Drop light rotational apparatus

An apparatus for releasably securing a drop light against rotation with respect to a connector from which the drop light depends, having a housing fixedly secured to the connector and an adaptor fixedly secured to said drop light. The housing is provided with a component having serrations which mate with corresponding serrations of a component of the adaptor when said drop light depends from said connector in an unrestrained manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to drop lights, and more particularly to an 
apparatus for rotating a drop light to any desired fixed orientation. 
Drop lights are conventionally utilized in conjunction with extension cords 
to provide light where such is otherwise unavailable to a working area. 
These drop lights are equipped with a fastening device, usually a hook, to 
suspend the drop light from any suitable structure in close proximity to 
the working area. The drop light conventionally has an electric light 
encased in an elongated housing having a handle depending from the lower 
end thereof. An electrical cord passes through the lower end of the handle 
to a light socket positioned at the lower end of the housing. The 
elongated housing is constructed of a solid reflector surface and a cage 
having a complementary configuration. 
Precise light orientation is a significant problem in utilizing 
conventional drop lights. Often, the object over which the hook of a drop 
light is placed has a relatively unstable orientation, such as an 
electrical or metal wire, thereby preventing precise orientation of the 
drop lights. Even if the object to which the hook is secured has a fixed 
orientation, it may be impossible to achieve the desired orientation of 
the drop light since the number of positions in which the hook may be 
secured to the object are usually limited. It is imperative that a drop 
light be positioned to efficiently illuminate the working area while 
shading the eyes of any individual working in the area. 
In an attempt to alleviate this problem, several prior art drop lights have 
been equipped with rotatably adjustable suspension hooks. For example, 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,696,551 to Riga provides a rotatable hook for a drop light 
which utilizes a panel attached to the hook for releasable orientation. To 
angularly adjust the light with respect to the hook, which is secured to a 
stationary object, the light guard is grasped and manually rotated with 
respect to the hook. During rotation, the panel rides over upwardly 
protruding eyes of the guard. Once the desired orientation is achieved, 
adjacent eyes secure the panel, and therefore the hook, in a relatively 
fixed position with respect to the light guard. However, since relative 
rotation of either the hook or guard will change the orientation of the 
light, this rotational hook lacks the degree of positive lock necessary to 
ensure against unwanted rotation of the light. 
Another prior art approach utilizes a spring biased, rotatable hook in 
conjunction with drop lights. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,659,810 to Fineman et al. 
and 2,707,229 to Breithaupt disclose drop lights equipped with spring 
biased hooks which are rotated by depressing the hook and rotating the 
same. While these hooks exhibit a positive lock, it is extremely difficult 
to rotate the light guard by upward manipulation thereof while the hook is 
secured to a stationary structure since the force necessary to overcome 
the force of the spring will usually unseat the hook. U.S. Pat. Nos. 
2,510,708 to Marshall and 3,808,420 to Gortner disclose drop lights 
equipped with spring biased hooks which are rotated by either pulling the 
guard of the drop light downward while the hook is secured to a stationary 
object and rotating the same until the desired orientation thereof is 
achieved or by pulling the hook upwardly and rotating the same if it is 
desired to maintain the relative orientation of the light guard while 
securing the hook to a different stationary object. The bias of the spring 
tends to releasably secure the hook and light guard against relative 
rotation. As before, although these spring biased hooks provide a positive 
lock, several disadvantages exist. For example, when the light guard is 
pulled downwardly, the force necessary to overcome the force of the spring 
at times is sufficient to damage the object, such as wires or conduit, to 
which the hook is attached. Further, when the light guard is suspended at 
a height such that an individual can't reach the light guard or handle, an 
individual will often pull downwardly on the electrical cord. Such 
practice can result in damage to the cord, and expose the individual to 
the risk of electrical shock. It is extremely difficult to achieve the 
desired rotation of the light guard by rotating the electrical cord since 
rotation of the cord is not efficiently transmitted to the light guard. 
