US1262427A - Light-regulator. - Google Patents

Description

C. H. ALLEN.

LIGHT BEGULOR.

APPLICATION FILEG AUG. l1. 191e.

Patented Apr. 9,

. avoid accidents to persons traveling on the CHRLES n, ALLEN, or oAKLAnn, Nnwanj'gasn.

Specification of Letters Patent.v

LIGHT-REGULATOR..

Patented Apr. 9, 1.91

Application tiled August 11, 1916. .Serial 114,407.

a class of devices adapted to be used in conjunction' with vehicle lamps.

My' invention has for its `object primarily to provide a device adapted to be applied especially to the lamps providing the headlights o automobiles and like vehicles so that the raysof light will be deflected in front of y the vehicle at an angle toward the highwayon Awhich it is traveling in order to highway toward the vehicle bybeing confused from the glare of the lamps of the approaching vehicle as is incident to the present methods in use .wherein the light is reflected direct ahead of the vehicle on a similar longitudinal plane to the lamp. This is accomplished mainly by providing a reflecting element adapted to be applied to the casing of a vehicle lamp with a reiiector therein so that the reflecting element'fwill be disposed in front of the lamp aswell as being disposed relatively to the reflector so that the rays of light will be refiected v4to the retle'ctor of the casing and then deflected on an angle toward the highway on which the vehicle may be traveling., V-

Other objects of the invention are to provide an expansible and contractible member tol allow the reflecting element to be applied to the casings of vehicle lamps of variousl sizes; to provide one or a number of retaining elements for removably holding the eX- pansible and contractible member in the casing; and to provide a light regulator of a very simple and durable construction.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, the said invention being more fully described here` inater, and then pointed out in the claim at the end of the description.

ln the drawing, Figure 1 is a side View of .one form of light-regulator embodying my invention showingthe manner of its use in conjunction with a vehicle lamp, the lamp being shown in section taken therethrough 1g. 2 1s an enlarged front elevation of tjh device.

Fig. 3 is'asection taken'on the-,line

in ,iii of Fig. 2.

Fig. is 'av-viewloo'king down on theI def vice shoigfnfin Fig. 2. f Fig. 5;1 s a side view of a dierent form roi' light regulor as applied to a lvehicle 'lamp' part oftwhich is shown in section. Fig. 6 is an enlarged `front'elevationof the `device illustrated in Fig. 5.

'Fig 7 is a section, partly in detail, tak/en on the line VII- VII of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view looking down on the device shown in Fig. 6', and

Fig. 9 1s a sectional view taken on the line 1X-IX of Fig. 5.

The device, or light regulator has a re tlecting element 10 adapted-to be applied interiorly of the casing, as 11, of aform oflamp usually employed on an automobile and like vehicle for serving to provide a headlight, such lamps beingordinarily made with a casing of substantially a parabolic,

or cup-shape having a mirrored, or reflecting inner surface, as 12, while its open front is closed by a glass door 13 mounted ina frame, as 14, which may bereleasably .locked to the casing'in any suitable manner, fo]

example in Figs. 5 and 9 is indicated the` frame as being hinged, as 15, to thegcasing while a commonly used type of catch, as 16,

"is employed for relasably fastening the door to the casing, this catchI being composed of a plate 17 with one end hinged to thel door frame, and the plate has an apertured seciondend bent angular-ly so as 'to' be ,swung upon the side of the lamp casing. -Projecting from the casing of the lamp, and 1n tfiepathI of movement ot' the apertured plate, isa threaded bolt 18 over which the apertured plate ,is removably guided when the, catch is fastened, lthe bolt havinga thumb screw 19 on its threaded end for holding the plate thereon, or in some forms of the lamp casing adjacent the door may be a number of spaced oriiices,

rig. '1, while" ai@ iight'aistfibateathrough the front door'may be supplied by an electricallyv lighted lamp 2l, or .the lamp may be `otherwise lighted.

' The reflecting element l0 lshown in Figs@ 1, 2, 3, L is preferably in theform of 'a circular-body, or plate of metal having a mirthe upper half of the rored, or reflecting surface, as 23, and this reflecting element, or plate is made of a 4is disposed angularly with respectto the upper part of the plate so that when the plate is fitted in the lamp its upper apertured portion ivill be" on a vertical line, ivhilel the lower portion Will be 'disposed on an incline interiorlv of the casing of the lamp,

n the loiver edge of the 1n- .the mirrored plate 10 vis an 25 which extends toward as illustrated. clined part of apron, or flange the door of the lamp, and thisapron is of a Width as Well as being formed sothatits free edge yvillbe on vertical alineinent With the apertured upper portion of the plate for "this apron to abut against the frame of the 'door of the lamp casing.

In order to removably hold the reflecting element, or mirrored plate 10 in -the casing of the lamp, one or a number of retaining elements, or catches, `as 26, are provided.

