US741245A - Electric lamp or candle. - Google Patents

Description

No. 741,245. PATENTED 00w. 13, 1903. 0. HUBERT.

ELECTRIC LAMP OR CANDLE. APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 27. 1903.

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27mg JQMM M j ww w Patented October 13, 1903.

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CONRAD HUBERT, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC LAMP OR CANDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,245, dated October 13, 1903.

Application filed February 27,1903. derial No. 145,354. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CONRAD HUBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Lamps or Candles, of which the followingis a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to electric lamps or candles with self-contained batteries, and has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of such devices.

According to my invention I provide a hollow conductive casing of two parts, separable from one another, such casing being in the form of a candle and candlestick, and according to my invention I provide a resilient contact device located on the handle of the candlestick and adapted to close the circuit from the battery to the lamp, andI make such contact device flexible, so as to produce a wiping contact such as will keep the contact parts clean in the ordinary use of the candle. My invention also includes various improvements in the construction and combination of parts.

I will now particularly describe the construction of electric candle illustrated in the accompanying drawings and embodying my invention, and will thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the electric candle held in the hand of a user in the ordinary operative position of the device. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the electric candle. The general appearance of the device closely resembles that of an ordinary candle and candlestick, the candlestick comprising a base a, socket b, and handle 0, these parts resembling corresponding parts of an ordinary candlestick, and the candle comprising the upper part cl of a tubular conductive casing of which the socket b is the lower part, this tubular conductive casing forming the battery-chamber, and also comprising the miniature incandescent lamp 6, screwed into a socket at the top of the candle or upper part d of the battery-casing.

The battery f is located within the battery chamber, but insulated from the conductive walls thereof by a tube or of paper or other insulating material, and is in contact at its lower end with a spring 9, which is insulated from the casing and is connected by an insulated wire 77. to an insulated contact-plug 4?, located at the upper part of the handle 0 of the candlestick. The upper terminal of the battery is directly in contact with the plugj of the lamp 6, which is one of the terminals of the lamp. The other terminal of the lamp 6 is the conductive threaded tube It, and this is in actual contact with the casing.

As the casing is of conductive material throughout, it is only necessary to effect a contact between the contact plug and the casing to close the lighting-circuit, and this is effected by the flexible contact -finger Z, which is a long strip of resilient metal with an enlargement at its contact end and secured to the casing at its other end. This construction permits of sidewise movement of the contact part of the flexible finger, and in the ordinary use of the device more or less of such sidewise movement will occur, thereby rubbing and wiping the contact-surfaces so as to keep them clean. It willbe seen from Fig. 1 of the drawings that this contact-finger Z is so located that it can be readily depressed by the thumb of the person using the candle, the natural position of the hand in holding the candlestick placing the thumb above the contact-finger. Further, the resilient nature of the finger insures the prompt opening of the circuit the moment the closing pressure is removed, as is highly desirable by reason of the fact that no great amount of batterypower can be condensed within the small bulk and weight to which the battery is necessarily limited.

The two parts of the tubular conductive casing b and cl are threaded together so that the upper part or candle d is readily removable for removal of an exhausted battery and insertion of a fresh battery without making or breaking any wire connections, and it will be noted that the only wire provided in the entire device is the short wire h, connecting the spring g and insulated contact-plug i, and that, although one terminal of the battery is connected to the conductive casing or grounded, there is no fear of short-circuiting resulting from placing the device upon or in contact with a metallic object, the contact-plug 'i and flexible contact-finger Z being effectually shielded from surrounding objects.

It is obvious that modifications may be made in the construction shown and above particularly described within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An electric lamp comprising a battery, a hollow conductive casing of separable parts forming the battery-chamber, an electric light conductively connected with the casing and with one terminal of the battery, a contactplug held in the casing but insulated therefrom and connected to the other terminal of the battery, and a contact-finger attached to the casing and maintained out of contact by the resiliency of the finger and adapted by manual operation to make contact with the contact-plug.

' 2. An electric lamp comprising a battery, a hollow conductive casing of separable parts forming the battery-chamber and in form of a candle and candlestick and having a handle thereon, an electric light having one terminal in contact with the casing and the other terminal connected with one terminal of the and insulated therefrom and connected with the other terminal of the battery, and a contact-finger attached to the casing and maintained out of contact by the resiliency of the finger and adapted by manual operation to make contact with the contact-plug.

3. An electric candle consisting of a battery, a conductive casing in form of a candle and candlestick and comprising two tubular parts separably connected together and formin g the battery-chamber and also comprising a base and handle, an electric light separably engaged with the top of such tubular chamber and having one terminal in contact with the casing and the other terminal in contact with one terminal of the battery, a contactplug located at the upper part of the handle of the casing and insulated therefrom and connected with the other terminal of the battery, and a flexible contact-finger attached to the casing and maintained out of contact by the resiliency of the finger and adapted by manual operation to make contact with the contact-plug.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CONRAD HUBERT. Witnesses:

HENRY D. WILLIAMS, JOSEPH N. FOL ELL, Jr.

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