US1393858A - Portable electric light - Google Patents

Description

C. WACHTEL.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED Nov=12,1919.

INVENTO M fmfg/f Q BY y ATTORNEY5 lPatented Oct. 18, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WACHTEL, OIE JAMAICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MAURICE HARTMAN,

OF NEW YORK, N; Y. l

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application led November 12, 1919; Serial No. 337,542.-

To all whom t may concern:

Be it lmown that I, CHARLES WAcH'rEL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Jamaica, in the borough and county of Queens, Long Island, State of New' York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Electric Lights, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in portable self-contained electric lighting devices. Y

The invention has for one of its objects the provision of a portable electric lamp so constructed that closing of the circuit by the bridging of exposed metal parts when the lamp is placed in a tool box or in contact with a metal surface of any kind is impossible.

A further object of the invention is to provde a portable lighting device having a tubular casing of insulating material, a conductor within the casing, a reflector having a flange seated against one end of the casing in circuit with the conductor, a lens, anda. clamping ring detachably held to the casing for locking the lens and reflector in place,

the ring and the conductor securing means being so constructed that the ring'is insulated from the refiector and conductor.

Another important objectJ of the invention is the provision of circuit-closing means embodying a single depressible and laterally shiftable push button adapted to close the lamp circuit when depressed, and means for locking said button in depressed position when the button is shifted laterally.

Another object of the invention is to provide circuit-closing means for an electric lamp, embodying a resilient Contact plate held to the lamp casing, a push button loosely engaging said plate and shiftable relatively thereto when depressed and having a reduced shank, and a housing for the push button having a key slot to adapt the button vto be locked i-n depressed position when the reduced shank of the button is'engaged in the narrow portion of the key slot.

Another object of the invention is to provide a circuit-closing' device for portable electric lights embodying a yieldable contact member, a push button for operating said member, and means whereby the push button may be pressed directly inwardly to temporarily close the circuit, or moved simultaneously inwardly and laterally to engage an abutment on the button under an adj acent ixedabutment to lock the button and member in circuit-closing position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 a view similar to Fig. 1 showing certain of the parts disconnected;

Fig. 3 a longitudinal section onthe line` Referring to the various parts by nu merals, l designates a tubular casing formed of suitable insulating material, preferably vulcanized fiber, formed at its ends with pairs` of oppositely disposed slots 2 and 3. The slots 2 at one end of the casing are connected at their inner ends with cam grooves 4, and the slots 3 at the opposite end of the casing are connected at their inner ends with cam grooves 5, the pairs of grooves 4 and 5 being formed in the outer side of the casing 1.

A metallic conductor strip 6 is held to the inner side of thecasing by a rivet 7 which passes through the casing and the inner end of'said strip, and by a rivet 8 which extends through the casing and the strip 6 adjacent the vouter end of the strip. The outer end of rivet 8 is countersunk in the Wall of the *casing and the outer end of strip 6 is bent outwardly against the end of the casing. A

metallic conductor strip 9 is held to the inner wall of the casing by a rivet 10 which extends through the casing and the inner end of the strip, and the outer end of said strip is doubled upon itself around the end of the casing opposite that engaged by the end of strip 6 and terminates on the outer side of the casing adjacent one of the cam grooves 5. The outer end of strip 9 is secured by a rivet 11. The inner ends of strips Gand 9 are spaced apart and are adapted to be electrically connected by a manually operable ciNuit-controlling means A hereinafter de-A scribed.

A dry battery 12, having the usual terminals 13 and 14 at opposite ends thereof, is

being provided with a circumferential flange 16 at its outer edge seated against the adjacent end of the casing and engaging the laterally bent outer end of the conductor strip 6 to electrically connect the reflector and said strip. The reflector is formed at its inner end with a threaded tubular portion or lamp socket 17 in which an incandescent lamp 18 is mounted, the lamp having the usual threaded terminal sleeve 19 screwed into the socket 17 and the usual terminal 20 engaging the adjacent battery terminal 13.

The end of the casing adjacent battery terminal 14 is closed by a' detachable metallic cap 21 having a pair of oppositely disposed lugs or projections 22 stamped inwardly therefrom and adapted to be passed inwardly through slots 3 and engaged in cam grooves 5, the lugs, grooves and slots forming a bayonet connection between the cap and casing.` The cap has-a coiled spring 23 mounted within the same adapted to yieldably force the battery toward-the lampto maintain the-battery terminal 13 and lamp terminal 20 in engagement with each other. The spring 23 engages the battery terminal 14 and forms an electrical connection between said terminal and the cap 21. The ca 2l is electrically connected with the strip 9 reason of the engagement of the side wall of the cap with the outer end of said strip and rivet 11.

A lens 24, is seated against the flange 16 of the reflector 15, and the reflector and lens are held in engagement with each other and detachably secured to the casing 1 by a clamping ring 25. The ring 25 has a bayonet connection with the end of the casing, said ring having two oppositely disposed lugs or rojections 26 stamped inwardly from the body of the ring adjacent its inner end adapted to pass through slots 2 in the casing and engage in the cam grooves 4. It will be observedl that the ring 25 is insulated from the rivet 8 since the outer end of the rivet is countersunk in the wall of the casing. The ring 25 is pressed outwardly at 27 from a point below the end of the casing to a point above the end of the casing to form an internal circumferential groove in lthe ring coincident with the perimeter of the reflector flange 16 and the outwardly bent end of conductor strip 6. The ring 25 is thus insulated from the conductor strip 6, the reflector 15 and lamp terminal 19. The outer endl of ring 25 beyond the outwardly pressed portion 27 is extended inwardly tov form an annular flange 28 engaging the outer face of the lens 2 The circuit controlling means embodies aV metallic housing 30 held to the exterior of the casing by a rivet 29, and also by the rivet 10 which extends through the housing and casing and the inner end of conductor strip 9 as hereinbefore described. The housing 30 incloses the outer end of rivet 7 which is electrically connected with strip 6, and said housing is electrically connected with strip 9 by the rivet 10. A resilient metallic bridging device or contact late 31 is secured at one end to the underside of the top wall of the housing 30 by a rivet 32, said plate having va constant electrical connection with str1p 9 through the housing 30 and rivets 32 and 10. The free end of the contact plate 31 is normally spaced from the outer end of rivet 7 and is adapted to be pressed inwardly by a push button 33 against .said rivet to complete the circuit. The push button or finger piece 33 is formed with a central stud or projection 34 at its inner end loosely engagin the outer face of the contact Plate 31. he top wall of the housin 30 is formed with a key slot 35 throug which the button 33 extends. The button normally located exteriorly ofthe housing,

and with a flange 37 at its inner end normally engaging the .under side of the top wall of. the housing to limit the outward movement of the button.` The portion 38 of the button intermediate the flange 37 and the reduced shank 36 normally extends through thelarger circular portion of the key slot 35 and is of such length that the outer edge thereof will not move inwardly beyond the inner side of the top wall of the housing when the button is pressed directly inwardly to engage the contact plate with rivet 7. The outer face of the portion 38 is preferably rounded at its edge, as shown. The contact plate is formed w1th a studV or projection 39 pressed upwardly therefrom and engaged by the flange 37 on the button, to prevent rocking of the button toward the free end of the plate which might result in the abutment formed by portion 38 of the button tilting below the top wall of the housing`and thus permitting accidental movement ofthe button 4toward the free end of the plate. To close the circuit for a brief period the button 33 is pressed directly inwardly and held down with the thumb or finger as long as desired. When the pressure on the button is relieved the resilient contact plate will return to its normal Vposition and force the button outwardly. hen it is'desired to burn the lamp for a relatively lon period the button is moved inwardly an laterally to engage the reduced shank portion 36 thereof in the narrow portion of the key slot, and engage the abutment formed b the portion 38 of the button under the xed abutment formed by the top wall of the housing at' the sides of the `narrow portion of the slot. This movement of the button may beA accomplished by a single movement V'ofthethumb exerting a pressure on the button and simultaneously pulling the button toward the narrow po-rtion of' the slot, rocking the button upon the stud 34 as a fulcrum and tilting the abutment 38 belo-w the top wall of the housing, whereupon the shank 36 will move into the narrow part of the slot and abutmenti38 will move under the top wall of the housing, thus moving the contactvplate to circuit-closing position and locking the plate and button in their depressed positions.

lith the construction above described it will be observed that it is impossible to accidentally close the circuit by bridging of the ring 25 and cap 21, or ring 25 and hous ing 30, by a metal tool or other metallic object or surface. It will be seen also that simple means is provided. for temporarily closing the circuit, or for maintaining the circuit closed for any desired length of time 'without the necessity of manually holding the circuit controller in closed position; and that the circuit controller is actuated through a single push button to momentarily close the circuit or to lock the controller in circuit-closing position.

What I claim is:

l. Ina flashlight, the combination of a battery and lamp casing, line terminals on the casing, a metallic housing held to the exterior of the casing having a key slot in the outer wall thereof, a resilient metallic contact plate secured at one end to the housing, one of the line terminals being electrically connected with the housing and the other being inclosed by the housing and located in the path of movement of the free end of the contact plate, a push button slidably and rockably engaging the outer side of the contact plate, said button having a reduced shank portion normally located exteriorly of the housing and a shank portion of larger diameter normally engaged in the wider portion of the key slot, and coperating means carried by the button and contact plate for preventing movement of the outer end of the larger shank portion of the button entirely through the outer wall of the housing when the button is pressed directly inward, said means permitting rocking of the button toward the narrow portion of the key slot to adapt the reduced shank portion of the button to be engaged in the narrow portion of the slot by a lateral and inward thrust on the outer end of the button.

2. In a flashlight, the combination of a battery and lamp casing, a pair of line terminals held to the casing, a metallic housing held to the exterior of the casing electrically connected with one terminal and inclosing the other terminal, a resilient .metallic contact plate within the housing secured at one end to the housing and adapted to be flexed into engagement with the inclosed terminal, said housing having a key slot in its outer wall, a push button for flexing the contact plate having a reduced shank portion normally outside of the housing adapted to pass into the narrow portion of the slot and a larger shank portion normally envgaged in the wider portion of the slot provided around its inner end with a laterally projecting flange normally engaging the inner side of the outer wall of the housing, the larger shank portion of the button being beveled around its outer end and the button being provided at its inner end with a stud having a sliding and rocking engagement with the outer surface of the contact plate.

3. In a flashlight, the combination of a battery and lamp casing, a pair of line terminals held to the casing, a metallic housing held to the exterior of the casing electrically connected with one terminal and inclosing the other terminal, a resilient lnietallic contact plate within the housing secured at one end to the housing and adapted to be flexed into engagement with the inclosed terminal, said housing having a key slot in its outer wall, a push button for flexing the contact plate having a reduced shank portion normally outside of the housing adapted to pass into the narrow portion of the slot and a larger shank portion normally engagedv in the wider portion of the slot provided around its inner end with a laterally projecting flange normally engaging the inner side of the outer wall of the housing, the larger shank portion of the button being beveled around its outer end and the button being provided at its inner end with a stud having a sliding and rocking engagement with the outer surface of the contact plate, and said contact plate having a projection on its outer side engaging the inner face of the flanged portion of the button intermediate the stud and the free end of the plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

CHARLES WACHTEL.

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