US1509354A - Portable illuminating device - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 23 1924.

1,509,354 c HAMBUEcHEN PORTABLE ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1920 Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL HAMBUECHEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL. CARBON COM- PANY, INC., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

PORTABLE ILLUMINATING DEVICE.

Application led December 3, 1920. Serial No. 428,080.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CARL HAMBUECHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Yorkin the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Portable Illuminating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to illuminating devices energized by self-contained batteries and commonly known as flashlights. Batteries employed in such devices are almost always dry batteries of the well-known form in which the carbon electrode is axially disposed in a cylindrical zinc cup forming the anode of the cell. Two or more cells constituting a battery are ordinarily, required to operate the incandescent bulb furnishing the light, and these cells are usually mounted end to end in the casing of the flashlight, the terminals of the battery so formed being the zinc cup of the bottom cell and the carbon electrode of the top cell. The Zinc electrodes are ordinarily connected by a more or less extended electrical circuit with one terminal of the lamp bulb, while the carbon electrode of the battery, being in closer proximity to the lamp bulb, can be connected with its opposite ter minal through a shorter path.

In another common form of flashlight the individual cells, instead of being arranged end to end, are placed side by side and are connected in series, the terminals of the battery being brought out in metallic strips at the upper end. In flashlights of this form, as now constructed, one of the metal conductor strips is so disposed that when placed in the appropriate flashlight casing, itis adapted to make contact with the terminal which is in the center of one of the ends of' the casing.

With either of the forms of flashlight casing described above, the incandescent bulb is mounted directly in the center of its reflector in order that one terminal of the bulb may readily make contact with the central ter* minal of the battery contained within the flashlight casing. When so mounted, that portion ofl the reflector which should be mosteffective in projecting light rays forward for the illumination of objects in front of' the flash light is occupied by the mounting for the incandescent bulb and the most effective portion of the reflector thus tion is to provide a construction whereby batterie-s and flashlight casings of the usual f orm may be modied but without the necessity of a central orifice or socket in the refiector for the reception of the incandescent bulb, the bulb being so mounted that this highly effective portion of the reflector located at its vertex shall be entirely unobstructed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a flashlight of such construction that the light rays projected forward by the reflector shall be in the form of a flattened beam instead of the generally circular beam given by flashlights of known construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel form ofv mounting for the incandescent bulb, which not only has inherent advantages but permits of the use of a special form of incandescent bulb which is in some respects superior to the bulb having a screw-threaded plug which is now universally employed in flashlights. An important advantage is that no portion of the bulb is subject to shocks or impacts from the battery. Other objects of the invention will appear from the description.

The objects of the invention are attained by the use of constructions which are exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a view, generally in section, of a flashlight embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a similar View of a modified construction and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the cup-shaped member of Fig. 2.

The flashlight shown in Fig. l includes a casing 5 of elliptical cross-section such as is generally employed in the flat-type flashlight. This casing contains a battery 6, likewise of well-known construction and having as its terminals the conductor strips and 8. The reflector 9 is formed by stamping the metal of the end of the casing 6 into the form of a trough, which should preferably be approximately flat at its bottom portion and which may have a longitudinal section of the shape indicated. The longitudinal section may also be a very flat parabola if desired.

The incandescent bulb is shown as having a substantially rectilinear filament 11, the ends of which are connected to leads which are brought out at opposite sides of the bulb on small flattened metal lugs adapted to make contact with the members 12 and 13 which receive` and hold the bulb. The construction of the members 12 and 13 will be more fully described in connection with Fig. 2, wherein these parts are shown in cross-section- A switch mechanism comprises a hooked resilient member let insulated from the metal casing 5 and designed to receive t-he conductor strip 8 and move it against or away from the bulb-holder 12, the member 14 being actuated by a push button 14. This switch mechanism forms no part of my invention and anysuitable switch mechanism may be substituted therefor.

Fig. 2 shows a flashlight of the .common cylindrical shape having a refiector which is approximately a paraboloid of revolution. This flashlight comprises the casing 5,*cylindrical battery 6 having the terminal 7, and reflector 9 arranged to project the light rays emanated by the incandescent filament 11 in the bulb 10. The bulb is of similar construction to that shown in Fig. 1 except that it has a filament curved on a very short radius, so that the entire filament consti-tutes what is practically a point source of light.

'The bulb 10 is mountedk between the bulb holders -12 and 13 as in Fig. 1. The reflector '9 is4 supported by head 15 which is screwed on to the end of the casing, the refiector and a plane glass 16 being held in the head by a screw-threaded ring 17 in well-known manner.

