US2380040A - Spot lamp - Google Patents

Description

July l0, 1945. G. E. GRAVENSTINE S P OTLAMP Filed Feb. 19, 1942 lNvkENToR M BY ATTORN EY5 Patented July 10, 1945 SPOT LAMP George E. Gravenstine, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to I The S. H. Thomson Manufacturing Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 419, 1942, Serial No, 431,543`

3 Claims.

trol members so that the light beam may be directed or controlled from within the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a spotlamp which is particularly adapted for use on a tank or other vehicle where it may be important to carry the lamp itself within the vehicle when it is not actually in use, thev lamp construction embodying a lamp housing together with carrying and -controlling parts constituting one assemblage which can be readily removed from and attached to another assemblage whichis fixed to the wall of the vehicle and incorporates controllable parts for controlling the direction of the beam of light from within the vehicle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing,

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, and showing a lamp embodying the present inventionx Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the removable lamp assemblage; and

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section showing the supporting part of the lamp structure.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in which the same reference numeralsv have been used t0 designate like parts vin the several views, the device, as shown, incorporates a spotlamp having provision for moving the lamp housing about a plurality of axes so that the direction of the beam can be readily controlled. The lamp housing is supported on ya wall portion cfa tank or other vehicle where it may be 'important to remove it, so it may be carried in a safe place within the vehicle when it is not needed for use. The construction is such that the lamp housing may be very quickly and easily attached in its operative position andnconnected to the operating controls which extend into the tank and which provide for control of the direction of the light beam, ln use.

(C'l. JA10-,6113) The lamp housing preferably includes a sheet metal body II which supports a reflector I2 and a suitable lens I3. The reflector carries a lamp socket I4 in which the light bulb I5 is mounted and a focusing device I6, operated by an adjusting screw I'I permits axial adjustment of the position of the lampr bulb so that the beams of light projected from the reflector will be properly focused.

The sheet metal body member is secured as by means of screws I9 to a recessed yoke member 20, preferably a metal casting, forming part of the lamp housing. This yoke member affords a recess 2I extending up into the housing. A rotatable mounting member 23, which also serves as a gear housing, extends up into this recess and is mounted for rotation about its own axis as will bedescribed, and carries the lamp housing with it. With the axis of the mounting member 23 vertically arranged, as shown, the turning movements of this mounting member will cause horizontal swinging of the beam of light projected from the reflector. The upper end of the mounting member 23 is pinned or otherwise fixed to a horizontally extending shaft 24 which projects out from the mounting member at its opposite ends. .At one end it is journaled in the yoke meinber as shown at the left in Fig. 2, and at its other end it is rotatably journaled in a nut 24a which is threaded in the yoke member and fixed to the yoke member by means of a pin 24h. Carried by a reduced portion of shaft 24 at the right-hand side thereof in Fig. 2 is a beveled gear 25 operated by pinion 26 fixed on the upper end of a rod 21.- The gear 25 is free to rotate on the shaft 24, being held in place thereon by the shoulder formed by the reduced shaft portion, and is interlocked or fastened to the nut 24a`so that when the gear 25 is rotated by the pinion 26, the yoke member is turned. A nut 24e threaded on the end of the .shaft 24 bears against a spring washer 24d so as vlt will thus be clear that as the rod 21 isturned.

the housing is adjusted about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 24, and as the mounting member is turned, it turns the housing member about an upright axis.

The rod 2'I is rotatable within a sleeve 28 which has external threads 29 at its upper portion,'en

gaging threads in the mounting member 23, and a set screw holds these two parts in secured position with respect to one another. By turning the sleeve 28, the lamp housing is rotated about its vertical axis.

The lamp bulb is supplied with electric current through a connection 32 which extends out from the lamp housing and which is provided with Ia connection plug 33 by means of which it may be readily connected to a suitable current supply socket.

The parts described provide a lamp assemblage.;

the upper bearing member, and the sleeve 28 is clutched to the sleeve section 45 when the lamp housing is placed in position, the connection between the rod portions and between the sleeve portions beingeffected as an incident to the mounting of the upper removable portion of the device. The connection between the rod portions and the connection between the sleeve portions is below the top of the bearing member 3B so that the rod section 44 and sleeve section 45 are protected within the bearing member when A'fthe detachable lamp assemblage is removed.

to gether with operated members, which may be A,

` "set screw 43 to a rotatable collar 49v which is readily connected to and detached from a support which is arranged permanently inv position on the tank or vehicle.

