US3689759A

US3689759A - Underwater searchlight

Info

Publication number: US3689759A
Application number: US878143A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hans Rudolf Dill
Original assignee: Elektron AG
Current assignee: Elektron AG
Priority date: 1968-11-22
Filing date: 1969-11-19
Publication date: 1972-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-05
Also published as: GB1235260A; CH477649A

Abstract

Underwater searchlight with adjustable beam, having an adjustable magnet on the outside of a pressure-resistant and water-tight housing, and control elements inside the housing for switching the searchlight on and off, and for adjusting its light beam. The control elements are preferably reed switches, and the magnet can be brought selectively into operative alignment with each of them.

Description

United States Patent Dill Sept. 5, 1972 [54] UNDERWATER SEARCHLIGHT 1,801,864 4/1931 I-lutchison et al ..240/44.25 72 Inventor: "ans Rudolf Di, Zurich Switzer 3,162,376 12/1964 Furuya ..240/26 X land FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1 Assisnw Elektmn, Zurich, Switzer- 908,257 4/1946 France ..240/26 land [22] Filed: Nov. 19 19 9 Primary Examiner-James J. G111 Attorney-Tab T. Them [21] Appl. No.: 878,143

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Underwater Searchlight with adjustable beam, having an adjustable magnet on the outside of a pressure-re- 1968 swltzeflgnd "17543/68 sistant and water-tight housing, and control elements inside the housing for switching the Searchlight on and [52] US. Cl. ..240/l0.69, 240/26, 240/44.25 off and for adjusting its light beam The Control [51] Int. Cl. ..FZll 15/02, F211 1/00 mems are preferably reed Switches and the magnet [58] Fleld of Search ..240/26, 10.69, 44.25, 123 can be brought Selectively into operative alignment with each of them. [5 6] References Cited 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,308,579 7/1919 Coulson ..240/26 X V V l. i '0 n a I r j 16 20 21 15b 1 1a 8 8 2 I 15c 1 k 8; 5 r n t 3 a a 5 2 1// l /l /T/// \1\ PATENTEDSEP 5 m2 FIG.2

IN VEN TOR.

UNDERWATER SEARCHLIGHT Among the requirements made of an underwater searchlight, the following are two of the most important:

It should in the first place be absolutely watertight and pressure-resistant even at great depths; and in the second, it should be convenient and easy to operate. However, in particular so far as underwater searchlights with adjustable light cones are concerned, these requirements areusually fulfilled only to an unsatisfactory degree. Because of the additional facility for adjusting the light beams, they demand additional operating mechanisms which cannot always be reconciled with a robust, pressure-resistant and reliable design. Manipulation also becomes less convenient, since both hands are required for adjustment, which also calls for undivided attention.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate these disadvantages and to provide an underwater Searchlight with an adjustable light beam which is robust, reliable and easy to operate.

The search light according to the invention embodies a magnet mounted outside of a pressure-resistant, watertight searchlight housing and in a position capable of being set by means of an actuating element capable of being operated by one hand. A control element is provided inside the housing, capable of being influenced by the position of the magnet, to switch the lamp on and off and to adjust the beam of light.

An exemplary embodiment according to the invention is shown in the appended drawings and is described in detail below:

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through an under water Searchlight according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the arrangement of a magnet and control elements for the Searchlight; and

FIG. 3 shows an electrical circuit diagram for the Searchlight.

The underwater Searchlight shown in the drawings as an exemplary embodiment incorporates a cylindrical housing 1 of a non-magnetic material, e.g. plastic, which is closed at one end by an integrally connected plate 2. Connected at the other end of the housing 1 is a flange piece 3 with which a mounting ring 4 is detachably associated. A glass 5 is let into this mounting ring and is pressed against the flange piece 3. A gasket 6 of rubber or some other elastic material provides a seal.

In the interior of the housing 1, a number of bulkhead-like reinforcements 7 are fitted perpendicular to the axis of the housing to strengthen it. A transverse partition 7a forms a gas-tight division separating off a chamber 35 which receives accumulators or batteries 8 held in place by struts 8a.

A reflector 16 is mounted behind glass 5. A longrange incandescent lamp 17 in a socket 18 is passed through a central bore in reflector l6 and is held by a tube 19, with a bearing plate 20 fixed to the front end in such manner that it can be displaced axially in either direction. Rotary movement is prevented by a securing pin 21 fitted to the plate 20 and passing through a bore of one of the reinforcement 7.

The tube 19 is provided at the rear end with a female thread in which a shaft 22 of an electric motor 23 engages by means of a corresponding male thread. The electric motor 23 is mounted rigidly on one of the reinforcements 7 so that the rotation of its shaft 22 causes a translatory displacement of the tube 19 and consequently of the incandescent bulb 17.

