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REF ID:A67845 

Patented Oct. 22, 1929 1,732,488 

UNITED ST A TES PATENT OFFICE 

ELTOJI' :e: BB:ODBEBG Ain> LEBTEB SCHON, Ol!' SAll l!'B.AlTCISCO, CALil!'OD'IA, SAID 

SCHOJI' ASSIGlfOB TO SAID BB:OENBEBG 

LIGB:T-l!'LAS:e:IlfG SYSTJDt 

.Applioatlon. lled leptember II, 1918 Serial l!l'o 138,497 

This invention relates generally to sy-stems for :ftashmg a number of different hght 

c1rcmts and has specml apphcation as a decoration for Chnstmas trees 

1 For decorabn_g Christmas trees or other 

such obJects with strings of electric hghts a 

J>leasmg effect mo.y be secured by repeatedl.Y 

flashing the hghts. We have found that this 

effect may be au_gmented by having the hghte 

10 flash durlng different penods rather than m 

synchronism so that the tree affords a twmkhng appearance Such devices must be 

capable of ready mstallation by persons unfam1har with electncal circmts and must 

11 be simple in construction to permit manufactunng m large quantities 

It is an obJect of this invention. to devise 

an electnc hght stnng for decoration purposes compnsmg a plurahty of separately 

BO controlled lamp circuits 

It is a further ob)ect of this invention to 

devise an electnc hght string m the form 

of a portable unit wliich ma:r be attached to 

any standard lamp socket, the unit havinO' 

II mterrupter elements for separately controfhng a number of hght circuits 

It is another obJect of tlus invention to 

devise a hghtins system compnsing a plurality of hght circuits controlled by a com10 mon switch means whereby cert-am hghts 

may be either repeatedly :Bashed or burned 

steadily Further obJects of this invention will appear from the following descnption m 

11 which we have set forth the preferred embodunent of our invention It is to be understood that the mvention is to be accorded a 

range of mechanical eqmvalents consistent '° with the prior art 

Referrmg to the drawings 

Figure 1 1s an assembly illustrating the 

manner m which the bght string of this invention is made up as a portable unit which 

41 may be attached to any standard lamp socket 

Fl¥ 2 is a cross sectional view taken along 

the line 2-2 of Fig 3 

Fig 3 is a plan view of the mountmg for 

the interrupter element with the enclomng 

10 cover removed 

Figure 4 1s a plan view of one of the CJrcu1t 

interrupter elements 

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken 

along the lme 5---5 of Figure 4 

Figure 6 is a bottom plo.n view ol the 55 

mountmg for the interrupter elements show- m~ the construction of the circuit controlle1 

switch 

Figure 7 is a circmt diagram showmg the 

manner m which different hght circuits are ao 

connected with the interrupter elements and' 

the circmt controller 

The invention comprises generally a plurn.hty of lamp ci1cmts whicli o.re adapted to 

be energized from n common source of cur- u 

rent and are associated with o. circmt controller which serves to independently :Bo.sh 

the lamps of each circuit The circuit controller is also proyided with switch means 

whereby one or a nnmber of lamp circuits 70 

mo._y be supplied with uninterrupted current 

to burn the h~hts. steadily while the remamder of the circwts o.re pemutted to :Bash 

The entire apparatus together with the circmt controller is comtl ucted as o. portable 7& 

unit wluch may be mstalled by merely insertmg a plug m a standard lamp socket 

Referring first to the circuit diagram of Fi~ure 7, the system has been illustrated as 

bemg provided with five separate lamp cir- so 

cwts wluch have been designated as 1 to 5 

mcluSive It is obvious however that any 

number of lamp cncmts mo.y be employed, 

depending upon the size of the obJect being 

decorated and upon the effect desired These SI 

lamp circuits are all energized by a common 

source of current such as the current supJ.>lY 

Imes 10 and are electnca.lly nssocmted with 

a circuit controller deSlgnated generally at 

11 In practice each light circuit is electri- oo 

co.Uy connected by means of a :fte:nble electric cord whereby it may be conveniently 

dra_ped over a Christmas bee or other obJect 

to be decorated Thus as shown in Figure 

1, each bght circmt hns been shown as com- Di 

pr1smg one or more lamp sockets 13 electncally connected together bJ means of flexible 

cord 14 and to tlie circmt controller 11 by 

meo.ns of cord 15 The sockets are adapted 

to receive electric lamps 16 winch may be of 100 

lA\pproved for Release by NSA on 09-05-2013 pursuant to E. 0. 1352§ 
REF ID:A67845 

