US2491686A - Pen-shaped pocket flashlight - Google Patents

Description

3949 J. NATHAN ETAL. AL

PEN SHAPED POCKET FLASHLIGHT Filed Jan. 8, 1949 LVVENTORS JEQOME NATHAN q d I rzlcHAQo w. ADLEE 1 BY ATTORNEY Fatentecl Dec. 20, 1949 PEN-SHAPED POCKET FLASHLIGHT Jerome Nathan, Ridgefield, N. J., and Richard Warren Adler, New York, N. Y., assignors to Bantam-Lite, Inc., Ne

tion of New York York, N. Y., a corpora- Application January 8, 1949, Serial No. 69,888

8 Claims.

This invention relates to portable lighting device and more particularly is directed to penshaped pocket battery flashlights.

Among the objects of use of the invention is the provision of an improved article of the character described comprising few and simple parts which shall be easily assembled to form a reliable and dependable portable lighting means capable of withstanding rough and hard usage yet which shall be small and compact so that it can be readily carried in the pocket or in handbags, which shall be neat in appearance, convenient to handle and operate, cheap to manufacture, and practical and efiicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention:

Fig. l is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken through a pen shape pocket flashlight constructed to embody the invention, showing the switch retained in an off-circuit position.

Fig. 2 is a top plain view of the improved flashlight showing Figure 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, in Figure 1, showing details of the switch construction and assembly.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 3, showing the switch in closed circuit position.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation aproximately full size showing the exterior of the improved flashlight, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of the head end of the improved flashlight showing a side of the rotary switch band opposite the clip.

Referring to the drawing I0 denotes a penshaped pocket flashlight constructed to embody the invention of a type that can conveniently be carried in a pocket or other receptacle and mounted like conventional pens and pencils by means of a clip II in a pocket or in a woman's handbag, in the well understood manner.

Said flashlight It] may comprise a suitable outer casing I2, and as here shown, being formed of a one-piece tubular sheet metal having a suitable closed end I2a for housing a standard electric battery of two series arranged dry cells I3 and I4, each cell being insulated from the casing I2 by a paper a fibre wrapper I5.

Open end I2b of easing I2 opposite said closed end I2a, through which said dry cells I3 and I4 are inserted, extends beyond the carbon terminal or center contact I3a of cell I3, and may be provided with a suitable coupling means, such as spun or drawn screw-threads I2c extending inwardly from said open end I2b forming a seat and anchorage for a cap or head member I6.

The latter carries a standard miniature incandescent lamp I1 extending therethrough with bulb I'Ia thereof exposed and screw base Ilb of the lamp I'I extended beyond said member I6 so that center contact IIc of lamp I1 is positioned to connect in circuit with said battery terminal I3a.

Said flashlight head member I6 preferably is made of a suitable plastic molded material formed with a cut back screw-thread portion Ilia which forms said seat and anchorage with casing screw threads I20, as is shown in Fig. 1, where head member thread portion Ilia is screwed into casing threads I20 firmly coupling the head member I6 in position.

Portion of casing threads I2c inwardly of the rim edge of open end I2b has a section cut away to provide an elongated clearance slot I2d extending part way peripherally thereof through which a V-shaped spring current conducting jumper I8 extends in position for cooperating with screw base IIb to provide circuit making and breaking switch means as is clear from Figs. 1, 4 and 5. One end I8a of jumper I8, which is preferably made of spring material, such as tempered steel, alloys or bronze, may be secured to one end IZg of slot 12d by suitable means, for example, rivet I9, the outer or free end IBb of said spring jumper I8 being of such a length, shape and size to normally take a position to abut the rim end I2 of said slot I2d with mldportion bight I- of jumper I8 extending beyond the exterior surface of casing I I.

Encircling casing end over threads I20, and rotatably mounted thereon for limited movement, there is provided a band 20 on which clip II is carried to turn therewith. Said clip II may be formed of a metallic stamping having bulged end IIu. providing a hollow IIb, said end Ila being firmly secured to band 20 in any suitable manner as by integral clinched lugs I I0 as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Interior side wall Illd of said hollow IIb may be constructed to serve as a cam which permits spring jumper I8 to remain in ofi-circuit position, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, and on rotating the band counter-clockwise said cam wall Ild causes jumper l8, by pressure applied on bight [80, to flex the free end 18b thereof for contacting lamp screw base ill) to close the switch circuit, as is clear from Fig. 5.

To limit the rotation of band 21] with clip H, and also to retain band 20 in its effective operating position for controlling the switching, a groove lZe extending into the casing l2 inwardly of slot 1201 is provided to cooperate with a suitable protuberance 2ia formed in said band 20,

as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. If. desired, opposite.

ends of groove He may be spotted orindented, as at 21, so as to provide dwells for the protuberance 26a to more positively retain the switch in off and on circuit positions, as is clear from Figs.

