US3685858A

US3685858A - Mounting arrangement for luminaires

Info

Publication number: US3685858A
Application number: US93590A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald Wandler
Original assignee: McGraw Edison Co
Current assignee: Cooper Industries LLC
Priority date: 1970-11-30
Filing date: 1970-11-30
Publication date: 1972-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-22
Also published as: CA946350A

Abstract

A luminaire has a one piece hood and slip fitter arrangement. The slip fitter includes a lower wall having a pair of laterally spaced ribs leading to a bearing surface intended to engage a luminaire support arm when the later is received in the slip fitter. Two mounting screws are located in an upper portion of the slip fitter in spaced relation above but one on either side of the bearing surface. The luminaire support arm is clamped between the screws and bearing surface in mounting the luminaires. The flip fitter upper portion, ribs, and bearing surface are integral with each other as well as with the hood.

Description

United States Patent Wandler 1 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] MOUNTING ARRANGENIENT FOR 3,142,501 7/1964 Clark et a1. ..240/25 X LUMINAIRES 3,233,094 2/1966 Foulds ..240/25 3,385,258 5/1968 Curtin etal ..240/25 X [72] Invent 31: South 3,524,051 8/1970 Baldwin et a] ..240/25 [73] Assignee: McGraw-Edison Company, Milwau- FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 862,292 3/ 1961 Great Britain ..240/25 [22] Flled: 1970 Primary Examiner-Thomas F. Callaghan [21] Appl. No.: 93,590 Attorney-John W. Michael, Gerrit D. Foster, Bayard H. Michael, Paul R. Puemer, Joseph A. Gemignani, Robert E. Clemency, Andrew 0. Riteris, Glenn A. [52] US. Cl. ..285/27, Buse and Spencer B Michael 51 Int. Cl ..Fi6121/ [58] Field of Search ..240/25, 73 BA, 68, 63, 52.1, [57] ABS CT 240/52; 285/404 184 27 24 158; 243/221 A luminaire has a one piece hood and slip fitter ar- 214 230 rangement. The slip fitter includes a lower wall having a pair of laterally spaced ribs leading to a bearing sur- References Cited face intended to engage a luminaire support arm when the later is received in the slip fitter. Two mounting UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 screws are located in an upper portion of the slip fitter in spaced relation above but one on either side of the B bearing surface. The luminaire support arm is clamped 3O71683 H1963 "240/25 between the screws and bearing surface in mounting 3072783 1 1963 e 25 the luminaires. The flip fitter upper portion, ribs, and 297O222 141961 g bearing surface are integral with each other as well as 7 l a n 'th h d. 2,970,223 l/l96l Elmer ..240/25 x 6 00 3,043,950 7/ 1962 Keck ..240/25 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures z m 34 /0 jh 1 l 26 @Z 64 20 3F E 5 4 5? M /e A 1 l 1 1 I .52 5 \5 A4 /z MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR LUMINAIRES BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to luminaires and, more particularly, relates to the mounting arrangement for a luminaire.

One type of luminaire includes a hood and reflector assembly in which the light source and various electrical connections are housed. A refractor may be suspended from the reflector and a slip fitter usually projects laterally from the hood for connection to a support arm. Examples of this type of luminaire are shown in US. Pat. Nos. 3,072,783, 3,080,475, and 3,142,501. Other forms of luminaires, e.g. elongated florescents and stylized mercury or sodium vapor, also include slip fitter arrangements of one type or another. Various forms of slip fitters have been proposed in the past in an effort to provide an efiective mount, but yet one which is simple both structurally and in the amount of elements and manipulation required in making the mounting connection.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION 8 Among the general objects of this invention is to provide an improved slip fitter and also an improved overall slip fitter-hood assembly.

For the achievement of these and other objects, this invention proposes an arrangement wherein the slip fitter includes an integrally cast mounting arm clamp. The clamp is a wall forming a portion of the slip fitter and having ribs for locating the mounting arm in the slip fitter and a bearing surface capable of functioning as a fulcrum in leveling the luminaire. Two mounting screws are also provided and these and the bearing surface are arranged so that one is generally opposed to and intermediate the other two relative to the longitudinal axis of said slip fitter. The bearing surface and mounting screws cooperate in leveling the luminaire and locking the luminaire in the desired position. Preferably, the slip fitter is integral with the hood.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in or be apparent from the specification and claims, as will obvious modifications of the single embodiment shown in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a section view of a slip fitter-hood arrangement embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of a part of the slip fitter-hood arrangement;

FIG. 3 is a partial view generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a partial view from below the slip fitter.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With particular reference to the drawings, hood 10 includes a laterally extending slip fitter assembly and is adapted to support a light source 14 and house the electrical connections for the light source. More particularly, light source 14 is screwed into socket l6 suspended on

arms

18 and 20 connected to mounting bracket 22 which is in turn anchored in

lugs

24 and 26 by screws 28. Hood 10 has an upper central aperture 30 which receives an electrical insulating socket 32. Socket 32 is held in the aperture by a C ring 34. Electrical leads (not shown) extend from the socket 32 to the socket 16 for supplying electrical energy to the light source.

