US3007037A - Lamp for keyboard instruments - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 31, 1961 R. M. KLEMME 3,007,037

- LAMP FOR KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS Filed Aug. 25, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 nscussv VIRGIN/A K. KLEMME Oct. 31, 1961 R. M. KLEMME LAMP FOR KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS 5 Sheets-Sheec 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1958 y R HMWM m mfl NMaEH BEE. Wm I K M A a m N a. M w V w Y B Oct. 31, 1961 R. M. KLEMME LAMP FOR KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 25, 1958 INVENTOR. M. KL EMME POLAND VIRGINIA K- KLEMM E. BY {I IIggffil" United States atent 3,007,037 LAMPFOR KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS Roland M. Klemme, deceased, late of Salinas, Calif., by Virginia K. Klernme, execntrix, Salinas, Calif. Filed Aug. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 756,965 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-4) This invention relates to a lamp attachment for pianos, organs and the like, for illuminating the keyboard as well as the music rack, and more particularly to a lamp of this character which will provide proper and complete illumination on the music positioned on the music rack and if desired on the keyboard as well.

Up to the present time there have been various kinds of lamps for illuminating music racks and keyboards of pianos, orgrans, pianofortes and other such keyboard instruments, and, despite the great variety and extent of use, all have been bothersome, and for the most part, unsightly. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide not only proper illumination for keyboard instruments, including illumination of the music on the rack, but to provide such illumination with equipment which is completely compatible with the instrument and does not call attention to itself or obstruct the use thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a piano lamp where proper illuminaion is secured without shining light either into the eyes of the artist or into those of any audience which may be at hand.

Another object is to provide a piano lamp in which the illumination directed to the keyboard may be reduced in any increment desired down to and including no illumination at all without interfering in any way with the illumination directed to the music rack.

,Stillanother object of the invention is to provide a piano lamp which can be supplied as standard equipment with the sale of the instrument or be attached to or detached from any instrument easily at any time. Another object of the invention is to provide illuminating means for the music and keyboard which will not interfere either with the turning of the music pages or with the freedom of movement at the keyboard.

A further object is to provide a lamp which can be effectively attached to any instrument regardless of size or variations in the construction.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, economy, and ease of manufacture, also such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will fully appear and as are inherently possessed by the device and the invention described herein.

Invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the same is merely illustrative of the invention and that the invention is capable of modification and change, and comprehends other details of construction without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the lamp cover;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the lamp body;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the complete lamp and holding bracket with a portion thereof cut away to show the internal structure;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken on the line IV-,IV of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

1 FIGURE 5 is a transverse section taken along the line V-V of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 2 VIVI of FIGURE 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 7 is a transverse section taken on the line VIIVII of FIGURE 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 8 is a schematic wiring diagram;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a keyboard instrument showing the manner of use and attachmeut of the lamp of the present invention; and

FIGURE 10 is a schematic, transverse sectional view, partly in side elevation, of the bracket and means for holding the lamp in position. 7

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the several views, and with particular reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, basically the lamp is built around two main parts. One is the lamp body 10, and the other is the lamp cover 11. The lamp body 10 is basically a semicircular stamping having recesses 12 and 14 out along the marginal edges, leaving equal end portions 15 and 16 at either end of the semitubular body 10. The semicircular ends 15 and 16 have upstanding flanges 17 integral therewith but separated therefrom by a lateral head or offset 18 defining an arc of approximately between them. U- shaped slots 20 and 20' are cut inwardly from the marginal edge on one side, equidistant from the outer ends. Coextensive with the marginal cuts 12 and 14, and extending further toward each end beyond the terminus of the marginal cuts, the semicircular stamping is further depressed into an integral longitudinal pocket 21.

coextensive With the length of the lamp body 10 is the lamp cover 11 which is a semicircular stamping having lateral cuts along the marginal edges 22 and 23 which correspond identically with the marginal cuts 12 and 14 in the body member 10. The semicircular ends 24 and 25 correspond identically with the ends 15 and 16 of the lamp body 10 and are also provided with small semicircular marginal cuts 26 and 26 along the edge opposed to and in registry with the U-shaped cuts 20 and 20' along the marginal edges in the body 10. It will be seen that the lamp cover 11 fits down over the upstanding marginal projections 17 and up againstthe longitudinal beads 18 which act as a stop. When so joined, the lamp body member 10 and the lamp cover member 11 form a tube having longitudinal slots therethrough formed by the opposition of cuts 12 and 22 on one side and 14 and 23 on the other side. Likewise, the abutting of these members forms equidistant holes from either end by the coincidence of cuts 20 and 26 and 20 and 26. Although the two members 10 and 11 are held together frictionaliy by the projections 17, end caps 30 slide over each end and retain the members in the tubular position. While this is the general appearance of the lamp from the outside, it is necessary to describe the internal fittings within both the body member 10 and the cover 11 which go to make up the complete lamp.