Also, selection of proper spring tension is extremely difficult as the 
weight of cord which directly depends from a drop light will vary as the 
light is utilized in different manners. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,824,941 to 
Winder, 3,317,225 to Cooper and 3,330,594 to Cadle disclose various spring 
biased rotational devices, none of which overcome the problems 
aforedescribed. 
Thus, it can be appreciated that a need exists for an improved apparatus 
which normally releasably secures the hook of a drop light to the light 
guard thereof but permits relative rotation of the hook or light guard by 
proper manual manipulation of the same. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an apparatus for releasably securing a 
drop light against relative rotation with respect to a connector from 
which the drop light depends. The apparatus has a housing fixedly secured 
to the connector and an adaptor fixedly secured to the drop light and 
releasably secured against relative rotation with respect to the housing. 
The housing is provided with an annular ring having a uniformly spaced 
plurality of radially extending serrations formed in one surface thereof. 
The adaptor is provided with a corresponding, uniformly spaced plurality 
of radially extending serrations. When the drop light depends from the 
connector, the weight of the drop light mates these serrations thereby 
providing a fixed orientation of the drop light with respect to the 
connector. These serrations may be disengaged by lowering the connector 
and/or raising the drop light, and hence the relative orientation changed 
prior to mating the serrations by allowing the drop light to depend from 
the connector in an unrestrained manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1, the rotational apparatus of the present invention 
is illustrated generally as 10. One end of the apparatus 10 is fixedly 
secured to a hook 34 of a drop light 32. The opposite end of the apparatus 
10 is fixedly secured to the upper end of light guard 36. Light guard 36 
has a solid enlongated reflector plate 38 and a correspondingly configured 
wire cage 40 which is hinged to reflector plate 38 (not illustrated). 
Reflector plate 38 serves to direct light through the cage area thereby 
shading an individual's face from direct light when the drop light is 
properly oriented. The lower end of the light guard 36 is fixedly secured 
to an elongated handle 44 which is constructed of a suitable nonconductive 
material, such as rubber. An electric cord 46 passes through the handle 
and terminates in a socket (not illustrated) into which light bulb 42 is 
mated. The other end of cord 46 terminates in a suitable plug connector 
(not illustrated). 
As shown in greater detail in FIG. 2, the rotational apparatus 10 of the 
present invention has a generally cylindrical housing 11. The upper end of 
housing 11 is provided with a concentric, generally cylindrical bore 12, 
while the lower end of housing 11 is provided with another concentric, 
generally cylindrical bore 13 having a substantially greater depth and 
diameter than bore 12. A set screw 14 is mated with a corresponding 
threaded bore in the upper end of housing 11 and, when fully mated, 
terminates within bore 12 thereby fixedly securing the shank of a hook 
positioned therein, as hereinafter described. 
An adaptor 20 is integrally constructed of a lower generally cylindrical 
portion 21, an intermediate generally cylindrical portion 22 of reduced 
diameter and an upper generally cylindrical portion 23 of still further 
reduced diameter. The bottom end of lower portion 21 is provided with a 
concentric, generally cylindrical bore 24. A set screw 28 is mated with a 
corresponding threaded bore in lower portion 21 and, when fully mated, 
terminates within bore 24 thereby fixedly securing a shank which is 
secured to the light guard and positioned therein, as hereinafter 
described. 
