US1827963A - Illuminating device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 20, 1931.v J. J. woMPEY 1,827,963

. ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed March 5. 1929 A TTORNE YS.

Patented Oct. 20, '1931' l I Applica-:lioni ledy March 5,

y Thislinvention relates to illuminatingde'-V vices andiits main object '1s to provide anilluminatingunit which alight of very high l intensity is ee'ono'mically;l producedfwith a' minimum expenditure' of electric. current, or

other light-producing medium. i A further object resides in of an arrangement ot parts by which a surfacey of considerable length may be4 evenly 10:: illuminated'- and-With great brilliancy, byv the 'the followingdescription.

My invention 1sl particularly adapted` forY the illuminationof signs althoughy it maybe used with fgoiod effect for general lighting purposes;y and. itis in the form of a sign that '20S the invention has been: 'illustrated in the ac-l companyigdrawings.l 'p f i "j f Figure 1 of' lie dravvngs representsa lon. gitudinal; section vin a horizontal plane, vof a` sign iny Whichzthe distinctive'features ofthel 5f? invention are;embodied,Ar Figure 2,y a: iagcejvievv` ofthe sign shown in- Figure'l, Figure 3Q atiiansversesectionialonglthel line s-arifguree; f Y

395 Figure 4, a transverse section'talgenonthe p line L-LLLFigurel2, -I .p l A Figure` 51a' perspective v ie'vvE of'iaV portion oi' aprismatic Ve ventifon; Y, Y Y v 35" Figureyasectional view similar to Figurel 1f, but. drawn toa' smaller scale; yshovving' a' modified form. of the invention', andv l 5 Figure 75, la section similar to Figure @illustrating another modiiicationfo'f vthe invention; A

' VLikefreference Vnumerals-i fdesignatef ,corre` spending partsthroughoutthe vievvs:

" The iillulminatingiunit asshovvn", lct'nnprises '5 an'el'ongatedibox 5 0i' 'preferablylrectan'guiar` A "section, the open front of lwhich closed'by means'of 'ai plate of prismaticfglassf Y l This glassias'shovvn linr Figure Y 5, has a ribbedsurface and for the purpose 'of l the present'invention: 'it' isp:referredl to havefthev sourceA yof light,y as shoWn-inFigurejS," and its 1 ribs Textend'transversely of'theplate'with-l respect to the" longitudinal; extent; of; theff boxk the provision j plate and leave :the'latter angle thereto.

centrating eiiciency is an important part of the`1nvent1on.

' ofthe bea'mfof light produced inthe source; 75"*` l I 'opening of the box.` Thie'lamp and there'- useda-s an' element oithezinf y v i' f f 22, affords access to the source o'fflight'for'its K .adjustment or' renewal. v i' i f surface,`Within the box, is a'5preferably'rew-V tofa point closelyedjaeent the insmimung se# 1929; serial N. 344,367; .j fA

andK to placev the plate 'in' the opening of? kthe box with its ribbed surface-innermost.- yEach 1 ribV of thev glassfjplaterepresentsa prism adapted lto ibe'ndfrays of lightdirecte'd'/atan ,j acute angle tothe plate, at an 'angle'tothe'sur`=y 55" v face of thesame. Certain raysvvill passdiVV A rectlythrough the platerbut others are'reilected? at an anglev and? directed.i againstthe reflector 14'. Those rays Which 'are deflected A) from'the reflector 14 are refracted'by the glass 66' on lines at a right The source of lightconsists'o'f asingle i'n-'fv candescent lamp Spiaced at an end of the boxv in 'the axis of a concentrating reflectc' ry 9. 65T' Thereflectoris preierablyof parabolic form but the shape of itsrreflectivesurface maybe Varied `from a t-ru'e parabolic curve according to varying requirements.' It is fto be undery n stoodhowever, thata-reector of'highcon- 76y p,