First, the completion of the lamp cover unit will be described. The lamp cover 11 at either end and just beyond the limits of the recessed marginal cuts 22' and 23, two slots 27 are provided. The slots are cut in the perimeter and extend from the top mid point transversely along the perimeter a distance which is slightly more than the distance of the opening provided by the slot of edges 14 and 23. A curved dimmer shield 31 is movably secured against the inner face of the lamp cover 11 and is slightly more than coextensive with the length of the slots. It is secured movably in this position by means of dimmer buttons 28 which are guided in the slots 27 and securely fastened to each end of the dimmer shield. When the dimmer buttons 28 are at the end of the slot corresponding with the top of the curve of the lamp cover, the dimmer shield 31 is in the inoperative position and its width extends approximately the distance between the edge 22 and the edge 23. When the dimmer buttons are moved toward the opposite ends of the slots 27, the dimmer shield 31 is moved by increments to close the slot formed by the marginal edges 14 and 23 until the dimmer buttons reach the lower limit of the slots 27 when the dimmer shield 31 completely closes the slot formed by marginal edges 14 and 23. With the securing of the dimmer shield 31 in position in the lamp cover, this assembly is complete.

The assembly for the lamp body contains more parts but is equally simple in structure. At either end of the flat stamping portion 21 are secured standard sockets 32 for the conventional two-pronged fluorescent slim line tube 33. The sockets are secured in position in the offset bottom 21 by L-shaped brackets and suitable fastening means 45. The electrical lead- ins 34 and 35 coming from the ballast 36 (see FIGURE 8) come in through a rubber grommet 37 which has a circumferential groove 38 which causes it to slip into the U-shaped cut and slip into cut 26 and be held therein in frictional engagement. One of the lead-in wires, 34, goes to the nearest socket 32' and the other, 35, goes to the switch 40 and thence to a terminal of the far socket 32. The other terminal of the far socket 32 is connected by a wire to the second terminal on the switch block and thence to the second terminal on the nearest socket, thus completing a circuit which is controlled by the switch 40. The switch 40 has a threaded stem 41 projecting from the switch block, which stem projects through the opening formed by registry of cuts 20 and 26 at the end opposite from the rubber grommet 37 and is held in final position by a threaded lock nut 42 applied from the outside. The stem 41 of the switch 40 carries a toggle member 43, the movement of which controls the on and off of the power for activating the fluorescent lamp bulb 33.

A troughed wire cover member 46 is secured in the bottom of the flat portion between the two sockets 32 and not only separates the two wires 34 and 35 connecting and completing the electrical circuit, but retains them between the underside of the marginal edges thereof and the inner surface of the body member 10, so that the wires never contact each other or the light bulb 33. FIGURE 2 shows how effectively this is accomplished. This completes the assembly of the equipment retained within the lamp body. When the two completed assemblies of the lamp body 10 and the lamp cover 11 are joined in the manner heretofore described and their ends secured by end caps 30, it will be observed that a tubular lamp results wherein the light from the lamp bulb 33 is emitted only from the slot formed by the marginal edges 12 and 22 and the slot formed by the marginal edges 14 and 23. It will be remembered, however, that by manipulation of the dimmer shield 31, any or all of the light emitted through the slot formed by the marginal edges 14 and 23 may be cut ofli.

Having described the complete lamp assembly, adjustable means are provided for quickly and easily attaching the lamp in position on a piano or other keyboard instrument so that the light from the slot formed by the marginal edges 12 and 22 is projected angularly toward the music rack and where the light emitted by the slot formed by marginal edges 14 and 23 is projected downwardly on the keyboard without any light being visible from the lamp openings themselves and with no light whatever shining in the eyes of the artist.

The tubular portions of the lamp are supported over the keyboard as shown in FIGURE 9 by a pair of half- Iing lamp holders 50, which engage and hold the lamp structure with frictional engagement. The half-ring lamp holders 50 are supported in the proper position by link extensions 51. It is understood that the link extensions 51 may be of any suitable size or may be a combination of several sizes. They may be pivoted on the fastening means 52 by which they are attached to the half-ring lamp holders 50 to a suitable angle or position and then tightened in the adjusted position. The inner ends of the brackets are adjustably secured to a pair of music rest clips 53 which slip over the side edges of the music rest (see FIGURE 9). The linkages 51, no matter the size, are coated with a special plastic which will not loosen as bends are made and which will not mar the piano in any way. The location of the music rest spring clips is such that they will never interfere with music 54 placed on the music rest 55.

