Lamp shade soldering aid

A lamp shade soldering aid is used when soldering a stained glass lamp shade. The soldering aid includes a spindle, inserted through an arm, a base, a turn table, and a clamping member. A lamp shade to be soldered is inserted on the spindle and rests on the turntable, held by the clamping member. The turntable has a plurality of pivoting support members for use with the lamp shade when soldering the interior of the shade. The clamping member does not spin off of the spindle. When the lamp shade is turned, the turntable is also turned. The soldering aid provides for angular motion, such that any seam of the shade may be held in a horizontal position. The soldering aid also provides for rotating motion, such that the lamp shade may be rotated to a next seam.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a lamp shade soldering aid which is 
suitable for variable positioning of a stained glass lamp shade to 
facilitate soldering. 
Stained glass lamp shades are constructed of pieces of stained glass 
soldered together. A large stained glass lamp may have hundreds of pieces 
of stained glass, with a corresponding number of seams between the pieces 
of stained glass. The seams between the pieces of glass are important not 
only for their structural qualities, but also for their aesthetic 
qualities. The aesthetic properties are particularly important for the 
portion of the seams which can be observed when the lamp is in use. 
The pieces of stained glass are frequently soldered together by the copper 
foil method. In the copper foil method, copper tape is wrapped around each 
edge of each piece of stained glass. The copper tape provides a portion 
which can be soldered. The pieces of stained glass may then be positioned 
and tacked in place by soldering a small portion of one piece to a small 
portion of another piece. One method of assisting the positioning of 
pieces uses a mold, for example of styrofoam. Tacking does not permanently 
secure the pieces, and therefore is only temporary. Care must be taken not 
to stress the tacked pieces, or the tacking will break apart. After 
tacking, all of the seams are rough soldered, the solder holding the 
pieces of stained glass together. The seams between the pieces of stained 
glass must further be finish soldered so that the lamp has an attractive 
appearance. 
Finish soldering is accomplished one seam at a time. To finish solder a 
seam, solder is applied with a soldering iron to the copper foil at the 
seams. The most attractive seams are achieved by heating the solder along 
one seam until it is in a liquid state. The solder then solidifies into a 
seam having a smooth appearance. 
Since the solder is in a liquid state during the finish soldering, the seam 
must be horizontal. If the seam is not horizontal, the solder will tend to 
run downward, resulting in uneven application of solder, or even resulting 
in the solder running off of the seam. 
When finish soldering, therefore, each seam must be horizontal. The lamp 
shade must be angled so that each seam is horizontal. This is difficult 
since the lamp shade is an awkward shape. Positioning the lamp so that the 
inside seams can be easily reached presents another problem. Yet another 
problem is presented when the lamp shade includes a crown on top, having 
seams which must be soldered by holding the lamp shade at an awkward 
angle. 
Since stained glass lamp shades frequently have repeating patterns, each 
seam usually has corresponding seams requiring the same angling of the 
lamp shade. Thus, the lamp shade can advantageously be rotated about its 
axis to the corresponding seam in the next repeat. 
While positioning the lamp shade, care must be taken to not disturb or 
break the tacked or rough soldered pieces. Furthermore, a craftsman 
performing the soldering holds the solder in one hand and the soldering 
gun in the other, and thus has no free hands to hold the lamp shade. 
2. Discussion of the Related Art 
Therefore, various devices for holding a stained glass lamp shade during 
soldering have been developed. The most primitive but most popular device 
is a large box filled with crumpled newspaper. 
One other type of conventional device for holding a stained glass lamp 
shade relies largely on a vase cap which is soldered to the apex of the 
lamp shade. The vase cap has a hole in the top, through which a shank can 
be inserted. The lamp can then be rotated about the shank. This has the 
unfortunate effect of placing all of the stress on the vase cap area and 
can result in deformation of the lamp shade. Therefore, this can only be 
used with smaller lamp shades. 
Another type of conventional device for holding a stained glass lamp shade 
uses a stationary base beneath the lamp shade and threads a shank through 
the vase cap. A nut placed on top of the vase cap is used to clamp the 
lamp shade to the base. However, the method of clamping tends to 
over-tighten, thus distorting or even breaking the lamp shade. 
Furthermore, this device does not provide for soldering the inside seams, 
and thus only solves a portion of the problem. Also, because the shade 
must be rotated on top of the stationary base, the copper tape on the 
pieces of glass on the bottom of the shade tends to tear. 
Yet another type of conventional device for holding a stained glass lamp 
shade provides a method for soldering the inside seams by providing fixed 
side supports on which the lamp shade can rest. Further support may be 
provided by inserting a shank through the vase cap. This device has the 
drawback that the support provided is not sturdy and does not conform to 
the variable shape of the lamp shade. It also has the further drawback of 
requiring manually lifting and rotating the lamp on the device to reach 
other seams. 
Other devices have been known which provide the rotational variability. As 
mentioned above, conventional devices provide that the lamp shade can be 
rotated about a shank through the vase cap. However, the lamp shade is 
rotated to one position and then fixed by clamping down on the vase cap. 
Each act of clamping presents the danger of over tightening and thus 
deforming or breaking the lamp shade. The device used to clamp is spun up 
the shank, presenting an additional risk of breaking the lamp if it flies 
off the shank. 
Other drawbacks of conventional devices are that they do not provide for 
incremental positioning of the shade. Numerous other complex mechanisms 
have been tried to overcome all of these problems with a resulting 
increase in complexity. There remains a need for a simple stained glass 
lamp shade soldering aid which can successfully adapt to the shape of 
various lamp shades, is easily used even with large lamp shades, and does 
not tend to break or distort the lamp shade. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus 
for holding and positioning a stained glass lamp shade to facilitate 
soldering. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for 
holding and positioning a stained glass lamp shade to facilitate easy and 
accurate finish soldering. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a sturdy 
device for holding and positioning stained glass lamp shades of various 
sizes, including large lamp shades. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device for 
holding and positioning a lamp shade with less tendency to over-tighten, 
break or deform the lamp shade. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for 
holding and positioning a lamp shade which is easily used. 
The lamp shade soldering aid of the invention includes a top clamping 
member, a base and an arm connected pivotally to the base. A turntable, on 
which the lamp shade may be placed, is rotationally connected to the arm. 
A spindle is rotationally inserted through the top clamping member, the 
turntable and the arm. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, 
however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while 
indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of 
illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the 
spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in 
the art from this detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 shows the general structure of a stained glass lamp shade soldering 
aid 1 in use with a stained glass lamp shade 3. The soldering aid 1 is 
pivotally connected to a base 5 which may be affixed to a bench 7. 
The soldering aid 1 comprises a turntable 9, an arm 11, a spindle 13, a top 
clamping member 15, and a rotation clamping member 17. The turntable 9 is 
rotationally connected to the arm 11. The spindle 13 is inserted through 
the arm 11 and the turntable 9. The spindle 13 may be inserted through a 
lamp shade 3 with a vase cap. The spindle 13 is inserted through the top 
clamping member 15. The rotation clamping member 17 is connected to the 
arm 11 and is used to fix the turntable 9, and thus the lamp shade 3, at 
variable rotations. 
The soldering aid 1 may be pivotally connected to the base 5. An angle 
clamping member 19 is attached to the base and is used to fix the 
soldering aid 1, and thus the lamp shade 3, at variable angles. 
The base 5 provides for sturdy support of the soldering aid 1. The support 
provided by the base 5 must counter-balance the lamp shade 3 at any 
angular position of the soldering aid 1. Thus, as illustrated, the base 5 
may be affixed to the bench 7. 
The top clamping member 15 may be used with a lamp shade 3 positioned for 
soldering outside seams, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and for a lamp shade 3 
positioned for soldering inside seams, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The top 
clamping member 15 must provide that the lamp shade 3 is secured to the 
turntable 9 without over-tightening. Thus, the spindle 13 may be a 
threaded rod and the top clamping member 15 may comprise a first nut 21. 