' lhevlamp and the reflector are conjointly'" adjustable to vary the direction" of the axis With relation tothe illuminating surface provided by the transparent plate covering the]` Hector are Yfor'this purpose 'mounted on asup'- ort 10 that is'pivotally mounted as atlQon 80"?" la) bracket 18 fastened to the? rear 'Wall-ofi the OX'JT. Y

An opening 21normallyfclosedfbyracover Y j 83* Rearward @of the transparentilluminating tlect'ivefback' lli'that'" slants from a pointadf jacentthe vreflector in the rear Wall othelboxy surfacegzatlthe enf'vllof thebox opposite to that' i at Whichthefsource olf'light i'slocated; Y l The` back` has for' its :object toI conne "the light' rays to the'bejam thrown out'the sourceof light and`- to thereby: conserve fthe 95"' illuminative intensity` of theibeam Ythroughout itslength.YY Y 2 f i' Y curve diminishes k graduallyufntil i at its .end 'flowk equal distances from its ends, while the rays Y, amount of currentconsumed' inthe source of f at which it approaches the illuminating sur- Y face it is substantially straight, as indicated in Figure 41' ln Figure 1 the beam of light produced in the source and directed toward the prismatic plate that closes the openingo the boX.;

the lightsource is adjusted to a position in j which the axis 16 of the light beam coincident with that of the reflector, strikes -the'illuminating surface at a pointv at substantially at the periphery of the beam strike the reflective surface at its ends. v'

The reflective back Maids in diffusing the lightA beams with uniform intensity -thrc` ugh` out the length ofthe boxandeach light ray of the'beamis bent-as it strikes-the'prismatic angles through the plate, as indicated at 17.

Moreover7 therays from the lamp and theV 'parabolic reiiector strike` the prisms at such anangle that thebent surfaces of the prisms reflect the'light` rays-againstthe reflector 14.

The latterreiiects the rays and directs them towards the prisms on lines which, aresufliciently near thenormal that they pass through the Vplate 6 and illuminatel the sign.

highilluminative power in proportion to the light and itis a distinctive -feature of the device that lthe' propagated light is` of subj stantially `uniform, intensity throughout the length-ofthe illuminating surface despite the fact that the source of light is located at one end thereof. Y Y' 1 To use the illuminating unit as a sigma `=sheet of glass 18,bearing the'letters or otherl charactersof the sign, may be placed in front r of the prismatic plate, or the letters orother designs may bev painteddirectly upon the smooth outer surface' ofthe pla-te.. A

Either er both. the glass plate .6 and the sheetof'glass 18 may be colored and the lettersof the sign may be transparent or trans- Y lucent uponanY opaque background, as indicated inFigure 1.`

It will be understood that various elects too` numerous to,mention,..may be produced by varying the colors or designs on the' prisinatic plate or the ,sheet of glass covering -the same. `The inventionisv subject to several modi.-

fieations within, its scope and spiritas delinedvin-the hereunto .appended claims.

For-example, twoorvmore illuminating Velements, Veach having a'prismatic surface.- may be simultaneously lightedv from one and the that two intersecting beams. arefdirected toe f War-d their@ primati@ Panes fofiglass..

Vthe broken lines 15 indicate` j inthe center of the unit. 4.The devicethus constructed has eXtremelyi havingV an open :fron-afa .plate covering the opening of the front, and having a ribbed The longitudinal reflector has two parts 19 slanting from points adjacent the prismatic plates at the end of the boXopposite to that at which the source of light is located, to a point of intersection in the aXis of the source which in this instance is substantially parallel Y to the illuminating surfaces. .i i Thelamp'is inthe focus of thepre'flector and,v

V ter-orbeing generally of` greater width, two l or more sources of light may, b eiplaced *oneabove another at theendof ythe box. Y

Inasmuch asall ofthe above l niodiiications, arefmereV .duplications of the.

thought unnecessaryto urtherillustrate the same.

