US1532935A - Device for electrically illuminating card cabinets - Google Patents

Description

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J. S. PATTCN lfsigizgw DEVICE FOR ELECTRICALLY ILLUMINATING CARD CABINETS Filed Oct. 1923 WITNESSES IN VEN TOR Qfomv pg TTON -A TTORNEYS Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOHN SHELTON PATTON, 0F UNIVERSITY, VIRGINIA.

DEVICE FOR ELEGTRICALLY ILLUMINATING CARD CABINETS.

Application filed October 4', 1923.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. PA'ITON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of University, county of Albemarle, and State of Virginia, have in vented a new and Improved Device for Electrically Illuminating Card Cabinets, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to a means for illuminating a card catalogue cabinet or similar cabinet for holding card indexes, card digests, etc, and more particularly the invention relates to an electrical illuminating means contained in the cabinet and adapted to be brought into action by pulling out a cabinet drawer or equivalent sliding element.

The general object of my invention is to provide an efficient illuminating device mounted to move into or out of the cabinet and comprising an electric lamp included in a lighting circuit which is controlled by the movements of the device into and out of the cabinet.

A further object is to provide a lighting assemblage for the indicated purpose which may be advantageously associated with a drawer of the cabinet as the lamp-carrying means.

A further object of the invention is to provide efficient lighting means which when the drawer is partially pulled out and the lamp circuit closed the whole front of the cabinet will be amply illuminated.

The manner and means whereby the above and other objects are attained will clearly appear as the description proceeds.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming'a part of this 'specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a card cabinet having my illuminating means installed therein;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the drawer equipped with the illuminating means;

Figure- 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through said drawer.

In carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated, example the cabinet drawer 10 at the center of the top row of drawers in the cabinet 11 is provided with a transverse partition 12 positioned in practice about seven inches from the front. of

Serial No. 666,553.

the draw-er. ()n the front of said partition is secured a forwardly facing lamp socket 13 of any approved construction adapted to receive an electric lamp 11 so that the lamp will be disposed horizontally or approximately so in the front portion of the drawer.

Conductor members 15 extend from the lamp socket 13 rearwardly through the partition 12 to the back of the latter and the uncovered terminals 16 thereof have electrical contact or connection with spring contact members 17 which in practice are advantageously stamped from sheet metal. The contact plates 17 are suitably secured to the drawer 10 at the upper edge near the rear end as by screws 18, and formed with an arched portion, said arched portion rising above the drawer at the top to or about to the plane of the under surface of the top 21 of the drawer 10. The rear end of each contact plate 17 is downturn-ed as at 19 and said end in the fiexure of said plate 17 will have clearance in a notch 20 in the upper edge of the drawer 10.

Conductor wires 22 are in practice run from the floor for example upwardly to the top of the cabinet and are carried along the underside of said top, the conductors d1viding and the divided ends being secured by screws 23 passed upwardly as binding posts into the cabinet top 21. The heads of the screws 23 are in the path of movement of the contact plates 17 and constitute contacts to be engaged by said contact plates 17.

hen the drawer 10 is drawn outwardly it is evident that the lamp circuit will be closed by engagement of the contact plates 17 with the contact screws 23 and said circuit will be broken by the movement of the drawer toward the closed position.

The drawer 10 in front of the partition 12 is cut away to skeleton form whereby to present an opening 24: through the bottom of the drawer 10 and side openings 25. Thus, when the drawer is in the outer position and the lamp circuit closed, the whole front of the cabinet will be illuminated through the openings 24, 25, said openings 25, being at the sides, serving particularly to illuminate the drawers in the top row at each side of the drawer 10.

On the front of the drawer 10 in the card holder provided thereon is inserted a card 28 hearing the legend Light to indicate that that particular drawer contains the lighting means.

To prevent upward glare from the lamp l t I provide an arched shield 26 advantageously made of paper which adapted to be placed over said lamp, said shield in practice having cut-outs 2? in the sides thereof to atl'ord ample side illumination while aflording by the ends ol the shield the maximum protection against glare.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of the invention, 1 do not limit myself strletly to the exact details herein illustrated, since, manifestly, the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a card index cabinet and with a drawer thereof, oi an electric lamp supported in said drawer at the front portion thereolf, said drawer having an opening in the bottom, and means to close or break the lamp circuit by the movements of said drawer respectively to the outer and inner positions.

2. An illuminating means for card cabinets, comprising an electric lamp carried by a drawer ot the cabinet, said drawer ha:- ing openings for the emission of light rays from the lamp when the drawer is in the outer position, means to close and break the lamp circuit with the outward and inward movement ol' the drawer, and a shield in said drawer over said lamp.

3. An illuminating means for aid cabinets comprising an electric lamp carried by a drawer 'ot the cabinet, said drawer having side cut-outs -for the emission of light latorally and having an opening in the bottom thereof so that illumination of the interior of the cabinet and the drawers thereof will be produced by the rays emanating laterally and vertically from the lamp.

JOHN SHELTON PATTON.

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