US1989931A - Shrinkage compensating device - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 5, 1935. Q w JOHNSON v SHRINKAGEV COMPENSATING DEVICE Filed June 15, 1954 Patented Feb. 5, 1935 *GE (CQENSA'IENG DEVECE Oscar Walter .loon, @hicagaill. Application .llune 15, NM, Serial No. 73%,695

Thisinventionrelates to improvements in the packaging or wrapping of lamp; shades, having for an object to provide a novel and efiectual form of shrinkage compensating wrapping for lamp shades and like articles, as well as a highly advantageous and practical means for effecting the same, whereby with shrinkage of the wrapping material subsequently to its application to the shade or other article, buckling or other distortion and resultant damaging thereof will be positively prevented.

It has been and now is the trade custom to wrap strips of cellophane or similar materials over and about the sides of certain types of lamp shades until the same are fully covered thereby. In this manner, a transparent soil and wear preventive means is accorded to the shade, enabling one to observe its ornamental characteristicsancl at the same time, avoiding damaging of the shade, as is so often occasioned during handling. To: the stated ends, such a covering or wrapping is highly desirable. However, shades and such other articles as are so wrapped are frequently buckled or distorted by reason of the subsequent shrinkage of the wrapping material. For example, in the instance of a lamp shade whose sides are to be wrapped about with cellophane or kindred materials, it is necessary for durability and permanency of the wrapping that the utilized material shall be snugly or comparatively tautly engaged thereabout. When a lamp shade thus wrapped is left for but a brief period of time, the material with which its sides are wrapped, shrinks to such an extent that the said sides are buckled or distorted by t he incident contraction, with the result that the shade is more often so badly damaged as to be unfit for usage.

Through the instrumentalities of my invention, I am enabled to efiect the packaging or wrapping of a lamp shade with cellophane or similar shrinkable materials in such a manner as to permit of automatic compensation for the shrinkage of the wrapping material, and at the same time, to maintain the wrappings of the shade in taut and firm engagement over and about its sides. Thus, by reason of the automatic shrinkage compensation qualities of my improved shade wrapping,

buckling and all other similar distortion of the shade sides will be positively eliminated, irrespective of the period of time for which the wrapping material is left engaged about the shade sides. The advantages of such a packaging or wrapping will immediately manifest themselves to workers I skilled in this particular art, attention being invited to the fact that shades when so wrappfidl by a manufacturer may be kept for indefinite periods of time in the stock of a merchandiser without having damage done thereto by reason of the shrinkage of the cellophane wrapping material with which the shades are provided.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and. its mode of operation may be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains, I have in the accompanying drawing and in the detailed description based thereupon, set out one embodiment of my invention.

In this drawing: u

Figure l is a perspective view of a shade utilizing the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the wrapped shade and the compensating device holder engaged therewith as during a wrapping operation, and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through a shade utilizing the invention and showing the engagement of the compensating device holder with the compensating device during the wrapping operation of the shade, the section being taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

Having more particular reference to the drawing, in connection with which like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, the invention may be stated to comprise, first, a shrinkage compensating device, indicated by the numeral 1, and second, a holder 2 for facilitating proper positioning of the compensating device with respect to a lamp shade in process of being wrapped with cellophane or similar material.

The compensating device 1 consists. of an annulus formed of a single length of spring wire, the free ends of which are arranged in overlapping relationship, as indicated by the numeral 3. Consequently thereupon, it will be understood that the compensating device is capable of contractile or expansible adjustmen It is of importance to note, at this point, that the compensating device 1 is of a diameter less than the diameter of the particular shade end adjacent which it is to be positioned during a lamp r shade cellophane wrapping operation; also, that whereas said compensating device can be arranged adjacent either the upper or lower end of the lamp shade i, I find it preferable to position the same adjacent to and within the upper end of said s ade, resting or bearing upon adjacent portions of the shade supporting arms or rods of an ordinary or usual attaching bracket 6.

The holder 2 consists of a spider-like device, i. e., a central body element '7 fixedly carrying outwardly radiating legs 8, the free extremities of which are provided with inwardly bent or disposed fingers 9 adapted to snugly engage over adjacent portions of the outer sides of the compensating device or annulus 1; it being noted in this connection, that the extremities of the legs 8 carrying the fingers 9 are arranged in inwardly spaced relation with respect to the adjacent or receiving end of the lamp shade 4 when the holder is in operative position with respect to the compensating device 1, immediately prior to a wrap ping operation.

In order that a positive connection may be effected between the holder 2 and the attaching bracket 6 of the lamp shade 1 to prevent relative movement between said holder together with the compensating device 1 and the receiving end of the lamp shade 4 during the wrapping of the shade sides or like articles, the body portion of said holder is provided with a downwardly extending shank 10, appropriately screw-threaded, as at 11, to allow for the turning of a locking nut 12 into engagement therewith when said shank has been snugly engaged through the opening of the lamp shade attaching bracket 6.