All of the retaining elements 26 are preferably in the forms of pliable metal strips, or-

ngers, and these retaining elements extend laterally from spaced parts'vof the edge of f the apertured upper half of the mirrored plate 10. vThen the device is applied to the lamp after the glass door with the frame the casing of the lamp, the pliable retaining elements, or lingers 26 are bent so that each may be removably disposed through one of the orifices 20 `of the casing of the lamp, and the plate 10 is then arranged, as above described, so that the inclined portion of the plate Will obscure the lower part of the lamp. The free end portions of the retaining elements arethen bent'over on the exterior of the casing of the lamp, andl the device ivill then be removably held tothe lamp, the retaining elements 26 being of sufficient lengths to overlap the contiguous part of the .lamp cas* ing. W'hen the lamp in the casing 1.1 is lighted, 'following `the reapplication ofthe glass door 13 to the casing, the rays of light 14 4is removed from Will-be reflected by the mirrored surface 23.

of the inclined portion of the plate 10 to the lower part of the reflecting surface 12 of the casing 11, then tothe upper partvof the reflecting surface of the casing, and therays ment, or plate 10 is preferably seini-circular Aan angle toward thev highway in front of the in each of these retaining 44Will be deflected on an angle. through the opening 24 of the plate to the highway on Which the vehicle may be traveling.

lVhen the device is of a form illustrated in igs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, thereflecting elementv27 `70 may bein the form of a metallic plate having a mirrored, or reflecting surface, 4as 28, and as the casings of these vehicle lamps are generally circular in shape the reflecting ele`A as ive-ll as being of a size so as to be disposed Within the casing o f the lamp for -causing the rays of light of the lamp to be deflected through about one-half of the glass doorlS. This semi-circular mirrored' plate is employed in the front part interiorly of the casing ofthe lamp so as to' be disposed also hold on an incline, and serving to removably the plate 28 against accidental movement, or

displacement, an extensible and co'ntractible` holding member, as 29, is provided. The holding` member 29 is preferably in the forml of a ring, or band of spring'metal part of which' is separated,as at 30, and. onone .end of theselseparated parts isa fixed tube 31- of a length so that' its free end extends some distance beyond this end of the band for be ing disposed toward the second end thereoftoremovably receive thesecond end of the band for allowing the ends of the band to be '95 adjustably connected. The ends of the refleeting element, or mirrored plate 27 at Aits straight. edge are soldered, or otherwise 'secured to diametrically opposite parts centrally of the holding member, or band 29 so 100 as to be disposed angularly, oron an acute angle with relation to'the band, in order that its curved parts Will be spaced from the band, or. holding" member 29. rThe device when applied to a vehicle lamp of the form 105 shoivn in Fig. 5 .the holding member 29 is sprung Iinteriorly of the casing of the lamp4 so as to be adjacent to the frame of its glass door as Well as to arrange the reflecting element, or plate 27 on an inclinetransversely 110 i ing will then be obscured, and the reflecting lelement lWill receive the rays of light from the lamp so as to be reflected tothe reflecting surface of the casing of thelamp. The light rays'ivill then be deflected through the loiver part of the glass door of .the casing on vehicle.

To removably fasten the holding member, or band 29 to the vcasing of the lamp one, or more retaining elements, as 32 and 33, are provided. Both of the'retaining elements 32 and 33 are preferably in the forms of metal 125 strips extending from opposite parts of the holding inember,"or band in directions to- Ward the reflecting element, or plate 2 7, and strips is a notch, or recess, as 34,' toallow one. strip to- ,bewlgz guided over the hinge 15 between thedoor 13 and the casing, While the other strip isdispose'd over the bolt 18 of the catch 16 of the casing of the lamp. In this manner a simple and eflicient light regulator is pro-- vided for the lamps of automobilesand other vehicles-whereby the rays of light will be deiected in front of the vehicle at an angle to avoid accidents to persons traveling on the highway toward the vehicle by being confused from the glare of the lamps of the approaching vehicle.

In the foregoing description, I have embodied the preferred form of my invention, but I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I ain awa-re that modifications may be made therein Without departing from the principle, or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, therefore I reserve to myself the right to make such changes as fairly fall Within the scope thereof.

' Having tnus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent In a light regulator, a contractible and expansible holding member adapted to be applied in the casing of a vehicle lamp with a reflector therein, a reflecting element on the holding member, disposed on an incline in the casing and With relation to the re- Hector whereby the rays of light of the lamp Will be reflected to the reflector of the casing and then deected on an angle toward the highway on which the vehicle is traveling, and a retaining element for detachably fastening the holding member to the casing'.

This specification signed and witnessedv this tenth day of August, A. D. 1916.

' CHARLES H. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE F. BENTLEY, C. SHIEGLEY.

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