US998501A - Headlight-shade. - Google Patents

Description

J. R. GREEN. HEADLIGHT SHADE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3,1910.

"998,501. Patented July 18, 1911.

l0 REI-Zecmva szmmcs WITNESSES: /5 INVENTOR.

61 14 46 1 LIOHN R GREEN.

W romvzvs.

, to estimate 'provements in Headlight-Shades,

JOHN B. denim, or nannnn'r,

TEXAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF 'IO PETEB KILDUFF,

or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HEADLIGHT-SHADE.

V Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Application filed February 3, 1910. Serial No. 541,810.

To all whom it may concern:-

, Be it known that I, JOHN R. GREEN; a citizen of the United States, residing at Dalhart, Dallam county, and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Im- I -of which the following is a s ecification.

This invention re ates to shades intended for use on the headlights of locomotives, electric cars, automobiles, and other vehicles, and has forits-object to provide a simple and efiective means for omitting the en ineer or driver to out o the main ray of i ht or'such portion thereof as may be desira. Is at will. i i

At the present time powerful headlights are largely used on such vehicles as those mentioned and their use is'very' desirable, especially on locomotives intended for high speed service, where it is desirable to stron 1y illuminate the track and surrounding 0 jects for as-great a distance as pos-' sible in advance. However, owing to the ve feature for which such headlights are desirable, viz., the intensity of the cam of light which they throw, they possess the disadvantage that they so blind a person looking toward them that it is very difficult the distance to them, whether they are advancing or receding, and if advancing, the speed of advance. Because of these facts many-serious railroad accidents haveoccurred, and a strong prejudice has arisen against their use in certain classes fireman will not be h a way that the track gineer or of service. Itis therefore desirable to provide means for enabling an, engineer or fireman to shade his headlight as he approaches another locomotive so that the enfireman of the approaching loco. motive will not be blinde in the above described manner.

It is the object of this invention to provide a shade which may be pplled down or deflected by the engineer or fireman so as to control the beam fromhis a way that the ap reaching engineer or inded, but also in such for a proper distance in front of the locomotive will be well illuminated. Such -a shade must be mechanicall strong enough to withstand the wind an other forces coming upon it when adapted to be headlight in such.

-firmly in any desired position, 'notwith travelin at high speed, and it must also be comp etely under the control of the operator 1n the cab without the necessity of his undul exposing himself.

In the rawm Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a bee light having my shade attached to it, showing a rod connected to-the shade and adapted to be connected with a suitable handle or other device in the cab, showing also by dotted lines the position which the shade may be made to assume &or cutting off the main beam of light, and also showing by dotted lines the manner in which the shade may be turned up out of theway after the rod has been disconnected therefrom to enable the operator to open the front doors of the headlight for cleaning or other pu oses. Fig. 2 1s a front elevation .of a hea light having my shade attached to it and showing by dotted lines the low- ,ercd position of the shade; and Fig. 3 is a detail showing one method of securing the controlling rod or other device in any desired position in the cab.

A headlight 3, which may be of any suitable construction,' is preferably provided with a pair of lugs 4 and 5, near v\tsnpper portion, and preferabl as far fbrvvard on thebody portion of t e headlight as 41oz sible. These lugs should be some distance apart so that they may support a shade 6 firml against twisting forces. The shade 6, whic maybe of any suitable form and size, may be provided with a pair of ears 7 an fastened tothe lugs 4 and 5, as by means of bolts 9 and 10. The shade should be of a width which will ermit its rear portion to extend past the ody part of the lamp when the shade is deflected downward into the dotted line position Any desired connecting means, such as stifi rod 11, provided withan enlar d on portion 12, may be used for control ing the shade from the cab. This connecting means must be so stiif that it 'will hold the shade standing wind. and other forces coming upon the shade; 12 of the rod is preferably provided with a hole for receiving a thumb. screw or bolt 13 so' that when desired the rod can be'easily disconnected from theshade when the latter The enlarged end portionis to be thrown up into a position 14 for permitting the doors and lenses 15 and 16 to be opened. i

The shade should be of such a design that when thrown down into a! position 17 the upper portion 18 of the beam of lightswill not strike thc eyes of the engineer or fireman in the .cab of the approaching locomotive, and yet so that the track will be well illuminated for some distance in front of the locomotive on which the headlight shade is being controlled. I

The rod 11 'may be provided with a gripping portion 19 for permittin it to be easily manipulated, and any suitab e means, such as a thumb-screw 20 may be rovided to'lock the rod in any desired position with respectto the frame work 21 of the locomotive.

It is seen that the shade of my invention may be so designed and constructed that. it may completely cut off that portion of the beam of light which would otherwise inter-. fere with the vision of an approaching engineer or fireman, but so that It will not out oil that ortion of the beam of light necessary to i luminate the track immediately in front of the locomotive carrying the shaded headlight. In general the under portion of the shade should be of reflective material so as to throw the light down on the track to aid in illuminating the same.

,. Although I have shown and described a shade which in normal position extends only half-way down by the side of the lenses, still I do not limit myself to such a shade, inasmuch as it is evident that in some locations it may be desirable to have a deeper shade, while in other locations it may not be necessary that the shade should extend half-way down; y a

Although I have shown and described a rod for connection to a point on the shade for controlling the same from the cab, still I do not limit myself to the use of a red, as it is evident that an suitable connector may housed. Neither o I limit myself to the use of a thumb-screw for connecting the rod to the shade, as it is evident that the na ture of this connector will depend upon whether it is necessary to easily disconnect the rod from the shade. and other circum stances. Neither do I limit myself to the use of lugs formed on the body portion of the headlight and ears formed on the shade and adapted to e06 crate with theflu s for supportin the sha e," as the manner 0 connecting tlie shade to the body portion of a the headlight will depend upon the size of the shade, its shape, the shape of the headlight and other clrcumstances.

It is evident that any suitable means may be rovidedin the cab for controlling the position of the shade, and this may be in the form of a til'mmb-screw as shown and described, orin the form of a rack or any other suitable device.

Although I have shown and described a shade adapted to be controlled from a dis-. tance by l'neans of a rod or otherwise, still I contemplate also the use of a shade provided with a thumb-screw or other locking device, so that it may be firmly secured in any position without the possibility of being controlled from a distance, as it is evident that this would be the simplest form in headlight to permit the shade to be swun,

downward an amount to partially cut oil the main beam of light, and the side walls portion to prevent the embracing the bod escape of light sldewise past the shade, whereby that portion of the beam of light which is directed horizontally down the track is cut off and that portion thereof which illuminates the trackv immediately in advance of the locomotive is not cut off, substantially as described. I

2. In combination with the forward portion and lens of a headlight, a swinging shade therefor in the form of an apron substantially straight in its longitudinal direction, provided with [downwardly hanging side walls of substantial depth, and of a relatively freflective character on its lower inner face, the shade bein pivoted to the upper portion of the head ight body rearwa'rdly of the lens, and being of such a width that the downwardly hanging side walls extend outward] past the sides of the headlight to permit t e shade to be swung downward an amount to partially cut off the by" that portion of the beam of light which is directed horizontally down the traclr is cut off and is deflected downwardly to 1lluniinate the track immediately in advance of the loconilotive, substantially as described.

. JOHN R. GREEN. Witnesses:

.Cm'rroun BRALY, FRANK M. TATUM.

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