US2368810A - Lighting fixture - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 1945. J. DONNELLY v LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Dec WIU INVENTOR JA MES DON/VELL Y ATTORNF'YY Patented Feb. 6, 1945 LIGHTING FIXTURE James Donnelly. Meriden,

Miller Company,- Meride of Connecticut Conm, assignmto The 11, Conn, a corporation Application December 2, 1942, Serial No. 487,576

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to fighting flxtures, and is more particularly directed toward continuous direct lighting fixtures such as employ fluorescent lamps.

Where such lighting fixtures are provided with reflectors with closed ends the reflectors are suf-,

ficiently rigid to maintain satisfactory alignment from one reflector to the next, but, where such fixtures are provided with continuous inverted trough shaped reflectors open at the ends, the ends being in abutting relation, there is a likelihood that the ends of the reflectors will be disaligned for various reasons.

The present invention contemplates a simple, inexpensive construction whereby the ends of the reflectors may be kept in alignment without making it necessary to employ complicated or expensive devices requiring troublesome assembly, or rely on extraneous structures.

The accompanying drawing shows, for purposes of illustrating the present invention two embodiments in which the invention may take form, together with modifications of certain parts, it being understood that the drawing is illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a form of construction suitable for non-metallic reflectors;

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary sectional views on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view through a form of construction suitable for metal reflectors; and

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate modified forms of hinge.

The continuous wiring channel for fluorescent lighting equipment is illustrated at l and may assume any suitable configuration for the purposes at hand. The non-metallic reflectors are indicated at II, II, their abutting ends at l2, I2. The corners of the ends of the reflectors are cut away as indicated at I3.

The side walls l4, M of the wiring channel ID are slotted, as indicated at l Figure 3, and straps I 8 with bent ends I1, I! are hooked 'into the holes in the channel walls. These holes are so spaced that the strap will be brought opposite the joint formed by the abutting ends of the reflectors. The straps l6, l6 are formed to shape so that they will conform to the contour of the reflector and the lower ends of the straps are provided with non-removable screws l3. These screws support short straps 20 having an elongated slot as indicated at 2|. When the strap bent edges indicated at M. similar to the strap H; are

20 is dangling in the dot-and-dash line position at the left of Figure 1 the strap l8 and loose strap 20 can be swung about the hooks as pivots so as to pass the loose strap through the space provided by cutting awa" the ends of the reflectors. When the stra; I 3 is in the lower or full line position the stre p 20 can be moved up to the full line position aere it bridges the gap between the corners of the reflectors and can be clamped in place by tightening up the screw l9. This arrangement has been found very effective for the purpose of keeping the non-metallic trough reflectors in alignment.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 4 the metal reflectors 30 are provided with lower inwardly Straps 32 generally hingedly carried by the side walls of the wiring channel. The lower ends 33 of the straps 32 are arranged so as to snap around the metal reflectors and hold the ends of the reflectors in alignment. The reflectors may be held against the wiring channel by a bolt 34 carried by a cross strap 35.

In Figure 5 the two sections Illa and lb of the wiring channel are indicated with the joint l0c opposite the Joint I2 between the two reflectors II, II. Here the straps 40, corresponding with the strap l6 or with 32 are provided with hooked ends 4|, 4| adapted to be passed through angle brackets 42, 42 carried by the side walls of the wiring trough at the proper spacing from the ends of the troug In the arrangement shown in Figure 6 the side walls of the wiring trough carry pairs of hook shaped brackets 5|, to which a strap 52 similar to the strap 32 or IE i hinged. The bottom portion of the straps 40 or 52 may be such as shown in either Figure 1 or Figure 4 depending upon the type of reflector which being employed.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in otherforms and constructions within the scopeof the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular forms shown are but a few of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. Lighting equipment comprising a continuous horizontal wireway composed of sections secured together end to end, inverted trough shaped reflectors secured to the bottoms of the wireway with their ends in abutting relation and certain the abutting ends of the joints between the ends of the joints formed by e o s even with the of adjacent sections and intermediate said ends. the reflectors being characterized by an absence of cross bracing whereby spreading of one reflector wider than an adjacent reflector tends to disalign the reflectors, and means to maintain vthe adjacent ends of the reflectors in alignment 3. Lighting equipment comprising a continuous horizontal wireway, inverted trough shaped reflectors secured to the bottoms of the wireway with their ends in abutting relation and having their lower corners cut away to provide space between the reflectors, straps hlngedly secured to each side of the wireway above the joints formed by the adjacent reflector ends, the straps being of a length and contour to flt about the outer surfaces of the reflector ends, and of a width to bridge the joint between the same, and each carrying a bridging strap 'pivotall secured to its lower end and movable from a horizontal position where it bridges the space to a vertical position where it can be passed through the space when the first strap is swung upwardly for detachably clamping the strap to the lower portions of the reflector ends.

4. In combination, a horizontal wiring channel, two inverted trough shaped reflectors secured to the channel with their ends abutting except for the lowermost comers thereof which are cut back to form a space, astrap hinged to the wiring channel and extending down outside the ends of the reflectors to bridge the joint between the same, a pivot post extending inwardly from the lower end of the strap opposite the said space, and a. slotted strap carried by the post, the strap being movable from a horizontal position where it contacts the inner surfaces of the two reflectors to a vertical position where it can be passed through the said space when the first strap is swung upwardly.

JAMES DONNELLY.

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