US2313378A - Illuminating device - Google Patents

Description

March 9, 1943, Y A; OLF,

ILLUMINATING DEVI-CE Filed May 21, 1941 .m w m m M. A. @w

47-70 NEW Patented Mar. 9, 1943 IILUMINATING DEVICE Abraham Wolf, Brooklyn,

Electric Corporation,

ration of New York N. Y., assignor to Noma New York, N. Y., a corpo- Application May 21, 1941, Serial No. 394,481

8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to illuminating devices. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved construction for illuminating devices of the ornamental or decorative type.

The principal object of my invention is to provide in a device of the character described highly improved means for holding the source of illumination in position and to so construct and arrange this means that the source of illumination may be easily mounted on the device with little effort by unskilled labor without the use of tools.

It is another object of my invention to provide highly improved holding means of the character described, which include an ornamental member mounted on the source of illumination.

A further object of my invention is to provide an illuminating device of the character described which shall present a neat and pleasing appearance, comprise relatively few and simple parts, and may be manufactured with ease and economy.

Certain features of this device shown anddescribed but not claimed in this application are shown, described and claimed in my copending application for Illuminating devices, Serial No. 330,960, filed April 22, 1940.

Other objects of my invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention: v

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an ornamental illuminating device embodying my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are side and rear views thereof;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the halo member shown in Fig. 1 apart from the device.-

Referring now to the drawing, I have shown an ornamental device I0 in the form of an angelic figurine with which may invention can be effectively employed. i

The device I0 comprises abust II molded from a suitable composition, suchas papier-mach or ground cork, and provided at its lower extremity substantially with a circular supporting stub [2. A hard paper tube l3, which is provided to aid in attaching the figurine to a device, such as a branch or trunk of a Christmas tree, telescopically receives the stub l2 and is fixedly attached thereto by a staple l4. Suitable ornamental fabric material is neatly draped about the figurine to serve as a dress and to cover the tube l3. A belt l6 and a plurality of staples (not shown) are employed to maintain the fabric on the bust ll. Further decorativeefiects may be provided, if desired, as for example surmounting the figurines head with a paper tiara ll.

In accordance with my invention, I provide in conjunction with the figurine II] a source of illumination and means to hold said source in a desired predetermined position on the figurine, said means being so constructed and arranged that it may be manually secured to the figurine in an extremely simple manner and without the use of tools. The source of illumination preferably comprises an electric bulb I 8 screwed into a husk I9 and connected to a source of current supply by lead Wires 20. Mounted on the light bulb I8 is a halo member 2| which may be of the type shown and described in mysaid copending application, and comprises a fiat disc -22 of a thickness substantially less than the bulb 18. The disc is provided with a cut-out extending inwardly from its periphery, said cut-out including a portion 23 having a contour substantially conforming to the peripheral contour of the adjacently disposed portion of the bulb I 8 and a portion 24 of a width at least equal to the extreme diameter of the husk I9 and adapted to extend downwardly below the top edge of the husk.

The disc is made of suitable light-transmitting material, such as glass, Celluloid or any similar plastic composition, and is provided adjacent the periphery thereof with a pair of bevels '25 and 26 at an angle of substantially 45 to the plane of the disc, as shown in the drawing. Said disc is held in position around the bulb by means of a washer member 21 having a central aperture 28 adapted to freely receive the screw threaded base of the bulb [8, said aperture, however, being smaller than the portion of the bulb adjacent the base. A pair of diametrically opposed flanges 29 extend oppositely from the periphery of the washer 2'! and are provided with inwardly extending notches 30 in which are snugly received notches 3! cut in the portion 24 of the disc.

The bottom face of the washer 21, when the halo member 2| is in position on the bulb l8,

rests upon the top rim of the husk I!) while the upper face of the said washer is adjacent the glass of the bulb 18 so that the halo member is held in upright position surrounding the said bulb. The disc may, by altering the diameter of the aperture 28, either be firmly held or allowed t wobble slightly, but its position in both cases is in certain or predetermined relationship relative to the bulb 18.

