US2412313A - Pocket flashlight - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 10, 1946.1 R. B. 13m-'TERSBY ETAL 2,412,313

` POCKET FLASHLIGIH' Filed May 7, 1945 ATTopNE-Y Patented Dec. 1o, 1946 POCKET FLASHLIGHT Robert B. Battersby, Noroton Heights, and James C. Prior, Stamford, Conn., assignors to Sidney Schwartz, New York, N. Y.

Application May 7, 1945, Serial No. 592,370

Claims.

This invention relates to portable lighting devices and more particularly is directed to pocket battery flashlights.

Among the objectsof the invention is the provision of an improved device of the character described comprising few and simple parts which shall be easily assembled to form a reliable and dependable lighting means capable of withstanding rough and hard usage yet which shall be small and compact so that it can be readily carried in the pocket or in handbags, which shall be neat in appearance, convenient to handle and operate, cheap to manufacture, and practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this 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 arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

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

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken through a pocket flashlight constructed to embody the invention showing the cover in closed position with the switch portions in open circuit and in the dotted line the cover is shown in retained open position with the switch portions in closed circuit for lighting the incandescent lamp.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved flashlight shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 2a is a top plan view like Fig. 2 with the cover partly broken away to expose the under structure.

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views as seen along lines 3 3 and 4-4, respectively, in Fig. 1, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary cross-sectional views showing detailed constructions taken on lines 5-5 and 66, respectively, on Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, I0 denotes a pocket flashlight of a type that can conveniently be carried in a vest pocket or in a womans handbag, constructed to embody the invention. Said flashlight I0 may comprise a suitable outer body casing |I, as here shown, being formed of a one-piece sheet metal, enclosing a standard electric battery of reversed polarity positioned dry cells I2 and I3, that is being arranged for series connection, each cell preferably insulated by a wrapper I4 of paper or liber material. Upper (Cl. 24o-10.65)

- carbon and zinc terminals I'2a and I'3b of cells end Ila of said casing II extends beyond the I2 and I3, respectively, to provide a removable seated anchorage for head portion I5. 'Ihe latter carries a standard miniature incandescent lamp I'6 and a switch Il for making and breaking the circuit from said battery cells I2, I3 to the lamp I6 on opening and closing respectively, of a pivoted cover 20 in the manner hereinafter described. f

Said flashlight head portion I5 is preferably made of a suitable plastic molded material formed with an integral cut-back edge or rabbeted rim flange I5a extended yaround the exterior of an open side thereof and neatly fitted to extend into the upper casing end IIa to rmly seat the head portion I5 in position on the casing II. Said ilange I5a and upper casing end IIa may be provided with a readily detachable connection means, as for example, recessed blind slots or grooves I5b molded in exterior surfaces of rim ilange I5a forming a coupling engaging with inwardly projecting Ibosses IIb provided on interior side walls of upper casing end IIa for removably retaining the head portion I5 in said seated position as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The material and construction of the upper casing end IIa and said slotted anges I 5a is such that the head portion I5 can be readily snapped in and out of cooperating assembly for replacing the battery cells I2, I3 or the lamp I6.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 2a, said flashlight head portion I5 is structurally formed to have a cavity I 5c extending in from the open side thereof and is elongated to conform to the ovallike shape of a cross section of the casing I I. One end of said cavity I 5c may have integral molded on the interior wall therein spaced ledges I-5d, projecting toward one another into the depth of the cavity I5c to form a slideway and being of a suicient length to provide a rigid anchorage for a vertically extending mid-portion I 9a of a suitable spring conductor switch member I9. The other end of said cavity I5c is provided on the interior wall opposite said ledges I 5d,

' with a suitable lamp holder means, as for example, a plurality of spaced lugs I 5e adapted to form a seat for the screw base lend I 6a of lamp I6 when the latter is in assembled position with the bulb I6b thereof projecting through opening I'5gin partition wall portion I5f of head portion I5 overlying the lamp bulb I6b as shown in Fig. 1. The lugs I5e and partition wall portion I'5f are integrally molded with the interior walls of said last mentioned cavity end as seen from Figs. 2. 2g. and i.