Means for releasably securing adaptor 21 against rotation with respect to 
housing 11 are provided in the form of annular rings 16 and 26. Annular 
ring 26 is positioned over upper portion 23 of adaptor 20 and is secured 
against movement by the upper annular surface of intermediate portion 22 
and rivet 29. Alternatively, any other suitable means of attachment, such 
as welds, may be utilized in lieu of rivet 29. The bottom surface of 
annular ring 26 is provided with uniformly spaced, radially extending 
serrations 27 having a constant depth. Annular ring 16 is positioned 
within bore 13 and held therein by means of an annular retaining ring 18 
which may be formed by knurling or forcing the bottom edge of housing 11 
inwardly after ring 16 has been positioned within bore 13. Alternatively, 
annular retaining ring 18 may be separately formed and attached to the 
bottom edge of housing 11 by any suitable means, such as by welds or set 
screws (not illustrated). Preferably, the lower end of bore 13 is 
countersunk to provide an annular shoulder 17 which restrains annular ring 
16 against upward movement. The upper surface of annular ring 16 is 
provided with uniformly spaced, radially extending serrations 19 having a 
constant depth (as illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 3). The number of 
serrations 19 identically corresponds to the number of serrations 27 so as 
to provide for a positive uniform mate between annular rings 16 and 26. 
All the components of the rotational apparatus may be screw machined from 
cold roll steel, and preferably are zinc plated to extend the useful life 
thereof. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, the rotational apparatus 10 is illustrated as 
having housing 11 fixedly secured to the shank 35 of hook 34 by means of 
set screw 14 and having adaptor 20 fixedly secured to shank 50 which is 
attached to light guard 36 of drop light 32. Thus, it will be appreciated 
that drop lights may be manufactured with the rotational apparatus of the 
present invention, or conventional drop lights may be retrofitted with 
apparatus 10. If it is desired to retrofit a metallic constructed drop 
light, the hook of the drop light is severed by any suitable means so as 
to provide a shank 50 which extends upwardly approximately 1/2 inch from 
the upper end of light guard 36. The shank 50 thus formed is fixedly 
secured within bore 24, as aforedescribed, and the shank of the remaining 
portion of the metallic hook is secured within bore 12, also as 
aforedescribed. However, if the drop light is constructed of plastic, 
utilizing the plastic hook is not desirable as the plastic is susceptible 
to stress failure due to fatigue. Thus, to retrofit the rotational 
apparatus 10 of the present invention to a plastic constructed drop light, 
a metallic connector illustrated in FIG. 5 generally as 60 is utilized. 
Connector 60 has a generally circular base 62 and an integral, concentric 
shank 64 upwardly extending therefrom. The base has a plurality of 
uniformly spaced barbs 64 extending upwardly therefrom. To retrofit a 
plastic constructed drop light, the plastic hook is removed from the light 
guard and shank 64 is inserted through the bore in the upper end of the 
light guard which the shank of the plastic hook was positioned through. 
The connector 60 is then forced upwardly until barbs 64 embed within the 
plastic light guard thereby fixedly securing the connector to the light 
guard. Subsequently, shank 64 is fixedly secured in bore 24, as 
aforedescribed. The shank 35 of a metallic hook 34 is secured within bore 
12, also as aforedescribed. 
In practice when hook 34 is secured to an object, the weight of the other 
components of drop light 32 will force adaptor 20 and hence annular ring 
26 downwardly thereby positively mating serrations 27 and 19 which fixedly 
secure the orientation of light guard 36 with respect to hook 34. As such, 
a positive lock is provided without the use of a spring and the attendant 
difficulties thereof. This positive lock may be released and reset by 
either depressing hook 34 or raising the light guard 36, as illustrated by 
the arrows in FIG. 4, thereby disengaging serrations 19 and 26. 
Thereafter, either the hook 34 or light guard 36 is rotated to achieve the 
desired orientation thereof and the hook raised or light guard lowered to 
mate serrations 19 and 26 thereby again providing a positive lock. The 
rotational apparatus of the present invention may not be reset by rotating 
cord 46 thereby preventing damage to the cord as well as increasing safety 
in utilizing the drop light. Also, damage to objects which hook 34 is 
secured to is minimized since light guard 36 must be raised, instead of 
pulled, to change the orientation thereof. 
While various embodiments and modifications of this invention have been 
described in the foregoing description, further modifications will be 
apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications are included 
within the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims.