US1670572A - Hospital night light - Google Patents

Description

vMay 22, 1928. y A P. HOTCHKIN HOSPITAL NIGHT LIGHT Filed Aug. 26, 1926 ramas .May 22,1928.

' PAUL ivi. HQTCIIKIN, oIcIIIcAGo, ILLINOIS;

HOSPITAL NIGHT LIGHT.'

Application filed August 26, 1926. Serial No 131,771.

My invention relates to an illuminating device and has reference to a structure more particularly adapted for use Jfor the purpose of illuminating the floor oi rooms or apartments, orA places of assembly, where it is desired to retain a subdued light above the plane of the light unit and at the same time give sufficient illumination to the ioor so that persons moving about may discern objects thereon. My invention has' especial reference to an illuminating device that may be readily installed at the baseboard or .near the loor of a hospital room, ward, or hall, oi.' it may be placed' alongside the aisles of cinema auditoriums where it is customary to maintain the auditorium in a darkened condition, but toilluminate the floor to such an extent that persons in the audience may be guided through the aisles to the eXits. In hospitals it is frequently desirable to darken the room of a patient, as a result oi which the nurses and attendants coming into the room from a. lighted hallway cannot observe objects in the room until theiry eyes have become accustomed to the darkened quarters.

My present structure is conveniently made in the form of a boX or housing that may be readily mounted upon the studding or similar partition during the construction of the building, prior to the applicationl of the plaster, so that a recess is left in the wall in which a suitable lamp is mounted and the recess closed by a removable front plate oi' closure which may be more or less .ernamental to conform with the scheme of decoration. rlhe front plate or closure is preferably Jenestrated and thelamp is so mounted that the rays yof light emanating therefrom cannot pass out of the structure in an upward direction. Also the .amount of light passing through the enestra of the I'ront plate or closure may be controlled so that the desired amount of illumination of the flooris obtained. I have also provided means fora simple adjustment ofthe light control devices and have' vshielded vthe adjusting meansin a manner so that it may not be tampered with by unauthorized persons.

Among the objects of my inventioiiare the provision of an illuminating device of thev character above mentioned that is eX- tremely compact in construction, is dependable in operation, lis formed from a miniin the claims.

mum of parts and thereby. economical to maiiutacture, and which is-novel inthe arrangement and design yof the divers parts.

I prefer to accomplish the objects hereof and to carry out my invention in `substantially the manner hereinafter fully' de;

scribed and as more particularly pointed out Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings that formy f a part ofthis specification, in which drawings Fig. l is a vertical front elevation, of my improved illuminating device.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section thereof, the socket-terminal and the shade or reflector being in full elevation.` i

In the drawings I have employed similar reference characters to designate the same parts wherever they appear throughout the several views, and by referringto said drawings, vit will 'be seen the structure ,f preferably comprises a housing or enclosure u consisting of vertical side walls 5, topv and.v

bottoml walls 6 and 7, respectively, anda rear or back wall 8. It will be appreciated the side and rear walls-may be formed of; one piece of sheet metal bent U-shapeinV section and mounted in a; vertical plane.

The top and bottom walls are providedwith lateral flanges 9 and l0, respectively, around their edges ,that iit into and are@ suitably secured, by ,spot or' electrical-weldingto the ends of the verticaly walls 5 and 8, with the flanges 9 of the top wall projecting downwardly while the angeslO of the bottom wall project upwardly.y The width of the side walls 5 is such thatthe boxlile housingjust described may-be secured 'to one of the studding of a building` wall forpartition and be accommodated between the lathing` and plasterthat are on opposite sides thereof. The upper portions. of -thefside walls 5 are provided with kno clrouts which, when one of them is removed, provides an opening l1 through which the conductor wires `may bev admitted laterally intol the housing. f i 1 I have provided a dividingA partition 12, formed similar tothe topl wall lwith its flanges 13 securedv to the adjacent portions of the vertical walls 5 and 8. This partition l2 is provided with a central aperture, in which a socket terminal 14 of any welllrnown type may be mounted and connected with the conductork wires inthe usual manlower compartments and the upper compartment isvclosed by means of a rectangular plate 17 that'is securedto the adjacent front llanges 9 and 13 of the top wall and the partition by means oi screws 18-and 19, thus closing the upper compartment to comply w1th`-fire ordinances, but it will be understood said plate may be removed whenever it 1is necessary to have access to the :upper compartment. f

The entire front ol' the housing -is ,prefN erably closed by a cover plate I20ct rectangular shape of slightly greater dimensions than the height and width ol' the housing when installed, so that the edges of the cover plate may Vbefitted flush against the finished plaster, in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and the cover plate is secured in position by means of the upper screw 18 that connects the plate 17 -to the housing, and by the lower screw 21 that screws'into thelfront portion-oli' the flange 10 of the bottom plateof the housing. It will be seen that'the shade or reflector 15 projects, at

its front edge, beyond the planeet the front edges ot the sidewalls, duetto the fact that the space in which the housing is mounted is usually restricted, and, due to the tact that the reflector is formed so vals to project thelight rays downwardly inan oblique forward direction, the cover plate is provided with 'an outwardly bulged portion 22 of pyramidal shapeand below the horizontal plane of the 'lamp or bulb into which theouter corner of the rellecto'i` protrudes. The front Vplate or Closure is provided with a fenestra inlthe form'ota horizontally elongated, rectangular opening 23, the edges of the fenestra being formed with -L'-shaped flanges 24 projecting "outwardly from the plate 2O to provide aiseat to receive a .plate of glass v25 or othersuitable-light transmitting materialthat -is secured in positionby-means of a metal cleat 26 extended over the upper edge of the window. VThe light from the bulb or lamp '16 will thus'beemitted fromthehousing only ina downward direction against `the floor and cannot reach the plane of the eyesifof persons adjacent the same.

