US3342988A - Horizontally mounted luminaire with lowering device - Google Patents

Description

R. K. FARRINGTON 3,342,988

' HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED LUMINAIRE WITH LOWERING DEVICE Sept. 19, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 50, 1965 P 19, 1967 R. K. FARRINGTON 3,342,988

HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED LUMINAIRE WITH LOWERING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 HTTO/F'NEYJ P 1967 R. K. IFARRINGTON HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED LUMINAIRE WITH LOWERING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 50, 1965 P 19, 1967 R. K. FARRINGTON 8 HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED LUMINAIRE WITH LOWERING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WTTO/PIYFYS United States Patent 3,342,988 HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED LUMINAIRE WITH LOWERING DEVICE Robert K. Farrington, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Thompson Electric Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 483,464 Claims. (Cl. 240-64) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A luminaire having a fixed hood and a lowering fixture adapted to be releasably latched to the hood and lowered for servicing and maintenance operations by means of cables passing over pulley means in the hood and attached to the lowering fixture, includes an upwardly concave refractor and a downwardly concave reflector mounted on the lowering fixture with their peripheral edges meeting substantially in sealing contact, and lighting means is carried on the lowering fixture between the reflector and refractor, together with servicing electrical contacts.

This invention relates to improvements in a side mounted luminaire with built-in lowering device adapted to be mounted in a generally horizontal position from the mast arm of a pole support or other suitable mounting.

More particularly, the invention relates to a luminaire which is longer than it is wide and adapted to be mounted to a mast arm in a generally horizontal position with its longer dimension generally in line with the mast arm, the assembly including a fixed hood generally convex upwardly and adapted to be rigidly attached to a mast arm or other suitable support and coacting with a lowering fixture generally convex downwardly and having an upper edge mating'with the lower edge of the hood to form a substantially closed enclosure wherein the lowering fixture includes a refractor, convex downwardly, completing the enclosure. Cable mean is provided for raising and lowering the fixture relative to the hood and latch means is provided for releasably latching the fixture to the hood in raised position. Both the cable means and the latching means is designed so that the fixture is properly oriented relative to the hood before being latched in the raised position.

Other features of the invention includes a novel arrangement of contacts mating when the lowering fixture is in raised position so as to energize an electric lamp means included in the assembly; together with a novel arrangement of a hinge bar for supporting the electric lamp, the fixed electric contacts associated therewith, and providing at the same time a mounting for a reflector normally positioned above the lamp.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings- FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the improved fixture of this invention mounted on a mast arm which in turn is rigidly connected to a vertical pole, the drawing being partly broken away to show means for pulling on the operating cable and for fixing the same in position when the lowering fixture is raised and latched to the hood;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the lowering fixture suspended below the fixed hood with certain parts broken away to more clearly show the construction;

FIG. 3 shows central sectional views through the hood and lowering fixture of FIGS. 1 and 2 when the lowering fixture is approaching its raised and latched position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental sectional view taken generally along the line 44 of FIG. 3 but showing the pairs of mating contacts in their final mating position;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view, enlarged, taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a central sectional view, enlarged, through one of the stationary contact holders 36 of FIGS. 2 and 24; while FIG. 7 is a fragmental sectional view, enlarged, taken along the line 77 of FIG. 1.

Separate lowering devices for pendant type light fixtures have been known for some years. However, the current trend is for horizontally mounted units whose operating height is being increased from twenty-five feet to forty feet or more which makes the servicing of such a light very difiicult. Up to this time, no practical means has been known of lowering such horizontally mounted fixtures since the use of known types of lowering hangers has been both impractical and aesthetically detrimental to the appearance of the fixtures. The present invention solves this problem by practical and efiicient means completely housed within the fixture so as not to spoil the appearance thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, hood 10 which is longer than it is wide and generally convex upwardly tapers toward the end 10a thereof where it is attached to a hollow mast arm 11 which in turn is supported on a hollow vertical pole 12. It should be understood that other means of supporting the luminaire of this invention might be utilized. Mast arm clamps 13 embrace the mast arm 11 and are secured to the narrow end of the hood at 10a so as to hold the hood rigidly to the end of the mast arm.

The lowering fixture 14 includes a metal portion 15 adapted to mate with the hood 10 and a refractor 16 which is mounted on the fixture member 15 by refractor clips 16 or otherwise held in any suitable manner. A reflector 17 is also provided on the lowering fixture as will be later described.

