US1478009A - Flexible chain for electric-lighting fixtures and portable lamps - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 18 1923. 11,478,669

M. HERSKOVITZ FLEXIBLE CHAIN FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURES AND PORTABLE LAMPS Filed Oct. 18 1920 Patented Dec. ll, 1%23.

times MAX HERSKOVI'I'Z, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Application filed October 18, 1920. Serial No. 417,650.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Max l-innsxovrrz, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Cook County, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Chains for Electrio-Lighting Fixtures and Portable Lamps, of which the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exact description.

1 This invention relates to flexible chain for electri lighting fixtures and portable lamps, and its principal object is to provide an arm or other support of improved appearance and construction, which is light, substantial,

flexible, and comparatively inexpensive in construction and assemblage. Another object is to provide a flexible supporting connection for electric light fixtures and port- 7 able lamps, in which the conductor cords are 2 entirely concealed. Another object is to provide a flexible connection for electric light fixtures and portable lamps which may be easily and quickly assembled and wired. Another object is to provides flexible connection for electric light fixturesand portablelamps capable of being constructed of light gauge sheet metal. I Another object is to provide novel, flexibly connected membersthat may be readily assembled into various flexible arms or stems for use in elec trio lighting fixtures or portable lamps or other electric devices. Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the present specification and with said objects sists in the several novel features hereinafter after fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. .1 is a sidelele'vation of an electric lighting fixture embodying a simple form of the present invention; Fig. 2is a side elevation of the pendant stern portion of the fixture; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the stems or spindles of whichthe fixture is constructed Fig. 1 is an enlarged, detail, longitudinal, fragmental section taken on the line-H of Fig. .1; Fig.6 is a perspective view of a fragment ofa stem and anornamental'ball member which connects the. stems, the view illustratingthe manner in which thetwo. are joined; Fig. 6 is a side elevationof the arts seenjin Fig. 5, but

showing there tu fly coupled together; Fig.

andadvantages in view, this invention con 7 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in central longitudinal section of a modified form of the invention; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of an ornamental fixture member made up of a stem, two ball members and two loop members; Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a coupling member, sometimes used in the construction of the fixture; Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a flange member; Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a loop coupling member and Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a loop member sometimes used in the construction of the fixture.

Referring to said drawing and first to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, the reference character 12, designates the pendant stem which is provided with attachment means at one end, for securing the fixture to the ceiling or wall or other base. In its present form it is screw threaded at said end and screws into a suitable support (not; shown) fastened to the ceiling or wall. The usual canopy, a, surrounds the upper portion of the pendant stem as is customary. 13 designates ball members or other ornamental fixture members, and 1 1 designates necks, stems or other connecting members therebetween, which are joined to the ball members 13 by flexible joints, whereby the fixture is made flexible as will be presently set forth. Any desired number of necks, stems or other connecting members and ball members may be used to make up the fixture, depending upon the length of fixture desired. At the end a coupling 15 (see Fig. 9) of any desired type is employed for the attachment of the electric light socket 16 or other fixture member. The pendant stem 12, ball members 13, connecting members 14, and coupling 15 are made hollow to receive the conductor cords, and are preferably made of, light gauge sheet metal formedup into the desired shapes.

The exact form of joint between the several members is not material tothis invention, broadly considered, but it is simple in construction, and provides a simple means for easily and readily connecting together the several members of the fixture. In the form shown, the stems, necks or other connecting members 1 1 are formed with flanges 17, preferably convex in shape, so as to fit in and against the concave innerfaces of the ball members as clearly seen in Fig. 4 and 6E The ball members 18 are formed with holes 18 for the reception of the stem 12 and connecting members 1 1, the holes bereadily assembled, slits 19 are made in the shells of the ball members, which slits ex-- tend back from the holes 18, and slits 2O are made in the flanges 17, of the stem 12 and connecting members 14:, there being one slit at each hole 18 and one in each ange 17. In assembling a stem or connecting member and a ball member, the flange 17 of the stem or connecting member is inserted into the hole 18 and slit 19, as seen in. 5, and the stem or connecting member is turned around, bringing the remainder of the flange into the hollow of the ball member through the slit. lVhen the slit of the stem or connecting member passes the slit of the ball member, the entire flange is contained in the hollow of the ball member, and the two parts are thereby flexibly connected. In this manner the entire length of fixture may be easily assembled, and the coupling 15 attached in the same manner. The wires or conductor cords may be inserted through the stem 12, connecting members 14 and ball members 13, as the parts are being as sembled, or after the entire length of fixturehas been made up, after which the wires are connected to the socket 16, and the latter secured to .thecoupling 15.