2 1,781,488 

ddl'erent colors to secure any deSJ.red efl'ect 

The lamp sockets 13 may eithe1 be connected 

in series or m parallel deE>C!ldIDg upon the 

rated voltage of the la1nps The c1rcmt con1 troller is sliown as connected to n supply of 

current bv means of a standard connection 

plug 17 wluch is connected \\Ith the conbolIer ash~ means of :8exible co~d 18 

lV1thm the c1rcu1t controller 11 are mount10 ed a number of circmt tnterrupte1 elements 

which are adapted to independently :8'1.sh the 

lamps ID each lamp c11cu1t These interl'upter 

elements have been desil!Jlated m the drnwmgs by numerals 21 to 25 mclus1ve and are 

11 shown as mounted in spaced relationship 

upon a disc 26 which is preferably made of 

msulatmg material Any smtable const1 uction of interrupter elements may be em-

;plo1ed, althou~h to secure rebahle operation 

20 it is p1efer1tb1e to emplo"" interrupter elements such as sho'"n1n our copendtng application Serial Number 101675 enbtled "Circuit Jnterrupter" Such an mtel'rupter element has been shown m detail m Figs 4 and 

u 5 and compnses a relatni;eJv fiat metallic 

wafer 27 hnvmg a recess 28 otl'set :Crom the 

center of the same Mounted an one fl.lee of 

tlus wa.fer so as to overlie the .recess 28 is 

a b1-metalhc strip 29 carrvmg e. movable 

80 contact 30 Upon the other face of the we.fer 

there is mounted n. metallic spnng contact 

stnp 31 ClU'l'Ylllg a stab:onarv contact 32 adap~a t-o cooperate with movable contact 

30 Tlus s:prm~ stnp 31 IS msulR.ted from 

35 the wafer 27 as by means of o. sh.eet 33 of mica 

or other smtable material The b1-metn.1hc 

element 29 JS provided w.tth a suitable hea.tlJli!? res1staD.ce such a.s a reSJstance wire 34 

which IS WQUnd about t11e metalbc member 

co .and connected m shunt with conCiaets 30 and 

32 Th ts type of mterrunter element is ~wn .as the shunt type o.lthonp:h it IS obvious QI.at an interrupter element -of the series t.vpe ma.v be employed Electrice.l eon15 nectiou.s e.r.e made to this 1nterrup.f:er E'lement 

bv mo.km~ .electrical -contact with tke body 

of the metal wafer -27 and Wlth the sprmg 

ecmtact strip 31 

The 111terrupter elcmentci ore secured m 

50 &paced relationship to the disc 27 by means 

of o. metallic retainer 36 Tlus r.etamer ic; 

prov!cied with a number of pl'essed. out 

fl.nnges .37 ndaptecl to surround e.nd -e:s.tend 

55 over the peripheral edge of eaeh wa<fer 27 

A piuraht;.y of mtegral pro1ect10ns 38 may 

be pi:ovided upon the wafer 27 to abut the 

ftimges 37' o.nd thus foree the interrupter element mto close contact agamst the face of 

60 the d:rsc 26 Md against the pressure of the 

spring contact stnp 31 The rete.mer 37 

serves to make common electncal connection 

to all of the wafers 27 of the interrupter elements while connection to the sprm~ contact 

oa 31 is made b) means of a plurality of contacts 

39 shown m the form of eyelets extending 

through the disc 26 

As will be presently descnbed an mterrupter element is assocrn.ted with each l ghtms: circuit so that the current in ea.ch cir- ';O 

cmt is separately mterru].Jted Switch means 

has also been provided for short cu cu1tmg 

one or more of the Clrcu1t mter1 upter elements so that the lamps of one or more 

l111I11p c1rcmts ma;> be burned steadily while '16 

the remn.mder a.re permitted to :8ash This 

-sw1tch is preferably mcorporated with the 

mouutmg for the interrupter elements The 

particular form of control switch shown 

comprises o. movable contact member 41 pief- so 

era.bly m the form of a disc carried upon the 

end of a iotatable member 42 which 1s screw 

t11reo.ded mto the retainer 36 B.otat on of 

member 42 is effected by means of the lmob 

43 whereby the disc 41 may be shifted iela- BG 

tive to the mountmg disc 26 Mounted m 

JUX.taposition to the movmg contact member 

41 and electrically connected to the eyelets 

39 are a plurality of reSihent switch fingers 

44. one switch finger bemg p1 o" ided foi each 110 

mteri upter element The free ends of these 

fingers are loco.ted different dicrtances i'.tom 

the moving contact member 41 so that as 

this movma canto.ct is slnfted by rota.tum. 