3 and 5.

lhe practical operation of the invention will now be apparent, with the head member I 6 positioned in the complete assembly as described above and shown in the. drawing, and with a suitable helical pressure spring 21 mounted in casing closed end I 2a bearing on the zinc terminal ia of dry cell 14, as shown in Fig, l, the lamp ii being preferably retained in assembled position in the head member It by suitable means, such as, wire 22 wound on lamp screwbase 17b interposed to frictional by engaged with spaced ribs Nib extending in the lamp passage in head member i6, as shown in Fig. 1. By turning band 2%] with clip H clockwise as far as they can be readily moved to a position corresponding to that shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 with the protuberance 2a entered into groove end 12 the jumper is will .be in OK circuit position and the bight I80 extended into hollow lib of the clip bulge Ha. The jumper free end l8b is then normally spaced from the lamp base Nb and in abutment with the interior surface of the slot end 12 To switch the jumper IS in on circuit position band with clip ii are rotated as far as they can readily be moved counterclockwise to a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 5 until the protuberance 28a. enters the groove end I2 at the other end of the groove I2e.

During these rotations jumper bight We is subjected to the camming action against the interior surface lid of the wall of said hollow lib for flexing the free jumper end 18d to and bights so called dead point, that is onto the jump- I er free end 5829, as shown in Fig. 5. Should the 25B and clip H be turned less than to said stabilized position there would be a tendency for Iii the camming action extends slightly beyond the the switch to be released to the open circuit position at the switch. To open circuit the switch after the latter has been closed, band 23 and clip ii are merely rotated clockwise to the position first above described.

Clip 5 i may .be of U-shape cross-section formed" It should be noted that the flashlight construction 10 is not only of improved simple construction but also lends itself to form a neat and attractively designed article for the purposes described.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a flashlight construction in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes. might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be. interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a flashlight construction, a metallic tubular battery casing having an elongated peripheral extending slot adjacent an open end thereof and terminated by a head member wherethrough an incandescent lamp extends with a base of said lamp alignin with said slot, a V-shaped spring current conducting member having one end secured to a one end rim of said slot with a midportion bight of the member normally projecting through said slot beyond the exterior surface of said casing, a free end of said member opposite said secured end abutting an interior side of other end rim of said slot and at a spaced distance from said lamp base, a band encircling said casing mounted for limited rotation over said slot and free from said projecting bight, a

a; clip having a bulge end formed with a hollow side thereof aligning with said slot carried by said band, said projecting bight extending into said hollow side, the interior wall surface of said hollow side being shaped and positioned to serve as a cam cooperating with said bight to flex the free end of the member for electrical contacting with the lamp base on rotating said band with the clip from off to on circuit switching positions.

2. In a flashlight construction as defined in claim 1, in which said cam serving interior wall surface of the hollow side includes engagement means for releasably retaining the bight when in effective circuit closing position on rotating said band.

3. In a flashlight construction as defined in claim 1, in which integrally formed cooperative means are provided in said band and casing for limiting relative rotation therebetween and for retaining the band with the clip against movement along the casing.

4. In a flashlight construction as defined in 'claim 1, in which cooperative sliding means are integrally formed in peripheral portions of said band and casing at a space distance from the slot for limiting relative rotation between said band and casing to correspond to the length of the slot, said sliding means retainin the band with the clip against movement along the casing, said cam serving interior wall surface of the hollow side being shaped to releasably retain the bight in effective circuit closing position on rotating the band in said limited relation.

5. In the flashlight construction as defined in claim 1, in which said clip is resilient structure having a gripping end for releasable clamping to a support interposed between said gripping end and the battery casing and for retaining the band and clip against accidental relative rotation with respect to said casing.

6. A flashlight comprising a metallic tubular casing havin a top open end and a closed bottom end, a battery housed within the casing down from said casing top open end, a head member wherethrough an incandescent lamp having base contacts extends mounted in said casing open end to connect in circuit one base contact with a terminal of said battery, the other terminal of said battery being connected in circuit with said casing through said bottom end thereof, said casing having an elongated peripheral extending slot at a spaced distance down from said top open end in alignment with another of said base contacts, a V-shaped spring current carrying jumper having one end thereof anchored to one end rim of said slot With a midportion bight of said jumper normally projecting through the slot beyond the exterior of the casing, the extreme edge of the free end of said jumper opposite said anchored end abutting the other end rim of said slot on the interior of said casing, a clip terminated at one end by a band encircling said casing positioned to cover said slot, said clip and band havin a bulge formed with hollow side facing said slot into which said projectin bight extends, the interior wall surface of said hollow side having a camming portion for engaging said bight to flex the jumper free end toward the last mentioned base contact for closing the electrical circuit through the lamp on rotating said clip with the band from an "ofi to an on switching position.

7. A flashlight as defined in claim 6, having means for limiting the rotation of said clip and band with respect to the casing for positioning said camming portion along the jumper free end to releasably retain the on switching position.

8. A flashlight as defined in claim 6, having means for limiting the rotation of said clip and band with respect to the casing for positioning said camming portion along the jumper free end to releasably retain the on switching position, said clip being of resilient construction and having a gripper surface on an end thereof opposite to said band for releasably clamping to a support interposed between said clip gripper surface and the battery casing so that the clip with band is retained against accidental relative rotation with respect to said casing whereby the switching position is releasably secured.

JEROME NATHAN. RICHARD WARREN ADLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,144,201 Hipwell June 22, 1915 2,020,352 Bolduc Nov. 12, 1935 2,226,353 Wood Dec. 24, 1940 2,312,305 Berlinger Mar. 2, 1943 2,420,152 Sherwood et a1. May 6, 1947

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