A handle 9 is fitted to the exterior of the housing and is provided with an opening 10 which runs parallel to the axis of the housing and directly along the exterior wall thereof. Opening 10 communicates with a channel 11. A magnet 12 is mounted to slide in the opening 10 and is connected with a first wheel 14a by means of a lever mechanism 13. The wheel takes the form of a cogwheel and is rotatably mounted in the channel 1 1. It is engaged by a second or operating wheel 14b which is also rotatably mounted in channel 11 in such manner that it projects by a small distance beyond the opening of the channel 11 in handle 9. Turning this operating wheel 14b thus causes a translatory movement of magnet 12 in opening 10, parallel to its own axis.

On the interior surface of the housing 1, and more specifically within the range of the magnet 12, three magnetically

actuable reed switches

15a, 15b, are mounted. They are located adjacent one another, parallel to the axis of the housing, but they display a certain lateral displacement relative to one another. FIG. 2 shows the three reed switches and the magnet 12 in a schematic perspective presentation more clearly illust'rating their relative positions.

FIG. 3 shows the electric circuit diagram of the underwater searchlight (some elements do not appear in FIG. 1).

The reed switches 15a, 15b, 150 are each connected in series with a relay, numbered 25a, 25b, 25c, respectively. Two of the relays, 25a, 25b are each provided with a respective operating contact, namely 26, 27 and a change-over or

transfer contact

28, 29, while relay 250 is provided with two operating contacts, 30, 31 (respectively interconnected by dot-dash ganging lines).

The incandescent bulb is connected via contact 30 and a fuse 32 direct to the positive and negative poles of the accumulators 8 (not shown in FIG. 3). One terminal of

switches

15a, 15b is connected jointly via contact 31 to the positive pole while the other terminal of said switches is connected to the negative pole via respective relays 25a, 25b, as shown.

Reed switch 150, on the other hand, is connected on the one side direct to the positive pole and on the other via relay 250 to the negative pole, while at the same time both

contacts

26, 27 are in parallel to said switch 15c.

Finally, two limiting switches 33, 34 (not shown in FIG. 1) are provided which are actuated by the tube 19 to switch off the motor 23 on attainment of a pre-determined position in either direction.

Switches

33, 34 are designed as single-pole transfer contacts (like 28, 29). The two terminals of motor 23 can thus each be connected optionally either with the

contacts

28, 29 respectively, or direct with the negative accumulator pole. The points of

contact

28, and 29 are in turn connected directly to the negative and positive poles as shown.

In the rest position, the magnet 12 in FIG. 1 is on the extreme left (nearer to lamp 17) so that

switches

15a, 15b, 15c are all open. If the magnet is now displaced away from this rest position, towards the right (or away from lamp 17), it first acts on switch b, which then closes. As may be seen from the circuit diagram of FIG. 3, relay 25b still does not receive any current as contact 31 of relay 250 is still open.

Onfurther displacement of the magnet in the same direction, a condition is reached in which both

switches

15b, 15c are closed. As a result, the relay 250 is placed under current, the contact 30 closes and the lamp lights up.

By means of a detent or other marking the main operative'position of the magnet 12 is so defined that it is precisely above the middle reed switch 15c when the

lateral contacts

15a, 15b are open. In this position the lamp lights up but the motor 23 is not under current.

On further displacement of magnet 12 in the same direction, the contact 15a closes, as a result of which the relay 25a is excited so that contact 26 closes and contact 28 is switched over. By reason of the displacement of the magnet, the contact 150 has in the meantime dropped out, which is however of no significance since it is now bridged over by the closed contact 26.

By way of the

contacts

28, 29 the two

limiting switches

33, and 34, the motor 23 now receives current, with the result that its shaft 22 turns. By consequence, the tube 19 and secondarily the bulb 17 are displaced forward, that is to the left in FIG. 1, in a direction producing a more concentrated beam, until the forward limiting switch 33 is actuated and the motor cuts out.

During this entire process of beam adjustment, the lamp is lit, as relay 25c is held via contact 26 (contact 30 closed). If the magnet is pushed back into its main operative position marked by the detend, the contact 15c is closed again and 15b is opened. A further displacement in the retraction direction results in that switch 15a is actuated. The contact 29 is switched over and the motor 23 turns in the opposite direction, with the result that the bulb 17 is moved to the right (rearward), in a direction producing a wide beam. This movement is again limited in an analogous manner by the rearward limiting switch 34.

Mention should further be made of the fact that in accordance with modification an additional low-power pilot lamp canbe mounted in the reflector 16, serving to relieve the long-range incandescent bulb l7 and the batteries 8, capable of being switched on and ofi by means of an additional reed switch (not illustrated).

