US2461118A - Flashlight torch - Google Patents

Description

J. a, LIPPINCOTT FLASHLIGHT TORCH Feb. 8, 1949.

Filed May 14, 1945 Patented Feb. 8, 1949 Finsnmcn'r 'roncn Joshua Gordon Lippincott, ScarsdaleQN. Y assignor to Guth, Stern & 00., Inc., a corporation of New York Application May 14, 1945, Serial No. 593,636

This invention relates more particularly is directed to portable flashlights or, torches of improved construction having an annular or ring type of operating switch.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve flashlights or torches of the character described which shall comprise few and simple parts that are readily assembled to form a rugged yet attractive appearing structure, which assembly lends itself to forming a designed article appealing to the eye, which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, and which shall be practical and eflicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. The invention accordingly consists of features of construction combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of the application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which shown an illustrative embodiment of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a longtitudinal sectional view taken centrally through a flashlight torch showing the interior construction made to embody the invention.

' Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged detailed cross-sectional views taken through the head portion on lines 2-2 and 3-3 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the head portion as shown in Fig. 1 showing the improved ring operating switch, refiector and incandescent lamp holder construction.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I denotes an improved hand flashlight of improved construction having an annular or ring type switch embodying the invention. As seen from Figs. 1 and 4, said flashlight Ill has a one-piece tubular casing portion II integrally formed with closed bottom I la and an open or top end I I b for housing one or more electric battery dry cells I2 having insulating outer wrappers I2c of conventional construction and also has a lens cap I3 secured to said casing portion open end III) by suitable means-such as screw joint IA. The latter has an exterior thread IIc formed on the outer surface of the casing portion open end IIb adjacent and up to the rim edge thereof for engaging with interior thread I3a provided on a down turned flange I3b of said lens cap I3. The latter preferjab1y.;.hasthe l ns o c ve portion I30 thereof 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-10138) to flashlight devices, and

integrally formed with the flange I3b all shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

The batterycasing portion II and the lens cap I3 preferably ismolded of a suitable plastic material of any well known composition that can be made transparent as for use of said lens cap I3 and with a colored body as desired for the use of the casing portion II, and finished all over including said threads 0 and I3a without machining to theexact proportion and shape as required. Said molded material forms a relative- 1y rigid structure yet has a suflicient degree 'Of give to counteract shocks due to blows and rou h handling without being fractured or otherwise damaged, thus providing a so-called shockproof or unbreakable" structure.

Seated on the rim of easing open end IIb and positively secured in place by the lens cap I3 there extends an outturned flange rim I5a of a metallic reflector I5. The latter carries to extend within the casing portion, a centralized holder portion I5b which has removably mounted to extend downwardly therethrough a thimble I6, through which projects the base IIa of an incandescent lamp I1 positioned in the assembled flashlight ID with a center contact I'Ib cf said lamp base Ila electrically connected with a center or carbon contact terminal I2a of the battery cells I2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The thimble I6 may be made of metal, wood, or plastic ma terial and may be partially split as at I6a to provide a frictional fit between centralized holder portion I51) and the lamp base I'Ia so as to releasably retain the thimble I6 against extending contact flns. I'Ic of the shell of lamp base I'la for securing an electrical connectionof said fins I'Ic with the reflector I5, and to firmly. hold said lamp I! in a steadied relatively fixed positionwith respect to the effective front surface of reflector I5. To facilitate removal of the thimble I5 and lamp II, the thimble I6 may beyformed with finger grip wings'or flange IBb.

The lens cap I3 which includes the lens or cover portion I- 3c"as well as flange 13b preferably is made of a single piece of transparent molded plastic with said interior threads I3a thereof formed to screw ontosaid exterior casing threads IIc to assure clamping the reflector rim flange I512 as described above. The latter. jmay be formed with spaced radially extending: lugs I adapted to engage with the threads 130. so that when the lens cap I3 is removed; the reflector I5 carrying the lamp "will be removed therewith as a unit and can be replaced as a unit in the well understood manner,

Embodying the invention a rotary type of switch means of improved construction is provided in the electric circuit between the zinc contact terminal lZb of the lower battery cell l2 and the lamp I! through the reflector i and a conductor jumper strip 20. Said switch means comprises an annulus or ring member l8 encircling the exterior open top casingend 'l lb which has an inturned flange 18a, the latter retaining said ring member I8 on said casing end llb for turning movement against an exterior abutment shoulder l3d provided on the lens cap flange l3b as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Said ring member l8 may also be provided with a-striker orshoe I80 radially inturned into the casing H to extend toward the exterior side of the reflector l5, the

wall of said casing ll being cutFaWayFat lid:-

to permit limited rotary movement as is indicated in Fig. 3 by the double ended arrow with oil and on circuit markings,

The circuit from the lower or vzinc'battery cell contact terminal l2b is extended throng-ha helical spring wrestin on'the interior casing bottom Ila, which spring 19 provides a resilient electricalconnection with said lower zinc cell terminal I21) and one end 20a of conductor'jumper strip--20. The latter may be made of suitable spring bronze or the equivalent-and-is securedby suitable means, such as a rivet 2! extending through the wall of casing H adjacent to the bulbous-or bulged portion thereof which forms saidtop or open head end Hb asshown in Figs. 1 and- 4.