This support, which has;

been shown in Fig. 3, is arranged on the wall portion 34 of the vehicle, `this vwall portion, as shown, being a substantially horizontally extending plate of armor which is at a convenient loca 'tion in front of the operator of the tank so that similarly secured to the outerY surface of the Wall portion, these two bearing members having axial passages aligned with a hole or passage 3l, of rather small diameter, extending through the wall portion. The upper bearing member 36 is provided with bearing surfaces 38 and` 39 cooperating with corresponding'bearing surfaces provided on the lower end of mounting member 23, and providing for rotational movements of the mounting member 23 about its own axis, when positioned on' "the bearing member in the manner shown in Fig. 1. In this position, the mounting member 23 is held against upward movement Vwith respect to the bearngmember, by

, The sleeve section is secured by means of 'a permitting its rotation under the control of the operator. The lower end of the sleeve projects ldownwardly from the lower end of the bearing member and carries a hand knob- 5|, which is xed to the 'sleeve by means of a suitable s et screw 52. The lower end -of the sleeve has an inwardly extending annular rib 53 which'engages member 35, and an upper bearing member 36 is a shoulder 54 on the rod section 44, thus holding the rod section against downward movement while permitting its free rotation inside the sleeve. The lower end of the rod section y44 projects down beyond the end of the sleeve, and is secured by means of a set screw 55 to a hand knob 55. The two hand knobs, which are of generally hemispherical form and arranged close to one another, may be controlled one at a time or simultaneously, by the hand ofthe operator,

to rotate either the sleeve or the rod or both.

A frictional restraint is imposed on the rotation of the. sleeve section 45 so that under ordinary conditions of use, the mounting member 23 `will be yieldingly held in any position tovwhich it is means of a latch 4Q pivotally carried cna pivot f pin 4| which is arranged in a boss on the mounting member. The latch 40 has a latchingprojection 40a which engages under the flange 40h of the bearing member. between a pair. of stop arms 40o and 40d which are xed parts of the mounting member 23. The stop arm d limits upward travel of ,the` latch 40. This upward movement of. the latch, however, can take place so as to free the latching projection. 40a from under the flange 4Gb, by manual movement of the latch against the action of a spring 41a which engages at one end against the arm 40d and 4at the other end against' a recessed portion of the latch 4U.l 'The spring therefore serves toyieldingly hold the latch in its down or latching position, and the weight of the latch itself is also eiective to do the same. The latch can be instantly operated however to permit upward withdrawal of the mounting member 23 when it is desired to take ofi the .detachable assemblage so that it may be carried vin a safe place within the vehicle.

The lower ends of 4the rod 2l andof the sleeve 28 are'notched or slotted axially so they may interengage respectively with lower rod and sleeve members 44'and 45, which have complementary notches or slots at their upper ends as indicated at 46. The rod21 is thus clutched to the rod section 44 when -the lamp housing is placed. on

The latch 4i) operates i' adjusted. For this purpose, the lower end of the lower bearing'member 35 is provided with several longitudinally extending slots 58 affordingsome contraction andexpansion movements of ...the lower end portions of this bearing member. The bearing member at its lower end, also has a tapering form and is provided with screw threads 59 which are engaged by an adjusting nut 60. .By turning` the adjusting nut 60 in one direction'or the other, the lower end of the bearing-member is contracted. or expanded. to apply the correct amount of frictional restraint so that the direc.- tion in a horizontal plane in which the .beam is directed will be maintained except as the operator changes this direction by turning the knob. 5|.. A setscrew 6I holdsthe nut-6U in any position of adjustment.

