US2965751A - Lighting fixtures - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 20, 1960 'r A. STIFFEL 2,965, 51

LIGHTING FIXTURES Filed Aug. 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 20, 1960 T. A. STIFFEL LIGHTING FIXTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 28, 1957 "Ill,"

United States Patent 2,965,751 LIGHTING FIXTURES Theophile A. Stiife], 525 W. Superior St., Chicago, Ill. Filed Aug. 28, 1957, Ser. No. 680,821 6 Claims. (Cl. 240-521 This invention relates to improvements in lighting fixtures and more particularly to alighting fixture adapted to be supported between 'a floor and ceiling surface or between two supporting surfaces; 7 p

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a lighting fixture of the general characterdescribe'd in my Patent No. 2,793,286 issued May 21; 1957, which fixture is adapted to be supported by and betweenfloor and ceiling surfaces, wherein the lighting fixturej may'ba iee trically connected, without utilizing the conventional outlet plugs usually found on the walls of the room and without the necessity of having electrical wires extending from the lighting unit to said outlet plugs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lighting fixture which is mounted by and between floor and ceiling surfaces, and electrically connected to a ceiling mounted unit thereby eliminating the use of conventional wiring cord and electrical wall outlets and more positively securing the lighting fixture against accidental displacement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pole type lighting fixture supported between two horizontal surfaces which is electrically connected to means supported on one of the horizontal surfaces by the insertion and positioning of the pole fixture'and which eliminates the use of conventional electrical connecting means.

More specifically; another object of this invention is to provide a pole type lighting unit adapted to be supported between floor and ceiling surfaces which is electrically connected by means of a ceiling mounted unit thereby eliminating the useof conventionalcords and electrical wall outlets, and is further characterized by structure wherein said pole unit is placed in electrical connection merely by positioning same against the ceiling mounted unit and wherein the ceiling mounted unit may be rotated 360 about a fixed axis and by structure which permits said pole member to be positioned anywhere along the length of said ceiling mounted unit thereby permitting said pole lighting fixture to be supported in any substantially desired position within the radius and circumference of movement of said ceiling mounted unit.

Other objects'will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings: 77

Figure 1 is a perspective view'of this invention showing the lighting fixture pole in electrical connection with the ceiling mounted unit.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement and positioning of the ceiling mounted unit. H p p M Figure 3 is a view partially in cross section of the ceiling mounted unit. 4

Figure 4 is an enlarged view partially in cross section showing portions of the lighting fixture pole and its securement to the ceiling mounted unit. M

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the upper portion ofthe lighting fixture'pole which engages the ceiling mounted unit.

2,965,751 Patented Dec. 20, 1960 Figure 6 is a plan view taken on lines 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged view partly in section of the lower portion of the lighting fixture pole.

Figure 8 is a schematic of the electrical circuit.

The pole is generally similar to that described in my Patent No. 2,793,286 and comprises a plurality of tubular sections 10, 11 and 12 telescopically joined or nested together at their ends as therein described to form a singular tubular pole. The upper tubular sections 12 support a tubular section or abutment member 14 and also contains a spring 13 which urges the abutment member 14 upwardly or outwardly of tubular section 12, all as described in said patent.

. As best seen in Figure 5, there is fixedly seated within the open end of the tubular abutment member 14 an insulating sleeve 16 whose upper flange 17 seats on the end of the tubular abutment 14. The bottom 18 of the insulating sleeve 16 has an enlarged opening 19. Secured and fixedly supported within said insulating sleeve 16 is a metal or electrical conducting sleeve 20 having a bottom provided with an enlarged opening 21. Secured to said electrical conducting sleeve 20 is a conducting wire 22 which extends downwardly through the tubular abutment 14 and into tubular sections 12 and 11 and is connected at its opposite end to the switch members generally indicated at 24 which is mounted on section 11 of the pole and then through conducting wire- 26 to the momentary contact switch generally indicated at 28 which is mounted in tubular section 10 of the pole.

Fixedly secured within the electrical conducting sleeve 20 is an insulating cap member generally indicated at 30 which is open at the bottom as at 31 and which has a top 32 provided with an opening 33. The cap member 30 has a circumferential groove 34 which supports an insulating washer 36 on which rests a coil spring 38. Slidably supported in the cap 30 is a plunger member generally indicated at 40 having an annular body portion 41 and a finger 42 which extends through the opening 33 in the cap 30. The upper end of the spring 38 bears against the plunger 40 to normally retain it in the position shown in Figure 5. The plunger is made of metal or other electrical conducting material and has secured to it a conducting wire 44, the opposite end of which is connected to the micro switch 28.

