US2556023A - Switch structure for lamps - Google Patents

Description

June 5, 1951 M, A, BEATHAN 2,556,023

SWITCH STRUCTURE FOR LAMPS Filed May 20", 1947 I I "I 32 J4 r39 1 2% [M f s3 Z 27 34 /6, I5 [2 22 l' 22 I II 23 II 28 25 N 24 2/ 2 24 /k\ y I WW am Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES -PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a switch-operating structure for lamps, and more particularly to an attachment adapted to be applied to a boudoir lamp or the like to enable the switch mechanism of the lamp to be operated with greater facility and convenience.

In many small table lamps, such as boudoir lamps, the lamp bulb is mounted in a vertically disposed. socket, and a reciprocable switch bar is movably mounted in the socket below the bulb, this switch bar being moved in one direction to extinguish the lamp and in the other direction to light the lamp, the bar being adapted to remain in either position to which it is moved and ofiering resistance to movement from such position.

Lamps of this type are very often provided with a shade, and it is often inconvenient to operate the switch bar in that it is disposed below the shade where it is not readily accessible and also not visible.

It is contemplated by the present invention to provide a switch-operating attachment for such a lamp, the attachment being so constructed that it may be applied universally to practically all lamps of this type and so arranged that the switch bar referred to may be operated by push rods or push buttons accessible at the top of the shade where they not only may be conveniently operated but where they may be readily seen. Briefly, the device comprises a support consisting of two upright brackets, one upon each side of the lamp socket, and an integrally formed clamping means for securing the support to the lamp socket. In each of the bracket members is movably mounted a push rod which is suitably guided for movement in a vertical direction, or in a direction parallel to the axis of the lamp socket. These rods extend upwardly, and upon their upper ends are provided with adjustable push buttons whereby the height of the buttons may be regulated, so that they stand at approximately the upper level of the top of the shade, whereby they will be visible for operation, particularly in their upper positions, but, at the same time. will not protrude to a sufiicient distance to be unsightly. Moreover, the supporting structure is so constructed that it may be manufactured economically, so that the entire attachment may be available at a relatively low cost.

One object of the present invention is to provide a switch-operating attachment for lamps, which will render the operation of the switch more convenient. A

7 Claims. (Cl. MIL-123) A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment readily applicable to boudoir lamps or the like employing a reciprocable switch bar, which attachment provides means for operating the switch bar from a point adjacent the upper end of the bulb or adjacent the upper portion of the shade if one is employed on the lamp.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a switch-operating attachment for lamps of the class described, which will render the operation of the lamp switch more convenient, and which, at the same time, may be economically manufactured, so that it may be made available at a relatively low cost.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a lamp with my attachment applied thereto, the lamp shade being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1, with the lamp bulb removed; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view or" the lamp socket, showing the manner of securing the attachment in place.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown in Fig. l of the drawings a lamp of the boudoir type having a base or pedestal Ill to which is secured in upright position a socket II. A lamp bulb I2 is disposed in the socket in the usual way, and a shade 13 of any usual form is shown in connection with the lamp, the shade in this instance being secured in place by clamping wires [4 which engage the bulb.

My attachment comprises a support consisting of a pair of bracket members I5 and I6, one disposed at each side of the socket ll. These bracket members may be made of sheet metal, and, as shown, extend generally in a vertical direction. Integrally formed with the members I5 and I6 is a clamp comprising an open band or ring ll, the adjacent free ends of the ring being i turned outwardly, as shown at l8.

It will be understood that as is usual, the clamping ring I! may be expanded to enable the ring to be slipped upon the socket and thereafter contracted, so that it may be caused to bind upon the socket in order to support the attachment in place. This function may readily be accomplished by a clamping member [9 having an elliptical opening 20 therein through which the outwardly turned ends 18 of the ring I! extend. It

3 will be understood that, when the clamping member 19 stands in the dotted-line position, shown in Fig. 3, the ends ill of the ring will stand in the direction of the lower axis of the elliptical opening 20 and permit the ring to expand, so that it may be slipped upon the socket ll. However, when th member [9 is turned into the plane of the ring or into the full-line position, shown in Fig. 3, the adjacent ends it will be brought together, and thus the ring will be clamped securely upon the socket.

As is usual in lamps of this kind, a switch bar 2! is reciprocably mounted in the socket H, the switch bar being moved longitudinally in one direction or the other to close or open the switch to control the lamp. Upon the lower portion of each of the members and [6 a lever 22'ispivoted at 23, each of these levers being provided with a depending portion 22 adapted to engageag'ainst one end of the switch bar 2!, and each lever is also provided with a substantially horizontally disposed portion or arm 25 which extends at substantially right angles to-the arm 26.

Adjacent the upper and lower. ends of each of the supporting brackets l5 and it, the metal of the Ibrackets'm'aybe'turned laterally or horizontally, as shown in the drawings, to provide guide lugs 27 and 28, each of these lugs having an opening 23 therein through which extends a push rod 30. The lower ends of these push rods engage the arms 25 01? the levers 22, so as to operate these levers when the rodsare pushed downwardly.