To make the flexible fixture more rigid so that it will maintain any shape into which it is bent, I provide inner friction flange holding members, as seen in Fig. 4, which friction members may comprise a tubular or spherical shell 30 contained in the ball I members and fastened thereto, as for instance by a web 31 that runs from the shell 30 to theseam 32 between the two halves 33, 3 1, of which the ball member may be formed. The shell 30 has holes at its top and bottom through which the conductor cords pass, and it is spaced away from the inner face of the ball member far enough to permit the flange of a stem or connecting member to be inserted between it and the ball member. The shell covers the slit flanges and takes upthe slack in the ball chain and-also prevents chafing of the conductor cords. I

In place of m'aking the stems,necks or other connecting members 141 separate from the ball members 13, they may be made integral therewith or a permanent part thereof, as shown in Fig. 7 In this figure each ball member13 is illustrated as having at one end a short neck 14: formedas a permanent part Of the ball member, the neck terminat ing in a slitted concavo-convex flange 17*.

fixture or arn'r in any shape that may he given to it by bending it, and said friction members may comprise a. hollow, hemispherical shell 30 secured to the outer ball shell, as for instance by securing it in the seam between the two members 33 3r, thereof. I Said shell 3O has'a hole of smaller size than the hole 18 of the ball shell, through which the conductor cords pass.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 7 provides an article that may serve as a fixture, or asa flexible arm for use in portable lamps, or wherever a flexible casing is needed for electric conductor cords. The stems, necks or connecting members 1 1 and ball members 13, havingthe flexible joints described, provide simple means: whereby ornaments maybe made up for use in connection with lighting fixtures; Such an ornament isshown in Fig. 8, and comprises two ball members 13, a connecting stem 14:, and loop members 21. One'of the loop members is shown in Fig. 12 and comprises a ring or loop portion'22 and a con vex slitted flange23. The flanges of the loop members 22 are inserted into the outer holes of the ball members, and the loop portions 22 may be connected-tochains or spindles as is common in electric lighting fixtures. v

In place of the ,form of loop members shown in Fig. 12, a loop member may be made up from separate parts comprising a concavo-convexslitted flange 24:, asshown in Fig. 10, and a loop member: 25, as shown in Fig. 11, said loopmember 25 having a threaded stud 26 which is inserted through a hole 27 in the flange 24:, and being provided with a nut 28. that may be turned down on the flange 24: to secure it to the loop member 25. V With the several parts above described, various forms of fixtures or portable lamps may be constructed besides the-ones illustrated. For instance, the loop member 21, or the one made of the parts2a, 25, may be secured in the lower ball member 13 ofthe fixture seen in Fig. 1, in which case the lower end of the fixture will-appear as shown inFig 8 to which a socket may behttached. Other designs may be. readily made up" to suit the taste. 1 5 I More or less variation of the exact details of construction is possible without-depart ing from the spirit of'this invention," I desire, therefore, not to limit myself to the exact form of the construction shown and described, but intend, in the following claims, to point out all of the invention disclosed herein.

1 claim as new and Letters Patent:

1. A flexible chain for electric lighting fixtures and portable lamps comprising ball members, each of which at one end is concavo-convex and formed witha hole and a slit extending back from said hole and each or" which has connected therewith at its opposite end a neck portion, said neck pordesire to secure by tions each-having a slit concavo-convex flange, said flange being insertable into an adjacent ball member through the hole and slit thereof to flexibly connect said ball members together. a

2. A flexible chain for electric lighting fixture and portable lamps, comprising ball members, each of which at oneend is concavo-convex and formed with a hole and a slit extending back from said hole and each of which has connected therewith at its opposite end a neck portion, said neck portions each having a slit concavo-convex flange, saidflange being insertable into an adjacent ball member through the hole and slit thereof to flexibly connect said ball members together, and friction elements, one secured in each ball member and frictionally bearing against the flange held therein,

3. A flexibly chain for electric lightin fixtures and portable lamps, comprising ball members, each of which at one end is concavo-convex and formed with a hole and a slit extending back from said hole and each of which has connected therewith at its opposite end a neck portion, said neck portions each having a slit concavo-convex flange, said flange being insertable into an adjacent ball member through the hole and slit thereof to flexibly connect said ball members together, and hollow hemi-spherical shells, one secured in each ball member and frictionally engaging the flange held therein, to keep said members from longitudinal movement with respect to each other.

4. In a flexible chain for electric lighting fixtures and portable lamps, hollow necks formed with slitted flanges on their ends, hollow ball members in which said flanges are seated, and open ended shell secured in said ball members and covering said slitted flanges.

5. A hollow connecting member having a slit concavo-convex flange, and a hollow ball member having a hole in one end and a slit extending back from said hole, said flange being insertable into said ball member through the hole and slit thereof.

MAX HERSKOVITZ.

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