To hold the halo member 2| and bulb 18 in position on the figurine I0, I provide means which are so constructed and arranged as to slidingly frictionally engage and grip opposite sides of the bulb and halo member. If desired, such means can be made in a highly ornamental shape so as to enhance the decorative effect of my improved ornamental illuminating device. Said holding means comprises a U-shaped support 32 permanently attached to the torso ll inv any suitable manner, as by nails 33. The support 32 is preferably made of a material which is form-maintaining but which has a slight degree of resilience under manual flection, such as a light gauge metal.

Extending outwardly from the upper legs of the U-shaped support 32 are a pair of integral coplanar flanges 34, each of which has attached hereto by rivets 35 a wing-shaped member 36. Said members may be fabricated from a suitable form-maintaining material, such as silvered cardboard, which is only slightly flexible and which may be embossed to simulate a wing-like appearance.

Integral with and extending upwardly from the curved base of the support 32 and substantially 3 tangent to the head of the figurine I0 is another flange 37 substantially parallel to the flanges 34 and wings 36, and spaced therefrom a predetermined distance slightly less than the distance between the two oppositely disposed points on the bulb l8 and halo member 3! which it is desired to frictionally engage and grip. These points on the bulb and halo member in the specific embodiment of my invention herein disclosed are the point A on the widest diameter of the bulb l8 and the surface B of the halo member which is opposite to the surface of said member facing the point A. The flange 3! may also be ornamentally contoured and arranged, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to resemble a star hovering behind the figurine and thus camouflage its utilitarian function.

It will be seen that in order to assemble the illuminating device after the figurine has been prepared and the support 32 with attached wings nailed to the body II, it is merely necessary to manually slip the bulb I8 with the halomember 2| and husk l9 assembled thereon towards the support with the face B of the disc 22 lying against the surface of the wings 38 facing the flange 3i, and with the point A of the bulb l8 against the said flange 37. As the bulb and halo member are pushed down, the wings 36 and flange 31 will spread slightly, allowing the husk to enter into the U-shaped support 32 until the washer 2i strikes the flanges 34, as shown in Fig. 3. When the bulb and halo member are then released, they will be gripped between the wings and flange with which they are in frictional contact, so as to maintain the bulb in position throughout packing, shipping and use of the ornamental illuminating device I0.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an ornamental illuminating device of the character described, an electric light bulb, an

' ornamental mounting member attached in such position with respect to said bulb that an extreme portion of one side of said member will be disposed in predetermined relationship relative to an extreme portion of the bulb which is on the other side of said member, a pair of ornamental supporting members, said supporting members being spaced apart a distance slightly less than the space between the extreme portion of said mounting member and the extreme portion of said bulb, and resilient means to allowsaid supporting members to move apart whereby said supporting members will lightly frictionally and slidably grip between them said mounting member and said bulb at said extreme portions, oneof said ornamental supporting members, said ornamental mounting member, and the other of said ornamental supporting members being successively disposed behind and having their side edges extending beyond the preceding member whereby to be visible at least in part from the front of said device.

2. In an ornamental illuminating device-of the character described, an electric light bulb, an ornamental mounting member attached in such position with respect to said bulb that an extreme portion of one side of said member will be disposedin-predetermined relationship relative to an extreme portion of the bulb which is on the other side of said member, a pair of substantially parallel ornamental supporting members; said supporting members being spaced apart a distance slightly less than the space between the extreme portion of said mounting member and the extreme portion of saidbulb, and resilient means to allow said supportingmembers to move iapart whereby said supporting members will;-lightly frictionally and slidably grip between them said mounting memberand said; bulb at said extreme portions, one of said ornamental supporting members, said ornamental mounting member, and the otherof said ornamental supporting members being successively disposed behind and having their side edges extending beyond the preceding member whereby to be visible at least in part from the front of said device.

3. In an ornamental illuminating device of the character described, an elongated electric light bulb, a flat ornamental member, means to hold said member to said bulb so that it is substantially parallel to and coplanar with the longitudinal axis of said bulb, a pair of ornamental supporting members, said members being spaced apart a distance slightly less than the distance between one side of said flat member and an opposite extreme portion of said bulb, and-resilient means to allow said supporting members to move apart whereby said supporting members will lightly frictionally grip between them said flat member and said bulb, one of said ornamental supporting members, said flat 'ornamental member and the other of. said ornamental supporting membersbeing successively disposed behind and having their side edges 'extending beyond the preceding member whereby to be visible at least in part from the front of said device.