An underwater searchlight constructed in the manner described in the foregoing possesses the following advantages: operating the lamp and adjusting its beam can be effected by means of a single operating element which is manipulated by one hand. The searchlight housing has no openings which would require to be painstakingly sealed. Control takes place magnetically through the housing wall. The gas-tight subdivision in the interior of the housing makes it impossible for any gas escaping from the accumulators to penetrate into the adjoining space and to explode as a result of arcing.

What I claim is:

'1. An underwater searchlight with an adjustable beam, comprising, in combination, a pressure-resistant, water-tight housing; a lamp mounted in said housing for adjustment along an axis; electric means for selectively moving said lamp in either direction along said axis; a power source lodged in said housing for selectively energizing said lamp and said moving means; electric tact for energizing said moving means for the adjustment of said lamp along said axis; and magnet means slidably mounted on the outside of said housing, adapted to be brought into selective operative alignment with at least one of said control elements to actuate the same; wherein all mechanical and electrical parts are lodged within said water-tight housing, with the absence of any actuating and control element protruding therefrom; wherein said magnet means outside said housing constitutes the sole actuating means for operating all functions of the searchlight; and wherein said one relay further has a second operating contact for completing an electric path to the remaining two relays, the latter each having at least one contact for energizing said moving means in either direction along said axis.

2. The searchlight as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one contact of each .of said two relays is a transfer contact providing a change of polarity for said moving means, said two relays each further having an operating contact in parallel bridging arrangement with one of said control elements which energizes said one relay.

3. The searchlight as defined in claim 1, wherein said magnet means can be brought into successive operative alignment with a first, a second and a third one of said control elements, with intermediate positions allowing said first and said second, as well as said second and said third elements to be simultaneously actuated, and said circuit means includes circuit elements providing energization of said lamp in all of the operative aligned positions except when said magnet means is aligned only with said first control element, as well as circuit elements providing energization of said moving means in respective directions upon predetermined combinations of the aligned positions, including said first and said third control elements, but no energization of said moving means when said magnet means is aligned only with said second element.

4. The searchlight as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least two control elements are sealed reed switches mounted along the inside wall of said housing in adjacent, substantially parallel but laterally displaced relationship but within the active range of said magnet means when the latter is brought into the appropriate operative alignment.

5. The searchlight as defined in claim 1, further comprising a handle fitted to the outside of said housing, said magnet means being disposed in and movable along an opening in said handle, in substantially parallel direction with respect to said housing and said at least two control elements therein, said actuating means including manually operable actuating elements for displacing said magnet in said opening.

upon selective energization of said motor from said power source.

8. The searchlight as defined in claim 7, further comprising limit switch means operatively associated with said support, connected in an energizing circuit of said motor, for interrupting said power source in at least one of the terminal positions of the adjustment of said lamp along said axis.

Claims

1. An underwater searchlight with an adjustable beam, comprising, in combination, a pressure-resistant, water-tight housing; a lamp mounted in said housing for adjustment along an axis; electric means for selectively moving said lamp in either direction along said axis; a power source lodged in said housing for selectively energizing said lamp and said moving means; electric circuit means for the selective energization of said lamp and said moving means, to switch said lamp on and off and to adjust its light cone by the adjustment along said axis; said circuit means including three electric control elements inside said housing in spaced-apart arrangement, as well as three relays, each energizable by the intermediary of one of said control elements; one relay having a first operating contact for energizing said lamp, while at least one other relay has at least on contact for energizing said moving means for the adjustment of said lamp along said axis; and magnet means slidably mounted on the outside of said housing, adapted to be brought into selective operative alignment with at least one of said control elements to actuate the same; wherein all mechanical and electrical parts are lodged within said water-tight housing, with the absence of any actuating and control element protruding therefrom; wherein said magnet means outside said housing Constitutes the sole actuating means for operating all functions of the searchlight; and wherein said one relay further has a second operating contact for completing an electric path to the remaining two relays, the latter each having at least one contact for energizing said moving means in either direction along said axis.

2. The searchlight as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one contact of each of said two relays is a transfer contact providing a change of polarity for said moving means, said two relays each further having an operating contact in parallel bridging arrangement with one of said control elements which energizes said one relay.

6. The searchlight as defined in claim 5, wherein said actuating elements are constituted by a handwheel and a lever mechanism interconnecting the latter with said magnet means.

7. The searchlight as defined in claim 1, wherein said moving means includes an electric motor having an output shaft, a support for said lamp axially slidable in said housing, and respective interengaging threaded portions on said shaft and on said support for the adjustment of said lamp in either direction along said axis upon selective energization of said motor from said power source.