A conventional reflector (not shown) is generally suspended from hood 10. As is visible in FIG. 2, lugs 36 and 38 projecting laterally from the hood provide, in a conventional manner, a means of attachment of a releasable clamp for holding the reflector on the hood. Also, it is common practice to suspend a refractor from the reflector, since neither the refractor nor the reflector are necessary to a complete understanding of this invention, they have not been illustrated and will not be described. Depending upon the light pattern to be achieved, the bulb can be positioned as desired relative to the reflector and refractor, and the refractor can if desired by provided with the light refracting surfaces necessary to achieve the desired light pattern.

With reference to slip fitter 12, the basic slip fitter is generally tubular in configuration and communicates with the interior of hood 10 through an aperture 40. The slip fitter includes an upper wall portion 42, opposite side wall portions 44 and 46, the upper wall portion and the side wall portions extend the axial length of the slip fitter. A lower wall 48 extends from the outer end 49 of the slip fitter inwardly toward the hood but terminates short of aperture 40. As will appear more clearly as this description proceeds, wall 48 provides a mounting arm clamp which functions in the nature of the loose or removable mounting clamps which have been provided heretofore in various slip fitter arrangements.

Referring to lower wall 48, the wall includes a pair of laterally spaced

ribs

50 and 52, i.e. the ribs are spaced laterally relative to each other and the central or longitudinal axis of the slip fitter. The ribs extend inwardly from end 49 of the slip fitter and are angled upwardly with respect to a horizontal plane or the general inward extension of wall 48. The ribs being so angled and laterally spaced, function to, one, guide the mounting arm into the slip fitter and, two, to center the slip fitter on the mounting arm. It will be noted that

ribs

50 and 52 are spaced equal distance on either side of a vertical plane including the central axis of the slip fitter. The ribs terminate in a bearing surface 54 adjacent the inner end of wall 48. In transverse cross-section, i.e. at

a right angle to the longitudinal axis of slip fitter l2, bearing surface 54 is in the form of an arc having its center generally coincident with the longitudinal axis of the opening defined in the slip fitter. The mounting arm M when in the slip fitter can be cradled on the bearing surface 54 in the same way that similar arms are cradled in the releasable clamps of prior structures referred to above. The arcuate surface also tends to center the mounting arm in the slip fitter.

Also, bearing surface 54 functions as a fulcrum about which the luminaire can rotate to provide a desired horizontal orientation of the luminaire on the mounting arm. In this regard, it will further be noted that wall 48 is cut away in area 56 to reduce the possibility of inter ference with this rotating or leveling action. Also, the inner end of wall 48 is spaced from the hood to define an opening 66 which also tends to reduce the possibility of interference with leveling. The hood and slip fitter being cast, the opening 66 is formed in casting by suitable coring.

Upper wall 42 of the slip fitter includes two threaded

openings

58 and 60 each receiving a

screw

62 and 64. l

The screws extend through the threaded openings into the interior of the slip fitter and cooperate with lower a wall 48, Le.

ribs

50 and 52 and bearing surface 54, in

positioning the luminaire on the mounting arm and in locking the luminaire in the desired position. Relative to the longitudinal axis of the slip fitter, bearing 54 is opposed to and located between

screws

62 and 64.

In mounting the luminaire in the field, the slip fitter is positioned on the end of mounting

arm M. Ribs

50 and 52 and bearing surface 54 cooperate to generally center the slip fitter on the mounting arm.

Screws

62 and 64 will have been backed off sufficiently to permit movement of the luminaire relative to, the mounting arm. Theluminaire can be oriented in a horizontal sense on the mounting arm by tightening and/or loosening

screws

62 and 64 to produce the desired tilt of the luminaire. In the leveling operation, the luminaire rotates relative to the mounting arm about bearing surface 54. When theluminaire is in the desired position, both

screws

62 and 64 are tightened down on the mounting arm clamping the mounting arm between the screws and the bearing surface to lock the luminaire in position. It is appreciated that the positions of the screws and the bearing surface can be interchanged and still provide the leveling and clamping action, although the arrangement illustrated in the drawings is preferred.

With the disclosed embodiment, the

screws

62 and 64 are the only movable members included in the slip fitter-hood arrangement which must be manipulated in attaching the luminaire to the mounting arm. The lower wall 48 together with

ribs

50 and 52 and bearing surface 54 provide the mounting clamp against which the mountingscrews react in looking the luminaire to the mounting arm. Opening 66 between the inner end of wall 48 and the hood portion, provides a measure of clearance for pivoting the luminaire in a clock-wise direction about bearing surface 54 whereas cut-away portion 56 provides .the clearance for rotation in a counter-clock wise direction.

