US2056153A - Lens retaining device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 6, 1936. M. .1. BELSON LENS RETAINING DEVICE Filed Sept. 27,. 1955 k 1 H H M21 00 J Balkan,

INv'ENTo R,

H 15 ATTORNEYg.

Patented Oct. 6, 1936 ATENT OFFICE LENS RETAINING DEVICE Milton J. Belson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Belson Manufacturing 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 27, 1935; Serial No. 42,373 1 Claim. (01. 24.11-41.55)

This invention relates to lens retaining devices.

It is an object of this-invention to provide an improved lens retaining device which is relatively simple and inexpensive'in construction and efficient in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and relatively more efiicient device for releasably retaining the lens of an automobile head light lamp, or other lamp, in position of use and in such a manner that the lens may be readily removed and replaced if and when desired.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View showing a preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view on line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view on line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

A preferred form of the present invention as shown in the drawing, is therein generally indicated at I0, and comprises a reflector or lamp, housing II which has an open end I2, and an end portion I3 which may be attached by means of bayonet slots I4 (Fig. 2) or in any other suitable manner, to a mounting or socket I5, and a conventional lamp bulb 26 is shown mounted in the socket I5 and arranged in the housing I I.

Arranged over the open end I2 of the reflector housing II is a transparent or like lens I6 and the present invention is particularly concerned with the provision of a novel means for releasably retaining the lens IS in position of use upon the reflector housing I I so that the lens I6 may be readily and quickly removed and replaced as and when desired.

To this end there is provided upon the reflector housing II, at the open and I2 thereof, a flange or crimped edge I I which extends around approximately one-half of the peripheral edge or circumference of the housing II, at the open end I2 thereof, and this flange I'I provides a receptacle for a part of the peripheral edge portion I8 of the lens I6.

Pivotally mounted at its ends, as at I9, upon the reflector housing II, adjacent the open end I2 of the latter, and adjacent the ends or termini of the flange I'I,is a'bale or lens-clamping ring 28 which includes a depending flange 2I.

Attached to the clamping ring 20, as at 24, is a resilient latch arm 22 and this latch arm 22 in- 5 cludes a clamping portion 23 which is releasably engageable with a latch keeper or stud 25 which is struck up from the surface of the housing II (Fig. 1).

Operation 10 The reflector housing II may be detachably or otherwise attached to a suitable support such, for example, as the lamp socket I5, and in any suitable manner, as by means of bayonet slots I4 15 or the like.

In order to releasably clamp a transparent or like lens I6 upon the housing II the clamping member or bale 20 may be moved intogpen position (as in dotted lines, Fig. 3), and the lens I6 may be placed against the open end I2 of the 20 reflector housing II and above the receptacle or flange II, (as the parts are seen in Fig. l), whereupon the lens I6 may be moved in a downward direction, and into the place in which it is shown in Fig. 1, until the lower peripheral edge 25 portion I8 thereof is disposed in the receptacle or flange IT. The clamping member 20 may then be pivoted back into closed or effective position, (from dotted to full line position, Fig. 3), whereupon the resilient latch element or arm 23 30 will engage the latch keeper 25 and retain the clamping member, 20 in eflective or clamping position, as in Fig. 1; it being noted that when the clamping member 2ll-2I is in efiective or clamping position, (as in Fig. 1, full lines, Fig. 3) 35 the depending flange portion 2I of the clamping member 20 bears against the outer face of the lens I6 and urges the latter into engagement with the wall which defines the open end of the housing II. In this manner the flange or receptacle I1 and the clamping member 202I cooperate to releasably retain the lens I6 in position of use.

If it is desired to remove or replace the lens I6 this may be readily accomplished by unlatching the spring latch element or arm 23 from the latch keeper 25, and then pivoting the clamping member 2G-2I into open position (from full to dotted line position, Fig. 3), whereupon the lens may be removed by lifting the same upwardly out of the flange or receptacle I7 and in a plane or direction parallel to the plane in which the lens I 6 is shown in Fig. 1.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I A lens-retaining device comprising a lamp"- housing including a body having an open end and said body being substantially circular in cross section at its said open end, said body-including a portion formed integrally therewith and said portion providing a groove substantially channel-shaped in cross section, said groove extend+ ing around approximately the lower half portion of the periphery of said housing at the said open ndtber cf and being disp sed' a a ly tward y the beds o s i h u in a d beyond. t e outer p ipherals-21 m he eof, s d roov p viding a receptacle for approximately the lower half portion of a lens arranged upon said housing at the said open end thereof, a clamping bale including a main body substantially semicircular in cross section and having end portions formed integrally with the said body and lying in a common plane with the latter, said end portions being pivotally mounted directly upon said housing adjacent the said open end thereof and adjacent the upper end portion of said groove, the said body of said clamping bale, when in effective position, projecting only partially, and a relative- 1y short distance, over the said body of said housing from the said open end thereof and less than the entire axial length of said body between the ends thereof, said clamping bale including a portion cooperating with said groove to retain a lens upon said housing whereby the said lens may be inserted into and removed from the said receptacle in a direction transverse to the long axis of said housing, and means for releasably latchngthe "s id clamp ng al n lat hed r e ective position upon a hous n I ON J LSQN-

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