US3322886A

US3322886A - Swivel joint coupling for lamp arms

Info

Publication number: US3322886A
Application number: US526094A
Authority: US
Inventors: Warshawsky Jerome
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-02-09
Filing date: 1966-02-09
Publication date: 1967-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 1984-05-30

Description

l May 30,

, 15 lAA 3% ,Filed Feb. 9, 1966 J. WARSHAWSKY SWIVEL JOINT CO'UPLING FOR LAMP ARMS I N VEN TOR.

f) noe/V675 I United States Patent() 3,322,886 SWIVEL JOINT CGUPLING FOR LAMP ARMS Ierome Warshawsky, 3285'Bertha Drive,

` Baldwin, N.Y. 11510 Filed Feb. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 526,094 4 Claims. (Cl. 174-86) Thisinvention relates to electric wiring installation and fittings and more particularly is directed to an improved swivel joint coupling for arms of lighting fixtures through which electric wiring extends. l n

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an improved swivel joint coupling of the character described which shall comprise few and simple parts for economical manufacture in low cost quantity production, which coupling shall -be readily installed as a means of articulation between armsl in a lighting fixture and have readily movable parts retained under preset spring pressure against accidental displacement from desired set positions, which shall facilitate wiring of the lighting fixture by permitting assembly of the coupling after such wiring, which assembly shall require a minimum of time and skilled labor using Simple hand tools, which coupling shall resist loosening or reduction of the preset spring pressure after repeated movement of the joint, which shall Vbe neat in appearance, rugged in construction to withstand rough usage, and efficient and practical to a high degree.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. Y

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which Will be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing in which various illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a swivel joint coupling constructed to embody the invention shown interconnecting a pair of arms of an electrically wired lighting fixture for articulating relative movement.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectionv of the coupling illustrated in FIG. l showing the interior construction.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the parts of the coupling shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on lines 4-4 and 5 5 respectively in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section similar to FIG. 2, but removed from the arm assembly, showing a modified form of `the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes an electrically wired articulating arm section of a lighting fixture incorporating swivel joint coupling 11 constructed to embody the invention and shown to comprise an anchor member 12, a rotary member 13, an axial retaining stud 14, a compression spring and a washer 16.

Anchor member 12 and rotary member 13, and axial stud 14 may `be made of any suitable metal stock preferably brass, machined or otherwise formed as cylindrically shaped mating halves of and retaining means for coupling 11, respectively. Anchor mem-ber 12 has a closed end wall 12b integrally formed on the interior thereof with an axial boss 12c which is drilled and tapped to provide interior threads 12d. Cylindrical side wall 12a, upstanding from end wall 12b, may be formed with a threaded side opening 12e for receiving a threaded end of an arm A of the lighting fixture (not shown). The end of anchor member 12 opposite end Wall 12b is open, the .rim edge of side wall 12a bein-g provided with suitable means for rotatably seating Irotary member 13 thereon, here 4shown as a rabbet 12,1".

Rotary member 13 has a cylindrical side wall 13a which is open at opposite ends but is formed with an interior 3,322,886 l Patented May 30, 1967 lCC transverse wall 13b having a central opening 13e and a ySide opening 13d located to span threaded opening 13e in side wall 13a which receives an arm AA of the lighting fixture (not shown). The rim edge of one end of side wall V13a is provided with a complementary means for rotatably `engaging anchor member 12, here shown as complementary rab-bet 13f. 'Ihe rim edge of the opposite end of side wall 13a is formed with an interior shoulder 13g for seating washer 16 therein.

Stud 14, having a slotted head 14e of enlarged crosssection engaging washer 16, extends through central opening 13e of interior transverse wall 13b and terminates in a threaded end 14a kfor engaging 1boss threads 12d. Threader end 14a may be of reduced cross-section providing shoulder 14b for abutting axial boss 12e, the distance along stud 14 between headf14c and shoulder 14b being accurately predetermined to insure a slight clearance between washer 16 and interior shoulder 13g when shoulder 14b is locked tightly against axial yboss 12C.

.f Compression spring 15 acting between transverse wall A13b and washer 16 exerts a friction pressure, that is, a

lbinding Iforce, between

members

12 and 13 at the rabbet joint therebetween, the compression properties of spring 15 being chosen to satisfy minimum torque requirements for initiating relative angular movement between articulated arms A and AA.

One of the features of the invention is the arrangement of stud 14 whereby anchor member 12 and rotary member 13 may be assembled at the time and place of the lighting fixture asernbly. Thus, anchor member 12 and rotary member 13 are separately threaded onto arms A ,and AA, respectively. A leading end of electric wiring W maybe threaded through arm A to emerge from anchor member 12 and then inserted into the end of arm AA which is secured in opening 13e and readily accessible through the open inner end of rotary member 13 and lateral opening 13d in interior transverse wall 13b. Electric wiring W may then be pulled through the separated parts and the wirin-g of the lighting fixture completed in any well understood manner. Assembly of swivel joint coupling 11 is readily accomplished Iby placing washer 16 and `spring 15 on stud 14, seating rotary member 13 on anchor member 12, inserting stud 14 through central opening 13C, and threading end 14a into boss 12C. Stud 14 may be tightened with a screwdriver.

