US1976269A - Keyhole illuminating device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 9, 1934. G, 1 STEWERT 1,976,269

KEYHOLE ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed April lO, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Geary@ Z 57e we f7,

1 N VEN TOR.

A TORNE Y.

Oct. 9, 1934. G. L .sTEwERT 1,976,269

KEYHOLE ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed April l0, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

@gaf

A from/EY.

Patented Oct. 9, 1934 UNITED sTATi-:s

PATENTa QFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to the art of illumination, and has more particular reference to an improved device for illuminating a door lock to facilitate finding the keyhole thereof, particularly at 5 nighttime.

The present invention particularly aims to provide an electric lamp adapted to be mounted in the door frame in proximity to the door lock when the dooris closed, yieldable means being provided to normally project the electric lamp outwardly of the door frame into position for projecting a beam of light directly onto the part of the door' lock containing the keyhole, and manually operable means being provided for releasably holding the lamp retracted within the door frame against the action of said yieldable means. In this way direct and clear illumination of the keyhole is insured by a means which is normally in an out-of-the Way position.

'Ihe invention further contemplates an illuminating device of the above character in which means is provided to automatically close the circuit for the light source of the electric lamp when the latter is projected to operative position and to automatically open said circuit when the lamp is retracted to inoperative position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an illuminating device of the above kind which is extremly simple and durable in construction and eiiicient in use.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description,

' and the invention consists in the novel form,

combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the door of a building equipped with an illuminating device constructed in accordance with the present invention, the electric lamp being in projected cperative position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation looking toward the right of Figure 2 and showing 'the illuminating device and the adjacent portion of the door frame.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 with the electric lamp in retracted inoperative position; and

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 5 in- (Cl. 24U-2.13)

dicates an ordinary door frame within which is mounted an ordinary swinging door 6 equipped with a conventional form of key-operated lock for locking the same in closed position, the keyhole of which lock is indicated at 7.

The present invention preferably includes a cylindricalhousing 8 formed of suitable electrical insulating material and adapted to be mounted Within an opening 9 provided lin the inner side of the door frame 5 in proximity to the key- 65 hole 7 of the door lock when the door is closed. The housing 8 is closed at its inner end and has an open outer end formed with an external ange 10 adapted to abut against the outer surface of the door frame about the opening 9. The housing may be suitably secured in place and snugly iitted in the opening 9, as will be obvious. y

slidably tted in the housing 8 is an electric lamp including a hollow cylindrical casing 11 75 preferably of electrical insulating material. The casing 11 has a socket 12 at its inner end for reception of the base of an incandescent electric lamp 13, and the inner side of casing 11 is provided with an opening as at 14 to permit the 80 rays of light from lamp 13 to be projected inwardly directly onto the door about keyhole 7 for illuminating the latter when the electric lamp including casing 11 and light source 13 is projected outwardly from the housing 8 to the po- S5 sition of Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. A helical compression spring 15 is interposed between the inner end of casing 11 and the inner end of housing 8 to normally project the electric lamp outwardly to its operative position of Figure 2.

Manually operable means is provided for releasably holding the electric lamp in its retracted inoperative position, which means may consist of a pivoted catch 16 carried by one side of housing 8 and having a hooked end adapted 95 to enter openings 17 and 18 respectively provided in housing 8 and lamp casing 11 when the electric lampis in its retracted position with said openings 17 and 18 registered with each other. A spring 19 is provided to automatically engage 1Go the catch 16 with the lamp casing 11, and a push 4 rod 20 is operatively connected to the catch 16 for releasing the latter against the action of spring 19. As shown, the push rod 20 is slidably mounted through the flange 10 of housing 8 and has at 105 its outer end a finger piece or head 21 to facilitate actuation thereof. A link preferably con' nects the inner end of push rod 20 with pivoted catch 16 so that when the rod 20 is pushed inwardly the catch 16 is released to permit auto- |10 matic projection oi.' lamp casing 11 by spring 15. Obviously, pressure may be exerted against the outer end of lamp casing 11 so as to effect retraction of the latter within housing 8 until it is engaged by catch 16 for being held in such retracted position until manually released.

Current for the light source 13 may be taken from any source of supply, such as by tapping the wires of a door bell circuit as indicated by dotted and full lines in Figure 1. A terminal 23 is provided on the inner end of housing 8 to be .connected by a wire 24 with one side of the source of current, and a further terminal 25 is provided on one side of housing 8 adjacent its open outer end to be connected by a wire 26`with the other side of said source .of current. Lamp socket 12 has a central contact 27 adapted to be engaged by the central contact of the incandescent lamp 13 and electrically connected with terminal 23 by means of the spring 15. A further contact 28 is carried by lamp casing 11 to be engaged by the side or shell contact oi incandescent lamp 13 when threaded in socket 12. As will be clearly seen in Figure 2, contact 28 is arranged to engage terminal 23 Whenthe lamp casing 11 is projected to operative position, thereby automatically closing the circuit of incandescent lamp 13. On the other hand, the arrangement is such that contact 28 will be disengaged froxn terminal 25 when lamp casing 11 is retracted to its inoperative position, thereby opening the circuit of incandescent lamp 13 when the electric lamp is in its retracted inoperative position and not required for use.

In operation, the electric lamp is normally retracted to the position of Figure 5, being held in such retracted position by the catch 16. When it is desired to illuminate the keyhole 7, it is simply necessary to readily locate and press upon the head 21 of push rod 20 so as to release cap 16. When this is done, spring 15 automatically projects the electric lamp outwardly of the door frame and housing 8 to the position of Figure 2. When the electric lamp is thus projected, contact 28 is engaged with terminal 25 and the circuit of incandescent lamp 13 is completed so as to cause lighting of the latter. The rays of light from incandescent lamp 13 will then be directly projected from casing 11 through opening 14 onto the door 6 about keyhole 7. The key for the door lock may then be readily inserted in the keyhole .7 for unlocking the door, after which the electric lamp may be returned to its retracted inoperative position of Figure 5 until again required for use.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation as Well as the advantages of the present invention willv be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. It will be seen that the device may be cheaply manufactured and quickly installed, and that the same is extremely simple and durable in construction as well as eflicient in operation. Minor changes are contemplated Within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. A keyhole illuminating device comprising a housing, means to mount said housing in one side of a door frame, an electric lamp/having a casing slidably mounted in said housinig and projectable therefrom', said lamp casing having an opening in its inner side through which rays of light may pass directly onto thedoor about the keyhole constantly acting to project said electric lamp relative to the housing, and manually releasable means for holding the electric lamp retracted within the housing.

2. A keyhole illuminating device comprising a housing, means to mount said housing vin one side of a door frame, an electric lamp having a casing slidably mounted in said housing and projectable therefrom,said lamp casing having an opening in its inner side through which rays of light may passdirectly onto the door about the keyhole when the lamp is projected, means to project said electric lamp relative to the housing.

3. A keyhole illuminating device comprising a housing, means to mount said housing in one side of a door frame, an electric lamp having a casing slidably mounted in said housing and projectable therefrom, said lamp casing having an opening in its inner side through which rays of light may pass directly onto the door about the keyhole when the lamp is projected, yieldable means constantly acting to project said electric lamp relative to the housing, manually releasable means for holding the electric lamp retracted within the housing, and contacts carried by the housing and the electric lamp casing arranged to cooperate for automatically closing the circuit of the source of light of the electriclamp when the latter is projected and to automatically open said circuit when the lamp is retracted.

4. A keyhole illuminating device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted in one side of a. door frame, an electric lamp slidably mounted in said housing and projectable therefrom, yieldable means constantly acting to project said electric lamp relative to the housing, manually releasable means for holding the electric lamp retracted within the housing, a terminal carried by the inner end of the housing and electrically connected to the source of light of the electric lamp,

means for connecting said terminal with a source of current, a contact carried by the electric lamp and connected with the source of light of said electric lamp, and a further terminal carried by one side of the housing and engageable by the contact of the electric lamp for automatically closing the circuit of the source of light of the latter when the electric lamp is projected, said contact being' disengageable from the secondnamed terminal when the electric lamp is retracted for opening the circuit of said source of light automatically upon such retraction of said electric lamp, and means for connecting the lastnamed terminal to said source of current.

5. A keyhole illuminating device comprising a flanged housing, means to mount said housing in one side of a door frame, an electric lamp having a casing slidably mounted in said housing and projectable therefrom, said lamp casing having an opening in its inner side through which rays of light may pass directly onto the door about the keyhole when the lamp is projected, yieldable means constantly acting to project said electric lamp relative to the housing, manually releasable means for holding the electric lamp retracted within the housing, said last-named means comprising a pivoted spring-pressed catch carried by the housing, a push rod slidably mounted through the ange of the housing, and a link connecting said push rod with said catch.

GEORGE L. STEWERT.

Images