The nashlight head portion Il is also provided with the elongated snap closure cover 20 which extends over partition wall opening'. IIa.

Said cover 2li is pivotally mounted as by means respectively, in Fig. 1.

The spring conductor switch member I9 is preferably formed from a beryllium copper strip4 or the equivalent and besides having the vertically mid-portion and horizontally extending intermediate portion I8a and Iilb, respectively, is also formed with a lower free contact end I9c which is positioned when the member I9 is firmly anchored' in assembled position to be spring pressed against the center or carbon contact I2a of battery cell I2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The other free end of member I9 forms a blade Id which may be bent to extend downwardly alongside the ferrule contact of lamp base I6a. Thus as seen from Figs. 1, 2a, 4 and 5 the lugs- I5e,'while spring member I8, which has its anchoring mid-.portion I9 made slightly wider lthan intermediateportion .Ish or lower end portion I9c can be firmly mounted in place by sliding and wedging said mid-portion Isa, in the slide way between ledges ld. The rim flange IIa of ,head portion I5 can then be seated on the casing lupper end IIa and snap locked by the detachlable coupling connectionof bosses IIb in grooves I5b. The lower end I9c of spring number Il will then be in tight contact with the carbon swinging the latter from close to spring switch member I9 is constructed with double contacts,'one at each end, the anchored mid-portion lila being formed with edge extensions securely retained in slideway I5d provided in the walls of the cavity l5c for allowing the lower contact end I9c to positively connect the member I9 in the battery circuit and for allowing spring contacting blade I9d to have a rubbing circuit making connection with the fer-rule lamp base Ilia when the cover 20 is manually swung open while permitting a positive circuit breaking connection thereat when the cover 201 is snapped shut after the cover end 20a passed beyond the dead point on its swinging closure movement, as is clear from Fig. l.

The casing II may be made of aluminum or other suitable metal and besides'being formed with bosses I Id on the upper end ila, thereof has an integrally formed closure bottom I Ic provided with a battery contact boss IId projecting upwardly therewithin whichy is positioned to align centrally with zinc terminaly I2b of battery cell I2. Spaced anchorages I lf also project upwardly within said bottom Ilc under the center or carbon terminal I3a of cell I3 for permanently anchoring a helical spring 22, the latter making contact with said terminal I3a, as shown in Figs. l and 3. The casing II and head portion I5 are so proportioned that the battery cells I2 and I3 are under sufiicient compression between the spring end I9c and boss Il d, and between said helical spring 22 and the lamp center contact, IIc respectively, the latter bearing on the zinc terminal I3b of vdry cell I3 so as to positively assure a continuous series circuit from the switch member I 9 through the battery cell I2 casing bottom I I, battery cell I3` and hence to the lamp: i8, as is clear from Fig. 1. l

The practical operation of the invention willv now be apparent. With the head portion lI5 ref moved from the casing II, the battery ce1s'I2 and I3 are inserted in the latter in relatively reversed polar positions for series connection under the partition wall I5! of the head portion I5 with the lamp bulb I6b extending into the opening I5g and the lamp base I6a retained by through casing bottom I I. A lamp I6l is inserted 4scribed above.

cellI terminal I2a and zinc cell terminal IIb tightly pressed against the lamp center-contact Ic, forming a continuous series circuitl as de- When the cover 20 is in closed position, the switch I1 is in open circuit at the ferrule of the lamp base I6a las shown in` full lines in Fig. 1. f

To operate the fiashlight III fo'r lighting the bulb, the cover 20 is manually swung open on the trunnion bearing 2l. As the cover. 20 swings to its open position, shown 1n dotted lines Fig. l, cover endv 20a flexes the spring member inter-- mediate portion I 9b downwardly and the end blade iSd is brought into rubbing contact with the ferrule contact of lamp base IGa completing the electric power circuit and lightingvthe lamp I6 forgiving illumination through the uncovered opening` Iig. The spring member lwis so arranged and constructed so as to permit aminimum flexing leverage movement ,by the projecting cover end 20a for greatest or maximum movement at the end blade I9d toincrease the sweep thereof in making and breaking the circuit connections. The cover 20 is automatically swung to either full open or full closed positions when the end 20a is vmoved off the de ad center line with respect to the axis of the trunnion bearing 2i as 'seen from Fig. 1. V

If desired a suitable ring or bail 23, may be pivotally mounted to extend from the casing bottom llc for suspending the ashlight 2U froma chain or the like.