Cable means is provided for raising and lowering the lowering fixture relative to the hood and arranged in such a fashion that the lowering fixture is maintained horizontally level and centered crosswise of the hood during the relative movement. In the form shown, two lengths of cable 18 are provided lying approximately in a plane about which the weight of the lowering fixture is evenly balanced. Preferably, but not necessarily, each cable length is attached to the apex 19 of a bifurcated bracket 20 which is secured at spaced point 21 to the fixture member 15 on opposite side of and equally spaced from the plane defined above. The cable lengths 18 pass over pulleys 22 positioned in the hood directly above the points of attachment of the cables 18. The pulleys lie on opposite sides of the bulge of the reflector 17 so as to conserve space within the hood. From the pulleys 22 the cables 18 pass around a pair of pulleys 23 located close to the longitudinal center line of the hood and thence enter the upper portion 11a of the mast arm 11 and thence along the mast arm to the pole 12 where they pass around pulleys in the pole (not shown) and down to a pulley 24. The purpose of the pulley 24 is to equalize the pull on the cable runs 13 which for this purpose are made into a single length of cable having a bight passing around the aforesaid pulley 24. In the operative position of the parts shown in FIG. 1, the pulley 24 is mounted in a fixture 25 which is connected by a hook 26 with a suitable pin 27 fixed relative to the pole 12.

The use of the two cable runs 18 attached as described holds the lowering fixture in a balanced horizontal position, keeps the lowering fixtures from twisting during a raising operation, and brings the lowering fixture up to the hood centered relative to the hood across the narrower dimension of the latter.

The brackets 20 provide not only a point of attachment for the cables 18, but also is a means providing the guiding of the lowering portion 14 as the member 15 thereof comes into close relationship with the fixed housing 10. As the lowering member 14 is being raised, the brackets 20 being made of spring quality stainless steel wire absorb any shock should the lowering portion 14 sway against the housing 10. The brackets 20 also provide stability when the lowering unit is in a latched position.

In FIG. 7, one of the brackets is shown in its final position after the member 15 latched to the hood 10. In this position the bracket 20 is compressed slightly inwardly 'by contact with the side of the hood and this provides a final guiding action as the units approach each and provide stability after the unit are latched together. Referring again to FIG. 7, at each end of each bracket 20, an eye 20a is secured by means of a screw 50 passing through a washer 51, then through the eye and into a boss integral with the member 15.

Latch means is provided for securing the lowering fixture in its raised and operative position. This includes latch stems 29 located approximately on the longitudinal center line of the hood and lowering fixture and on opposite sides of the cable runs 18. Pivotally attached to each latch stem is at least one latch dog 30, two being shown in each case pivoted to opposite sides of the latch stem. Each latch dog has a latching nose 30a on one side of the pivot 31 and a counterbalancing tail 3012 on the opposite side of the pivot. It will be noted that the enlarged head of the stem 29 overlies the latch dogs so as to hold them in the position shown in FIG. 3. On the hood, coacting parts include a latch stem guide 30' and a latch keeper 32 fixed in the hood and vertically above the latch stem 29. It will be noted that each of the latch stems has an enlarged head which is generally convex upwardly in the fore-and-aft direction so that as the parts approach a latching position as indicated in FIG. 3, the keeper bars 32 attached to the hood will cam the lowering fixture into a registering position in a foreand-aft direction just prior to the latching operation. Referring to FIG. 3, when each latch nose 30a engages its keeper pin 32, the latch dog is cammed in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot pin 31 as shown at the left end of FIG. 3 until it passes the pin 32, after which the tail 30b swings the latch dog back to the position of FIG. 3 with the nose 30a above the pin 32. To release the latch dog when it is desired to lower the fixture, a quick pull on the cable runs 18 will cause the latch dog nose 30a to strike a cross bar 33 and a quick motion will lower the fixture while the nose 30a is still in position to clear the keeper pin 32.

Electric lamp means 34 is indicated in FIG. 3 which is carried by the lowering fixture. In one embodiment of this invention, this lamp means is a mercury vapor lamp but it will be understood that this invention may be utilized with other types of electric lamps. For energizing this lamp, a pair of fixed contacts are provided in the hood with a pair of mating contacts carried by the lowering fixture into mating or electrically engaging position when the fixture is in its raised or operative position. Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the upper or fixed contacts are indicated at 35 spaced on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the hood. Each of these contacts is mounted in a holder 36 which in turn is fixed to a bracket 37 supported by the hood. Each of these contacts is connected to an electrical conductor 38 and these pass outwardly through the mast arm which is preferably partitioned to protect these electrical conductors from the operating cables 18.

