US3101907A

US3101907A - Ornamental illuminating device

Info

Publication number: US3101907A
Application number: US116384A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gabriel A O'reilly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-06-12
Filing date: 1961-06-12
Publication date: 1963-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1980-08-27

Description

Aug. 27, 1963 G. A. ORE ILLY ORNAMENTAL ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed June 12, 1961 INVENTOR. 61 1/30/21 A, O'QE/ZLY wwgw United States Patent M 3,101,907 ORNAMENTAL ILLUMINATING DEVICE Gabriel A. OReilly, 3204 NW. 24th St., Oklahoma City, Okla. Filed June 12, 1961, Ser. No. 116,384 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-) This invention relates to a decorative device which, in addition to its ornamental and aesthetic properties, possesses utility as an illuminating device.

During the evening hours of the day, it is often desirable to provide illumination of various outdoor objects so that their beauty may be appreciated despite the darkness. For example, floodlighting of new buildings of attractive architecture is frequently accomplished by 10- cating a suitable source of light at ground level and directing the light emanating from such source over a substantial area of the building. In an effort to hide the unsightly flood lamp or other source of illumination from view, such lamps areoften placed in or behind shrubbery planted around the base of the building. In any event, care must be taken to shield the light source in a manner to prevent the source from being directly viewed by an observer, since such flood lamps and the like are usually quite powerful and a blinding eflect would result from failure to properly channel the light.

Another instance where outdoor illumination is frequently used during the evening is the use of flood lights, vertically supported lamps, and the like for illuminating the lawns and shrubbery around homes and residences. With the increasing popularity of cook-outs, garden parties and similar occasions, the employment of outdoor lighting around residences has also increased. In most instances of which I am aware, however, the types of lighting which have previously been used have had the disadvantage of producing direct lighting to an undesirable degree. Either the light bulb source of light itself is visible to observers, or else the glare therefrom is so intense as to discourage one from looking in the direction of the light source.

The present invention contemplates a novel lighting device which is constructed to present to a viewer on one side thereof an interesting and highly decorative figurine or efligy while simultaneously providing illumination of objects on the other side thereof. The device may thus be used to illuminate shrubbery, buildings or other objects without the need to place the device in an obscure or hidden location. In fact, the ornamental effect which may be obtained in displaying the novel decorative figurine is in itself such that even when the illumination of a particular object is not a particularly important consideration, the utility of the device for ornamentation and decoration alone makes its employment desirable.

In the construction of the invention, the decorative figurine or efligy consists of two portions-a first plate constructed of a translucent, yet light-reflective material, and a larger plate which is located in spaced, parallel position with respect to the first plate. The second plate is provided with an aperture which is aligned with the first plate so that light from a source positioned on the opposite side of the second plate from the first plate may pass through the aperture, illuminate the first plate, and be reflected from the first plate back onto the second plate. By properly shielding the light source, illumination of the second plate may be limited to illumination by reflected light whereas the light rays emanating away from the light source in a direction normal to the second plate may be used to illuminate adjacent objects such as buildings, shrubbery, walkways, etc.

I have found that novel and highly ornamental effects can be obtained when a composite figurine or efligy comprised of the two spaced, parallel plates is illuminated 3,101,907 Patented Aug. 27, 1963 in the manner described. For example, let it be assumed that the device is to be formed as a sunflower. The smaller first plate can be made circular in form (as a flat disc) and the desired translucent and reflective properties may be obtained by using a suitable colored plastic material of construction, such as plexiglass. In the case of the sunflower design, the circular first plate is to represent the stamen and pistil central portion of the sunflower and will thus be colored brown or black. The larger second plate will be generally circular in configuration and will be scalloped around its outer edge to represent the petals of the sun-flower. Of course, the second plate will be yellow and may also be constructed of a colored plastic.

The novelty of appearance of figurines constructed in the described manner resides in a three-dimensional elfect which is obtained by virtue of the soft, even, reflective illumination of the second plate. Thus, in the sunflower embodiment, the dark central portion of the flower seems to stand out and the petals surrounding the central portion are illuminated with a soft, reflected light which is distributed evenly thereover. When the sunflower device is placed adjacent shrubbery and between the shrubbery and an observer, the view of the sunflower against the background of the softly illuminated shrubbery is particularly striking and highly ornamental. It will readily be understood, of course, that with a very slight alteration in the type of light source used, the same design may be placed in the flower bed at the foot of a building and the architectural features of the building clearly illuminated by a light which is shielded from direct view by the interposed sunflower figurine. Moreover, any number of designs of figurines and efiigies may be conceived which will utilize to good advantage the three-dimensional, reflective lighting obtained.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a major \object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental figurine or elfigy which functions dually as an illuminating device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a decorative figurine which creates a three-dimensional impression in those viewing the figurine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a source of illumination which is characterized in having the light source shielded in an aesthetic manner from the sight of one viewing the object illuminated.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following disclosure in conjunction with a perusal of the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a View in elevation of a preferred embodiment of the ornamental illuminating device of the present invention as it appears to an observer of the object illuminated.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the ornamental illuminating device shown in FIG. 1 and illustrating the manner in which the device may be used to illuminate shnubbery.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and particularly to FIG. 1, a first plate 10 which is constructed of a translucent but yet light-reflective material, such as colored plastic, is disposed closest to the observer of the object to be illuminated. A second plate 12 which is of substantially larger area than the first plate 10 is extended parallel to the first plate and is spaced therefnom by suitable spacing means 14. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the spacing means 14 comprises a plurality of internally threaded sleeves 16 which are constructed of the same plastic material as the plate 10 and secured 3 at spaced intervals to the back of the plate 10. Threaded bolts 18 are passed through the second plate 12 and are threaded into the sleeves 16, and suitable nuts 20 are used to retain the plates 10 and 12 in their assembled relation as illustrated in FIG. 2.

