IMPROVEMENTS IN SUSPENDING DEVICES CHIEFLY DESIGNED
Year: 1885

page_text: Holding Lamps.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SUSPENDING DEVICES CHIEFLY DESIGNED
,,
"
FOR HOLDING LAMPS to be as follows:-
This invention relates to suspending devices for lamps and other articles.
The object of the said invention is to produce a suspending device which will
hold a lamp or other article in any desirable position, which will admit of the
adjustment of the article at pleasure from one position to another, and which withal
will operate irrespectively of variations in the weight of the suspended article or
with articles of different weights.
The improvement consists in the combination in a suspending device, of an arbor,
a non-rotary frame upon the arbor, a rotary drum upon the arbor, one or more
cords on chains wound upon the drum, a counterbalance spring acting in con-
junction with the drum, and one or more guides upon the frame over which the
one or more cords or chains pass to the lamp or other article to be suspended; the
drun and frame being provided, one with a cylinder or cylindric portion, and the
other with a brake band surrounding the cylinder and connected at one end with
an unyielding support, and at the other end with a yielding support. Whenever a
strain is exerted so as to tend to cause the drum to rotate in one direction the
brake will be applied, and whenever the drum is relieved of the strain the brake
will be relaxed.
The yielding support will preferably consist of a spring interposed between an
end of the brake band and the part with which such end is connected.
With the spring interposed between the end of the brake band and the part to
which it is connected it will be advantageous to combine a nut for varying the
resistance of the spring.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Suspending Devices Chiefly Designed for
Holding Lamps.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to suspending devices for lamps and other articles.
The object of the said improvements is to produce a suspending device which
will hold a lamp or other article in any desirable position, which will admit of the
adjustment of the article at pleasure from one position to another, and which withal
will so operate irrespectively of variations in the weight of the suspended article or
with articles of different weights.
The improvements consist chiefly in the combination in a suspending device of
an arbor, a non-rotary frame upon the arbor, a rotary drum upon the arbor, one or
more cords or chains wound upon the drum, a counterbalance spring acting in con-
junction with the drum, or one or more guides upon the frame over which the one
or more cords or chains pass to the lamp or other article to be suspended; the drum
and frame being provided one with a cylinder or cylindric portion and the other
with a brake band surrounding the cylinder and connected at one end with an
unyielding support, and at the other end with a yielding support. Whenever a
strain is exerted so as to tend to cause the drum to rotate it in one direction the
brake will be applied and whenever the drum is relieved of the strain the brake
will be relaxed.
The yielding support will preferably consist of a spring interposed between an
end of the brake band and the part with which such end is connected.
The spring will be interposed between the end of the brake band and the part to
which it is connected, and it will be advantageous to use a nut for varying the
resistance of the spring.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1, is a vertical section of a suspending device
embodying the improvements. Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof. Figure 3 is a
bottom plan thereof, a certain flange which forms a part of the drum being removed
to enable other parts to be exibited. Figure 4 is a view of a modification thereof.
Figure 5, is a view showing another modification. Similar letters of reference
designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Referring first to the example of my improvement which is illustrated in
Figure 1, 2, and 3. A designates a loop which may be hung on a hook or other
appendage of a ceiling or other object. This loop connected to an arbor B. As
shown the arbor B has at the upper end a neck a or portion of smaller diameter
than the portion below it, and the loop A has a hole or eye b which receives the
neck a within it. The neck is externally screw threaded and has a nut C applied
to it. The nut C as shown has a cylindric body c which extends into the hole or
eye b of the loop A and a flange which extends above the lower portion of the
loop A containing the hole or eye b. After the nut has been applied to the neck a

page_text: of the arbor the end of the neck will preferably be upset to preclude the nut from
coming off. Thus the nut and arbor are secured together with a swivel joint.
The arbor can be turned around relatively to the loop without becoming detached
from it.
Immediately below the neck a of the arbor B, said arbor is provided with a
cylindric body e. The body is provided with a longitudinal groove g. At the
lower end of the body e is a flange f. All the parts of the arbor B may be made
integral.
The drum E is of cylindric form and has flanges i between which are wound
upon it cords or chains F whereby a lamp or other article may be suspended. This
drum as shown is open at the top, and is provided with a spider D having a
number of arms extending from a common central portion wherein is an aperture
by means of which the same is fitted upon the arbor B. The spider forms a hub
for the drum. In lieu of this spider the drum may have a closed top fitting the
arbor. Said drum is closed at the bottom with the exception of a central hole
enabling it to fit upon the body e of the arbor B. The drum E rotates freely upon
the arbor B.
The drum is rotated by the unwinding of the cords or chains F from it. A
counterbalance is intended to be combined with the drum for the purpose of
resisting the unwinding of the cords or chains and thereby sustaining the article
attached to the cords or chains.
In this example of my improvement the counterbalance consists of a convolute
spring G. One end of this spring is bent back to form a hook which engages with
the groove g in the body of the arbor. The other end is bent to form a hook k
which engages with the drum. When the drum is rotated in one direction the
spring will be coiled up more closely. When relieved of the force which coiled it
up and kept it coiled up it uncoils and rotates the drum in a reverse direction.
H designates a frame here shown as spider shaped or having a number of arms
extending from a common centre. This frame is fitted about the arbor B below
the drum E by means of an aperture in the common central portion, and is
prevented from rotary motion thereon by means of a feather or spline. The flange f
on the arbor B prevents the frame H from moving off from the arbor B. Two of
the arms of the frame H are provided with up turned ends or portions which
extend beyond the peripheries of the flanges i on the drum E arranged in suitable
positions on the portions h of the frame H are guides, here shown as pulleys over
which the cords or chains F pass to the lamp or other article to be suspended. Said
pulleys turn freely upon pins or studs h³ made fast in the portion of the frame H.
Below the drum E and between it and the frame H is a cylinder I. In this
example of my improvement, I have shown said cylinder as rigidly secured to the
drum and rotating with it. This cylinder is provided with a flange G.
J is a brake bearing upon the periphery of the cylinder I. As shown said brake
consists of a flat strip or band of metal. One end of said strip is rigidly secured by a
loop or otherwise to an upwardly extending pin or stud upon one of the arms of the
frame H outside the cylinder I. The other end of said brake has a loose connection
with a pin or stud m extending upwardly from another of the arms of the frame H
outside the cylinder I. I prefer to make the loose connection between the brake
and stud m. as follows. K is a rod secured at one end by rivets or otherwise to
the brake J near its free end. This rod passes loosely through a loop or aperture L
in the stud m and is retained within said aperture by means of a spring M coiled
about said rod and abutting at one end against the stud m and at the other against
a nut N fitting upon said rod. A portion of the latter is screw threaded to receive
the nut. By tightening or looseing the nut N the force with which the brake J
will bear upon the cylinder I may be varied.
It will be observed that neither the drum E nor the arbor B need have any
vertical movement relatively to each other. The drum E is supported by the
cylinder I upon the arbor B, but the same may be supported in any other suitable
manner.