The practical operation and utility of electrically wired arm section 10 will now be apparent. The angular relation of arms A and AA, joined by coupling 11, may be readily adjusted by application of force therebetween sufficient to overcome the friction at the rabbet joint exerted by spring 15. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, stud 14, when tightened so that shoulder 14b locks against boss 12e, will resist being loosened by repeated back and forth rotation of rotary member 13 on anchor member 12. In operation, the pressure of spring 15 against washer 16 maintains a slight:y clearance between the latter and shoulder 13g. When stud 14 is tightened as hereinbefore described it is relatively fixed with respect to anchor member 12 so that the swinging of arms A and AA with respect to each other causes relative movement at the rabbet joint and also between stud head 14e and washer 16 and/0r lbetween washer 16 and rotary member 13.

It will be understood thatlateral opening 13d in transverse wall 13b may be omitted when the axial proportions of rota-ry member 13 and the size of spring 15 permit locating transverse wall 13b above side opening 13e to enable clear passage of wiring W into arm AA.

Any suitable means capable of being secured manually may be provided for attaching stud 14 to anchor memjber 12. To this end, a modified form of the invention is shown in FIG. 6 as swivel joint coupling 21 which comprises a rotary member 13, spring 15 and washer 16 all similar to the corresponding parts of swivel 11, and an anchor member 22 having a cylindrical side wall 22a and a bottom wall 22!)` formed with an axial opening 22C through which the threaded end 24a of axial stud 24 extends for retention therein by a cap type hex nut 25. Stud 24 has a shoulder 24b for engaging bottom wall 22h shoulder 24h being spaced a predetermined distance from head 24e to insure slight clearance of washer 16 on shoulder 13g in a manner similar to stud 14 in swivel 11. Hex nut 25 locks stud 24 against relative rotation. Coupling 21 is assembled in a manner as hereinbefore described with reference to coupling 11, except thathex nut 25 may be tightened on threaded end 24a with the aid of a Wrench and screwdriver. Heads 14C and y24C may be provided in non-circ-ular form, such as, square or hexagonal for wrench tightening.

The improved swivel joint couplings herein disclosed are seen to achieve the several objects of the invention and to =be well adapted to meet conditions of practical use. As various possible embodiments might be made in the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the disclosed constructions, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim -as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

` 1. A swivel joint coupling comprising a pair of hollow cylindrical mating members axially mounted in end-toend abutment at a friction joint therebetween for relative rotation, an opening in the side `of each member for mounting a hollow arm therein, a first of said members having an end wall closure and an opposite open end facing an open end of the second of said members -at said joint, said second member having a second open end opposite said end wall closure formed with an interior shoulder, a washer closing said second open end seated on said interior shoulder, a headed stud extending axially through said washer and anchored to said first member end wall closure, an interior transverse wall in said second member spaced from said washer and having an axial opening through which said stud extends, `and a compression spring interposed between said washer and interior transverse wall exerting friction pressure between the members at said joint through said stud, said stud retaining said washer in position free of locking engagement with said interior shoulder.

2. The swivel joint coupling defined in claim 1 in which said headed stud is formed with a threaded end of a reduced cross-section providing a shoulder, said first member end wall closure having an interior axial threaded Iboss receiving said stud threaded end with said shoulder in tight abutment thereto securing the stud against accidental rotation effecting said anchoring, the spacing along said stud between said shoulder and head being predetermnied for said washer retention free of said locking engagement.

3. The swivel joint coupling defined in claim 1 in which said headed stud is formed with a threaded end of a reduced cross-section providing a shoulder, said first member end wall closure being formed with an axial opening through which said threaded end extends, and a retaining nut threaded onto said end clamping said shoulderV against said end wall closure for securing the stud against accidental rotational effecting said anchoring.

4. The swivel joint coupling dened in claim 1 in which said transverse wall is aligned with said side opening and is formed with a lateral cutout adjacent said opening for -passage of electric wiring therethrough.

No references cited.

LEWIS H. MYERS, Primary Examiner.

D. L. CLAY, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A SWIVEL JOINT COUPLING COMPRISING A PAIR OF HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL MATING MEMBERS AXIALLY MOUNTED IN END-TOEND ABUTMENT AT A FRICTION JOINT THEREBETWEEN FOR RELATIVE ROTATION, AN OPENING IN THE SIDE OF EACH MEMBER FOR MOUNTING A HOLLOW ARM THEREIN, A FIRST OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING AN ENDWALL CLOSURE AND AN OPPOSITE OPEN END FACING AN OPEN END OF THE SECOND OF SAID MEMBERS AT SAID JOINT, SAID SECOND MEMBER HAVING A SECOND OPEN END OPPOSITE SAID END WALL CLOSURE FORMED WITH AN INTERIOR SHOULDER, A WASHER CLOSING SAID SECOND OPEN END SEATED ON SAID INTERIOR SHOULDER, A HEADED STUD EXTENDING AXIALLY THROUGH SAID WASHER AND ANCHORED TO SAID FIRST MEMBER END WALL