of knob 43 it se1 vcs to contact success1vely·.g5 

with the d.:fferent fingers As the roO'\-mg 

contact member 4J. is electncallv connected 

'uth the ieto.mer 37 by means.a£ the threaded 

membei 42, and as the fingers 44 'LI e electrically connected with the .eyelets :,9 and 100 

the sprmg contact members 31 of each 1,t1-

terrupter element, electrrc.o.l cannection bet'"een S'\\-1tch member 41 and any one of the 

fingers 44 serves to short circuit the conhcts 

of the interrupte1 element associated wi:fh 105 

that finger 

The electrical connections fqr the sw1tchmg arrangement mav be best understood bv 

1 eference to Fig 1 Thus the retainer 36 has 

been J.ndic.tted by tlie conductw 136 '"h1ch no 

&'tlrves to connect together the movable interrupter contacts One side of each light eirclllt is o.lso connected tQgether by men.ns of 

conductor 46 nnd Is also -connected to the 

other side of the line The other SJ.de of 115 

each hght c1rcmt has been shown as connected -to a. switch finger 44 by means of oonductors 51 to 55 respectively With the 

switch member 41 out of "COntact with all of 

the S\\ itch fingers 44. -the mterrupter element.a 120 

21 to 25 mclusive serve to repeatedly vary the 

current suppbed to each light circuit 1 to IS • 

l"eSpeetively Each.element is preferably ad3usted or constructed so as to operate at a. 

<Wrerent time penod so that when m opera- 125 

tion the lo.mps of o. d1:0:erent c1rcmt wtll not ~erate m S)'nt:hromsm If it is desired to 

bUI"B. a portion af the 1nmps steady and allow 

the iemamde1 to flash, the operator operates 

knob 43 to bung switch member 41 into con- 130 
I 

... 

-I 

REF ID:A6784. 

1,781,488 3 

tact with say the nearest switch finger 44 

winch serves to shut out the contact of the mterrupter element 21 thus causing an mte1-

rupted supply of current to :O.ow m the lamps 

5 of cncuit 1 but permits the other mterrnpter 

elements to flash the lamps of circuits 2 to 5 

mchisne By furthe1 iotation of I ... nob 43 

two 01 mo1e ·of the S\Htch fingeis mny be 

brought mto <.ontact \Hth the movable switch 

10 member 41 to cause the lamps of two oi more 

cucmts to burn steadJ- .md to permit the remamder to :O.ash Il')' tmmng the knob to 

the hnnt of its movement it may be made to 

shut out all of the mterrupter elements and 

15 thus to cause all of the lamps to burn steadily 

In practice it lb preferable to mclose the 

c11crut conholler by means of a. metallic casmg compnsmg foi example a meta.I cupsh8. ped member ;;7 havmg a. cover portion 58 

20 clipped ovci its r1m, this cover portion bemg 

p1ovided with a smtable ape1ture 59 through 

winch the cords 15 nnd cord 18 extend An 

msula.tmg lmmg 60 of fiore or othe1 msulating matenal is prouded w1thm the mterior 

25 of the cup-shaped portion 57 to prevent short 

CJicLubng of the ictame1 36 upon the casing 

In 01de1 to hm1t mo\.ement ot thr knob 43 

there is proHdecl .m msuln.tmg washei 61 

heh' een the uppe1 fa<.e of the ta.smg and the 

so lower .tace of the I.nob 

We claim 

1 A decoiatno device for Chr,stmn.s t1 ce'! 

m the form of n poitable umt comprising a 

plurality of lamp c11cmts supplied frnM a 

35 smgle source of current stud cuc • .uts hem~ 

fo1med by flexible conducto1 cord and eac11 

having a plurality of spaced lamps, a c11cuit 

interrupter electrically associated "ith each 

c1rcu1t for per1od1cally varymg the current 

40 supplied to the lamps, said mteu upteis en.ch 

having different time penocb, and a portable 

mountmg for srud mterrupters 

2 .4.. decoratne device for Christmas bees 

compusmg a plu1ahty of separate cn<.mts 

45 supplied from a common source of cm i ent, 

eaeh circuit compusmg a sL1bstanbal len_!?th 

of flexible cord supplymg an elcctuc lamp. 

