US1588428A - Flash light - Google Patents

Description

`lune 15 1926.

L. J. VOORHEES FLASH LIGHT Filed March 29, 1922 Patented June l5, 1926.

F I C E LEE J. vooRHEEs, oF BINGHAMTON, NEW

YORK, AssIGNoR 'ro NATIONAL CARBON COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

FLASH LIGHT.

Application led March 29, 1922. Serial No. 547,882.

portable electric the type ener- This invention relates to lamps, especially those of gized by a battery contained within a flat casing. The principal object of the invention taining the battery ce s in position.

,In lamps of this type separate cells may be used, or a unitary battery may be prepared by packaging aplurality of cellsand aiiixing suitable contact members. mentioned procedure is advantageous in that one or more of the cells may be replaced when necessar without disturbing the others. Also, ac aging, adds materially to the cost of t e battery. The present invention provides simple and reliable means for obtaining these and other advantages of the unit cell battery.

In general, the invention comprises a casing provided with resilient means for supporting a plurality of cells in laterally alined relation, and means' for series connecting the cells in a circuit including the lamp filament.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated lin the accompanying drawings in whith Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the lamp, the cover being in open position, and Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectiony on line II-II of Fig. 1.

ferring tothe drawings, 1 indicates a cup-shaped bottom section of a flat .metal casing comprising a complementary cupshaped cover section 2 hinged at .3. The embodiment of the invention which has been selected for illustration is intended for use as a. pocket flashlight, and the casing is there-` fore rounded at its margin, so that itniay fit conveniently into the pocket of the user. The dimensions and contour of the casino' are adapted to the ordinary cylindrical flashlight cells. iy desired configuration of the casing may be chosen, however, with a view to the intended use of the lamp or the shape of the battery cells. 'A projection 4 is stamped in the side of casing 1 andvsnaps into depressible locking catch 5 when the cover 2 is closed.

A bulb holder 6 having a threaded stem 7 is mounted in a circular orifice in a bracket 8, which is attached to the casing in any suita le manner. The holderis partly enclosed in a semicircular recess 9, and a correspondi ing indentation 10 in the end wall of cover 2 receivesy the projecting portion of the holder.

1s to provide improved means for rey `rated The first The exterior rim of holder 6 islpreferably substantially. flush with the casing. Alamp bulb 11 is screwed into the threaded stem 7 and its outer terminal is i electrical contact with the stem. The inner lamp terminal 12 projects below the holder 6. L This terminal makes contact with a conductive tubular rivet 13 carried'by a dished perfotongue 14, preferably of resilient metal and forming an integral part of y bracket 8. f

Tongue 14 is electrically connected to the casing. o insulate the rivet 13 from the tongue, the perforation in the latter is made of such diameter as to leave an the rivet. This clearance and insulation are maintained by a liber ring 15v set in the dished upper surface of the tongue 14 "and a second similar ring 16 placed be. neath it. The rings are clamped in position upon the tongue b expanding the ends of the rivet upon them, as shown in Fi 2.

The means for removabl supporting the' cells comprises upper an lower resilient arms 17, 17 and 18, 18', arranged in pairs in vertical alinement. The upper arms 17 18, may be conveniently formed integrally witllli bracket 8. Arms 17', tia

secured to the casing, by soldering or the like, with its concavity adjacent the casing bottom.` In this manner'a conduit is formed., for insuand 21, which connect the cells in series, as subsequently described.

The resilient arms 17, 17-, 18, 18, like the tongue 14, are provided with a central perforation and a concave upper surface. Tubular conductive rivets 22, 23, 24, 25, are passed through the perforations of arms respectively. Fiber rings 15 are clamped in ly'described, to insulate the rivets from theV arms. Wire 20 connects rivets 23 and'24, and wire 21 connects rivets 25 and 13.

Cells 26 and 27, havin the usual paper wrapper or other lateral insulation, are received between the arms 17, 17 and 18, 18', whereby the two cells are supported side by sidein upright position between the pairs of resilient arms, Their carbon poles are in electrical contact with rivets 22 and 24 and their zinc bases rest upon rivets 23 and ltubular rivet 22. In thev 25. As the ldimensions of the closed case are such that no undue freedom of'motion is allowed the cells, and as the rivets are pressed against the electrodes by the resil!l The electrical circuit is as ollowsz- Through cell 26 to rivet 23, thence through wire 20 to rivet 24: and cell 27, thence through rivet 25 and wire 21 to rivet 13 and the inner terminal of the lamp, through the lament of the lamp to its outer terminal, the holder 6, the casing and the switch, iinally` through the switch to rivet 22.

