US3558871A - Signal lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

The signal lamp is for use in cafes, night club tables, restaurant tables, cocktail lounges and other locations for the purpose of signalling a waiter when service is desired. The lamp includes a grill-type sleeve frictionally slidable upon an illuminated holder and movable to an upper or a lower position on said holder. The sleeve has an opaque band which stops illumination and indicates when the sleeve is raised that service is desired.

Description

United States Patent Herbert J. Rogers Los Augeles, Calif. 839,527

July 7, 1969 Jan. 26, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented SIGNAL LAMP 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl. 13, 240/22, 431/291 Int. Cl F2lv 35/00 Field oiSearch 431/126, 29l;240/13, 17, 22, 81

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,051,102 l/l9l3 Hamm 240/22X 2,842,658 7/1958 Reachi 240/81X Primary ExaminerCarr0ll S. Dority, Jr. Attorney-J. Calvin Brown ABSTRACT: The signal lamp is for use in cafes, night club tables, restaurant tables, cocktail lounges and other locations for the purpose of signalling a waiter when service is desired. The lamp includes a grill-type sleeve frictionally slidable upon an illuminated holder and movable to an upper or a lower position on said holder. The sleeve has an opaque band which stops illumination and indicates when the sleeve is raised that service is desired.

PAIENTEUJAN 26197! FIG.2.

, INVENTOR,

HERBERT J. ROGERS A TTORNEY SIGNAL LAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND SUMMARY Cafes, cocktail lounges and similar places usually provide tables upon which is a lighted lampaThis lamp may be of the electric type but is usually quite dim or the lamp may be of the type which includes a candle adapted to burn over a long period of hours, usually 160 hours. The candle-type lamp is in difierent forms and as a rule has a base and a shade which may be formed of metal, plastic, or other material and is generally ornamental in character. The candle is usually enclosed within a candle holder which is cylindrical or of other cross section and formed of some fire resistant material such as glass, or a suitable 'plastic. The candle holder may be transparent or translucent as long as light from the candle or electric bulb is capable of illuminating the same. In some lamps of the character stated, a sleeve surrounds the candleholder from the shade to the base which sleeve is of grill form, the grill having various geometrical figures therein. This grill may be omamented, if desired. The purpose of the lamp of the character stated is ornamentation and a dim light sufficient to read a menu or for other purpose. It is difficult to attract a waiter when in such a dimly lighted room and the present invention has for an object the provision of means movable upon the candleholder from a lower position adjacent the base to an upper position beneath the shade which by its movement and position will attract the waiter and indicate that service is desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the signal lamp, the signalling member being in a lowered position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the signal lamp, the signalling member being in an upper position for the purpose of attracting the attention of the waiter;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, partly sectional view, showing details of construction of the signal lamp; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, and to FIG. 3, I provide a base 1, a shade 2, a candleholder 3, and a grill-type sleeve 4 which is slidable upon the candleholder. The shade and the base may assume any configuration desired as long as the signal lamp has an ornamental appearance. The base is formed to receive the lower end 5 of the candleholder 3. The candleholder is tubular in form and has a closed base. The lower end of the candleholder 3 is curved inwardly and provided with spaced apart lengthwise grooves 6. The base I has a central opening 7 and is provided with downwardly directed lugs or fingers 8 which are received in the grooves 6 and frictionally engage the lower end of the candleholder. This arrangement securely maintains the candleholder in an upright position relative to the base. The shade may take any convenient configuration although in the present instance the shade has a conical portion 10 and a stepped collar portion 11 which has an inner annular flange 12 at the top. The step portion of the collar rests on the upper end of the candleholder as shown at 13. A candle 14 is within the candleholder with its wick at 15.

The signalling means 20 comprises a grill-type sleeve 21, the grill portion being interposed between upper and lower bands 22 and 23. The band 23 is opaque to the passage of light. The band 22 is quite narrow in width and may or may not be opaque while the band 23 has a width which may be approximately one-third of the length of the sleeve 20. The band of greatest width 23 is placed at the bottom of the candleholder and the sleeve is capable of being raised and lowered on the candleholder and maintaining the position of the sleeve by frictional engagement with the candleholder. The sleeve may be fon'ned of plastic, metal, or other material and in the lowered position thereof as shown in FIGS. I and 3 the enlargled opaque band 23 lies adjacent the base I and merges wit the base so far as ornamentation is concerned. I a

waiters attention is desired by the occupant of a table, he may move the sleeve to an upward position, as shown in FIG. 2, at which time the top band 22 lies within or under the shade 2 and in this position the light from the candle illuminating the candleholder 3 will pass through the candleholder and the open work of the grill. The bottom band 23 by being opaque does not allow any light to pass therethrough but light will be visible both above the band 23 and below the same by illumination of the candleholder portion between the band 23 and the base, as well as between the band and the shade through the grill. Thus a waiter will know that service is desired due to the cutoff of light by the position of the sleeve.

It is obvious that various forms of shades and bases may be utilized such as a tray-type base for the receiving of ash from a cigarette or cigar and that the shade may have various configurations as individual aesthetic taste may dictate.

I claim:

1. A signal lamp for use in cafes wherein the lamp has a base, a shade and a holder interposed therebetween for containing a source of light, the improvement comprising a sleeve slidable upon the holder to a position adjacent the base and to a position under the shade, the sleeve having grillwork through which light may pass from the holder and an opaque band between the grillwork and one end of the sleeve.

2. The device of claim I, the opaque band in width being approximately one-third the length ofthe sleeve.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, the opaque band being at the lower end of the sleeve and the sleeve frictionally engaging the holder.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1, the source of illumination in the holder being a candle.

5. The device of claim I, the sleeve being of short length in proportion to holder length.

Claims (5)

1. A signal lamp for use in cafes wherein the lamp has a base, a shade and a holder interposed therebetween for containing a source of light, the improvement comprising a sleeve slidable upon the holder to a position adjacent the base and to a position under the shade, the sleeve having grillwork through which light may pass from the holder and an opaque band between the grillwork and one end of the sleeve.

2. The device of claim 1, the opaque band in width being approximately one-third the length of the sleeve.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, the opaque band being at the lower end of the sleeve and the sleeve frictionally engaging the holder.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1, the source of illumination in the holder being a candle.

5. The device of claim 1, the sleeve being of short length in proportion to holder length.

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