' The free end portion 20b of said strip 20 extends above the rivet'zl into said casing open head Hb preferably is made with a slight twist out of the plane of the portionfofsaid strip below said rivet 2 I so that the striker or shoe 180 on being rotated with the ring 18 for switching'from off to on circuit position engages the twisted free end strip portion *z'lib and' causes -the extreme blade end 20p to; make scraping contact electrical connection withfthe exterior side of the reflector as 's'ln wnjn- Figs] 3 and 4. This scraping contact in 'closingpr the-circuit by the strip end'ZOc thr uth'the efleq qr i ue t t m d car l ming movements or shoe 48c on the strip poiltion 'Zilb which is effective against torsion stress of the twist structure of said strip portion 2 1 tbfproducts quick making and breaking of thecircriits on rotating the ring l8.

"Fromthe above description and the drawing the prast ql operation it th fla h ght ench it is nowapparent, After thejparts have been pro- 7 vided and assembled as has been describedabove,

the'battery cells I Zor the lamp l7 may bereplaced by simply unscrewing the lens cap l3 from the bulbous casing head I lb. The reflector lfi w ith the lamp II will come off, with the lens cap is as'a unit and the lamp. I! may be replaced by simply withdrawing the thimble lfi'from the holder l5b.

'Ijhe assembled flashli h, torch ID may be switched on and off by rotating 'the' It in the. directions shown. by the arrow inFig; The on switch-position of the ring {8 swings the" shoe 180 to cam the strip portion 28b forcing the end 211:; thereoi to scrape contact the reflector th r by onne i nd om l in e cult to light the lamp l'ljas is clear from; Figs. 1, 3 and 4'. The oil switched positionof ring Ill swings the shoe lac laterally away from the strip portion b releasing the latter so that 'the end '2Dcswings' away from the reflector-l5. 7 To facilitate handling said switching ring I8, the

4 latter may be provided with a knurled surface in the form of a central grip band [801 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

It is thus therefore seen that there is provided an improved flashlight torch in which the objects of the invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet all conditions of practical use. r; Y 1 a 'A's"-'vaiit t'i's possible embodiments may-be made in the invention for use for difierent purposes and as Various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all the above matters here set forth orshown-are illustrative and not in a limiting sense.-

I "comprising a tubular Qasing of molded plastic material having an open end and formed with a closed bottom opposite the open end, a batteryretamed in said casing with one terminal :thereof extending short of i the level of said open'iren'd, .a metallic stripmounted Withinsaid casingezand resiliently connected -with' the other 5 terminal: of said battery, a:-lens cap of'molded plasticxmaterial having 'means to coversaid casingflopensendpa metallic reflectorseated-to extend intosaid casing open'end and firmly retained in place by the lens cap, a lamp-holder carried by the reflectonto pro.- ject centrally into the casing, anincandescent lam-p fitted into the reflector and moun-tedz-inzsaid holder with a terminal thereof ::contacting the first: mentioned battery's-terminal, said= strip; having an integral-'lyfformedspring blaideend attend: ingxwithin. said casing topmpening-and: normally inta, flexed-1 position, out of contact with i said; re: flector, i and an annular :switch member mounted on the exteriorof;lthe casing inwardl-y ofi said casinaopen end-emd mDy ebly reta n d nine movement by said 1ens,cap,-saidswitch member having ;an integral portion extending .-in;to the casing ope d. fer enga in :s id-smashed? end to flex the latter from said normal position tomakean electrical circuit from thebattery; to the am th one-h he refleq q r 0 an nd b in s ettecl q eady n thes i phme ber integral portion to permit limited turning easem n t ermiashli ht; r h hav n -a asin fo m d with an open end portion, aj'etallicjreflector seated on-the of said open endportion, alens cap removably monntedion said .casing end; p'oriQ iorrfi -mll e u in he r il c cr-l n eated cs i a simembe nc r lin sa d a neend pert-ion and retained'for rotary movement there: Qnb ifi ar a, m tall s r ngh ad asternme w thin a c in nds fl tie ermew h .aa' n e a d x e. nd n mal y r n out of contact w trr saidreflecton' said ring member harms meanse nd n n n l as ng end rion tfl xine saidblad i ni' e ins .ai ical circuitfjthrough contact withsaid reflector on rotation? thereof, and means for removably-at taching said cap-to the casing pemendportion with the ring member 'remainingfree' for limited rot rymovement;said blade flexingmeans includcamrning *shoe for actuating said twisted 'biade'fiee end, the casing open end being slotted for receiving said shoeto permit'limitdturning said blade flexing- "movement for-making and breaking the-electric circuit at the reflector.

'- a flashlight torch having acaslngiormed wit hag bulbous open ended-portion, a :metallic reflector seatedon the r-im edge ofsaid openendod portion, a one-piece lens cap removably mounted on said casing open ended portion firmly securing the reflector in seated position, a, ring member encircling said casing open ended portion and retained for rotary movement thereon by said cap, a metallic spring blade with an intermediate twisted structure adjacent an extreme free end thereof secured to extend within said casing open ended portion, said extreme blade end forming a contact circuit making and breaking means with said reflector, said ring member having a shoe extending into the casing open ended portion for camming the twisted blade end in effecting said making of the electric circuit, said casing end portion being slotted for receiving said shoe so constructed and arranged to limit the rotary movement of said ring member in making and breaking said contact circuit.

JOSHUA GORDON LIPPINCOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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