In order to controlthe quantity of light that passes out through the window, 'I have provided 'a0 hood or shield thatco-operates with the window and consists of spaced end "plates 27 of triangular shape that are connected by a back plate 28 and a bottom plate 29, thus leaving the frontportion open. The end plates 27 are pivoted adjacent their lower forward corners upon pins '30 'so that the said hood or shield may be swung upon its pivots toward and from the front closure plate 20. The pivots oli' the hood or shield are preferably belowi'the plane ot the lower 20 opposite or alongside the front edgeol themember 29lof the hood; The bushing is threadedinternally so that when the bolt is lrotated, itsD inner endr willv impinge against theforward edge of the 'hood member 29 and cause the hood to be moved so that its upper'cdge will approach the window. A reverse movement of the bolt permits the hood to gravitate until its inner longitudinal corner rests upon the. bottom plate?1 ot the housing, The external portion of tlr'e'b'ushing 34 is also threaded anda cup-shaped guard' or-prote'ctor 35 is screwed thereon so as to cover'the head or projecting portion ot' the-*adjustingbolt and saidlguard isprovided with'a centralaperture36 in its outer end through which la screw driver may be inserted into the'slot inthe headfof'the bolt for rotating the later. A Under ordinary conditionstheguard 35 may be omitted, but where there is yliability ofun'authorized persons tamperinggwith the same and thus Changingtheadjustment of the hood, the yguardv 35 may be lemployed so thatlthe only manner of rotatingthe bolt -33 is by means of'afscrew driver `or similar tool. f,

It ispossib'leifor othermeansto be 'employed to control the'quantity of` light which passes Vthrough the fenestratedI front plate and other means than those disclosed kmay be employed for adjusting l'the hood. I desire it understood, therefore, 'thjat I do not limit myself tothe precise'construction herein diselosedjand that `alterations Land modifications thereof. are lfully v contemplated as coming 'within the scopefof myV invention as expressed in the appended claims. n

1. A device 'of the-'kind described comprising a housing having-a fenestrated front wall, a lamp therein above the horizontal plane offth'effenestra, apivoted-hood within the housing for vco'i'itrolling the 'quantity vof light'passing through said fenestra, said' hood pivoted to gravitateaway from thefenestra, and lmeans voperable from y'the "exterior of the housing for moving said hood upon its lUll pivot and maintaining the same in divers positions of adjustment.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a housing having an open front, a fenestrated wall closing the front of the housing, a lamp within the housing above the plane of the fenestra, a hood mounted upon said closure wall and controlling the quantity oit light passing through said lenestra, and means mounted upon said wall and operable from the exterior of the housing for moving and maintaining said hood in `divers positions oi' adjustment.

3. A device oi' the kind described co1n prising a housing having an open front, a enestrated wall closing the front of the housing, a lamp within the housing above the plane oit the ienesti'a, a hood pivoted upon the lower portion oi' the closure-wall below the enestra, and a rotatable cam element mounted upon the wall and operable from the eX- terior for moving and maintaining said hood in divers positions of adjustment.

4. An illuminating devicecomprising a housing having an open front, a removable fenestrated wall closing the front, a lamp within said housing, a eoncavo-convei; hood mounted upon said iront wall and adapted to open and close said enestra, said hood being pivoted so as to be constantly urged by gravity away from the fenestra, and means engaged with said hood and operable 'from the exterior of the housing whereby to move said hood and support the same in divers positions.

5.v An illuminating device comprising a housing having an open front, a removable enestrated wall closing the front, a lamp within said housing, a concavo-eonvex hood mounted upon said front wall'and adapted to open and close said fenestra, said hood being pivoted so as to be constantly urged by gravity away from the enestra, and a cam deviee'rotatably mounted on housing having a portion engaged with said hood and operable from the exterior ot the housing whereby to move said hood and support they same in divers positions. y

6. An illuminating device comprising a housing having an open front, a fenestrated wall closing the front oi' the housing, a transverse partition dividing the interior of the housing into separated compartments, a lamp mounted on said partition and arranged to 'project light through said fenestra, a shutter pivotally mounted uponsaid closure walladjacent said i'enestra and adapted to open and close the latter, and a rotatable cam element. mounted upon said wall and Voperable from theexterior of the housing for changing the Josition of saidv shutter with respect to the ienestra and lamp.

Signed at Chicago, in the county ofI Cook and State oi' Illinois, this 16th day of August, 1926.

PAUL M.v HOTCHKIN.

ACH

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