US2255291A - Electric hand lantern - Google Patents

Description

sept. 9, 1941u 5. H. LARSON 2,255,291

ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN Filed sept. 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet i Q Ill!! Mmmm lm` @11111111 Sept. 9, 1941. c. H. LARsoN ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN Filed sept. 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 9, 1941 2,255,291 ELECTEIC'HAND LANTERN Carl H. Larson, Elkhart,

Adlake Company, a corporation of Illinois 1nd., assigner to The Application september 21,1938, serial No. 231,037

7 Claims.

by railway trainmen and switchmen requires a lantern that will light up car numbers and such like to make them clearly visible for quick reading, and that is best accomplished with a lamp I lector. Such a lamp, however, is not clearly visible for signals to the side of the reector. For` instance, an engine man in a locomotive Cab would get no direct rays from a bottom reflector lantern carried by the bail in the normal way by a switchman standing on the ground.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a well focused lamp for general illumination and a well exposed lamp to throw direct rays for signals.

Another object of the invention is to simplify and improve the switch mechanism for controlling the lamps.

Further objects and advantages of the inven-v tion will be revealed as the description is read lin connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating selected embodiments of the invention, and in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a lantern;

Much work done Fig. 2 is a plan section taken on the lirie 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections taken on 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 2, the of the lantern being broken the lines 3-3 and upper and lower parts away; i

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the preferred form of switch;

Fig. 6 is a plan section similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified form switch in open circuit position;

Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. switch in solid lines in nal lamp and in dotted lines in closed circuit on the other lamp;

6 showing the Figs. 8 and 9 are vertical sections on the lines:

8--8 and 9--9, respectively, of Fig. 6 the upper and lower parts of the lantern being broken away;

Fig. 10 is a view lantern; and v Fig. ll is a perspective view of a modified form of switch suited to the construction shown in Figs. 6 to l0.

These particular forms, however, are shownA for the purpose of disclosure only. and are not intended to impose unnecessary limitations -on the claims.

Generally speaking the lantern includes a casing I0 equipped with a having a hinged bail |2 secured to looking at the bottom of the it by bolts I3.v

well focused in a good reof construction with theclosed circuit on the sigby a ring of non-conducting material 32.

(Cl. 2ML-10.63)

The base of the lantern is formed by a guard ring I4 and four vlegs I5 having their upper ends secured to the casing.

As will be seen best from Figs. l, 3 and 4, the casing in this instance is a drawn cylinder with beads I6 and an integral bottom I1.

A sleeve I8 telescopes over the lower portion of the casing and hasan inturned flange I9. Secured to this ange is a false bottom, generally indicated by the letter A, which bott-om has two reflecting surfaces 20 and 2| spaced equally from the center and surrounded by a cylindrical wall 22 having a nange 23 resting on top of the iiange I9. Bolts 24 passing through the flanges I9 and 23 and threaded into struckup sockets 25 in the bottom I1 secure the sleeve and the false bottom to the casing. i

The reflector 2| is equipped with a concentric lamp socket 26 insulated from the metal of the false bottom by non-conducting rings 21 and 28 and made fast by crimping the edge 29 of the 'central opening against the side of the ring 28. This socket 2li receives a lamp bulb 30 and holds its iilament 3| at the focus of the reiiector 2|.

The upper end -of the lamp socket-is protected The reflector 2 0 is in like manner equipped with a relatively long lamp socket 33 to hold a similar lamp 34 with its filament 35 well below the other lamp and the reflector in order to make its rays clearly visible for signaling purposes. The lamp socket 33 is provided with rings 36, 31, of insulating material which loosely receive a metallic contact rivet 38.

The bottom or head I1 of the battery casing has a lcentral opening 33 for a rivet 49 that passes through a metallic disc 4|, an insulating disc 42 removable cover and a'bove the bottom, an insulating strip 43 and a metallic contact plate 44 below the bottom. The opening 3B is large enough to keep the rivet out of contact with the metal of the casing. Y

The contact plate 44- closes with the center contact of the lamp bulb 3G and with the contact rivet 38, which in turn closes with the 'center Contact of the lamp 34. In order to insure that the strip 44 will be assembled and will remain in proper position, lugs 45, Fig. 3, are struck up from the bottom I1 to center the insulating disc 42. Lugs 46, Fig. 4, are struck down from the bottom to locate the insulating strip 43 and lugs 41 are struck up from the contact strip 44 into depressions 43 in the insulating strip 43. Then the rivet 40 is inserted and set up.

The battery 43 has a side contact 50 to engage the bottom I1 of the casing and a 'center contact 5I to engage the rivet 40. 'Ihus the casing of the lantern is in electrical contact with one side of the battery and is normally insulated from the side contacts of the lamps while the center contact of each of the lamps is electrically connected with the center contact of the battery.