The upper ends of each of the rods 36 may be threaded as shown at 3|, and adjustably secured on each rod is a push button 32 provided at its lower end'w-ith'a nut 33 adapted to be threaded upon the portion 3i of the rods 30. If desired, a lock nut 34 may also be threaded upon the rods 3!! in order to lock the push buttons 32 in adjusted position and prevent any tendency of these push buttons to be turned in the operation of the switch, and thus inadvertently move upwardly or downwardly when such adjustment is not desired. It will, of course, be understood that, if desired, the'push buttons 32, which are hollow to receive the rods 31 may be interiorly threaded for adjustmentupon these rods and the nut 33 omitted. In either event, they would be adjustable, so that the position of the upper ends of the push buttons 32 could be regulated, so that they stand at substantially the same height as the upper portion of the shade;

the operation of the device, it may be assumed that the parts will stand in the position shown in Fig. 1 when the lamp is extinguished, and the left h'and button 32 is in a depressed position. The lower end of the rod 30 will engage the upper surface of the arm 25 of the corresponding bell crank'lever 22 as will also the rod 30 on the right-hand side of the device. The parts will remain in this position due to the resistance of the switch bar 2] to movement, although it will be understood that, as the parts are of very light construction, there will be little tendency for the switch bar to be moved by the weight of the push rods. It will be seen that, in this position of the parts, the upper end of the righthand push button 32 standsslightly above the top of the shade where it may be readily seen and lamp and move the switch bar longitudinally of its axis, which will'in the'usu'al mannerefiect' the 4 closing of the lamp switch. After this operation, the button 32 at the right-hand side of the lamp will stand in a depressed position, and the button 32 at the left-hand side of the lamp will then be in a. raised position where it is readily accessible for operation as it will be necessary to operate this button to extinguish the lamp. If desired, the push buttons may be made of different colors, such as red and white, to indicate which oneshould' be pressed to light the lamp.

As shown more especially in Fig. 2" of the drawings, the levers 22 may be provided with slotted portions 35 to receive the lower ends of thebracket memberS l5 and I6, so that a part of these levers will be disposed upon each side of the'bra'cket, and the pivot pin 23 will extend through the bracket, so as to engage the levers on both sides thereof and thus effect a more 'balancedarrangement of the parts.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment ofjm invention, it will be understood thatitis not to-be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of-the claims.

What I claim is: a

1. In combination with a lamp socket having areciprocablehorizontally movable switch bar; a support, means for attaching the support to the socket, a" substantially vertically disposed push rod movably mounted in the support at each side of the socket, and-means operably connecting each ofsaid rodstothe-switch bar to actuate the latter in opposite directions by movement of the rods.

2. In combination with a lamp socket having a reciprocable" horizontally movable switch bar, a. bracket member disposed on each side of said socket, clamping means formed integrally with said members to attach them to the socket, a substantially vertically disposed push rod movably mounted on each of the bracket members, means transmittingmotion from said rodsto the switch bar, and guide'lu'gs formed integrally with the bracket membersto guide said rods intheir movements.

3. In combination with a lamp socket having a reciprocable horizontally movable switch bar; a support, means for attaching the support to the socket, a substantially vertically disposed push rod movably'mou'nted inthesupport at each side of the socket, means operably connecting each of saidrod's tothe switch bar to actuate the latrods, and a push button adjustably secured to the outer 'endo'f each of the push rod'sto actuate the latter.

4. In combination with a lamp socket having aieoiprocable horizontally movable switch bar, a support, means'for attaching the su port to the socket; a substantially vertically disposed push rod-movably mountedin the support at each side of the socket, and ineans oper'ably connecting each of said rods to the switch bar to actuate' means for attachiii'gth'e brackets to the socket,

a push rod mounted for substantially vertical movement upon each of said brackets, a lever pivoted upon each bracket adjacent the lower end of the push rods, said lever having one extending in a substantially vertical direction to engage one end of said switch bar, and a second arm extending in a substantially horizontal direction to lie below and be engaged by the lower end of the push rod.

6. In combination with a lamp socket, the axis of which is disposed in a substantially vertical position, and having a reciprocable switch bar movable in a horizontal direction, an upright bracket disposed at each side of said socket, means for attaching the brackets to the socket, a push rod mounted for substantially vertical movement upon each of said brackets, a lever pivoted upon each bracket adjacent the lower end of the push rods, said lever having one arm extending in a substantially vertical direction to engage one end of said switch bar, a second arm extending in a substantially horizontal direction to lie below and be engaged by the lower end of the push rod, and means integrally formed with said bracket members and extending horizontally therefrom for guiding the push rods in their vertical movements.

7. In combination with a lamp socket having a reciprocable horizontally movable switch bar,

Number a bracket member disposed on each side of said socket, clamping means formed integrally with members to attach them to the socket, a substantially vertically disposed push rod movably mounted on each. of the bracket members, means transmitting motion from said rods to the switch bar, said clamping means comprising an open ring embracing said socket, the adjacent ends of said ring being turned outwardly, and a clamping lever having an elliptical opening in which the outwardly turned ends of said ring are received.

MARK A. BEATHAN.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Re. 7,546 Sheppard Mar. 6, 1877 25,800 Beach Oct. 18, 1859 1,136,239 Klein Apr. 20, 1915 1,470,620 Hugh Oct. 16, 1923 1,657,153 Dann Jan. 24, 1928 2,258,032 Popp Oct.. 7, 1941 2,267,895 Boynton Dec. 30, 1941

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