US3258239A

US3258239A - Suspended lighting fixture

Info

Publication number: US3258239A
Application number: US376892A
Authority: US
Inventors: Green Frederic Lee
Original assignee: Prescolite Manufacturing Corp
Current assignee: Prescolite Manufacturing Corp
Priority date: 1964-06-22
Filing date: 1964-06-22
Publication date: 1966-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 1983-06-28

Description

June 1966 F. L. GREEN SUSPENDED LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed June 22, 1964 INVENTOR. FEEDER/615E GREEN TO/FNEVS United States Patent colite Manufacturing Corporation, San Leandro, Calif,

a corporation of California Filed June 22, 1964, Ser. No. 376,892 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-342) This invention relates generally to lighting fixtures, and more particularly is directed to lighting fixtures of the type that are suspended from a ceiling by a flexible cable or similar mounting means.

One object of the present invention is to provide a lighting fixture of the type described that enables a ready adjustment to be made so that the fixture hangs straight regardless of any unbalance or irregularity in the fixtures center of gravity.

Another object of the invention is to provide mounting means for a lighting fixture which is readily adjustable to accommodate diffuser globes of varying dimensions, in addition to providing the aforementioned balance adjustment.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a lighting fixture embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional side elevation view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view taken along the line 3-3 as shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view similar to FIGURE 1 depicting a modified form of the invention.

Suspended lighting fixtures often include a flexible cable 11 or the like depending from a mounting plate 12 secured to a ceiling 13 as depicted in FIGURE 2. A light source such as an incandescent bulb 14 may be mounted on the lower end of the cable 11 by means of a socket 16 or the like which couples electrically to the cable 11 and is also structurally mounted thereon. The present invention relates to novel and improved means for mounting a diffuser globe 17 or the like on a lighting fixture for disposition generally surrounding the bulb 14.

It has ben found in practice that lighting fixtures secured to a depending flexible cable often tend to hang somewhat crookedly, because of irregularities in the position of the fixtures center of gravity. More specifically, slight irregularities in the weight distribution in the socket 16, bulb 14, or in the globe 17 itself, may have the effect of placing the combined center of gravity of the fixture at some position spaced from the central axis thereof. As a result, since the fixture is supported on a flexible cable and the center of gravity of the fixture will be disposed exactly vertically in line with the point of support of the cable 11, the fixture is positioned at a tilt. To overcome the foregoing problem, I have provided an adjustable support assembly 18 which includes a mounting member 19 adapted for mounting on a suspended lighting fixture, support means 21 mounted on the member 19 and having two opposed supporting

surfaces

22 and 23 disposed respectively on opposite sides of the member 19 in generally horizontally spaced relation therewith, and means for adjusting the horizontal spacing between the supporting

surfaces

22 and 23 and the member 19.

As shown in the drawing, the mounting member 19 3,258,239 Patented June 28, 1966 preferably includes a pair of

opposed clamp members

24 and 26 having registering holes 27 therein to enable the clamp members to have the flexible cable 11 pass therethrough with the clamp members resting on the socket 16.

As shown in FIGURES 1-3, the support means 21 includes a pair of parallel spaced

elongated members

28 and 29 passing between the clamp members, and each having a pair of downwardly bent generally vertical stop portions 31 from which extend horizontal members 32 which define the aforesaid supporting surfaces. A pair of connecting members 33 are rigidly secured between adjacent members 32 to form said support means 21 into a substantially unitary member. Means such as the illustrated pair of screws 34 are provided for selectively clamping the

clamp members

24 and 26 together to secure the support meas 21 rigidly in relation thereto.

The

clamp members

24 and 26 are each seen to have respectively a

flange portion

38 and 39, each of which are provided with guide slots 41 through which the

elongated members

28 and 29 pass, thereby preventing transverse movement of the elongated members between the two clamp members.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, the globe 17 has an annular shoulder 36 which is adapted to be supported on the four members 32. The vertical portions 31 closely engage the vertical side wall 37 which forms the neck of the globe 17, as best depicted in FIGURE 1. It is noted that removal of the globe 17 is readily accomplished by removing the bulb 14 from the socket 16, and then raising the globe out of engagement with the support assembly 18. The assembly 18 can then be moved into a generally vertical position by bending the flexible cable 11, after which the assembly 18 can then be moved longitudinally out of the neck of the globe 17. The globe is mounted by a reversal of this procedure.