The circuits through the lamps are controlled by a switch best shown in Fig. 5 and which includes a slide 52 to t the inside of the sleeve I8' and cover a slot 53 therein. .At its ends, the slide is provided with contact arms 54 and 55 each crimped at its free end to form rounded contacts 56 and 51.

The slide is controlled by a knob or handle 58 having a reduced portion 59 entering the slot 53 and a further reduced portion 68 passing through the slide and riveted at BI The slide is also provided with spaced stops in the form of protuberances 62 which rest against the ends of the slot or recess 53 in open circuit position and one of which bears against the inside of the sleeve I8 as the switch moves toward closed circuit position. The switch member is made of resilient material, such as phosphor bronze.

'I'he normal open circuit position of the switch is shown in Fig. 2. When it is desired to light the lower lamp 34, the knob is pushed to the dotted line position, thus bringing the contact 56 into contact with the rim of the lamp socket 33. When the lamp 30 is to be lit, the knob is pushed to a corresponding position in the opposite direction.

The contacts 56 and 51 make a wiping engagement with the lamp sockets as they move into closed position which insures clean surfaces and therefore good electrical connection.

The sleeve I8 is provided with four bosses B4 open at the bottom to receive the upper ends of the legs I 5 which are then secured by spot welding as indicated at 65.

As the switch is moved from normal open circuit position one of the stops 62 rides out of the slot 53, bending the slide which then forces the stop into frictional engagement with the inner wall of the sleeve I8. The pressure of this engagement is increased as the arm 54 or 55 is forced against the ycorresponding lamp socket and bent toward the slide and is suflicient to hold the switch in closed position, but to make sure of that, even when the lantern is struck against the car as the trainman mounts the ladder, the stops 62 are so placed that one of them drops into the corresponding boss 64 at the end of the switch closing movement and thus functions as a latch for the switch.

By removing the screws 24, the base and the sleeve I8 with the reflector and lamp assemblies can be removed for inspection or repair.

In the form shown in sheet 2, the false bottom A is replaced by a similar false bottom B having one large stepped reflector 66 and a generally lat seat El. The reector 66 is concentric with the casing and is tte-d with a central lamp socket 68 similar to the socket 26 to receive a lamp 69 and hold its filament focused with respect to the reflector 68. The seat 6'I is tted with a lamp socket 'I8 similar to the lamp socket 33 to receive a signal lamp II andv hold it in position to be clearly visible for signals. The switch 'I2 is similar to the switch 52 but has a short arm I3 for closing the circuit with the lamp socket I8 and a long arm 'I4 for closing the circuit with the lamp socket 68 by contact with a flange 'I5 on a metallic disc 'IB surrounding and in electrical connection with the-lamp socket 68 The ange I5 is made necessary by the fact that the lamp socket 68 is concentric with the casing and therefore with the motion of the switch.

This form of construction provides a large rellecting surface for the lamp used for reading car number and such like, and therefore provides better illumination than the smaller reiiecting' surface used in the rst form, but it is a little more costly to make.

Many lanterns having reflectors like that shown on sheet I are in common use and they can be given a proper signal lamp utility by replacing one of the short lamp sockets with a long lamp socket 33. The knob 58 of the switch is here shown at right angles to the plane of the bail I2, which is the preferred arrangement, but it might just as well be in substantially the same plane as the bail I2.

Just how far the signal lamp 34 should be below the head' of the lantern will vary somewhat with circumstances, but it has been found that with the sleeve I8 approximately 3% in diameter, a long lamp socket 33, 3A" in length gives satisfactory results.

I claim: n

1. In an electric lantern having an electric circuit, a casing having a curved wall forming part of the circuit and provided with a circumferential slot, a pair of lamp sockets insulated and spaced from the curved wall and spaced from each other, a resilient sector-shaped' switch including an arcuate member slidably mounted on the casing to close the slot on the inside and two converging circuit-closing arms integral with said arcuate member at the opposite ends thereof `and spaced from the sockets in open circuit position, and an external handle for sai-d arcuate member extending through the slot and movable in one direction to bring one of said switch arms into engagement with one of said sockets and in the opposite direction to bring the other of said arms into engagement with the other socket.

2. In an electric lantern, a battery casing, a bottom for the casing, a pair of lamp sockets mounted on said bottom, a reflector cooperating with one of said sockets whereby a lamp mounted in said socket will be substantially at the focal point of said reflector, said other socket extending below the first and below the margins of said reector and laterally of the principal axis of said reflector so as to beout of focus therewith, switch means for selectively energizing lamps mounted in said sockets from a battery in the casing, and a bail mounted on the casing and adapted to extend above the top thereof for swinging the lantern for signal purposes with the second lamp illuminated, whereby the lantern may be swung for signalling without interruption of light from said second-lamp by said re- Elector.