AThe` diameter` of the hole ,3l which extends through the armor plate or other wall portion on which the lamp may be mounted, may be comparatively small as it is only enough greater` in diameter than the sleeve section 45 to allow suit'- able clearance, so yas not to destroy the strength of the wall structure. v L

The plug 33 through which an electric current is supplied to the lamp bulb is adapted for ccnnection to a socket 63 into which the plug may be inserted. The socket 53' is xed at' a suitable location near the bearing .member on the `outer surface of the Wall structure 34'and is connected by means of a cable 64 which passes through a hole 55, in the Wall portion, toa suitable control switch 66 arranged within the ,vehicle where it may be conveniently operated. As will be. apparent, the plug 33 can be instantlyvre.- moved from the socket 63 when the detachable lamp assembly is removed from its supporting means.

The ,lamp housing l I may also have a handle 68 fixed directly `thereon so that the direction of the light beam can be controlled by the operator who may reach out from the tank and move the lamp housing directly.

When the detachable lamp assemblage is removed the upper end of the ybearing member 35 is closed by means of a suitable plug 69 which is held to the bearing member by a chain lll. The plug has a threaded portion 'Il engageable with the threads 'l2 on the bearing member. When in position the top bearing surface of the bearing member is covered and the parts below the top of the bearing member are protected from dust, sand, etc. y

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is deined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising outer and inner bearing parts adapted to be secured respectivelyto the outer and inner surfaces of a vehicle wall, a substantially vertically extending sleeve rotatably carried by said bearing parts, a rod rotatable in said sleeve, the outer ends of said rod and sleeve terminating within said outer bearing part, closely adjacent handles attached respectively' to the rod and the sleeve for operating them independently from within the vehicle, a lamp housing, a mounting member pivotally supporting said housing for movement about a substantiallyr horizontal axis, said mounting member being normally rotatably carried by said outer hearing part for movement about a substantially vertical axis, mechanism in said mounting memberfor pivotally moving the housing on said mounting member and having an interfitting clutch connection to said rod, v

means connected to said mounting member and having an interlocking clutch connection with said sleeve, a manually operable latch means for normally retaining said mounting member in op erative relation upon said outer bearing part and manually releasable to provide for complete separationthereof, and detachable means for supplying electric current to said lamp housing, the lamp housing together with mounting member being instantaneously detachable and removable from the bearing parts and the rod and sleeve.

2. In a vehicle having a housing wall portion provided with an opening, outer and'inner bearing parts secured to the outer and inner surfaces respectively of the wall portion, a sleeve rotatably ca'rried by the bearing parts, a rod rotatable in the sleeve, said rod and said sleeve projecting inwardly beyond the inner bearing part and terminating within the outer bearing part to be protected thereby, individual control members for operating the rod and the sleeve from within the vehicle, a lamp housing, a rotatable mounting member on which the housing is pivotally supported, mechanism in said mounting member for pivotally moving the housing with respect to the mounting member, a readily attachable and detachable clutch connection between the mounting member and the sleeve, a readily attachable and detachable clutch connection between said mechanism and said rod, and manually releasable latch means for normally retaining said mounting member in operative relation upon said bearing part and providing manual release for complete separation of said parts.

3. In a vehicle having a thick metal substantially horizontal Wall portion provided with a substantially vertical passage, upper and lower bearing parts fixed to the wall portion at the outer and inner surfaces respectively of the Wall portion, a sleeve rotatably carried by the bearing parts, a rod rotatable in the sleeve, individual control members for operating the rod and the sleeve from within the vehicle, a lamp housing, a rotatable mounting member on which the housing is pivotally supported for movement about a substantially horizontal axis, mechanism in said mounting member for pivotally moving the housing on the mounting member, said lamp housing mounting member and mechanism constituting a lamp assemblage which is readily attachable and detachable with respect to the bearing parts, the sleeve and the rod, a readily attachable and detachable clutch connection between the mounting member and the sleeve, a readily attachable and detachable clutch connection between said mechanism and, said rod, manually releasable latch means carried by said mounting member and engageable with said upper bearing part to retain said parts in assembled relation while providing for complete separation thereof when manually released, an electrical supply socket carried by said wall portion and accessible from the outer side thereof, a connection plug detachably connected to said socket, an electrical connection from said plug to the lamp housing, and a closure member having a connection to said upper bearing part and operable to cover the top of the upper bearing part when the lamp assemblage is removed.

GEORGE E. GRAVENSTINE.

Images