the spring in compressed relation against inclined Wall 26A and so that it will have a similarly stabilizing effect on rock member 145 as does spring 53 on member 45 in the first described embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 7 further shows a slightly modified form or retainer ring from that illustrated by FIGURE-S l and 5. This modified form is particularly adapted to accommodate a globe or cover 124 having a relatively wider groove 134 about its fianged neck 123. To prevent relative movement of the retainer ring 35 within said wider groove 134, the two legs of U-shaped oifset 37 have been lengthened and reshaped to include vertical portions 65 and angled portions 66 which provide engagement with both the upper and lower sides of groove 134. In a similar way portions 65 of offset 36 have been lengthened and modified to comprise downwardly directed portions 67 which abut the lower side of groove 134 and vertical portions 68 which engage the upper side of said groove. It will be apparent that vertical portions 68 and 65 of the two offsets serve not only to limit sliding movement of retainer ring 35 in groove 134 but also toproperly locate projection 41 of offset 36 and bight 43 of offset 37 in '7 proper relation to the respective catch means provided therefor by base 20.

Referring next to FIGURE 10, instead of relying on compression springs to stabilize the rocking catch members and 145 the desired biasing action on the rear leg of the catch member may be obtained by using a tension spring indicated at 253 having hook shaped ends, 255 and 256, one hook shaped end 256 extending through slot 57 in wall 26A of housing 29 so as to catch about the mentioned projection 158 in cutout 159 of rear leg 151 and its other hook-shaped end 255 being caught about the edge of an opening 270 provided in wall 263.

In the modification according to FIGURE 10, rearward rocking of member 145 is limited by engagement of portion 151 of its leg 147 against wall 26A. However, if a form of rock member as shown at 45 in FIGURE 1 is employed, the backward pivoting of member 45 may be limited by engagement of its intermediate section 48 with surface 25A of annular wall 25, so that the function of inclined wall 26A as a stop may be eliminated. In this event, it is possible, as indicated in FIGURE 9, to locate wall 26A further inwardly of the base toward its center and to give said wall a vertical inclination if that is desired. With wall 26A thus displaced, the outer hook-shaped end of coil spring 253 can be connected to portion 225 of annular wall 25 by catching it about portion 271 formed therein by suitably not-ching said wall as at 272 and 273. It will be appreciated, however, that portion 225 of said wall 25 is preferably angled as indicated to provide clearance for the hook end 255 of said spring 253 since in the usual mounting of the fixture annular wall 25 serves to abut the ceiling surface. The advantage obtained by his modification, is that coil spring 253 may be so inclined that its tensioning action on the rear leg 51 of the rock member will be directed at essentially the same angle as is the action of the coil springs in the embodiments of FIGURES 1 and 7 and which has been found to provide the most satisfactory stabilizing efiect on the cover mounting.

FIGURES 11 and 12 show still further possible modifications of the catch member having hook means in which the bight of offset 37 is hingedly supported. Thus in these two figures, said catch member comprises an essentially L-shaped member 245 having its longer leg 246 provided with a lower hook shaped end 244 for partially encircling the bight 43 of offset 37 of the retainer ring and having its shorter leg 248 fastened to the underside of annular wall 25 of the fixture base. In the embodiment according to FIGURE 11, the threaded shank 355 of a headed bolt 356 is passed through provided openings in said wall 25 and shorter leg 248 and about said shank is located a coil spring 353 between leg 248 and a nut 357 threadedly connected to the end of said shank 355. By tightening said nut on the bolt various degrees of tension may be provided on said catch member 245. In FIGURE 12 a simpler construction is shown where the L-shaped catch member is formed of appropriate blade spring material and has its smaller leg 248 welded to the underside of housing wall 25. The two constructions, however, operate in a general fashion similar to that of the prior discussed and preferred embodiments of the invention.