In order to permit light to pass through the second plate 12 and impinge upon the first plate 10, the second plate is apertured as indicated by reference character 22. The aperture 22 is located directly opposite the first plate 10 and is of smaller areal size than the first plate so that the aperture will ordinarily be obscured from the vision of an observer 24 standing some distance from the device as shown in FIG. 3.

A send-cylindrical or generally U-shaped light shield 26 which is constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material is positioned around the aperture 22 on the opposite side of the second plate 12 from the first plate 10. The light shield 26 is attached to second plate 12 by any suitable means, such as by the use of the bolts 18 as shown in FIG. 2. A tubular metallic sleeve member 28 is bolted to the same side of the second plate 12 as the light shield 26 by bolts 30 and extends vertically downward from the lower edge of the second plate. A resilient clip or bracket 32 is placed through aligned apertures in the top of the sleeve member '28 and projects outwardly from the second plate 12 in a direction normal thereto. The clip 32 is generalily circular in configuration so that a light bulb socket 34 may be resiliently retained therein. It will also be noted that the lower edge of the shield 26 is positioned closely adjacent the clip 32 so that a light bulb 36 carried by the socket 34 is shielded to prevent direct illumination of the second plate 12 although light is permitted to pass outwardly from the light bulb in a direction substantially normal to the second plate.

In use, the ornamental lighting device of the invention is positioned adjacent an object to be illuminated, such as shrubbery 38 with the front plate 10 facing an observer 24 and the open end of the light shield 26 toward the shnubbe-ry. A rod 40 is pushed into the ground 42 in a substantially vertical position and the sleeve 28 is telescoped over the upper end of the rod until the end of the rod abuts the lowermost bolt 30.

With the ornamental illuminating device so positioned, observers who are passing by the shrubbery 38 or other illuminated object do not directly view the source of light, such as the light bulb 36, but instead, observe only the novel ornamental efiigy or figurine composed of the first and second plates 10 and 12. The figurine or effigy is illuminated in such a way that a three dimensional effect is obtained adding considerable realism to the effigy. At the same time, the object behind the ornamental illuminating device is adequately illuminated to fully reveal its aesthetic properties.

I attribute the novel three dimensional effect obtained with my invention in large part to the illumination of the second or back plate 12 solely with reflected light as opposed to the illumination of the front plate 10 with direct light. The combination in the present invention of the novel ornamentally lighted figurine with the object illuminating feature of the device has proven to be especially attractive for use in illuminating garden walks and lawns during outdoor outings.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arnangement of the components Without a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

An ornamental illuminating device comprising a com.- posite ornamental efiigy including:

(a) .a first plate constructed of a translucent, lightreflective material;

(1)) a second plate of larger area than said first plate and having a centrally located aperture of smaller areal size than said first plate extending therethrough;

(c) spacer means between said first and second plates for retaining said plates in spaced, parallel relation;

(d) an elongated supporting member having first and second ends and attached to said second plate at one of said ends and sharpened to a point at its other end to facilitate supporting the effigy vertically over the ground;

(e) a resilient bracket attached to one end of said elongated member;

(1) an electric light bulb detachably engaged by said resilient bracket and positioned opposite said aperture on the opposite side of said second plate from said first plate; and

(g) a generally U-shaped light shield having open first and second ends and secured to said second plate around said centrally located aperture with the open first end of said shield aligned with said centrally located aperture in said second plate and the open second end of said light shield aligned with said open first end and said centrally located aperture, said light shield partially surrounding said light bulb and directing light from said bulb through said aperture in said second plate for preventing direct illumination of said second plate and further directing light through the open second end of said shield to directly illuminate the vicinity adjacent said device on the opposite side of said second plate from said first plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,086,534 Ives Feb. 10, 1914 2,153,395 Sadacca Apr. 4, 1939 2,296,746 Snyder et'al. Sept. 22, 1942 2,321,872 SZalla June 15, 1943 2,673,286 Moore Mar. 23, 1954