US1538014A - Vehicle headlight - Google Patents

Description

May 19,1925. 1,538,014

E. WHITAKER VEHICLE HEADLIGHT Filed March 5., 1924 Inventor, .E'd Whitaker, by

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Patented May 19, 1925.

19 E51 PAT OFF! cs.

ED WHITAKER; 0F WATER/LOO, IOWA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGLL MENTS, OLE" oNE THIRD TO I RETA LI ESCHEB, OF CHICAGQILLINOIS.

VEHICLE HEADLIGHT.

Application filed March 3, 1924'. Serial- No. 696,627.

TocZZ whom-it may concern.

Be it known that I,. E1) WHITAKER, citizen of the United States, residing: at W aterloo, in the county of Black Hawk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Headlights, of which the followingis a specification;

My invention relates tO'. improvements in vehicle headlights, and the object of my improvement is to' supply particularly for use on motor vehicles a headlight which is so constructed as to limit vertical light dispersion upwardly and downwardly while permitting sidewise light dispersion, and arranged with cooperating opposite reflecting surfaces adapted to receive, conserve and direct light rays emitted from a source of illumination within thedevice, to the utmost advantage in the proper illumination of the road before and to the sides of the vehicle, while preventing inconvenient glare to the drivers of vehicles approaching from an opposite direction;

This object I have accomplished by the means which arehereinafter' described and claimed and which are illustrated in the accompanying-- drawings, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without de parting from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section of my improved headlight and Fig. 2 a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical central longitudinal section of a modification of my improved headlight, and Fig. 4 is a front elevation thereof.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the nu meral 1 denotes a common form of lamp shell or housing within which is positioned a parabolic or concave reflector 2, mounted and secured therein in any desired wayas by the clamping ring 3, the latter also serving to secure in place on the lamp the transparent closure l together with upper and lower hoods or shutters 7 and 8, the former without and the latter within the lamp.

The upper hood or shutter 7 is preferably a hollow spherical segment but may be otherwise shaped. The lower hood or shutter 8 is preferably a hollow conical frustum with its inner curvate edge approximately coaxial with the reflector 2, and the frustum 8 is also segmental and its upper horizontal edge'is positioned at a: short distance below the horizontal lower edge of the hood 7' to give clearance therebetween at the sides of the lamp for sidewise uninterrupted light dispersion to thus illuminate the sides of the road at both sides of the vehicle;' The curvate edge9 permits light to be directed ahead: froma lamp 5 positioned at the focal point of the reflector 2', and the lamp ispreferably mounted at 6 within the'reflector 2 dependingly as shown to thus prevent cuttingolfany of the reflecting surface of the reflector directly behind the lamp. The reflector 2" is also slightly tilted forwardly and; downwardly, being shaped with its lower part elongated to have its forward edge in an appproXima-te' vertical transverse plane. This slight tilting results indirecting reflected light rays slopingly toward the road in front of the vehicle at a determined forward limit thus aiding in giving better illumination to the road in that area while measurably preventing; upward light dispersion;

Howeveiythe forwardly projecting segmental hood 7 serves to limit the upward dispersion of light projection to a part below a certain height which height is below the height of the eyes of the driver of a vehicle approaching from an opposite direction, whereby a blinding glare is absolutely prevented such as often leads to accidents when no such shutter is provided.

The lower hood or shutter 8 shuts off light dispersion slightly as against upward dispersion of light from the lower part of the reflector 2. The inner surfaces of both hoods or shutters 7 and 8 are made reflecting, whereby the light from the lamp 5 otherwise shut off thereby is received and conserved directively by reflecting the rays toward the reflector 2 thence to be projected forwardly as limited in direction by the hoods. As the hoods 7 and 8 are spaced apart vertically, as will be seen in Fig. 2, sidewise dispersion of light is not prevented, so that the light is directed sidewise from both sides of the vehicle.

Referring now to said Figs. 3. and 4, illustrating a modification of my invention, the same shows a construction wherein the principle of my invention is preserved, as adapted in use to existing lamps. The housing 1, ring 3, glazing 4 and hoods or shutters 7 and 8 are the same as shown in F ig; 1, but the reflector 2 of the parabolic type is the usual untilted kind having a central rearwardly rimmed opening at 11 which usually receives the shank 6 of a lamp 5. However, a smaller concave reflector 10, is positioned within the reflector 2, slightly tilted forwardly and downwardly with its axis below the axis of the reflector 2, and having a rearwardly directed hollow stem 12 which is passed through the rimmed opening 11 to project therefrom and with its projecting end exteriorly threaded to receive a socketed nut 14 which also incloses the rim 11 lockingly. A lamp 5 has its shank 6 mounting in the upper part of the reflector 1O withthe lamp at the focal point thereof, the conductors 13 being carried between the reflectors and through an opening in the stem 12 and through the hollow of the latter as, shown. I i

The headlight shown in said Figs. 3 and 4 operates the same as the one shown in Figs. l and 2, and the tilting of the inner reflector 1.0 answers the same purpose as the tilting of'the reflector 2 of Fig. 1. This is a convenient method of installing the invention in the existing form of lamps. Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I 1. In combination, differently sized nested concave reflectors, a concave reflecting screen projecting forwardly of the upper part of the reflectors to limit upward dispersion of light'therefrom, and a segmental truncated conical reflecting screen supported across the forward lower part of said reflectors and apically directed interiorly to limit and concentrate downward dispersion of light therefrom, the adjacent transverse edges of said screens being separated vertically to permit sidewise dispersion of light from the reflectors.

2. In combination, a concave reflector, a concave reflecting screen projecting across the upper front part of the reflector, and a forwardly concaved 'screenextending into the reflector and positioned across its lower front part and having in its upper edge a recess located below the level of the lower transverse edge of the upper screen to delimit light reflected through the recess from a source of illumination within the hollow of the reflector, said adjacent screen edges being vertically spaced.

3. In combination, a concave reflector, another andsmaller concave reflector mounted therein and forwardly of its reflecting surface, the latter reflector being tilted to displace its focal center from the focal radius of the former reflector to thereby direct light reflected from the latter reflector only obliquely downwardly forwardly, and refleeting screens mounted at the upper and lower parts of the first-mentioned reflector and spaced vertically to direct light sidewise while limiting its dispersion upwardly and downwardly. I a

In testimony whereof he aflixes his sig nature. V Waterloo, Iowa, February 29th, 192

ED WHITAKER.

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