Suitably secured as at 46 to the inside of the lower tubular section 10 of the pole is the momentary contact switch 28 which has a movable member 48 for opening and closing the switch. Pivotally secured as at 50 to the switch 28 is an arm or lever 52 which is adapted to actuate the movable member 48 of the switch. The lower end of tubular section 10 (Figure 7) has a bottom wall 53 provided with an opening 54 through which extends the leg or rod 56 which is externally threaded as at 57 and to which are secured on the opposite sides of the bottom wall 53, a pair of nuts 58 and59. The nuts 58 and 59 are adjusted relative to each other as best shown in Figure 7 to provide a certain amount of vertical free play or movement of the leg 54 with respect to the tubular section 10. The lever or arm 52 is adapted to engage the top of the leg 56 and when the leg is in its down position that is when the upper nut 58 engages the bottom wall 53, the arm 52 will be out of engagement with the actuating member 48 of the switch so that the switch is open, however when the leg 56 is moved upwardly as shown in Figure 7 with the lower nut 59 engaging the bottom wall 53 of tubular section 10, the leg 56 will pivot the arm 52 upwardly to actuate the actuating member 48 to close the switch 28. This arrangement permits the pole to be vertically mounted with the electrical circuit open until the leg rests on the floor surface when the leg 56 moves up to the position shown in Figure 7 to close the switch 28. The leg has a rubber foot member 60 secured to the bottom thereof.

Secured to the tubular section 11 are a plurality of lighting fixtures 62, each connected by a suitable bracket 63. Each lighting fixture contains an electrical socket and bulb (not shown) and each is provided with a shade element 65. The sockets are connected to the conducting wire 22, 26 and 44 contained in the pole as is Well understood and also to the switches 24. The lighting fixtures 62 are each mounted for pivotal movement for focusing the light in any desired direction. a

The lighting fixture pole is adapted to beelectrically connected to a ceiling mounted unit, the details of which will now be described.

The ceiling mounted unit generally indicated at 70 has a pan shaped housing 72 provided with a horizontal bracket or attaching arm 73 which has an opening 74 which engages the nipple 76 extending through the outlet box 77 which is mounted on the ceiling. The outlet box and nipple being conventional and well understood in the art. A nut 78 secures said attaching arm 73 to said nipple to support said ceiling mounted unit to be rotated 360 with respect to said nipple.

Fixedly secured to the pan shaped housing 72 is a rectangular shaped housing 80, the inner end 81 of which extends into the interior of the pan shaped housing 72 through an opening 82 in the wall of the pan shaped housing 72. Supported within the rectangular shaped housing 80 as best seen in Figure 4 is a strip of insulating material 84 which rests on the bottom wall of the housing 80'. A strip of electrical conducting material 86 rests on the strip of insulating material 84. Another strip of insulating material 88 rests on the strip of electrical conducting material 90. These strips are all held together by some suitable fastening means. The upper strip 92 being spaced from the ceiling surface C. Conducting strips 86 and 98 as best seen in Figure 3, are each connected by conducting wires 93 and 94 extending from the ceiling outlet box 77 through the nipple 76.

The bottom of the rectangular shaped housing 80 is provided with a plurality of equally spaced openings 80' along its length and insulating strip 84, conducting strip 86, and insulating strip 88 are each provided with spaced openings 84', 86 and 88' respectively which are concentric with and register with each other and with the openings 80'. It will be noted that the annular aligned openings are progressively smaller with the largest opening 80 in the housing and the smaller openings 88' in insulating strip 88. This accommodates the end of the abutment member of the pole for establishing the electrical circuit as best seen in Figure 4.

The lighting fixture pole is supported vertically between ceiling and fioor or between two horizontal supporting surfaces with the upper end of the abutment portion of the pole positioned in any of openings along the length of the rectangular member 80 of the ceiling mounted unit. Since the upper tubular abutment member 14 is spring biased, it telescopes into the pole structure sufficiently to allow the pole to be manually positioned between the floor and ceiling and then when released will be supported between the floor and ceiling. When thus positioned, the conducting finger 42 will make electrical contact with the conducting strip 90, the conducting sleeve 20 will make electrical contact with conducting strip 86 and the current will pass through the conducting wires 93 and 95 and if the manual switch 24 and the switch 28 are closed, the light bulbs in the lighting fixtures 62 will be illuminated. The manual switch is generally indicated at 24 and may be of any form, however a switch button is shown for separately operating each of the lighting fixtures 62 and a switch button is also provided for operating all the lighting fixtures simultaneously. This may be varied as is well understood. 7

It will be seen that ,even though the poleis inserted in the ceiling mounted unit that the circuit to the pole is open until the leg 56 rests on the floor surface and moves up to close the switch 28 through lever 52. This feature may be eliminated if desired and the operation of the lighting fixtures on the pole may be controlled only by a manual switch. The ceiling mounted unit 70 may be rotated 360 about its fixed axis or nipple 76 and positioned anywhere within said are and the pole may be secured thereto. The pole may be secured in any of the spaced openings along the length of rectangular housing 83, thus a wide range of positions are permitted for positioning of the pole fixture. The pole may also support an outlet socket which is placed in electrical connection with the ceiling member so that other appliances, lamps and the like may be connected to the pole and receive their current supply.

