US1551785A - Pendant for lighting apparatus and the like - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 1, 1925. 1,551,785

R. BARON PENDANT FOR LIGHTING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed July 18, 1923 li /Z27" I Em; QM

Patented Septul, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,551,785 PATENT OFFICE;

RENE 3An01v,: oE PARIS, FRANCE.

PENDANT FOR LIGHTING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed July is,

electric lamp or the like can be raised, lowered .or maintained in equilibrium at any given height with respect to a; ceiling or the like, and whereby also the. weight of the said apparatus-can be varied'withiu relatively wide limits without destroying the stable equilibrium of the pendant and, moreover, without necessitating any adj ustment for each such variation in the weight of the suspendedv apparatus.

According to the invention, the improved winding-up pendant havinga stable equilibrium is constituted .by av C-shaped yoke formed at each of its extremities with an eyelet through which the suspension cable passes. This yoke-supports at substantial ly the middle of its length a spindle on which a spool, around which is wound-up the suspension cable, is free to rotate; in a cavity formed in the said spool isllocated a barrel containing a spiral spring hooked up by one of. its ends on the said spindle and by its opposite end on the peripheral wall of the barrel, the latter being keyed on to the spool. This barrel is provided externally with a tube enclosing a portion ofthe length of the said spindle; on this tube are wound up three or four coils of a wire secured by one of its ends on the C-shaped yoke, the said coils constituting a braking element adapted for stopping, within predetermined limits, the rotation of the spool in the direction corresponding to the unwinding of the cable. Q

In the event of the suspension cable' bein a flexible pipe forconveying a com-- bustible fluid or an electric conductor for carrying an electric current to the lighting Without any break of continuity."

In order to obtainla'twofoldwinding,

1923. Serial no. 652,424.

the cable. is hooked up midway of its length on the spool andthe rotation of the said spool under the action of the spiral spring then performs the winding-up of the two parts of the cable in opposite directions.

For the purpose of. preventingthe two parts of the cable from overlapping each other when they are wound-up on the spool, the spindle of such spool is fixed to the C-shaped yoke obliquely with respect to the vertical passing through the axis of sus pension. By this arrangement, thesaid two parts of the cable are wound-up on either sides of the hook fixed midway of the width of the spool. s

In order-that this invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, where Figure l is an elevation partly in section of a winding-up pendant embodying the invention and comprising a double-action spool adapted for rotating around a spindle supported obliquely by means of a C.-shaped yoke located in a casing constituted by two juxtaposited shells shown in section'and engaging each other by their peripheral edges.

Flgure 2v is a diam-etrical sectional view of the barrel, assuming same to be released from the hollowed portion oh the spool, the bottom part of such barrel being provided externally with a tube for enclosing thespindle on which is'attached the spiral spring. I

a Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line a"c0 of Fig. 2.

igure 4i is a side elevational view of a further, wlndlng-up pendant embodying a.

modification of the invention and comprismg a spool on which the cable is wound up in one dlrection only, the extrem ties of thespindle passing through the said spool being supported bya casing comprising two shells shown in section as surrounding the device.

According .to any of these two embodiments, (Figure 1 or L) the improved pend ant is constituted by a hollow spool 1- in a portion of the hollowed part or cavity of which is located a barrel casing 7 in which is contained a spiral spring 8, the periphery of the said casing having a rib '7 (see Figure 2) adapted for sliding in acorrespondingly shaped groove 1. formed in the spool 1 and-for thus firmly connecting the casing 7 and the said spool 1. One extremity of the spring 8 is formed with an elongated hole through vwhich vpassesa pin 9 fixed to the spindle 2 around which the spool rotates,--the-ot-her-extremity of the spring 8 being folded for abutting against a hook 9* formed on the inner peripheral wall of the casing 7. ,7 By this.- arrangement, the spool ,1 is connected to the spindle 2 and may rotate around the latter. The bottom of the barrel casing 7 is provided laterally and externally with a tube. 11 for enclosing a part of the length of the spindle 2. Around such tube 11 are wound up the coils 10 of a spring wire fixed by one of its ends [at 1:2 to the yoke 3 (see-Figure 1) oralternately to one of the shellsflltO (see Figure 4).