The bulb-holder 12 comprises an outer metal sleeve soldered or otherwise suitably attached to the reflector 9, through which it extends, and a metallic conductor 18 passingthrough this sleeve with an insulating tube 19 interposed between the conductor 18 and lits surrounding Sleeve. The conductor 18 carries a socket 2O at its inner end lto receive one terminal of the incandescent bulb and the various parts of the holder are rigedly fastened together as by crimping or ruling. The bulb holder 13 has an outer sleeve similar to the holder 12, and' liliewi'se has a central rod .21 bearing a socket on its inner end.

Between the rod 21 and its outer sleeve is a' spiral spring 22 abutting at its cuter end-against the stop 23y attached to the outer 'sleeve and at its inner end against the spring :follower 24 which is attached to rod 21 and slides within the outer sleeve. Soldercd or otherwise attached to the bottom of the re flector 9 at its vertex, is the screw-tlireaded stud 25, this stud being so attached to the reflector that the reflector-s surface is not interrupted or obstructed. Attached to the stud 25 is a cupped disc 2G, the member 26 being insulated from the stud 25 b v a disc of fiber or the like 27, to which the disc 26 is attached by suitable rivets.

A projecting arm 28 on member 26 is soldered or otherwise attached to the ronductor 18 forming one of the bulb-hohlers. The zinc electrode of the battery is the zinc cup of the bottom cell and this cup is ronnected through a suitable switch mechanism, not shown, with a conductor strip 2i). tlul upper end of which lies in a notch cut into the upper edge of the casing V, so that the end of strip 29 may hold and still maintain a good contact with the member 26 when the latter is brought down so that it rests upon the upper end of the casing 5.

The operation of both modification illustrated will be clear from the foregoing. llVhen a bulb is removed or replaced, the sliding rod of the holder 13 is moved against the tension of its spring until the opposite end of the bulb is free from the socket of the holder 12. In both modifications of the invention the path of the current. is from terminal 7 of the battery through the reflector and bulb-holder 13 to the filament through the central conductor of the bulb-holder 12 and through the switch mechanism back to the battery. In Fig. 2 the projecting arm 2S of the member 26 forms a part of the circuit, the conductor strip 29 making contact with the member 26 in any angular position of the latter.

It will be understood that my invention is subject to numerous modifications which are within the skill of those familiar with the art to which my invention appertains. Accordingly, I desire my invention to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A portable illuminating device comprising a casing, a battery having a central terminal contained therein, a reflector of substantially parabolic section at one end of said casing, said reflector having an uninterrupted surface at the vertex of its parabolic section, an incandescent filament mounted at or near the focus of the reflector, and means for establishing elecrical connection between said central terminal and filament through the vertex of the reflector.

2. A portable illuminating device comprising a casing, a battery contained therein, a reflector of substantially parabolic section at one end of said casing and coaxial therewith, said reflector having en uninterrupted surface at the vertex of its parabolic section, a lamp bulb containing an incandescent filament mounted at or near the focus of the reflector, rigid means extending inwardly from the walls of the reflector for engaging said bulb, and means for releasably supporting the bulb in contact with said rigid means.

3. A portable illuminating device comprising a easing, a concave refiector within one end of said casing, a battery in said casing and when being inserted in the casing or subjected to shock therein moving toward the vertex of the reflector to deliver a blow thereon, a lamp bulb, and supporting means therefor carried by the wall of said reflector at a point above the vertex, whereby damage to the bulb by impact of the battery is avoided.

4l. A portable illuminating device Comprising a casing, a reflector at one end of said casing, said reflector having an uninterrupted surface at its vertex, a battery in said casing and when being inserted in the casing or subjected to shock therein moving toward the vertex of the reflector to deliver a blow therein, a lamp bulb contain.- ing an incandescent lament mounted at or near the focus of the reflector, rigid means extending inwardly from the walls of the reflector for holding said bulb beyond the region of impact from the battery, and means for releasably supporting the bulb in contact with said rigid means.

5. A portable illuminating device comprising a tubular casing, a battery therein, a concave reflector at one end of and coaxial with said casing and having an uninterrupted surface at its vertex in circuit-form ing contact with an electrode of said battery, and an incandescent filament in circuit with said battery and mounted at or near the focus of the reflector transversely of the axis thereof.

v6. A portable illuminating device comprising a casing, a battery therein, a concave reflector at one end of said casing and having an uninterrupted surface at its vertex in circuit-forming contact with an electrode of said battery, and a rectilinear lilament in circuit with said battery and mounted transversely of the axis of the reiiector.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

CARL HAMBUECHEN.

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