As best seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, mating contacts 39 are carried by a socket assembly 40 and are electrically connected through the socket assembly by means not shown to the lamp 34. Other connections are provided as needed between contacts 39 and ballast, condensers, etc. The socket assembly is mounted in a socket holder 41 which in turn is mounted on a hinge bar 42 supported between hinge brackets 43 rigidly secured to the opposite sides of the fixture member 15. In this form of the invention, the latch stem 29 seen at the right-hand side of FIG. 3 is mounted on the socket holder 41. It will be noted in the various views that the electrical contacts 35 and 39 have vertically extending contact surfaces so that there is a wiping contact as the mating of these surfaces takes place as shown in FIG. 4 simultaneously with the latching operation.

The structure within each contact holder 36 is more clearly shown in section in FIG. 6. The brush contact 35 is slidably mounted in a suitable bore 52 in the block 36. The brush contact is secured to a cylindrical pistonlike member 53 which is mounted for slight reciprocation in a cylinder 54 which is provided interiorly of the block 36. Where the conductor 38 enters the block, it is held in position by a threaded cap 55 which presses a spring centering projection 56 in a spring 57, the other end of which engages a spring centering projection 5311 on the member 53. In normal position, the spring 57 holds the brush contact 35 in the dot-dash position, but as the mating contacts 39 move into contacting position, the curved ends of the contacts 39 cam the brush contacts 35 inwardly to the full line position of FIG. 6. Thus, the springs 57 maintain a firm contact between the contactors 35 and 39.

As indicated in dot-dash lines in FIGS. 3 and 5, the reflector 17 is secured by screws 17a to the socket holder 41. The whole socket assembly 40, 41 pivots about hinge bar 42. The parts are held in the position of FIG. 3 by the lower rim of reflector 17 resting upon the upper rim of refractor 16 where it comes up through the central opening 15a of member 15. A tight seal is maintained entirely around these mating rims by placing a continuous gasket between them and clamping them together by conventional normally releasable clamps, which permits the opening of the assembly and removal of the lamp during maintenance without the use of hand tools. This keeps the light source bugand weather-proof.

It will be noted in the various views that the lowering fixture is shorter in its longer dimension than the hood. The portion of the underside of the hood not covered by the fixture 15 when the parts are in operative position is covered by a plate 45 fixed to the hood 10. The necessary condensers, ballast, etc., indicated generally at 46 may be mounted on this cover plate 45 or otherwise suitably secured preferably to the hood.

It should be understood that the fixture member 15 is a relatively snug fit around its upper edge against the mating lower edge of the hood 10 when the parts are in their raised and operative position shown in FIG. 1.

What is claimed is:

1. In a luminaire longer than it is wide and adapted to be mounted to a mast arm in a generally horizontal position with its longer dimension generally in line with said mast arm; the combination of a fixed hood generally convex upwardly and adapted to be rigidly attached to said mast arm, a lowering fixture generally convex downwardly and having an upper edge mating with the lower edge of said hood to form a substantially closed enclosure, said lowering fixture including a refractor, means for raising and lowering said fixture relative to said hood including cable means attached to said fixture at points thereon balancing said fixture on said cable means, pulley means in said hood over which said cable means passes, electric lamp means mounted in said lowering fixture,

electric contacts on said fixture electrically connected with said lamp means, mating electric contacts on said hood engageable with said first named contacts when the edges of said fixture and hood substantially coact when said fixture is moved to raised position by said cable means, means for latching said fixture in raised position with said mating contacts engaged, and wherein said points of attachment of said cable means to said fixture are equally spaced on opposite sides of a center line running lengthwise of said hood and including at each of said points of cable means attachment a bifurcated bracket having its opposite ends secured to said fixture on opposite sides of a plane about which the weight of said fixture lengthwise is balanced, and a cable secured to the mid-point of each bracket.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pulley means includes two pulleys mounted on said hood respectively in said plane containing said points of cable means attachment and equally spaced on opposite sides of a center line running lengthwise of said hood, said cable means including two cables, each one passing over one of said pulleys and down to and attached at the corresponding point of cable means attachment, and means for equalizing the pull on said cables.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said means for equalizing said pull on said cables includes providing said cables as a continuous length having a bight at the end distant from said hood, passing said bight around a pulley, and providing means for actuating said pulley to raise and lower said fixture.