The foregoing structure eliminates the use of electrical wall outlets and the use of wire cord from the pole to said wall outlets. The pole is thus also more positively supported between floor and ceiling surfaces against accidental displacement. It will be understood that the reference to floor and ceiling surfaces includes any two spaced horizontal surfaces, such as for example, a desk, table or the like on which the fixture rests may be considered a floor surface.

Various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lightingstructure comprising an elongated ceiling fixture, a plurality of spaced sockets distributed along the length of said fixture, a pair of electrical conductors extending along the length of the fixture and insulated from each other, said sockets communicating with said conductors, a'pole member extending between a fioor and the ceiling fixture, said pole member having upper and lower portions, electrical terminals located at the upper end of said upper portion, said terminals having means engaging in a selected one of said sockets, said pole member having a lighting fixture mounted thereon and having electrical conducting means supported within said pole member and in electrical contact with the terminals, means for urging the upper and lower portions of the pole member axially in opposite directions to cause the pole member to firmly engage both floor and ceiling fixture to anchor said pole member in a vertical position whereby to establish electrical contact'between the terminals and fixture and mechanical locking of the pole member between the fixture and the floor.

2. In a lighting fixture defined in claim 1 inwhich the ceiling fixture is provided with pivotal means to secure the fixture to the ceiling whereby the fixture is rotatable about said pivotal means.

3. A lighting structure comprising a ceiling fixture, a plurality of sockets distributed along said ceiling fixture, a pair of electrical conductors on said ceiling fixture insulated from each other, said sockets communicating with said conductors, a pole member extending between a floor and the ceiling fixture said pole member having upper and lower portions with one portion in telescopic relation to the other and depressible with respect 'to the other, electrical terminals located at the upper end of said upper portion, said terminals having means engaging in a selected one of said sockets, said pole member having a lighting fixture mounted thereon and having electrical conducting means supported within said pole and in electrical contact with the terminals in said upper portion, spring means for normally urging said upper portion outwardly so that said pole member is anchored in a vertical position whereby to establish electrical contact between the terminals and fixture and mechanical locking of the pole member between the fixture and the floor.

4. A lighting fixture comprising a ceiling fixture, a plurality of spaced sockets distributed along the length of the fixture, a pair of conductors carried on said ceiling fixture and insulated from each other, said sockets communicating with said conductors, a pole member extending between a floor and the ceiling fixture said pole member having upper and lower portions, electrical terminals located at the upper end of the upper portion of said pole member, said terminals including a depressible finger and a stationary sleeve which engage in a selected one of said sockets, said pole member having a lighting fixture mounted thereon and having electrical conducting means supported within said pole member and in electrical contact with the terminals, means for urging the upper and lower portions of the pole member axially in opposite directions to cause the pole member to firmly engage both floor and ceiling fixture to anchor said pole member in a vertical position whereby to establish electrical contact between the terminals and fixture and mechanical locking of the pole member between the fixture and the floor.

5. In a lighting structure defined in claim 4 in which the pole member has a leg member at the lower end of the pole member and a switch member mounted within the pole member and in engagement with the leg member and adapted to be actuated to closing position by the upward movement of said leg member.

6. A lighting structure comprising an elongated ceiling fixture, socket means along the length of said fixture, a pair of electrical conductors extending along the length of the fixture and insulated from each other, said socket means communicating with said conductors, a pole member extending between a floor and the ceiling fixture said pole member having upper and lower portions, electrical terminals located at the upper end of the upper portion of said pole member, said terminals having means engaging in said socket means along the length of the fixture to position said pole member in a plurality of positions along the length of said fixture, said pole member having a lighting fixture mounted thereon and having electrical conducting means supported within said pole and in electrical contact with the terminals, means for urging the upper and lower portions of the pole member axially in opposite directions to cause the pole member to firmly engage both floor and ceiling fixture to anchor said pole member in a vertical position whereby to establish electrical contact between the terminals and fixture and mechanical locking of the pole member between the fixture and the floor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,889,288 Patterson Nov. 29, 1932 2,107,416 Huth Feb. 8, 1938 2,743,423 Parks Apr. 24, 1956 2,793,286 Stifiel May 21, 1957

Images