3. In an electric lantern, a metallic casing adapted to contain a' battery and be electrically engaged with one terminal thereof and having a slot perforating its outer wall and having an outwardly projecting recess formed in and open to the inner side of said outer wall beyond an end of the slot, a pair of lamps mounted on the casing, a contact in the casing insulated therefrom and adapted to be engaged by the other terminal of the battery, means electrically connecting the center contact of each lamp with said contact, separate conductors electrically connected to the rim contacts of the lamps. and having'contact portions spaced apart, a switch handle penetrating the slot in the casing and movable along the slot, a one-piece movable switch element inside the casing having a portion disposed adjacent to the slot and mounting the handle so as to be movable along the slot with the handle and having integral terminal contact means provided with spaced contact surfaces movable alternatively into electrical engagement with one or the other of said contact portions and into an intermediate open-circuit position spaced from both contact portions, and means for yieldably retaining the switch element in a selected position along its range of movement comprising an outwardly extending protuberance on the first named portion of the 'switch element adapted to move in frictional engagement with the inner side of the casing and be received in said recess.

4. In an electric lantern, a casing adapted to contain a battery and be electrically engaged with one terminal thereof, a pair of lamps mounted on the casing, a contact in the casing insulated therefrom and adapted to be engaged by the other terminal of the battery, means connecting the center contact of each lamp with said contact, a separate conductor connected to the rim contact of each lamp, switch means penetrating a slot in the casing and grounded thereon comprising a peripheral portion covering the slot and mounted on the casing so as to be movable along the slot selectively into electrical engagement with said conductors, and means for yieldably latching the switch means out of engagement with both conductors comprising a protuberance on said peripheral portion cooperating with said slot so as to be within the slot when the circuit to a lamp is open and adapted to be forced out of the slot and into engagement with the casing when the switch means is moved to close the circuit to said lamp.

5. In an electric lantern, a casing adapted to contain a battery and be electrically engaged with one terminal thereof, a pair of lamps mounted on the casing, a contact in the casing insulated therefrom and adapted to be engaged by the other terminal of the battery, means connecting said contact with the center contact of each lamp, a switch element penetrating a slot in the casing and grounded thereon comprising a peripheral portion covering the slot and mounted on the casing so as to be movable along the slot and having inwardly extending integral terminal arm means movable with the peripheral portion to opposite sides of a central open circuit position so as to make selective electrical connection with the rim contacts of said lamps, and means for yieldably latching the switch element in open circuit position comprising projecting means formed on said peripheral portion o the switch element and yieldably positioned in said slot when the switch element is in its central position and adapted to be forced out of the slot and frictionally engage the wall of the casing at a side of the slot as the switch element is moved from its central position to close the circuit to either of said lamps,

6. In an electric lantern, a casing adapted to contain a battery and be electrically vengaged with one terminal thereof, a pair of lamps mounted on an end wall of the casing, a plurality of legs mounted in recesses in the casing and cooperating to form a guard for the lamps, a contact in the casing insulated therefrom and adapted to be engaged by the other terminal of the battery, means connecting said contact with the center contact of each lamp, a separate conductor connected to the rim contact of each lamp, a switch element penetrating a slot in the' casing, grounded thereon, and comprising a peripheral portion covering the slot and mounted on the casing so as to be movable along the slot to opposite sides of a central, open circuit posi- {tion and having inwardly extending integral terminal arm means movable with said peripheral portion so as selectively to engage and ground said conductors, and means for yieldably latching the switch element out of engagement with both conductors comprising projecting means formed on said peripheral portion and yieldably positioned in said slot when the switch element is in its central position and the arm means is out of engagement with both conductors and adapted to be forced out of the slot and snap into one of said recesses when the switch element is moved from its central position to close the circuit to either of said lamps.

'7. In an electric lantern, a metallic casing adapted to contain a battery and be electrically engaged with one terminal thereof and having a Y slot perforating its outer wall and having an outwardly projecting recess formed in and open to the inner side of said outer wall beyond an end of Y the slot, a pair of lamps mounted on the casing, a contact in the casing insulated therefrom and adapted to be engaged by the other terminal of the battery, means electrically connecting the center contact of each lamp with 'said contact, separate conductors electrically connected to the rim contacts of the lamps andV having contact portions spaced apart, a switch handle penetrating the slot in the casing and' movable along the slot, a one-piece movable switch element inside the casing having a portion disposed adjacent to and closing the slot throughout its range of movement and mounting the handle so as to be movable along the slot with the handle and having integral terminal contact means provided with spaced contact surfaces movable alternatively into electrical engagement with one or the other of said contact portions and into an intermediate open-circuit position spaced from both contact portions, and

means for yieldably latching the switch element in any of its said three positions comprising an outwardly extending protuberance on the first named portion of the switch element adapted to bear irictionally against the inner side of the casing and be received in said recess.

CiARL H. LARSON.

Images