4. In a luminaire longer than it is wide and adapted to be mounted to a mast arm in a generally horizontal position with its longer dimension generally in line with said mast arm; the combination of a fixed hood generally convex upwardly and adapted to be rigidly attached to said mast arm, a lowering fixture generally convex downwardly and having an upper edge mating with the lower edge of said hood to form a substantially closed enclosure, said lowering fixture including a refractor, means for raising and lowering said fixture relative to said hood including cable means attached to said fixture at points thereon balancing said fixture on said cable means, pulley means in said hood over which said cable means passes, electric lamp means mounted in said lowering fixture, electric contacts on said fixture electrically connected with said lamp means, mating electric contacts on said hood engageable with said first named contacts when the edges of said fixture and hood substantially coact when said fixture is moved to raised position by said cable means, means for latching said fixture in raised position with said mating contacts engaged, and wherein said means for latching said fixture in raised position includes two latch assemblies respectively on opposite sides of said plane and on the longitudinal center line of said hood, each of said latch assemblies including parts on said hood member and on said lowering fixture member, each latch assembly including a latch stem on one of said members and a latch guide on the other of said members, coacting surfaces on said stem and guide centering said fixture member relative to its registering hood member portion, a latch dog pivotally mounted on said stem, and a keeper on said guide in position to lockingly engage its associated dog when said mating edges of said hood and fixture members engage.

5. In a luminaire longer than it is wide and adapted to be mounted to a mast arm in a generally horizontal position with its longer dimension generally in line with said mast arm; the combination of a fixed hood generally convex upwardly and adapted to be rigidly attached to said mast arm, a lowering fixture generally convex downwardly and having an upper edge mating with the lower edge of said hood to form a substantially closed enclosure, said lowering fixture including a refractor, means for raising and lowering said fixture relative to said hood including cable means attached to said fixture at points thereon balancing said fixture on said cable means, pulley means in said hood over which said cable means passes, electric lamp means mounted in said lowering fixture, electric contacts on said fixture electrically connected with said lamp means, mating electric contacts on said hood engageable with said first named contacts when the edges of said fixture and hood substantially coact when said fixture is moved to raised position by said cable means, means for latching said fixture in raised position with said mating contacts engaged, and including a fixed hinge bar on said lowering fixture member and extending crosswise thereof, means on said hingle bar centrally thereof for supporting said electric light means and said fixture electric contacts, and means pivotally mounting said reflector on said hinge bar straddling said supporting means for said light means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,907,872 10/1959 Wilson 240-66 XR 3,053,979 9/1962 Farringt-on 24064 3,179,793 4/1965 Franck 24025 3,189,739 6/1965 McPhail 240-25 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,274,626 9/1961 France.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

W. M. FRYE, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A LUMINAIRE LONGER THAN IT IS WIDE AND ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED TO A MAST ARM IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION WITH ITS LONGER DIMENSION GENERALLY IN LINE WITH SAID MAST ARM; THE COMBINATION OF A FIXED HOOD GENERALLY CONVEX UPWARDLY AND ADAPTED TO BE RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO SAID MAST ARM, A LOWERING FIXTURE GENERALLY CONVEX DOWNWARDLY AND HAVING AN UPPER EDGE MATING WITH THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID HOOD TO FORM A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED ENCLOSURE, SAID LOWERING FIXTURE INCLUDING A REFRACTOR, MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID FIXTURE RELATIVE TO SAID HOOD INCLUDING CABLE MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID FIXTURE AT POINTS THEREON BALANCING SAID FIXTURE ON SAID FIXTURE AT POINTS MEANS IN SAID HOOD OVER WHICH SAID CABLE MEANS PASSES, ELECTRIC LAMP MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID LOWERING FIXTURE, ELECTRIC CONTACTS ON SAID FIXTURE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED WITH SAID LAMP MEANS, MATING ELECTRIC CONTACTS ON SAID HOOD ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FIRST NAMED CONTACTS WHEN THE EDGES OF SAID FIXTURE AND HOOD SUBSTANTIALLY COACT WHEN SAID FIXTURE IS MOVED TO RAISED POSITION BY SAID CABLE MEANS, MEANS FOR LATCHING SAID FIXTURE IN RAISED POSITION WITH

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