The threading on the rod should allow the first nut 21 to be spun in 
easily. To provide a larger surface for manual control, a disc 23 is 
preferably affixed to the first nut 21. The disc 23 should have a knurled 
outer edge. Also, the top clamping member 15 should spin without falling 
off when at a top end of the spindle 13, such that when the top clamping 
member 15 is spun up, it will not spin off and fall onto the lamp shade 3. 
Thus, the clamping member should have a threaded interior top half 21a and 
a smooth interior bottom half 21b. If the top clamping member 15 is to be 
used with a lamp without a vase cap or a spider, a small flat plate 30 may 
be placed between the top clamping member 15 and the lamp shade 3. 
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the lamp shade 3 inserted on the soldering aid 1 
according to the present invention can be positioned such that a seam in 
the lamp shade 3 is horizontal and can be properly soldered. Furthermore, 
the lamp shade 3 inserted on the soldering aid according to the present 
invention can be incrementally rotated about its axis, so that other seams 
in the lamp shade 3 can be soldered. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, the turntable 9 should be affixed to the spindle 
13. One way is to connect the turntable 9 to a plate 27 which is inserted 
on the spindle 13 below the turntable 9 and above the arm 11. A plurality 
of bolts 29, preferably four, may be inserted through a plurality of holes 
31 in the turntable 9 corresponding to a plurality of holes 34 in the 
plate 27. A nut 28 on the spindle 13 may further fix the turntable 9 to 
the spindle 13. 
The lamp shade 3 is placed on the turntable 9 to provide a rotational 
motion to the lamp shade 3. The turntable 9 is therefore rotationally 
connected to the arm 11. In a preferred embodiment, the arm 11 includes a 
first hollow sleeve and the turntable 9 is connected to the flat plate 27 
which in turn is affixed to a second sleeve 32. To provide the rotational 
motion, the second sleeve 32 on the plate 27 is rotationally inserted into 
the first sleeve of the arm 11. 
Once the desired rotation of the lamp shade 3 is achieved, the rotation 
clamping member 17 allows the turntable 9 to be rotated to a desired 
position, and then prevents further rotation of the turntable 9. The 
rotation clamping member 17 prevents rotation by stopping rotation of the 
inner sleeve inserted into the arm 11. Thus, the arm 11 may have an 
aperture 33 through which the rotation clamping member 17 may exert 
pressure on the second sleeve. The rotation clamping member may be a bolt 
inserted through the aperture 3, which may be tightened or loosed. A knob 
35 may be connected to the bolt to provide for easier manual tightening or 
loosening. 
Referring to FIG. 3, the arm 11 is pivotally connected to the base 5, to 
provide angular motion to the arm 11 and thus to position the lamp shade 3 
at an angle. The angular motion may be provided by fixing the arm 11 to a 
horizontal rectangular arm plate 39, which is in turn fixed at a right 
angle to a vertical rectangular arm plate 41. The base 5 may comprise a 
horizontal rectangular base plate 43, fixed at a right angle to a first 
vertical rectangular base plate 45. A second and third vertical base 
plates 47, 49 should be provided on each side of the first vertical base 
plate 45. The vertical arm plate 41 should be placed between and pivotally 
connected to the first and second vertical base plates 45, 47. A pivotal 
connection can be accomplished by a first bolt 36 placed through 
corresponding holes in the vertical plates 41, 45, 47 and 49. To provide 
stability, the first, second and third vertical plates 45, 47 and 49 are 
preferably connected by a second bolt 37. 
The angle clamping member 19 allows the arm 11 to be angled at a desired 
position, and then prevents further angular motion of the arm 11 even when 
used with a large lamp shade 3. The angle clamping member 19 prevents 
further angular motion by stopping a pivoting of the arm 11 with the base 
5. Thus, the base 5 may have an aperture 50 through which the angle 
clamping member 19 may exert pressure on the arm 11. The angle clamping 
member 19 should distribute pressure which it exerts over a large portion 
of the arm, to prevent angular motion with large lamps. The angle clamping 
member 19 may be a bolt 52 inserted through a hole in the second vertical 
base plate 47, which may be tightened or loosed. When tightened, the bolt 
52 exerts pressure on the first vertical member 45 which in turn exerts 
pressure on the vertical arm plate 41. A knob 51 may be connected to the 
bolt to provide for easier manual tightening or loosening. The base 5 
should be positioned so that the knob 51 is on the right or left side of 
the base for right- or left-handed use, respectively. FIGS. 1-5 illustrate 
the base positioned for left-handled use. 