It should be noted that the flashlight conlstruction Ill is not Aonly of improved simple construction but also lends itself to form a neat and attractive designed article for the purposes described.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a flashlight construction 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 embodiment 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 our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a portable flashlight construction of the :character described, a head portion comprising the interior wall at the other end of said cavity having integrally formed spaced lugs and a partition with an opening, an incandescent lamp having a base formed with a -ferrule and center f' anatre mi* 'Pl-n uns sans im ,fthe-.tmb tending into-said partition opening and saidfliSe retainedl by, said lugs lwith the ferrule positionedr in the'path of movement of-said blade, and pivoted means on said structure for ilexing theb'lade to make a scraping contact with said lamp base ferrule. l -t 2. The portable ashlight construction as deilned in claim 1 including a casing having coupling means for detachably securing said head the housing bottom aligning to connect, with a f terminal of one of said cells, integrally formed anchorage means to upstand from 'the .interior of the' housing bottom spaced from said boss,

and a spring secured by said anchorage means aligning to' connect with a terminal of another of said cells, the other terminal of last mentioned cell connecting with the lamp base center contact, said conductor strip having a spring contact on the end thereof opposite said blade contacting weilih the other terminal of the ilrst mentioned c 3. In a portable flashlight oi' the character described, a head portion adapted to be detachably mounted on a casing housing electric battery cells comprising a'molded insulating structure having an elongated cavity extending in from an open side thereof, a one-piece metallic switch blade. mounted in said cavity, an' interior wall at one end of said cavity having integrally formed spaced ledges to provide a slideway constructed and arranged to anchor said metallic switch blade therein, an incandescent lamp having a bulb and base ferrule, mounted in said cavity and spaced from said slideway, the interior wall at the other end of said cavityl having integrally formed spaced lugs and a partition with an opening of less diameter than said lamp base constructed and arranged to mount said incandescent lamp with the bulb thereof extending into said opening and with said lamp base and ferrule retained by said lugs whereby lthe lamp base is positioned for being contacted on iiexing said blade.

d. "in a portable flashlight construction, a molded insulated` head portion, a metallic battery casni oa wmc said head portion is detachabiy seated,y battery cells fitted into said casing connected in series circuitsthrough said metallic casingya. circuit closing mechanism carried by ,saidy head portion including a conductor strip having a mid-portion thereof anchoredr to the head portion, a lower enl extending from said mid-portion contacting with one terminal of said battery cells, an incandescent lamp having base ferrule and center contacts carried by said head portion spaced from said anchored mid-portion with said lamp center contact connecting with the other terminal of said battery cells, said midportion also having an intermediate spring portion extended in a direction toward but normally short of said lamp base errule contact, said intermediate portion having a spring end blade for making and breaking the circuit at said lampferrule contact, a cover pivoted on said head portion to provide a removable closure over said lampV and having a projecting end, said cover in closed position having said projecting end thereof engaging the, strip intermediate-portion for ilexing same to actuate said blade to circuit open position. said cover on movement to expose the lamp actuating saidblade to closed circuit posltion.

5. In a portable ashlight construction an inl sulating head portion having a pivoted cover adapted to be removably mounted on a battery casing, said head portion having` integrally formed ledges arranged and constructed to serve as a slideway,4 a spring conductor strip having a. mid-portion formed with edge extensions serving as a wedging means for anchoring said midportion in said slideway, av lower spring end extending from said mid-portion adapted to contact a battery cell terminal in said casing, an intermediate portion extending from said mid-portion opposite said lower spring and adapted to be flexed with said mid-portion as a fulcrum, and an end blade terminating said intermediate por- `tion adapted to serve as a switch part for said

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