It will be noted, however, that, in these embodiments, the upturned lip 244A of their book end 244 does not lie exactly in the plane of the housing outer wall 21 but said hook end 244 may protrude slightly through cutout 52. However, the separation of lip 244A from wall 21 is insuflicient that bight 43 of the retainer ring offset 37 can he accidentally dislodged therefrom. Bight 43, however, can be easily separated from the grasp of said hook end 244 of the catch member by first moving the cover to the right sufliciently to increase the separation of lip 244A from said wall that the bight may be lifted out and over said lip.

Still another modification of the invention is illustrated by FIGURES 13 and 14. In this embodiment, a retainer ring such as shown in FIGURE 6 is resiliently secured in groove 34 formed by flange 33 about neck 23 of cover 24. As shown in FIGURE 13, the base 20 of the fixture has a pair of catch means indicated generally at 81 and 82. Catch means 82 comprises a blade spring having its upper end riveted by means 83 to wall 21 of said base 20 and having its lower end divided into a pair of spaced fingers or bifurcations 84 which extend outwardly through provided cutouts 85 and each finger having an upturned end 86. As seen best in FIGURE 6, retainer ring 80 has portions 87, turned outwardly in diverging spaced relation and terminating in axially related ends 38 which in FIG- URES 13 and 14 are cradled in the hook shaped fingers or bifurcations 84 of catch member 82. Said outwardly directed ends 38 thus constitute pintle forming means and correspond to the bight 43 of the offset 37 of the retainer ring of FIGURE 5. Diametrically opposite thereto, retainer ring 80 is formed with a inclined U-shapcd offset 89 corresponding to offset 36 of retainer ring 35 and whose bight 90 is adapted to rest on shoulder forming portion 91 of catch means 81. Said catch means also comprises a blade spring member but which has an upper angled end 92 riveted to annular wall 25 as by means 93. Blade spring member 81 is desirably tensioned toward catch means 82 in order to hold bight 90 of offset 89 on its shoulder forming portion 91 and has a portion curving downwardly and outwardly therefrom through cutout 94 to provide a handle by which catch member 81 may be operated to unlatch projection 89 from shoulder 91 allowing the cover to swing down about its hinged connection with catch member 82. It will be readily appreciated that when in said suspended relation, the cover may also be separated from catch means 82 by bodily raising the cover sufficiently to lift bight 41 out from the confines of the hook-shaped bifurcations 84 and over their lip 84A. It will be, however, also recognized that this can be accomplished only when portions 87 of the retainer ring have cleared cutouts 85 and the cover is disposed in its open or essentially vertical position.

If desired, catch member 82 may be replaced by a member indicated at 95 in FIGURE 15 having its angled upper end riveted to wall 25 as by means 97 and having its bifurcated lower end divided as before into a pair of bifurcations or fingers 98 passing through suitable supplied cutouts 85 each terminating in an outwardly located upturned end 99. Each of these ends 99 is cupped inwardly to have a portion 106 which cooperates with an outwardly struck portion 101 of wall 21 to provide a restricted exit through which the pintle forming ends 88 of ring 80 can escape only by a simultaneous movement of cover 24 to the right of FIGURE 15 sufficient to overcome the tension of spring member 96 and widen the Space between portions 100 and 101 to at least the diameter of said ends.

From the above description, it will be recognized that all of the objects, features and advantages of the invention can be obtained in a convenient simple, practical, economical manner. Furthermore, the invention is capable of taking many forms, several examples of which have been illustrated by the drawings and described above but which examples are not intended to limit the invention but only illustrative thereof, the metes and bounds of the invention being defined by the appended claims when considered in the light of the prior art.