In theembo'diment represented in Figure 1, the spindle 2 is supported on one side only by a IC-shape'd yoke 8 and positioned obliquely, as clearly shown, substantially midway of the internal height of the two juxtaposited ,metallicshells & engaging each other by their peripheral edges at The yoke 3 is fixed to the shells4 v by screwing up rings 6 on' thecorresponding thread-- ed portionof insulating sleeves d positioned at the extremities of such yoke, said sleeves at being secured on the latter by screws 6. On therim of the spool 1 and substantially midway of its length is fixed a hook 0 around --which it is possible'to pass the suspension cable a, I) which is thus fastened to the spool and-allows ofithe winding up of the two parts a, and 'Z) ofsai'd cable according to two opposite directions.

The spiral spring 8 is sufficiently strong when taut to raise the pendant itself (that is to say when no weight is suspended-from the said pendant). Therefore, when one raises, t forv instance by, hand, the apparatus (representing the said weight) suspended by the part b. of the cable, the weight of such apparatus no more exerting itself on the pendant, the said spring Braises itand winds up the cable on the spool 1. hen'afterwards one ceases to pushthe apparatus up it is obvious'that, if braking means were not provided, its weight would overcome the tension'al-resistance of the-said spring 8 and cause the said apparatus to descend. Howeverthis does not occur because such tendency to downward motion is checkedand vthe stability of the suspended apparatus automatically obtained due to the braking action exercised bythe coils 10 of the wire fixed at one. end 12 and wound up around the tube 11 connected to the barrel, the other end 13of said wire being free relatively tothe. tube 11. Owing to.this construction,when'the upward motion of the apparatus is interrupted, its own weight tends to unwind the spool: but this tendancy isovercome and the unwinding motion prevented Since the tube 11 then rotates around the splndle 2 simulz-taneously withtthe barrel and, by reason of its friction, carries with itthe free end 13 of the'braking Wireythis gradually ensuring the jamming of the other coils 10 of the said wire andthus stopping the rotation of the spool 1 in the unwinding direction and at the sametime the downward motion of the apparatus which has been left to the action of gravity.

The braking action is adjusted by varying the number of the coils of the-wire-lO and their initial friction against the tube 1']. so that such braking actionmay supporta maximum weight-beyond which it becomes insufiicient to prevent therunwindi-ng.

In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that, to causev the downward motion-ofthe lighting apparatus or thel-ike,- -all thatis necessary is to pull "thereon so that'the stress thus exerted adding itself {to the weight thereof exceeds the predetermined maximum. As soon assuch pulling'stress is interrupted, the reaction -of the brake-is sufficient to stop the unwinding.

In the embodiment represented in Figure at, the spindle 20 is carried'bythe casing 140. The casingis' iereed-at;its top portion with aholewd't irough which-thesuspension cable a passesythis -cable is-attached at 0' to-the spool 1. On the-bottom part ofthe casing is'fixed-a hook 15 from whichthe lighting; apparatus or the like which is topbe raisedor loWeredis-suspended.

WVhat I claim and desire toseeurerby Letters Patent is 1. An automatically -.balanced windingup pendant for raising,'lowering or'maintaining at any desired height, a lighting'apparatus or the like, comprising a hollow spool on whichis wound up-the suspension cable leadingtosaid apparatus, a=barrel casing containing a spiral spring, said casing beinglocatedfirmly within said spool, said spring being hooked up't-othe spindle passing throughsaid spool,;a tubeconnected to the bottom of the-barrel-casing and extendingoutwardly therefrom along its axis of rotation, and a brake constituted by adjacent turns of helix formed bye-wire twisted around saidtube, one end ofsaid wire being attached to a stationary point, the said'turns of helix jamming the said :tube' and thus performingthe braking action and stopping the downward motion of the apparatus when the latter is :left to. the

Y action of gravity.

2. An automatically balanced pendantaecording to claim 1,-in whichthe spindle passing through the 'spool'is carried-by C-shaped yoke formed at each of its extremities with a hole for receiving insulating sleeves, said spindle being supported obliquely at substantially the middle of the height of said yoke to make it possible for the suspension cable passing through said sleeves and attached substantially midway of its length the spool to be wound up by part on the said spool according to two opposite directions on either sides of the said hook for ensuring a double-action winding-up. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

RENE BARON.

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