Improvements in Travelling Light Supporting Devices.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 12th Apr., 1900
HAUROIUNAL DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Travelling Light Supporting Devices.
I, CHARLES DAVIDSON, of 24, Warwick Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, near
Manchester, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:
My invention has for its object chiefly to enable an electric lamp to be readily
transported to different parts of a room or other place without the user being
encumbered with its weight. A further object is to light a room at a minimum
of cost.
In accordance with my invention I employ a pendant supporting pillar which
I fix to the ceiling, or a supporting bracket on the upper part of the room or
place to be lighted, and to such pillar I connect a horizontal arm capable of
moving radially around the said pillar in a horizontal plane. From the free end
of the horizontal arm I suspend an elastic cord and from the free end of the
cord an electric lamp.
A lamp so supported is capable of being travelled to any point in the circum-
ference described by the end of the horizontal supporting arm, and consequently
with the arm of considerable length (according to the size of room) the lamp may
be readily transferred from point to point and used to light up different parts
of the room. In addition to such radial or lateral traverse the lamp (by reason
of its flexible suspension) is also capable of being drawn down to light up any
corners or recesses and thus in commercial establishments my invention will be
specially useful for inspecting or examining racks or shelves.
If desired the said horizontal arm may be connected to the pillar by a ball-
and-socket or swivel joint, and to allow of variation in length it may be telescopic,
jointed or sliding, or be male on the "lazy tongs" principle.
For large rooms two or more arms may be employed each having a certain
range of movement, or in lieu of arms, a circular frame with elastic cords for two
or lamps.
The electric conducting wires loosely surround the elastic suspending cord, or
they are looped up to the horizontal arm or arms.
Oil or gas lamps may be similarly supported.

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object chiefly to enable an electric lamp to be readily
transported to different parts of a room or other place without the user being
encumbered with its weight. A further object is to light a room at a minimum
of cost.
In accordance with my invention I employ a pendant supporting pillar which
I fix to tlie ceiling, or a supporting bracket on the upper part of the room or
place to be lighted and to such pillar I connect a horizontal arm capable of
moving radially around the said pillar in a horizontal plane. From the free end
of the horizontal arm I suspend an elastic cord and from the free end of the
cord an electric lamp.
A lamp so supported is capable of being travelled to any point in the circum-
ference described by the end of the horizontal supporting arm and consequently
with the arm of considerable length (according to the size of room) the lamp may
be readily transferred from point to point and used to light up different parts
of the room. In addition to such radial or lateral traverse the lamp (by reason
of its flexible suspension) is also capable of being drawn down to light up any
corners or recesses, and thus in commercial establishments my invention is
specially useful for inspecting or examining racks or shelves.
For large rooms two or more arms may be employed each having a certain
range of movement, or in lieu of arms, a circular frame with elastic cords for two
or more lamps.
The electric conducting wires loosely surround the elastic suspending cord, or
they are looped up to the horizontal arm or arms.
Oil or gas lamps may be similarly supported.
On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 illustrates the preferred form of my
invention as applied for supporting an electric lamp.
Fig. 2 illustrates a section of the central supporting device constructed in
accordance with a modification.
To the beam, ceiling or like overhead support (A) I affix a pendant pillar or
stud (B), long (as shewn by dotted lines) or short (as shewn by full lines) and
upon such pillar I loosely mount one end of a horizontal arm or staff (C). From
the free end of this arm, which is, by preference, in two portions as illustrated,
I suspend an india-rubber cord (D) and from such cord I suspend a lamp (E).
In the case of an electric lamp the conducting wires are taken from say a
ceiling rose (D*), looped up to the arm (C) by insulated rings (F), neatly coiled
around the cord (1)), and connected to the lamp in the ordinary manner.
With the arm (C) some 5 or 6 feet long, and loosely mounted upon the centre
pillar, it will be seen that the lamp may be moved in the path of a large circle
and with the supporting pillar in the centre of a room the lamp may be caused
to light up the various sides or corners. The normal tension of the cord (1) is
such as to hold the lamp at the ordinary level, but upon requiring to lower it to
light up say a rack or cupboard, as is often required in mercantile establishments,
the user takes hold of the lamp and pulls it down to the desired level; the
cord (D) extending accordingly and the conducting wires owing to the slackness
of coil, readily allowing for the extension, as also the arm (C) itself, by reason
of its being made in two portions and connected by a hinge (E) and an elastic
coupling (E**).
With the conducting wires taken from a ceiling rose, as shewn in Fig. 1, I
provide (by preference) a stop (G) upon pillar (B) or its boss, against which the
arm (C) abuts when it has made almost a complete revolution, so that the con-
ducting wires shall not get entangled by continued rotation in one direction.
An alternative arrangement consists in making the pillar (B) loose and hollow
or using a loose hollow stud see Fig. 2, bringing the wires through such hollow
pillar or stud and connecting one of their extremities to the contact (B¹) and the
other to the contact (B2) carried by the flanged end of the pillar or stud and in

page_text: frictional and electrical contact with spring contacts (13) and (B) connected to
the main conducting wires. With such arrangement the arm (C) and stud (B)
may swivel round and round in either direction without fear of entanglement of
the wires.
In lieu of a single arm two or more arms may be employed on the same support
and such arms be joined and operated collectively or operated separately.
Whilst I thus provide for the ready traverse of the light I also effect an
economy of electric current or light, especially in places where the light is only
occasionally used. The conducting wires are, by preference, coiled on a mandril
so as to give them a definite set and prevent them uncoiling, and the cord (D) is
threaded through.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1: In travelling light supporting devices, a pendant stud or pillar carried
by an overhead support, an arm mounted horizontally upon the said stud or pillar
and capable of swivelling horizontally, an elastic cord suspended from the free
end of the said arm, and a lamp suspended from the cord, substantially as herein
set forth and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
2: In travelling light supporting devices, a swivelling arm, an elastic cord
and lamp suspended from its free end, and a length of conducting wires coiled
around the said cord and connected electrically, substantially as and for the
purposes herein set forth and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of January 1900.
CHARLES DAVIDSON,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Agents.