When the globe 17 is mounted in position on the support assembly 18, any unbalance in the way the globe hangs can be readily compensated for by adjustment of the support means 21. More particularly, the clamp members can be loosened and the means 21 moved slightly from one side to the other as is necessary to enable the globe to hang properly. After the proper adjustment is provided, the clamp members are tightened together.

An important feature of the present invention relates to means for adjusting the assembly 18 so as to enable accommodation of diffuser globes of varying dimensions. In particular, and referring now to FIGURE 4, there is shown a support assembly 18a which includes

clamp members

24a and 26a similar to those already described. A pair of separate support members 42 and 43 are independently secured between the clamp members, each having respectively a pair of

elongated members

44 and 46 independently movable between the clamp members. Consequently, the horizontal spacing of the supporting surfaces of the respective members 42 and 43 can be adjusted independently of one another, whereby the support assembly 18a can be readily adjusted to accommodate diffuser globes having supporting shoulders of varying diameters. The support members 42 and 43 are of course adjustable in the same manner as the first disclosed embodiment of the invention 'with regard to correcting unbalance in the lighting fixture.

What is claimed is:

1. A means of supporting a light diffuser or the like provided with horizontally opposed shoulder portions and arranged to be supported in spaced relation from -a ceiling comprising a su porting assembly, a flexible cable adapted for attachment to the ceiling to suspend said assembly and having a light socket depending therefrom, said assembly including a supporting member mounted on said cable at the base thereof, a generally horizontally elongated member mounted on said supporting member for adjustment in opposite directions transversely of the cable and provided with surfaces at the ends engageable with shoulder portions of a diffuser, and releasable means on the supporting member for securing said elongated member in adjusted position, said elongated member providing means fixedly relating said surfaces operable during movement of said elongated member in one direction to position one of said surfaces closer to said cable and to position the other of said surfaces more distant from said cable.

2. A light diffuser supporting means in accordance with claim :1, in which said releasable means comprises vertically opposed clamping plates, one above and the other below the elongated member and said releasable means being operable .to selectively release and engage said plates 'with said elongated member to respectively permit or prevent horizontal movement thereof relative to the plates.

3. A light diffuser in accordance with claim 2 in which the shoulder engaging surfaces of the elongated member are vertically offset and below the clamping References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,5 68,279 1/ 1926 Herskovitz 248-343 1,576,543 3/ 19 26 Picker 248-3 43 1,681,273 8/ 1928 B ady et al. a- 248-343 FOREIGN PATENTS 73 7,05 7 7/1943 Germany. 801,432 9/1958 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE iROY, Primary Examiner.

R. P. SEITTER, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A MEANS OF SUPPORTING A LIGHT DIFFUSER OR THE LIKE PROVIDED WITH HORIZONTALLY OPPOSED SHOULDER PORTIONS AND ARRANGED TO BE SUPPORTED IN SPACED RELATION FROM A CEILING COMPRISING A SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY, A FLEXIBLE CABLE ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE CEILING TO SUSPEND SAID ASSEMBLY AND HAVING A LIGHT SOCKET DEPENDING THEREFROM, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SUPPORTING MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID CABLE AT THE BASE THEREOF, A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR ADJUSTMENT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TRANSVERSELY OF THE CABLE AND PROVIDED WITH SURFACES AT THE ENDS ENGAGEABLE WITH SHOULDER PORTIONS OF A DIFFUSER, AND RELEASABLE MEANS ON THE SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR SECURING SAID ELONGATED MEMBER IN ADJUSED POSITION, SAID ELONGATED MEMBER PROVIDING MEANS FIXEDLY RELATING SAID SURFACES OPERABLE DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION TO POSITION ONE OF SAID SURFACES CLOSER TO SAID CABLE AND TO POSITION THE OTHER OF SAID SURFACES MORE DISTANT FROM SAID CABLE.