and e. controller associated '"1th o.11 of s~.lll 

c1rcmts, said cont1oller compr1smg e. pluial60 ity of bimetalhc circuit mter1 upte1 s each connected to a. separate circmt, each mteunpter 

serving to repeatedly and mdepenclently 

vniy current supplied to Its respective circuit 

65 3 A decorative device for Chnstmo.s trees 

compnsmg a plurality of separate circuits 

supplied from a common source of current, 

each c1rcmt compnsmg a substantial length 

of :O.ex1ble cord supplymg an electric la.mp, 

oo and a controller nssoCiated with o.11 of said 

circuits, sud controller comprising o. plurality of bimetallic circuit mten"Upters each connected to a separate Circu1t, each mterrupter 

servmg to repeatedly and mdependently . Ii vary cuu ent supphed to its respective circuit, and a switch comprlSlllg a smgle member movable for renderm.g all of said interrupters ~operative whereby Said lamps may 

burn stead.tly 

4 A decorative device for Christmas trees 70 comprISmg a controller box adapted to be 

connected to a supply of current, flnible conductor cords leadmg from said box and 

adapted to be draped over a Christmas tree, 

a plurality of spaced electric le.m.ps electr1- 'li 

cally associated with s&Id cords, thereb:)' formmg a plurahty of separate la.mp Circu1ts, and 

a plurality of periodic c1rcu1t mterru:pters 

havmg different time p_enods disposed w1thm 

said box and electncally associated severally so 

with said lamp ciicu1ts whereby the current 

supphed to the lamps is irregularly varied 

5 A decorative device for Christmas trees 

compr1smg a plurahty of electric lamps, 

fle:nble conductor cord connectmg said lamps 85 

and adapted for electrical connection with a 

source of current, said cord form.mg o. plurality of separate lamp c1rcu1ts, a bimetallic circuit mterrupter electr1co.lly associated witl1 

each circuit for vary111g current supplied to oo 

its respective c1rcwt suosta.ntia.ll_y pe11od1co.lly, said mterrupters he.vmg different bmmg 

penods whereby the device affords o. vo.rymg 

irregular hght1ng effect 

6 A decorative device for Christmas trees D5 

m the form of a. portable uDit compusmg a 

plurality of lamp circuits, a plug connected 

to said cirCruts, said circmts bemg formed bv 

:O.exible conductor cord and each mcludmg i. 

plurality of spaced lamps, and means for 100 

per1odica.ll_y :O.ashmg the lamps of each c1rcu1t at different time periods to secure an irreirular hghtin¥ effect. 

7 A decorative device for Christmas trees 

m the form of a portable uDit comprismg a 105 

plura.hty of lamp c1rcu1ts, a. plug connected 

to sB.ld mrcu1ts, said c1rcu1ts bemg formed by 

flexible conductor cord and each havmg a plurality of spaced lamps, a.nd an mterrupte1 element in each mrcmt for :periodically flashmg no 

the lamps of its respective circmt, said elements havmg different time periods to secure 

a. varying irregular illurmnatmg effect 

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto 

set our hands 115 

MILTON H SHOENBERG 

LESTER SCHON 

120 

111 

130 
Oct. 22, 1929. 

FIG I 

F'IG 4 

REF ID:A67845 

M H SHOENBERG ET AL 1,732,488 

LIGHT FLASHING SYSTEM 

Filed Sept 29, 1926 Z Sheets-She?t l 

J 

2 

Fl6 3 

/.J!I 

FIG 5 

INVENTORS 

M,/fon H .:>hoenberg 

BY Le.,f-er Schon 

~y(p~ ~ A rTORllEYS 
~ REF ID:A67845 

Oct. 22, 1929. M. H. $HOENBERG ET AL 1,732,488 

LIGHT FLASHING SYSTEM 

Filed Sept 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 

FIG Z 

Fl6 7 

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/0 

/0