A metal casing has been described, but

it will be understood that features of the,

invention are applicable as well to nonconductive casings. The number of cells may also be varied as desired.r Various other changes may be made in form and arrangement of parts, within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a portable battery-operated electric lamp, the combination of an incandescent lamp, a casing carrying said lamp, a plurality ot separate electric cells, and means permanently secured in said casing' Jfor supporting said cells upright in side by side relation within said casing and for connecting said cells in series circuit with one another and saidl lamp, said means comprising upper and lower resilient members extending inwardly from the lateralwall of Aa casing an adapted to receive said cells similarly inserted therebetween.

2. In a' portable battery operated electric lam the combination yof a casing, an incan escent lamp, separate cells connected in series and in circuit 'with said lamp, and means for retaining said cells upright in side by side relation in said casing comprising alined members, secured to and extending inwardly from a wall of said casing and carrying contacts engaging the poles of said cells, said alined members being permanently secured to a side wall of said casing and relatively yieldable so they may be spread apart for the insertion and removal of cells.

3. In a portable battery-operated electric lamp, the combination of a casing, an incandescent lamp carried thereby, separate cells, means for. retaining said cells in said casing comprising alined members secured to a wall of said casing and carrying con facts engaging .the poles of said cells, a conduit within said casing, and wlres passing ying said cells in side through but insulated from said conduit and electrically connecting certain of said contacts, s0 as to connect said cells in series circuit with said lamp.

4. In a portable battery-operated electric lamp, the combination of complementary cup-shaped casing sections, an incandescent lamp carried by one of said sections, a plurality of separate electric cells, and means secured in one of said sections for supportby side relation and electrically connecting them in series with one another and said'lamp within the casing formed when such sections are closed together.

5. A portable battery operated electric lamp comprising a metal casing, a lamp bulb mounted therein, spring tongues adjacent the top and bottom of said casing and having metallic connections therewith, said tongues receiving a plurality of single cells therebetween, insulated conductive members carried by said tongues and adapted to make contact with the poles of the cells, and means for establishing an electrical circuit comprising the cells, the casing, and the lilament of the lamp.

6. In a portable battery operated electric lamp; the combination of a casing; an incandescent lamp; separate cells; and means in said casing connecting said cells in series and in circuit with said lamp, comprising a bracket mounted on a side wall of said casing carrying contacts for likepoles of said cells and a contact for said lamp.

7. In a portable battery operated electric lamp; the combination of a casing; an incandescent lamp; separate cells; and means for supporting said cells upright in said casing and connecting them in series and in circuit with said lamp, comprising means extending inwardly from a side wall of said casing carrying a contact for said lamp and colrtacts for thepoles at the ends of said ce s.

`8. The invention according to claim 10, in which said lamp contact and one of the other contacts are insulated from the means carrying them. l A

9. In a portable battery-operated electric lamp, the combination of a casing comprising complementary cup-shaped sections, an incandescent lamp carried by one of said sections, a plurality of separate electric cells, and cell-supporting and connecting means permanently secured in one of said sections, said means comprising resilient contacts engaging the* opposite poles of Said cells tt) support said cells upright in side by side relation and connecting said cells in series circuit with one another and said lamp.

10. In a portable battery-operated electric lamp, the combination of a casing, an incandescent lamp carried thereby, a plurality of separate electric cells, means for sis I side wall of side by side relation Iin said cas1ng comprising a pair of upper arms and a pair of lower arms, said pairsy of arms being permanently secured to an inner said casing and spaced apart to receive said cells therebetwen., said arms engaging the ends of said cells to retain them. 1l. In a portable battery-operated electric lamp, the combination of a casing; an insupporting said cells in candescent lamp carried thereby;

a plurality 10 ofseparate cells; spaced pairs of arms ento connect another.

supporting said casing said casing said cells in series circuit With one 15 In testimony Wl1ereof,I alix my signature.

LEE J. VO

ORHEES.

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