US1638716A - Spotlight - Google Patents

Description

1,638,716 L. o. suRLl-:s

SPOTLIGHT Aug. 9, 1927..

Filed Aug. A'7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l TIL-zn. l 41 attain,

Aigg; 9, 1927.

L. O. SURLES SPOTLIGHT Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1925 gjm/vendo@ ,19, 5 .M le. m. r w u 5%/ 0 /a. N m9 m.l L

Patented ug. 9, 192?.

UNH ST TES PTENT FFICE.

SPOTLIGHT.

Application led August 7, 1925. Serial No. 48,861.

This invention relates to spot-lights and has for its principal object the provlslon of novel means for producing the relative longitudinal movement between the lamp and l reflector involved in the focusing of the spotlifrht. v

l:Another object of the invention is to provide a focusing attachment for converting ordinary flashlights into spot-lights structurally so organized as to be readily adapted Vto co-ordination with -any of a number of various types of flashlights. u

Still another object of the invention 1s the provision of an attachment for flashlights 16 which combines ina single v structure the v lighting switch and focusing mechanism.

' Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of illustrative embodiments thereof proceeds. 89 In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing a commercial type of flashlight with my invention applied thereto, converting the flashlight into a focusing spot-light. .Y v

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the up er end of the ashlight, a portion thereof being broken away.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing the invention ap lied to a commercial liashlight, with an a ternative form of lamp suppprt.

Figure i5 1s a ont elevation, partly in section, showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a cross section taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 nis .a fragmental sectional View, on the line '7-7 Figure 6, showing the lighting switch in circuit breaking position.

Referring now in detail to the several ligures, the numeral 1 represents the metallic casing of a' fiashlight of that type in which the lighting switch consists of an open ended metallic cap 2 screwable upon the lower end y of the. casing and having a non-conductive vpush button 3 closing the open end of said carrying a conductive plate 4.- in circuit with the negative pole of the battery 5 through a spring 6, said spring normally pressing the push button against the cap so as to maintam la gap 7 between the plate 4 and the' end of the casing 1. When pressure isexcap and retained thereby, said push buttonerted upon the push button 3 the plate 4 is moved 1n opposition to the spring 6 against the end of the casing 1, thereby closing the circuit through the battery 5, lamp 8 relector 9 and casing 1 producing an illumination of the lamp which persists ,while the push` button is thus depressed, the-circuit being broken by releasing the pressure upon the push button. In order to cause continuous illumination of the lamp, the cap 2 is screwed upon the casing, bringing the plate 4 into permanent contact with the end of the casing to close the gap 7. vIn the form in which this-flashlight is ordinarily manufactured there is an upper cap 10 carrying a glass 11, which cap 1s screwable upon the threaded upper end 12 -of the casing, thus clamping the reector 9 in place.

The present invention, as applied to a flashlight includes a casing extension 13 threaded at both ends as shown at 14 and 15. A refiector 16 is mounted 4for longitudinal movement in said extension, said reflector being riveted or otherwise secured to a longitudinally slidable finger-piece 17 arranged externally of. the extension, the rivets or other securino' means passing through a longitudinal sibt formed in the casing extension 13. The refiector is provided centrally' with an aperture 18 of sutlicient size to pass over the lamp 8. The position of the reflector within the casing extension is such that, when said extension is screwed down into final position upon the u perA end 12 of the flashlight, the reflector will have a range of longitudinal movement suicient' to cause the focus of said reflector to travelr f I from'a point forwardly of the lamp filament to a int rearwardly of said filament. Ordinari y, when the focus of the reliector and the incandescent filament 'do not coincide the spot-light produces the diffuse illumination common to ordinary flashlights but when the reuector is lengitudinauy shifted by longitudinal sliding movement of the ingeriece 17I until the focus of the reilector an the incandescent filament coincide, the rays of light emanating from the flashli ht are concentrated into abrilliantly illuminated spot,

the flashlight-bein thus converted into a spot-light. When t e casing extension 13 is in place, the reecto'r 16 su ersedes the ori nal reflector 9 of the flash 'ght, robbing t e latter of its refiective function so that 1t becomes merely a lam holder. The casing extension is preferab y formed with an in-' which is to bear upon the flange of the ref 'flector 9'and hold it rigidly in place. In

. made to contact by screwing the applying the casing extenslon to the flashlight, theupper cap with the glass 11 is removed from the casing and the extension 13 intercalated between said casing and upper cap, the latter being screwed upon thc upper end of the extension. In order to locate the filament of the lamp in a position in which it will be in operatlve relation to the focus of the reflector 16, I have rovided a vplug 32 ofinsulation material aving a central conductive tpin 33 extending axially thereof and-expose on both the upper and lower surfaces, against one end of which pin the central terminal'of the lamp may be final seat in its socket. The lower end of the pin 33 makes contact with the positive pole of the battery. Other expedients for properly'locating the filament of the lamp may be substituted for the one herein described without departing from the invention.

Itis apparent that no change or alteration inthe construction of the commercial type of flashlight is required in order to apply my 'sim le Iand efficient device' for converting the flas light into a spot-light.