page_text: When the weight of the lamp or other article is brought to bear upon the cords
or chains F it operates to rotate the drum E in the direction of the arrow shown
in Figure 3 of the drawings. As the brake J bears against the periphery of the
cylinder I which latter is of course also rotating in the direction indicated, it
operates by friction to "drag "the brake forward or in the direction of the rotation
of the cylinder 1, thus causing it to bind more tightly upon the cylinder I. When,
the rotation of the drum is reversed to rewind the cords or chains, the action of the
cylinder I is accordingly reversed and it then operates by friction to "push" the
brake J backward or in the direction of the reversed motion of the cylinder I and
consequently loosens its hold upon the brake. When the rotation of the drum and
cylinder I have ceased, the spring M will operate to return the brake J to its
normal position.
It will be seen that this brake is applied and released automatically by the
rotation of the drum and cylinder I.
In the example of my improvement shown in Figure 4, the cylinder I is dis-
connected from the drum E and fast upon the frame H in such manner that it is
incapable of rotary motion. The pins or studs lm are arranged to extend
downwardly from below the lower of the flanges i on the drum E. When the
drum is rotated to unwind the cords or chains F it carries the brake J with it
which drags as before upon the cylinder I retarding the unwinding of the cords or
chains. When the drum is rotated to wind the cords or chains, the brake is
released because then the drag on the cylinder I will be such as to cause the
brake J to be slackened.
In the example of my improvement shown in Figure 5, my brakeing device is
applied to one of the pulleys over which the cords or chains pass. In this case the
pulleys would be somewhat larger than those in the examples of my improvement
shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 and would preferably be in the form of sprocket
wheel having upon their sides nearer the portions h of the frame H, cylinders I
rigidly affixed and adapted to rotate therewith. The pins or studs l m would here
be arranged upon the portion h of the frame H and the brake J would act upon the
cylinder I on the pulleys.
Instead of employing two cords or chains together with the accompanying guides
I may use only one, or I may use more than two if desired.
All the various parts of the suspending device may be made of metal.
The connection of one end of the brake with the frame H through the inter-
vention of a spring prevents the brake from holding the drum with undue force
at any time, even when the drum has been so rotated by the unwinding of the
cords or chains F as to greatly augment the force exerted by the spring G.
I consider the combination of a brake and a spring for attaining this result,
broadly considered a feature of my improvement and wish therefore to be pro-
tected in the various modifications which may be made in such combination.
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
First. In a suspending device for a lamp or other article the combination of an
arbor, a non rotary frame upon the arbor a rotary drum upon the arbor one or
more cords or chains wound upon the drum, a counterbalance spring acting in con-
junction with the drum, and one or more guides upon the frame over which the
one or more cords or chains pass to the lamp or other article to be suspended, the
drum and frame being provided one with a cylinder or cylindric portion and
the other with a brake and surrounding the cylinder and connected at one end
with an unyielding support aud at the other end with a yielding support substan-
tially as specified.
Second. In a suspending device for a lamp or other article the combination of an
arbor, a non rotary frame upon the arbor, a rotary drum upon the arbor, one or
more cords or chains wound upon the drum, a counterbalance spring acting in

page_text: conjunction with the drum and one or more guides upon the frame over which the
one or more cords or chains pass to the lamp or other article to be suspended;
the drum and frame being provided one with a cylinder or cylindric portion and
the other with a brake band surrounding the cylinder and connected at one end
with an unyielding support and at the other end with a yielding support consisting
of a spring interposed between the end of the brake band and the part with which
it is connected substantially as specified.
Third. In a suspension device for a lamp or other article the combination of an
arbor, a non rotary frame upon the arbor, a rotary drum upon the arbor, one or
more cords or chains wound upon the drum, a counterbalance spring acting in
conjunction with the drum and one or more guides upon the frame over which the
one or more cords or chains pass to the lamp or other article to be suspended;
the drum and frame being provided one with a cylinder or cylindric portion and
the other with a brake band surrounding the cylinder, and connected at one end
with an unyielding support and at the other end with a yielding support consisting
of a spring interposed between this end of the brake band and the part to which it
is connected, and a nut for varying the resistance of the spring substantially as
specified.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.