US743181A - Blind for locomotive-headlights. - Google Patents

Description

No. 743,181. PATBNTED NOV. 3, 1903. A. MENTZER.

BLIND FOR LOGOMOTIVE HEADLIGHTS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 20, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903.

A. MENTZER. BLIND FOR LOCOMOTIVE HEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1902.

2 sums-sum 2.

N0 MODEL.

No. -743,1s1.

NITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

ALLEN MENTZER, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

BLIND FOR LOCOMOTlVE-HEADLIGHTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,181, dated November 3, 1903. Application filed December 20. 1902- Serial No. 136,045. .(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN MENTZER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and usefulBlind for Locomotive-Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved construction of blind for locomotive-headlights, the object of the invention being to provide a simple and elficient construction of blind which can by the engineer from the cab of the locomo-' tive, thereby avoiding the dangerous operation of working the blind from the forward end of the locomotive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blind for locomotive-headlights which can be used in connection with any construction of headlight and which can be quickly and easily attached thereto and t0 the locomotive.

With these and certain other opjects in View the invention consists, essentially,in the employment of a folded or plaited blind or screen adapted to be'projected into the headlight-casing and expanded inthe form of a circle while being so projected, said blind or screen being adapted to occupy a 'centralposition when fully expanded and completely cover the headlight-lens, thereby cutting off the light completely.

The invention consists also in arranging a.

suitable casing upon the exterior of the headlight-casing into which the blind or screen is adapted to be withdrawn and carried when not in use; and the invention consists. also in means for projecting and expanding the said blind or screen, together with means for contracting and folding the same; and the invention consists, still further, in certain details of construction and novelties of combination, all of which will be fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings formingapart of this specification, Figure l is a perspective viewshowing the practical application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken through the casing of the apparatus, the blind or screen,

the piston and spring being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view illustrating the upper end of the device or that portion thereof which projects into the casing of the locomotive-headlight, said view illustrating the blind or screen in the act of being projected and expanded. Fig. 4: is a sectional view taken through the locomotiveheadlight casing and the casing of the apparatus, said view being taken upon a plane at right angles to the plane upon which Fig. 2 is taken, the blind or screen being shown in its folded or inoperative position. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the blind or screen in its projected and expanded position. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the blind or screen carryingbox, the blind or screen being shown in elevation and also the means for operating the same.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates an ordinary locomotive-headlight, the casing of which may be round or square or any shape desired, and connected to the casing of the headlight at one side is a cylindrical casing B, which is preferably arranged at an oblique angle and is connected at its lower end to a shallow circular box O,which is supported by a short standard 0, bolted to the forward end of the locomotive, thereby supporting the cylindrical casing B and the circular box 0 in their proper relative positions.

The upper end of the cylindrical casing B has a rectangular-shaped opening B produced therein, and a similarly-shaped opening A is produced in the side of the headlight-casing, audnpon the interior of the headlight-casing is arranged a plate D, having a rectangular-shaped opening D, which is surrounded by a guiding-flange D This plate D is bolted to the headlight-casing and also to the upper end of the cylindrical casing B, as most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 7,

and this plate is also preferably constructed with a flange D which is bolted to the front face of the headlight-casing, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. This construction serves to steady the upper portion of the cylindrical casing and also the moving parts of the headlight-blind.

The blind or screen E is made of any suitable material suitable for intercepting the rays of light, and this blind or screen is folded or plaited, as shown, and its upper side edges securely fastened by any suitable adhesive and flexible bands or strips F. The screen or blind is normally contained within a holder G, comprising side plates G and the top and bottom plates G and when the blind orscreen is folded and placed within the said holder the flexible strips orbands F will rest upon the inner faces of the top and bottom pieces G as most clearly shown in Fig. 7. WVire cables H are connected to the lower ends of the flexible bands or strips and are passed around pulleys I, journaled between the side plates of the holder adjacent to its lower end, the

top and bottom plates being cutaway to permit the cables to pass around the pulleys and through the said top and bottom plates. The cables are then carried upwardly and are connected at their upper ends to plates K, fas