If'the flashlight were originallly turned outfrom the-factory with the spoti ht attachment as a standard part -thereof,t e reflector 9 would probably he done away with and a chea er and efficient lamp holder provided whic i might take the form of the plain disk shown in Figure v4: having the threaded `lamp socket 21adjacent to its central 'portion, said disk being preferably made unitary with the casing extension, as shown.kr When this disk is made part of the caslng extension the lam socket is always centered y Aso that a perfect vocusi'ng of the light is ascenter of the reflector.

sured, This casingextension may be applied also to any standard length flashlight tube,

vas one complete part, accomplishing the conamp to aV as described is merely adaptable'for those commercial forms of flashlight in which a side lightingswitch is provlded.

My spot-light attachment may `beapplied' to a flashlight having the ordinarymetallic sion 13 with the disk 20 shown in Figure 4 or against the reflector 9 illustrated in Figure 1. This is done by mounting the lamp socket upon a disk 22 of insulation material forming a permanent gap between the lamp socket and casing or Casin extension, and providing a switch-control ed gap in the casing extension itself. Referring now to the detail construction of Figure 5, the casing extension 23 screws upon the upper end of the casing 1 holding the fiber disk 22' in place agains't'the upper end of the casing. The reflector 16 is mounted to be movable longitudinally of the casing extension 23 in the manner previously described in connection with the form of the invention illustratcarried by an arcuateplate 34 circumferentially slidable along the cam-like terminus 29 of the switch blade 26. By moving the pin 28 in one direction the free end of the blade 26 is permitted to move toward Version 0f the Same t0 a Spot'light with the K the flange 25 to bring its contact 27 into assurance that the lamp will always be in the I It will be understood that when the disk 20 ismade part of the casing extensionit will be necessary to remove the upper' cap 10 in. order to insert a new lamp. If an unusually long casing is used it'may be found necessary to provide the disk 20 with a downward extension, such as that shown at 31 in Figure 5 for bringing the central terminal of the lamp into conductive contact with the middle lpole of the battery. l y Y It is to be noted that, since the gap controlledvb the lighting switch is at the rear endV of t e flashlight, in that type just described no problem arisesrelating tothe iny sulation of any of the parts constituting my spot-light attachment, or with which it` is directly associated, andr thatl the attachment circuit-closing relationship to the flange 25. The pin 28 extends lthrough a circumferential slot 30 1n the wall of "the casing extension in adjacency to the finger-piece .17. so'

that both the lightingpvswitch and focusing means .are in positionp-to' be manipulated by the same finger. The-slot 30 lis. covered at all times by the plate 34.

In order to accommodate my spot-light attachment to flashlight tubes of varying lengths, it is proposed to provide the lamp socket, where necessary, with an extensiontion, yet it is to be understood that the physical means which I have chosen to illustrate the invention are in no sense to be considered limitations to the broadest interpretation of the claims permitted by the state of the prior art.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. An attachnwnt for converting into a Spot-light a flashlight having a casing and a detachable glass carrying cap, including a casing extension adapted to be intercalated between the casing of the flashlight and the detachable cap thereof, a reflector carried by said casing extension and longitudinally movable therein, said reflector having an apertured end adapted to encompass the lamp of said ashlight to permit said lamp to come into and out of the focus of Said reector when the latter is moved, and means on said casing extension for operatingvsaid reflector;

2. An attachment for converting into a spot-light a flashlight having a casing and a detachable glass carrying cap, including a casing extension adapted to be intercalated between the casing of the flashlight and the detachable cap thereof, a reector carried by said casing extension and lon 'tudinally movable therein, said reflector aving an apertured end adapted t0 encompass the lamp of said flashlight to permit said lamp to come into and out of the focus of said reflector when the latter; is moved, and a longitudinally slidable finger-piece 0n said casing extension operatively connected to said reflector.

3. An attachment for converting a flashlight into a spot-light including an extension adapted to be secured to the upper end of a apertured ond of such size as to. pass over a e lamp Within said lamp socket, said reflector being so positioned with respect to said l lamp socket as to permit the lam to com'e into and out of the focus of sai reflector by longitudinal movement of the latter, and a finger-piece externally of said casing extension for actuating said reflector.

4. An attachment for converting a flashlight into a spot-light comprisin an extension adapted to be secured to t e upper end of the ashlight casing, including y a focusing reflector and a lighting switch, and reflector operating means and switch o erating means arranged in convenient a jacency on the outside of said extension.

5. In a fiashlight of that type having a metallic casing in circuit with one pole vof the batteryof the flashlight, focusing means therefor including an extension securable to the outer end of the flashlight casing, a lamp socket in fixed relation to said eXtension and normally insulated from said casing, a focusing reflector carriedby said extension in operative relation to the 1am Within said lamp socket, a lighting switcii in electrical contact with said extension for closing the circuit through said lamp socket, and reiiector operating means and switch operating means arranged in convenient 'adjacency on the outside `of said extension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LAWRENCE O. SURLES.

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