In using a fluorescent lighting bulb a bum is set up when the same is in use, so that if the instrument is an electronic organ or the like or has other electrical operating mechanisms, a ground wire 47 is provided in the circuit as shown in FIGURE 8, which can be connected to any metal screw on the chassis of the instrument. When this is suitably attached the lamp will be grounded and the hum will be prevented.

As shown in FIGURE 10 the light emitted from the slot defined by the marginal edges 23 and 14 is directed upwardly and is indicated by the arc b. This light is intended for illumination of the music rest. The light emitted from the lower slot defined by the marginal edges 22 and 12 is indicated by the are a and is intended for illumination of the keyboard. The keyboard illumination may be reduced or eliminated entirely by moving the dimmer shield buttons 28 downwardly so that the dimmer shield will move to cover the aperture defined by the are a. As shown by FIGURE 10 the position of the lamp assembly is not properly adjusted. The lamp assembly can be rotated in its frictional holding by the half-ring clamps 50. Better illumination is secured by rotating the lamp structure in FIGURE 10 some 30 or more in a clockwise direction so that more light will reach the music rest and the light to the keyboard will be more evenly distributed.

It is apparent that a simple and new lamp for large keyboard instruments is provided, which will accomplish all of the desired purposes and functions and do so in a way which will complement the instrument with detachable connections so that the instrument will not be damaged by the attachment. 'It is contemplated that any suitable means for securing the tubular lamp housing in operative position on the instrument may be used.

I claim:

1. A detachable lamp for pianos and other similar keyboard instruments comprising in combination a tubular housing consisting of two longitudinally divided semicircular sections one having upstanding flanges frictionally engaging and holding the other, each having the central portions of their marginal edges cut away to register with each other and form continuous longitudinal slots in the tubular housing on opposite sides thereof, one for illuminating the keyboard and the other for illuminating the music rack, removable end caps frictionally engaging the ends of said semicircular sections securing the tubular housing in assembled position, an electrical circuit mounted and secured within one of said semicircular sections, said circuit including lead-in wires, sockets for a lamp bulb, a lamp bulb mounted in said sockets and being substantially coextensive in length with said slots, and a switch operable from the outside of said tubular housing for completing and breaking the circuit to said bulb, and shield means movably secured within the other of said semicircular sections operable to adjust the width of said slots throughout their entire length to regulate the amount of light passing therethrough.

2. A detachable lamp for pianos and other similar keyboard instruments comprising in combination a tubular housing consisting of two longitudinally divided semicircular sections one having upstanding flanges frictionally engaging and holding the other, each having the central portions of their marginal edges cut away to register with each other and form continuous longitudinal slots in the tubular housing on opposite sides thereof, one for illuminating the keyboard and the other for illuminating the music rack, removable end caps frictionally engaging the ends of said semicircular sections securing the tubular housing in assembled position, an electrical circuit mounted and secured within one of said semicircular sections, said circuit including lead-in Wires, sockets for a lamp bulb, a lamp bulb mounted in said sockets and being substantially coextensive in length with said slots, and a switch operable from the outside of said tubular housing for completing and breaking the circuit to said bulb, angled shield means movably secured Within the other of said semicircular sections operable to adjust the Width of either slot throughout its entire length to limit the amount of light passing therethrough, and adjustable arm means for removably securing said tubular lamp housing to the music rack in operable position.

3. A detachable lamp for pianos and other similar keyboard instruments comprising in combination a tubular housing comprising two longitudinally divided semicircular sections one having upstanding flanges frictionally engaging and holding the other, each having the central portions of their marginal edges cut away to register With each other and form continuous longitudinal slots in the tubular housing on opposite sides thereof, one for illuminating the keyboard and the other for illuminating the music rack, removable end caps engaging the ends of said semicircular sections securing the tubular housing in assembled position, an electrical circuit secured within one of said semicircular sections, said circuit including lead-in Wires, sockets for a lamp bulb, a lamp bulb mounted in said sockets and being substantially coextensive in length with said slots, and a switch operable from the outside of said tubular housing for completing and breaking the circuit to said bulb, a Wire protecting member accurately spacing and retaining said sockets in position Within said semicircular section and retaining as Well as separating the wires of said circuit, shield means manually movably secured Within the other of said semicircular sections operable to adjust the Width of said slots throughout their entire length to regulate the amount of light passing through one or -both of said slots, and adjustable arm means for removably securing said tubular lamp housing to the instmment in operable position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,609,418 Nechamkin et a1. Dec. 7, 19-26 2,00 7jl64 Horwitt July 9, 1935 2,075,199 Horner Mar. 1937 2,617,917 Janssen Nov. 11, 1952 2,777,941 Cookerly et al. Jan. 15, 1957

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