tened upon the interior of the headlight-casing, and also serve to secure the upper ends of the flexible bands or strips F, said bands or strips being passed around pulleys L, journaled at the forward end of the blind or screen box upon opposite sides of the said blind or screen. The holder G is of such size and shape that it will work freely through the rectangular-shaped opening produced in the upper end of the casing B, headlight-casing A, and plate D, and inasmuch as the upper ends of the cable H and the upper ends of the flexible strips F are fastened at the same points upon opposite sides of the plaited or folded blind or screen it is obvious that as the holder is forced upwardly the folded blind or screen will be drawn from the holder and opened or expanded, the folds or plaits turning around the rollers L as centers of radiation, and when the upper end of the holder has been projected to a point approximately at the center of the headlight-casing a sufficient portion of the blind or screen will have been drawn out of the holder and expanded or folded, forminga complete circle, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5, and inasmuch as the side plates G project above and below the top and bottom plates G and inasmuch as the cables and flexible strips travel between said projected portions of the side plates it is obvious that the innermost edges of the blind or screen will be held between these projecting edges when the said blind or screen is fully expanded, thereby preventing any light escaping, as there is no crevice or opening between the inner edges of the blind or screen and the top and bottom edges of the holder. In order to project the holder upwardly and into the headlight-casing for the purpose of opening and expanding the blind or screen, I attach a piston M to the bottom of the holder and connect an air-pipe N to the lower end of the cylindrical casing B, said air-pipe leading into the locomotive-cab provided with a suitable regulating-valve under the control of the engineer, and whenever it is desired to project the holder into the headlight-casing the valve is opened and air introduced into the cylindrical casing behind and beneath the piston N. This forces the holder upwardly, and the cables and strips connected thereto operate to unfold the blind or screen, and so long as the air-pressure remains back of the piston N the blind or screen will be held in this position and the locomotive headlight completely eclipsed, and this operation, it is obvious, can be accomplished from the locomotive cab without interfering with the locomotive-headlight in the least, the sole purpose of the blind or screen being to exclude or cover up the light which would otherwise emanate from the locomotive-headlight. In order to withdraw the holder and fold the screen or blind therein as soon as the air-pressure is cut-off from the piston, I employ a strong spring 0, which is attached to the bottom of the piston at O, the opposite end being connected to a shaft 0*, around which the spring is coiled a number of times, said shaft being preferably provided with a suitable winding mechanism, by means of which the spring can be wound up and held at any desired tension. This spring is contained within the flat circular box. 0, the shaft 0 passing centrally therethrough, and the said box is constructed with a movable side, so that access to the winding mechanism can be conveniently had. It is obvious that when the piston is forced upwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, the spring will be drawn tight, and the moment that the air-pressure is released the tension of the spring will serve to draw the piston down, carrying with it the holder, and owing to the peculiar manner of .connecting the cables and flexible strips the blind or screen will be drawn back into the holder and will be folded upon itself as it is so drawn back.

Thus it will be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple and efficient construction of blind for locomotive-headlights which can be used in connection with any and all constructions of headlights, can be operated entirely from the locomotive-cab, and when in use will completely screen or blind the headlight.

I have already stated that my invention is particularly adapted for the purpose of screening locomotive headlights when the said locomotive is upon a siding; but it will of course be understood that my invention is capable of other uses, as some signal systems utilize the locomotive-headlight for the purpose of transmitting signals, and it is obvi ous that owing to the ease and facility of operation and the speed with which the blind or screen can be opened or closed that my invention would be particularly adapted to this system. i

Other uses and advantages will also be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with a locomotive-headlight, of a casing containing a foldable blind, means for expanding and projecting the blind in advance of the light, and means for retracting the blind.

2. A foldable blind adapted to be projected into a headlight-casing, a holder for carrying said blind, means for moving the said holder and means connecting the blind to the holder whereby as the said holder is moved in one direction the blind will be opened and closed when the holder is moved in the opposite direction.

3. A blind for locomotive-headlights comprising a foldable blind, a holder for carrying said blind, a cylindrical casing in which the holder is arranged, means for moving the said holder out of or into the cylindrical casing and means for connecting the foldable blind and the holder whereby the said blind willbe opened as the holder is projected from the casing and folded or closed as the holder is withdrawn into the casing.

4. Inalocomotive-headlight blind,the combination with a foldable blind, a holder for carrying said blind,the flexible strips to which the side edges of the foldable blind are secured, the inner ends of said flexible strips being secured or made fast, the cables connected to the lower end of said strips or hands, the upper ends of said cables being fastened also, the pulleys around which the flexible strips pass and the pulleys around which the cables pass,and means for movingthe holder, as specified.

5. A device of the kind described comprising a casing secured adjacent a locomotiveheadlight, a folding blind resting therein, a holder adapted to slide in thecasin g and carry the blind, flexible strips secured at one end to the casing and secured intermediate their ends to the blind, cables secured at one end to the lower ends of the flexible strips and at their opposite ends to the casing adjacent the upper ends of the flexible strips, a piston secured to the lower end of the holder,means for admitting compressed air into the casing beneath the piston, and a spring adapted to return the piston to its normal position.

6. In a blind for locomotive-headlights,the combination with a cylindrical casing adapted to be connected to the headlight-casing, of the piston arranged within the cylindrical casing, means for moving the piston back and forth in the cylindrical casing, a holder connected to the piston and adapted to be projected into the headlight-casing, and the foldable blind carried by the holder and means for connecting the said foldable blind to the holder, said means serving also to expand the blind as the holder is projected into the headlight-casing and fold the blind as it is withdrawn from the headlight-casing,as specified.

7. The combination with alocomotive-headlight casing, of a cylindrical casing opening into the headlight-casing in advance of the light, a piston adapted to slide in said casing, a rectangular holder secured to the piston and adapted to project into the headlight-casing when the piston is moved forward, a blind adapted to fold within the holder when drawn into the cylindrical casing, and to project from the holder and expand when the holder is projected into the headlight-casing; and means for moving said piston.

ALLEN MENTZER.

Witnesses:

P. G. E. HANSON, CHAS. MARQUARDT.

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