4. In an ornamental illuminating device of the character described, an elongated electric light bulb, a flat ornamental member, means to hold said member to said bulb so that it is substantially parallel to and coplanar with the longitudinal axis of said bulb, and means to support said flat member and said bulb, said means comprising a pair of ornamental flanges of resilient material, spaced apart a distance slightly less than the space between one side of said flat member and an opposite extreme portion of said bulb whereby said flanges will lightly frictionally grip between them said flat member and said bulb, one of said ornamental flanges, said ornamental flat member and the other of said ornamental flanges being successively disposed behind and having their side edges extending beyond the preceding member or flange whereby to be visible at least in part from the front of said device.

5. In an ornamental illuminating device of the character described, an elongated electric light bulb, a flat ornamental member, means associated with said bulb to hold said member to said bulb so that it is substantially parallel to and coplanar with the longitudinal axis of said bulb, and means to support said flat member and said bulb, said means comprising an ornamental flange of resilient material" and a pair of spaced ornamental flanges, said pair of flanges being coplanar, and being parallel to and spaced from said first mentioned flange a distance slightly less than the space between one side of said flat member and an opposite extreme portion of said bulb whereby said flanges, when said bulb is disposed between said pair of flanges, will lightly frictionally grip between them said flat member and said bulb, said first mentioned ornamental flange, said flat ornamental member and said second mentioned pair of ornamental flanges being successively disposed behind and having their side edges extending beyond the preceding member or flange whereby to be visible at lea-st in part from the front of said device.

6. In an ornamental illuminating device of the characaer described, an elongated electric light bulb, a flat ornamental member, means associated with said bulb to hold said member to said bulb so that it is substantially parallel to and coplanar with the longitudinal axis of said bulb, and means to support said flat member and said bulb, said means comprising a U-shaped member having an ornamental flange extending from the base thereof and a pair of ornamental flanges extending in, opposite directions from the ends of the legs thereof, said leg flanges being coplanar with each other and parallel to said base flange, said leg flanges being spaced away from said base flange a distance slightly less than the space between one side of said flat member and an opposite extreme portion of said bulb whereby said flanges, when said bulb is disposed between said pair of flanges, will lightly frictionally grip between them said flat member and said bulb, said ornamental base flange, said ornamental flat member and said ornamental leg flanges being successively disposed behind and having their side edges extending beyond the preceding member or flange whereby to be visible at least in part from the front of said device.

7. In an ornamental illuminating device of the character described, a figurine, an elongated electric light bulb disposed behind the figurine, a support therefor, a light-transmitting member surrounding said bulb and adapted to transmit light therethrough, said member being provided with a bevel adjacent its periphery so that light transmitted therethrough from said bulb will be refracted forwardly at said bevel to cause a halo effect surrounding said bulb, said member being disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said bulb and concentrically with the head of said figurine, the center of illumination of said bulb being disposed substantially centrally of said light-transmitting member, means for supporting said member in such position relative to said bulb, and means for supporting said member and said bulb in such position relative to said figurine, said last named means comprising a pair of spaced resilient members attached to said figurine, one of said members .being adapted to lightly frictionally engage a portion of said bulb and the other of said resiilent members being adapted to lightly frictionally engage an opposite side of said halo member.

8. In an ornamental illuminating device of of the character described, a figurine, an elongated electric light bulb disposed behind the figurine, a support therefor, a light-transmitting member surrounding said bulb and adapted to transmit light therethrough, said member being provided with a bevel adjacent its periphery so that light transmitted therethrough from said bulb will be refracted forwardly at said bevel to cause a halo effect surrounding said bulb, said member being disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said bulb and concentrically with the head of said figurine, the center of illumination of said bulb being disposed substantially centrally of said light-transmitting member, means for supporting said member in such position relative to said bulb, and means for supporting said member and said bulb in such position relative to said figurine, said last namedmeans comprising a pair of spaced resilient members attached to said figurine, one of said members being adapted to frictionally engage said bulb and lie substantially tangent to the head of said figurine, said member being larger in at least one dimension than said head and having its edge decoratively formed and the other of said resiilent members being adapted to lightly frictionally engage an opposite side of said halo member.

ABRAHAM WOLF.

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