Now having described the invention, I claim:

1. A ceiling light fixture comprising a base having lamp connection means on its underside and a surrounding outer Wall defining an entrance to said lamp connection means, and a cover enclosing said entrance, said cover having a portion extending into said entrance provided with a pair of oppositely located, peripherally dis- 9 r posed offsets, one of said ofisets comprising an outwardly directed projection, the other oifset including pintle means normally disposed to said projection, said base having an opening in its outer wall, said projection seating in said opening and a member pivotally mounted on the inside of the base intermediate its end and having an outwardly directed hook on one end, the pintle means of the other offset seating in said hook, a cutout in the outer wall of the base aligned with said hook, the hook having its upturned end in said cutout and said cutout being dimensioned to permit the hook and pintle means to be passed therethrough, and tensioning means acting on the other end of said member to hold the projection of the first offset in the provided wall opening and the upturned end of the hook of the first end of the pivotally mounted member in the cutout, said cover being bodily movable transversely of the axis of the base against the action of said tensioning means to retract the projection from the opening in the wall which catches it in order to permit the cover to be swung into an open position while the pintle of its other offset remains caught in the hook of the pivotally mounted member, said member including a handle by which it may be rocked to temporarily urge its hook outwardly through the cutout against the action of the tensioning means sutficient to allow the pintle to be separated from the hook end of said member by bodily raising of the cover to permit its complete detachment from the base.

2. A ceiling light fixture comprising a base having lamp connection means on its underside and a surrounding outer wall defining an entrance to said lamp connection means, and a cover enclosing said entrance, said cover having a portion extending into said entrance provided with a pair of oppositely located, peripherally disposed offsets, one of said offsets comprising an outwardly directed projection, the other ofiset including a pintle normally disposed to said projection, said base wall having an opening therein comprising a first-catch means receiving said projection and a second catch means comprising a member bent on itself and having its intermediate section pivotally mounted to the inside of the base, one

end of said member comprising an outwardly directed hook carrying the pintle of the other offset, the outer wall of the base having a cutout aligned with said hook through which the hook and pintle carried thereby can pass, tensioning means acting on said member adjacent its other end so as to resiliently restrain the hook against movement through said cutout and whereby to retain the projection on the other side of the cover on the first catch means, said cover being bodily movable in a direction transversely of the axis of the base against the action of said tensioning means to retract the projection from the first catch means whereby to permit the cover to swing into an open position while the pintle of its other offset remains caught in the hook of the pivotally mounted member, said pintle being separable from the hook by moving the hook through the cutout and bodily raising of the cover whereby to permit complete detachment of the cover from the base.

3., A ceiling light fixture comprising a base having'lamp connection means on its underside and a surrounding outer wall defining an entrance to said lamp connection means, and a cover enclosing said entrance, said cover having a portion extending into said entrance provided with a pair of oppositely located, peripherally disposed ofisets, one of said offsets comprising an outwardly directed projection, the other oifset including pintle-forming means normally disposed to said projection, said base having a pair of catch means, one comprising a rest accessible from the inside of the wall which receives said projection and the other comprising a blade spring member fixed at one end to the inside of the base and having its other end in the form of an outwardly directed hook having an upwardly turned end partially encircling the pintle-forming means of the other offset, the outer wall of the base having a cutout through which the hook end extends, said blade spring member being tensioned to hold the projection on said first catch means when the pintle forming means is its grasp whereby to hold the cover in its enclosing position, said cover being bodily movable transversely of the base against the tension of said blade spring whereby to retract the projection of the first offset from its position on the first catch means and permit the cover to swing into an open position while caught in the hook end of the blade spring member, said cover being completely detachable from the base by bodily raising of it to lift the pintle-forming means out of the grasp of said hook end of the second catch means.

4. A ceiling light fixture comprising a base having lamp connection means on its underside and a surrounding outer wall defining an entrance to said lamp connection means, and a cover enclosing said entrance, said cover having 'a portion extending into said entrance provided with a pair of oppositely located, peripherally disposed ofisets, one of said offsets comprising an outwardly directed projection, the other offset including pintle-forming means normally disposed to each projection, said base having a pair of catch means mounted inside said entrance, each comprising a blade spring member fixed at one end to the inside of the base, one having a rest portion on which the projection is engaged and the other having an outwardly directed hook partially encircling the pintle-forming means of the other oifset, the outer wall of the base having a first cutout through which the hook end extends, said first blade spring member being tensioned to hold the projection on said first catch means when the pintleforming means is its grasp whereby to hold the cover in its enclosing position, said outer wall of the base having a second cutout opposite the first cutout and said first blade spring member further having an actuable portion extending through said second cutout by which the first blade spring member is actuable to disengage the projection of the first offset from its position on the first catch means in order to permit the cover to be swung into an open position with respect to the base while caught in the hook end of the blade spring member, said cover being completely detachable from the base by bodily raising of it to lift the pintle-forming means out of said hook end of the second catch means.

5. In a ceiling light fixture embodying a base and a cover therefor having a flanged neck, said base having a pair of oppositely located catch means one of which has an essentially hook shaped end, a circular-shaped retainer ring seating about the neck of said cover, said ring having a pair of diametrically opposed essentially U-shaped offset portions, one for engagement with each said catch means, the bight portion of at least one of said offset portions being disposed approximately perpendicular to a diameter of the ring extensions of which diameter approximately bisect said two offset portions, said bight portion removably seating in the hook-shaped end of said one catch means, and a coil spring joining the ends of the retainer ring.

6. A ceiling light fixture comprising a base, lamp socket means on the underside of said base, the base having a depending continuous wall about'said socket means defining an entrance to its underside, a lamp enclosing cover having a neck of reduced cross section protruding into said entrance about said lamp socket means and in spaced relation with the depending wall of said base, the lower edge of said depending Wall contacting the cover about said neck, said neck having a pair of peripherally disposed offsets on opposite sides thereof, said base having a first catch means forming a shoulder accessible from the inner side of said base on which one of said offsets rests, said depending wall having a cutout in its lower edge opposite said first catch means, and said base having a second catch means constituting a member mounted on the inside of said base above said cutout and including a depending portion terminating in an 1 l upturned hook and aligned with and movable through said cutout, the other offset being received in said upturned hook end, one of said catch means being resiliently tensioned toward the other catch means so as to retain the first offset on the shoulder formed by the first catch means.

7. A ceiling light fixture comprising a base, lamp socket means on the underside of said base, the base having a depending continuous wall about said socket means defining an entrance to its underside, a lamp enclos ng cover having a neck of reduced cross section protruding into said entrance about said lamp socket means and in spaced relation with the wall contacting the cover about said neck, said neck having a pair of peripherally d15- posed offsets on opposite sides thereof, said depending wall of the base having an opening therethrough forming a shoulder accessible from the inner side of said base on which one of said offsets rests, said depending wall having a cutout in its lower edge opposite said opening, and a member mounted on the inside of said base above said cutout and including a depending portion terminating in an upturned hook end aligned with and movable through said cutout, the other offset being received in said upturned hook end, said depending portion being resiliently tensioned so that its hook end resists move ment in a direction away from the opening and toward the cutout to retain the first offset on the shoulder formed by said opening, the lamp enclosing cover being bodily movable against the resilient tension of the depending portion to withdraw its offset from the opening which permits the cover to swing about the connection of the other offset in the hook end to an open position with respect to said base.

8. A ceiling light fixture comprising a base, lamp socket means on the underside of said base, the base having a depending continuous wall about said socket means defining an entrance to its underside, a lamp enclosing cover having a neck of reduced cross section protruding into said entrance about said lamp socket means and in spaced relation with the depending wall of said base, the lower edge of said depending wall contacting the cover about said neck, said neck having a pair of peripherally disposed offsets on opposite sides thereof, the depending Wall of said base having an opening therein forming a shoulder accessible from the inner side of said base on which one of said offsets rests, said depending wall having a cutout in its lower edge opposite said opening, and a member mounted on the inside of said base above said cutout and including a depending portion terminating in an upturned hook end, aligned with and facing said cutout, the other offset being received in said upturned hook end, said depending member being resiliently tensioned to resist movement of its hook end through said cutout and to retain the first offset on the shoulder formed by the opening, the cover being movable bodily transversely of the axis of the base against said tension to move the hook end through the cutout and slide the first offset off the shoulder formed by the opening which receives it, whereby the cover is free to swing by the connection of its other offset in the hook end of the depending member to an open position, and the other offset of the cover being separable from the hook end of the depending member by moving the hook end through the cutout and thereafter bodily raising the cover which permits complete detachment of the cover from the base.

9. A ceiling light fixture comprising a base, lamp socket means on the underside of said base, the base having a depending continuous wall about said socket means defining an entrance to its underside, a lamp enclosing cover having a neck protruding into said entrance about said lamp socket means and in spaced relation with the depending wall of said base, said neck having a pair of peripherally disposed offsets on opposite sides thereof, the depending wall of said base having an opening therein forming a shoulder accessible from the inner side of said base on which one of said offsets rests, said depending wall having a cutout in its lower edge opposite said opening, and a member rockably mounted on the inside of said base above said cutout and including a depending portion terminating in an upturned hook end aligned with said cutout, the other offset being received in said upturned hook end, said depending member being resiliently tensioned to resist movement of its hook end through said cutout and to retain the first offset on the shoulder formed by the opening, the cover being movable bodily transversely of the axis of the base against the tension of said rockable member to permit moving of the hook end through the cutout and sliding the first offset off the shoulder formed by the opening which receives it, whereby the cover is free to swing by the connection of its other offset in the hook end of the depending member to an open position, and the other offset of the cover being separable from the hook end of the depending member by moving it and the hook end in which it is caught out through the cutout and thereafter bodily raising the cover which permits complete detachment of the cover from the base.

10. A ceiling light fixture comprising a base having an entrance on its underside, a cover enclosing said entrance which includes a neck portion of smaller cross section than said entrance and extending therethrough into the interior of the base, said neck portion having a pair of peripherally-disposed, oppositely-located offsets projecting outwardly therefrom in fixed relation to each other and to said neck portion, one of said offsets constituting horizontal pintle means, a catch member mounted within and connected :to said base including a relatively long shank depending from its connection with the base and having a relatively shorter lower end upturned and partially encircling said pintle means leaving a space therebetween and the shank which is of a greater width than the diameter of the pintle means, said pintle means being rotatably caught by said upturned end, said base having further means opposite said catch member forming a horizontal shoulder accessible from the inside of the base on which the other offset rests, said catch member being biased to resist sliding of the other offset from said shoulder, and said cover being bodily movable in a generally horizontal direction against said bias of the catch member to move the other offset off the shoulder and permit the cover 'to swing down out of the entrance to said base with its pintle means caught in the upturned end of the catch member, the upturned end of the catch member being shorter than the shank of the catch member allowing the pintle means to be raised through said space between the upturned end and shank of the catch member by bodily raising the cover in a ventical direction and thereby complete separation of the cover from the base.

11. -A ceiling light fixture comprising a base having lamp socket means on its underside and a surrounding depending wall defining an entrance thereto, a cover onclosing said underside, said cover having a neck of reduced cross-section smaller than and extending within said entrance provided with a pair of oppositely located, peripherally disposed offset portions projecting outwardly therefrom in fixed relation to each other and to said neck, and said base having a catch member comprising a relatively long shank connected to said base and depending from its connection along the inner side of said depending wall and provided with a hooked end with an upwardly disposed open mouth for catching one of the said offset portions, said depending wall having means opposite said catch member forming a shoulder accessible from the inner side of said base, on which the second offset portion is slidably received, said catch memher being resiliently related so as to maintain said second offset portion on the shoulder to retain the cover 'as- 'sembled with the base, said second offset portion being disengageable from said shoulder by obtaining relative horizontal movement between said catch member and cover in a direction normal to the axis of the base which allows the second ofliset to slide off the shoulder and [thereby the cover to swing downwardly into an open position with the first ofiset caught by the hook end of the catch member, and said first offset portion being thereafter raisable through said open mouth of said hook end of the catch member by bodily raising of the cover in a direction normal to said mentioned transverse movement to permit complete detachment of the cover from the base.

12. A ceiling light fixture comprising a base having lamp socket means on its underside and a cover enclosing said underside about said lamp socket means, said cover having a pair of oppositely located peripherally disposed offset portions, and said base having first and second catch means, the first 'catch means comprising a U-shaped member mounted on the underside of the base for rocking movement about its bight, said U-shaped member having a pair of integrally related legs, one of which depends along the inner side of the base and terminates in an upturned hook end partially encircling one of the offset portions on which it is rotatably caught thereby, the second catch means forming a shoulder accessible from the inner side of the base on which the other ofiset portion rests, and tensioning means cooperating with the second leg of the first catch means to stabilize said first catch means against rocking and so as to hold the other ofiset portion on said shoulder and thereby the cover in its enclosing position, said cover being adapted for bodily movement in a direction normal to the axis of the base and toward the first catch means against the action of said tensioning means sufficiently to move the second ofiset portion off the shoulder which allows the cover to swing downwardly into an open po- 14 sition while still supported by the first catch means, and

said first oiiset portion being adapted for disengagement from the first catch means by bodily raising of the cover in a direction normal to said mentioned transverse movement to permit complete detachment of the cover from the base.

13. A lighting fixture comprising a housing having an entrance and a removable cover therefor, said cover having a portion which extends within said entrance, a retainer ring secured about said portion having first and second oifsets, said housing havin an opening comprising a rest on which one of said offsets seats, and a member mounted within said housing opposite said opening which is rockable about an axis intermediate its ends, one end thereof comprising a hook which partially encircles the other ofiset, and tension-inducing means acting on the other end of said member to exert a resilient force which resists rocking of said member and thereby movement of the first offset out of said opening, said cover being bodily movable against said three to withdraw the first offset from said opening and allow the cover to be swung about said hook end to permit access through the entrance of the housing without detaching the cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 648,556 Everhart May 1, 1900 1,602,222 Godley Oct. 5, 1926 1,689,832 Johnston Oct. 30, 192.8 2,861,711 Schneider Nov. 25, 1958 2,951,611 Tilson et al. Sept. 6, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 714,940 Germany Dec. 10, 1941

Claims (1)

10. A CEILING LIGHT FIXTURE COMPRISING A BASE HAVING AN ENTRANCE ON ITS UNDERSIDE, A COVER ENCLOSING SAID ENTRANCE WHICH INCLUDES A NECK PORTION OF SMALLER CROSS SECTION THAN SAID ENTRANCE AND EXTENDING THERETHROUGH INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE BASE, SAID NECK PORTION HAVING A PAIR OF PERIPHERALLY-DISPOSED, OPPOSITELY-LOCATED OFFSETS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM IN FIXED RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND TO SAID NECK PORTION, ONE OF SAID OFFSETS CONSTITUTING HORIZONTAL PINTLE MEANS, A CATCH MEMBER MOUNTED WITHIN AND CONNECTED TO SAID BASE INCLUDING A RELATIVELY LONG SHANK DEPENDING FROM ITS CONNECTION WITH THE BASE AND HAVING A RELATIVELY SHORTER LOWER END UPTURNED AND PARTIALLY ENCIRCLING SAID PINTLE MEANS LEAVING A SPACE THEREBETWEEN AND THE SHANK WHICH IS OF A GREATER WIDTH THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE PINTLE MEANS, SAID PINTLE MEANS BEING ROTATABLY CAUGHT BY SAID UPTURNED END, SAID BASE HAVING FURTHER MEANS OPPOSITE SAID CATCH MEMBER FORMING A HORIZONTAL SHOULDER ACCESSIBLE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE BASE ON WHICH THE OTHER OFFSET RESTS, SAID CATCH MEMBER BEING BIASED TO RESIST SLIDING OF THE OTHER OFFSET FROM SAID SHOULDER, AND SAID COVER BEING BODILY MOVABLE IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION AGAINST SAID BIAS OF THE CATCH MEMBER TO MOVE

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