I claim:

1. In a luminaire the combination of a housing,

a body extending laterally from said housing and having a first end connected to said housing, and a second end spaced from said first end, and means defining a generally elongated opening extending between said first and second ends,

means in said body defining a bearing surface in said opening and said bearing surface being part of a one piece structure including the remainder of said body,

first and second adjustable screw means supported in said body and extending into said opening and directly engageable with a luminaire support arm disposed in said opening,

said bearing surface and said first and second screw means relatively arranged in said body so that said bearing means is in generally opposed relation to and intermediate said first and second screw means relative to the longitudinal axis of said 7 opening so that said luminaire support arm can be clamped between said first and second screw means and bearing surface,

said bearing surface spaced inwardly of said first and second ends,

means defining at least two ribs relatively spaced laterally relative to said longitudinal axis and sloping from said bearing surface toward said second end,

and said ribs being part of said one-piece structure.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body is part of a one-piece structure including said housing.

3. In a luminaire the combination of a housing,

a body extending laterally from said housing and having a first end connected to said housing, and a, second end spaced from said first end, and means defining a generally elongated opening extending between said first and second ends,

means in said body defining a bearing surface in said opening and said bearing surface being of a one-piece structure including the remainder of said body,

said body and said housing being part of a one-piece structure including said housing and said body including a wall portion extending from said second.

body end toward said first end but terminating in spaced relation from said first end, said wall portion being part of said one-piece structure and said bearing surface being a part of said wall portion,

first and second adjustable fastening means supported in said body and extending into said opening,

said bearing surface being arranged in opposed relation to and intermediate said first and second fastening means relative to the longitudinal axis of said opening and said bearing surface being spaced inwardly of said first and second ends,

means defining at least two ribs as part of said onepiece structure andrelatively spaced laterally relative to said longitudinal axis and sloping from said bearing toward said second end,

means defining an opening between the termination of said wall portion and said first end,

and means defining a cut-out portion in said wall between said ribs and between said bearing surface and said second end.

4. In a luminaire the combination of a housing,

a body extending laterally from said housing and having a first end connected to said housing and a second end spaced from said first end, and means defining a generally elongated opening extending between said first and second ends,

means in said body defining a bearing surface in said opening and said bearing surface being part of a one-piece structure including the remainder of said body,

said bearing surface arranged in opposed relation to and intermediate said first and second screw means and said bearing surface being spaced inwardly of said first and second ends so that said luminaire support arm can be clamped between said first and second screw means and said bearing surface, a

one-piece structure relatively spaced laterally relative to said longitudinal axis and sloping from said bearing surface toward said second end.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said body is part of a one-piece structure including said housing.

Claims

1. In a luminaire the combination of a housing, a body extending laterally from said housing and having a first end connected to said housing, and a second end spaced from said first end, and means defining a generally elongated opening extending between said first and second ends, means in said body defining a bearing surface in said opening and said bearing surface being part of a one piece structure including the remainder of said body, first and second adjustable screw means supported in said body and extending into said opening and directly engageable with a luminaire support arm disposed in said opening, said bearing surface and said first and second screw means relatively arranged in said body so that said bearing means is in generally opposed relation to and intermediate said first and second screw means relative to the longitudinal axis of said opening so that said luminaire support arm can be clamped between said first and second screw means and bearing surface, said bearing surface spaced inwardly of said first and second ends, means defining at least two ribs relatively spaced laterally relative to said longitudinal axis and sloping from said bearing surface toward said second end, and said ribs being part of said one-piece structure.

3. In a luminaire the combination of a housing, a body extending laterally from said housing and having a first end connected to said housing, and a second end spaced from said first end, and means defining a generally elongated opening extending between said first and second ends, means in said body defining a bearing surface in said Opening and said bearing surface being part of a one-piece structure including the remainder of said body, said body and said housing being part of a one-piece structure including said housing and said body including a wall portion extending from said second body end toward said first end but terminating in spaced relation from said first end, said wall portion being part of said one-piece structure and said bearing surface being a part of said wall portion, first and second adjustable fastening means supported in said body and extending into said opening, said bearing surface being arranged in opposed relation to and intermediate said first and second fastening means relative to the longitudinal axis of said opening and said bearing surface being spaced inwardly of said first and second ends, means defining at least two ribs as part of said one-piece structure and relatively spaced laterally relative to said longitudinal axis and sloping from said bearing toward said second end, means defining an opening between the termination of said wall portion and said first end, and means defining a cut-out portion in said wall between said ribs and between said bearing surface and said second end.

4. In a luminaire the combination of a housing, a body extending laterally from said housing and having a first end connected to said housing and a second end spaced from said first end, and means defining a generally elongated opening extending between said first and second ends, means in said body defining a bearing surface in said opening and said bearing surface being part of a one-piece structure including the remainder of said body, first and second adjustable screw means supported in said body and extending into said opening and directly engageable with a luminaire support arm disposed in said opening, said bearing surface arranged in opposed relation to and intermediate said first and second screw means and said bearing surface being spaced inwardly of said first and second ends so that said luminaire support arm can be clamped between said first and second screw means and said bearing surface, said body includes a wall portion extending from said second body end toward said first end but terminating in spaced relation from said first end, said wall portion being part of said one-piece structure and said bearing surface being a part of said wall portion, and means defining at least two ribs as part of said one-piece structure relatively spaced laterally relative to said longitudinal axis and sloping from said bearing surface toward said second end.