VIn, Figure 7, has been shownan ,illuminating Y 90 are disposed at opposite ends of the boX, and

unit ot greater length. Two sources4 of light InentionedY .85 forms shown inftheV drawings, 1t has; been,

the longitudinal, reflectors V2OV back of the.' prismatic plate slant toward a meeting point;

' What I claim and ters Patent'is: ,Y Y ,j 1

1'. illuminating device comprising abo);

desire tolsercureby Lethaving an open `front, a platelcovering the.: opening of thefront, `and `having a ribbed surface providing a .series of prisms adapted mi for the reflection of light at substantially y right angles,ito;thefront, a lamp in theibox, at an end ofthe opening, a reflector slant'- ingly` disposed to ldirect the lightffrom` the lamp toward the opening, and 'a rellective m5 back slantingfrom adjacent the lamp toward the opening, to form with the plate a graduf allyftapering enclosure, adaptedto equalize -the intensityV of the light rays longitudinally of .the openings.;

2. An laminating vitefmiraigabqx having: opentront, `aplate covering the opening of thejfront, andhaving a ribbed,VV

surface providing a series of prisms adapted for. the reflection of' lightyat substantially Vright angles tothe front, a lanip in the` box,

at an end'fof the Jopening, -av parabolicre flectorslantingly disposedto direct the light fromfthe lampltoward the opening, anda reflective hack slanting4 from( adj acentthe lam toward the opening, tonform with the plate` a'l gradually tapering enclosure, adapted to Y equalize the intensity of the light'rays longitudinallyoji the opening. i

3. AAn illuminating device comprisinga box surface, providing {aseries ofprismsiadapted at an end of the opening, a reflector slantinrgly disposed to direct the light from the lamp toward'` the opening, and .a transversely 4curvedreflective back slanting from adjacent the lamp toward the opening, to form With the plate a gradually tapering enclosure,

adapted to equalize the intensityof the light rays longitudinally of the opening.

4.- An illuminating device comprising a-box having an open front,a plate covering the opening of the front, and having a ribbed surface providing a series of prisms adapted for-the reflection of light at substantially nature.

VVe.

lamp toward the opening, and a reflective vback slanting from adjacent the lamp toward the opening, to form with the plate, a gradually tapering enclosure adapted to equalize the intensity of the light rays longitudinally of the opening, the reflective back being transversely curved and the curvature of the back diminishing gradually from its endadjacent the lamp to its opposite end. y

In testimony whereof I have aliixed my sigright angles to thefront, a lamp in the box, 'Y

at an end of the opening, a reflector slant-- ingly disposed to direct the light beam from the lamp toward the opening so that the axis of the beam strikes the plate centrallyof the opening, and a reflective back slanting from adjacent the lamptoward theV opening, to form With the plate a gradually tapering enclosure adapted to equalize vthe intensity of the light-rays longitudinally of the opening.

75 JOHN J, WOMPEY. n

f Soi 5. An illuminating device'comprising a n thelamp toward the opening so that the axis of the vbeam strikes the plate centrally Vof, the opening, and a reflective back slanting from adjacent the lamp toward the opening in a direction substantially parallel to that of the axis of the light-beam, to 'lformvvith the plate a gradually tapering enclosure adapted to equalize the intensity of the light rays longitudinally of the opening.

6. An illuminating device comprising a box having an open front, a plate-covering f the opening of the front,'and having a ribbed surface providing a series of prisms adapted for the reflection of light at substantially 'v right angles to the front, a lamp in the box,

at an end of the opening, a reflector slantvingly disposed to direct the light from the lamp toward the opening, and a reflective back slanting from adjacent the lamp toward the opening, to form With the plate a gradually tapering enclosure adapted to equalize 'Y l the intensity of the light rays longitudinally of the opening, the lampand the ireflector being entirely concealed by the lpart of the frontforward ofthe adjacent `end lof the opening. Y Y 1 y 7 An illuminating device comprising a box having an open front, a plate covering the opening of the front, andhaving a ribbed surface providing a series of prisms adapted for the reflection of light at substantially right angles to the front, a. lamp in the box, at an Aend of the opening, a reflector slantf ingly disposed to direct the 'light from the v

Images