In usage of the compensating device 1 and the holder 2 during the wrapping of a lamp shade with cellophane strips, a compensating device such as indicated by the numeral 1 is nested within the upper end of the shade 4, resting upon adjacent portions of the aforesaid supporting arms 5 in approximately centered position. At this time, the holder 2 has the inwardly disposed or rightangularly bent fingers 9 thereof engaged over adjacent portions of the outer sides of the compensating device 1, and at the same time, the shank 10 is snugly engaged in and through the opening of the shade attaching bracket 6, being temporarily locked in fixed engagement therewith by turning the locking nut 12 onto its screw-threaded portion 11. It is preferable that the radially disposed legs 8 of the holder 2 shall be arranged in substantial parallelism to the lamp shade supporting arms 5 so that the fingers 9 abut against portions of the same. When thus engaged, it will be readily understood that the holder 2 will satisfactorily center the compensating device or annulus with respect to the receiving end of the lamp shade 4 maintaining the former in spaced relation to the latter, entirely thereabout, and likewise, preventing longitudinal displacement of said device 1 with respect to the particular receiving end of the lamp shade. Cellophane strips, such as indicated by the numeral 13, or other similar wrapping material, are now tautly and longitudinally wrapped over and about the shade sides. During such wrapping, the strips of cellophane 13 are engaged about and over the compensating device 1, which will be rigidly held in position with respect to the aforesaid lamp shade end by means of the holder 2. The shade having been completely wrapped with the cellophane material and the ends of such material effectually secured, the locking nut 12 is removed from the screwthreaded portion 11 of the shank 10 of the holder 2 and the holder is drawn outwardly from its previous engagement with the shrinkage compensating device, leaving the latter in a satisfactorily centered position with respect to the shade end. The inherent spring of the material from which the compensating device 1 is formed is suflicient, upon withdrawal of the holder 2 therefrom, to maintain the cellophane wrapping material in substantially taut relation to the lamp shade sides. However, with subsequent shrinkage of said cellophane, the device 1 will be permitted to expand and in so doing, will prevent the stresses incident to such shrinkage from being directly transmitted to the lamp shade sides, hence, eliminating buckling or similar distortion thereof.

As hereinbefore stated, the peculiar character of the spring compensating device 1 will serve to keep the cellophane wrapping material sufliciently taut about a wrapped lamp shade, hence maintaining the neatness and effectiveness of the wrapping. Also, the tautness of the wrappings will be maintained during shrinkage of the wrapping material since the compensating device 1, with application of outward pressure thereto from the cellophane wrapping-will be expanded to a degree only sufilcient to compensate for said shrinkage and to prevent the transmission of strain or stresses to the lamp shade sides.

Whereas I have herein illustrated and described, with some degree of particularity, the improved compensating device as being formed in substantially the shape of an annulus, it is to be understood that said device may be as advantageously formed in other shapes, according to the shape of the particular shade to be equipped therewith.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of still further modification, and such modification as is within the scope of my claims, I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a lamp shade, an adjustable means arranged in proximity to one of the ends of the shade, being 01' a size less than the same, and wrapping material engaged over and about the sides of said shade and said adjustable means.

2. In combination with a lamp shade, an adjustable means positioned in proximity to one end of the lamp shade and spaced with respect thereto, and wrapping material engaged over and about the sides 01' the shade and said means.

3. In combination with a lamp shade, expansible means arranged in proximity to one end of, said shade in inwardly spaced relation thereto, and wrapping material engaged about and over the sides of the shade and said means.

4. The combination with a lamp shade having wrapping material engaged about and over the sides thereof and shrinkage compensating means interposed between said, mappings and said shade.

5. A device of the character described, comprising in combination with a lamp shade, an expansible means positioned adjacent one end of said shade in inwardly spaced relation thereto, and means temporarily engageable with a portion of the shade and with said expansible means for securing the latter in immovable relation with respect to the former.

6. A device of the character described, comprising in combination with a lamp shade, spring means engaged in one end of said lamp shade and resting upon the supporting arms of the shade attaching bracket, said means being inwardly spaced with respectto the lamp shade end receiving the same, and means removably connectable to the lamp shade attaching bracket engaging with said spring means for immovably retaining the same, at times, with respect to said lamp shade end.

7. A device of the character described, comprising in combination with a lamp shade, spring means arranged within the upper end of said shade resting upon portions of the supporting arms of the shade attaching bracket, said spring means being of a size less than that of the upper end of the shade, a central body portion, radially disposed legs having inwardly extending fingers on their free extremities carried by the body portion, the length of said legs being such as to effect snug engagement 01' said fingers over the adjacent portions of the outer sides of said spring means whereby to inwardly space said spring means from the upper end of the shade, and means for detachably connecting the body portion tothe lamp shade attaching bracket for immovably positioning the same with respect to the bracket and the shade.

WALTER J OHNSON.

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