Referring again to FIG. 1, the base 5 steadies the soldering aid 1 and the 
lamp shade 3. Therefore, the base 5 may be connected to the bench 7. A 
plurality of holes 53 for bolts 55 may be provided in the horizontal base 
plate 43 such that the horizontal base plate 43 may be attached to the 
bench 7. To allow the soldering aid to tilt to at least 120.degree. such 
that a crown on the lamp may be soldered, the base 5 should be positioned 
near the edge of the bench 7. 
The arm knob 35 can be manipulated while the turntable 9 is temporarily 
manually held in position. Similarly, the base knob 51 can be manipulated 
while the arm 11 is temporarily manually held in position. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, the top clamping member 15 provides pressure on 
the lamp shade 3 (not shown) such that the lamp shade 3, the spindle 13 
and the turntable 9 rotate together. This provides a sturdy positioning of 
the lamp shade 3. Furthermore, since both the shade 3 and the turntable 
rotate, there is no risk of damaging the lower edge of the lamp 3. 
Turning now to FIG. 5, the turntable 9 provides a sturdy platform for 
working on the lamp shade 3. The turntable 9 can be used for soldering 
both inside and outside seams. The turntable 9 has a shape which supports 
the lamp shade 3 placed thereon. Thus, the turntable 9 is flat, and is 
preferably a round disc having a diameter at least as larger as the 
diameter of the lamp shade 3. It may be advantageously made out of a 
sturdy, non-warping material, such as flake board. FIGS. 1-3 have 
illustrated the soldering aid 1 used for soldering outside seams. 
FIG. 5 illustrates the soldering aid 1 used for soldering inside seams. The 
soldering aid 1 can be used to solder the inside of plurality of lamp 
shades having a variety of shapes. A plurality of support members 57 allow 
the turntable 9 to be used with various lamp shades. The support members 
57 are removed when the soldering aid is used for soldering exterior 
seams. The plurality of support members 57 are pivotally affixed to the 
turntable 9, at a distance from the center of the turntable 9. There are 
preferably three support members. 
Referring now to FIG. 6, the support member 57 comprises a rod 59 pivotally 
connected to the turntable 9, such that the rod 59 may be adjusted to have 
a same angle as a portion of the lamp shade 3. 
The support member 57 further comprises a positioning member 61 connected 
to the turntable 9 and pivotally connected to a support rod 59. The 
positioning member 61 limits the downward motion of the support rod 59. 
The positioning member 61 may be a first and second rectangular flat plate 
63, 65, connected at a right angle, the first flat plate 63 connected to 
an interiorly threaded sleeve 67 into which a threaded thumb screw 69 is 
inserted at one end and an unthreaded rod 71 is inserted at the other end. 
The rod 71 is pivotally attached to the support rod 59. The second flat 
plate 65 is connected to the turntable 9. When the thumb screw 69 is 
rotated a first way, the thumb screw 69 presses on the unthreaded rod 71, 
causing the support rod 59 to pivot upward. When the thumb screw 69 is 
rotated a second way, the thumb screw 69 relieves pressure on the 
unthreaded rod 71, allowing the support rod 59 to pivot downward. 
Other embodiments are possible. For example, the soldering aid may also be 
used to hold molds on which glass pieces are placed for soldering. Also, 
other methods may provide a sturdy support for the base. For example, the 
base could be mounted on a board which is clamped to a base. As another 
example, the spindle may be removed and replaced with a larger or smaller 
spindle, for use with larger or smaller lamps. Alternatively, the spindle 
may be removed, if desired. 
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and 
illustrated, it will be clear that variations in the details of the 
embodiments specifically illustrated and described may be made without 
departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in 
the appended claims.