Improvements in Holders for Lamp Globes, Shades and Reflectors.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1899 -Accepted, 27th May,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Holders for Lamp Globes, Shades and Reflectors.
I, DUDLEY OGDEN SAYRE, residing on Scotland Road, South Orange, County
of Essex, State of New Jersey, U.S.A., Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of the present invention is to provide a means to facilitate the applica-
tion of a globe or shade to a gas or electric fixture by devices which operate
automatically and thus obviate the necessity for any manipulation of the holder.
The flange of an ordinary gas globe is flared sufficiently to be retained upon
the globe-holder by a spring pressing upon the upper or outer side of the flange,
and the inclination of such flange is commonly such that the spring may be forced
laterally by the mere withdrawal of the flange from the holder.
The present invention comprises a spring which is adapted not only to thus
engage and hold the globe, but to admit the flange automatically to the holder.
by means of an inwardly inclined surface which is formed upon the spring and
adapted to move the spring laterally when the flange of the globe is pressed
thereon.
The particular construction of the spring may be modified, provided it is formed
with such inwardly inclined surface to automatically admit the globe, and with
a shoulder adapted to engage the globe flange and retain it in the holder while
permitting its automatic removal.
The invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawing, in
which Fig. 1 is a section of a globe-holder having leaf springs, with one of such
springs engaging the globe flange. Fig. 2 is a plan of the globe-holder provided
with three leaf springs. Fig. 3 is a section of the holder exhibiting one of the
leaf springs.
Fig. 4 is a section of the globe-holder having a reflexed spring riveted on its
periphery. Fig. 5 shows the edge of the holder and part of the globe flange with
an integral reflexed spring. Fig. 6 is a plan of the holder with reflexed springs:
and Fig. 7 a section of the holder showing one of the integral reflexed springs
with dotted lines showing the tongue to form one spring.
A designates the rim of the holder. and A' the ring which supports the flange
of the globe. B, in Figs. 1. 2 and 3, designates a leaf spring having its ends
secured inside the rim A. and the central portion of the leaf bent outwardly from
such rim. One end of this leaf spring is secured rigidly by a rivet, as shown at
the right hand of the spring in Fig. 3; while the opposite end is formed with a
hole larger than the rivet, as shown at the left end of the same spring, to permit
a little play when the center of the spring is pressed outwardly by the globe
flange.
The under side of the spring, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, sets above the ring A¹,
sufficiently to form a space e between the under side of the spring (at its middle)
and the ring, into which space the flaring edge of the globe flange may project,
as shown in Fig. 1, so as to be secured in place by the spring, and the springs

page_text: are of suitable strength and elasticity to hold the giobe from displacement under
ordinary jars, while they would obviously yield when the naring surface of the
gioce hange is lifted to disengage it from the holder.
The spring is provided at the middle with an upwardly projecting lug b, which
is bent outwardly from the top edge of the spring, and thus produces an inwardly
inclined surface, upon which the globe flange may be pressed when inserting it m
the globe-holder.
:
Such pressure forces the spring outward automatically and admits the globe to
the holder, and locks it thereon, without any manipulation of the spring by the
operator. The same automatic operation is produced by the spring shown in
Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive, which is formed of a tongue reflexed inwardly from the
outer margin of the rim A' toward the ring A, at an acute angle with the axis
of the holder, so as to form an inwardly inclined surface the same as that upon
the lug b. In Figs. 4 and 6, the spring B is shown riveted. to the rim. A by
means of a suitable foot; and in Figs. 5 and 7, it is shown integral with the rim,
being first formed upon the rim as an upwardly projecting tongue indicated by
the dotted lines above the spring B₁ in Fig. 7. The most projecting point of the
reflexed spring is formed at a suitable distance above the ring A', to engage the
globe flange above its largest part as shown in Fig. 5, and it thus retains
the globe securely in the holder.
Either form of the spring may be provided at its lowest point with an outwardly
inclined lip which corresponds with the outward slope of the flange C so that
the flange may readily press the spring outwardly when removing the globe from
the holder. Such a lip is shown upon the lower end of the spring in Fig. 5.
I am aware that spring catches which require actuation by the fingers have
been applied to globe-holders, but the use of my improved spring entirely dispenses
with screws, catches, and clamps of every description which require manual
acuation, and the globe is inserted into and removed from the holder by the mere
act of pressing it into the springs, or drawing it therefrom. As the flange of the
globe is held elastically by my spring it is capable of expanding when heated, and
the breaking of the globe is thus wholly avoided, which sometimes occurs when
rigid clamping devices are used.
Three springs are shown in each of the holders, in Figs. 2 and 6, and only a
single spring therefore appears at the side of the globe flange in Figs. 1 and 4,
but the invention may be practiced with any suitable number of springs. The
globe-holder is shown in the drawing provided with arms D and central hole E
for securing it upon a gas burner, but the invention is applicable to holding globes,
shades, or reflectors, of glass, porcelain, or metal, upon gas or electric light
fixtures, or kerosene lamps, provided the globe or other attachment be formed
with the flaring flange C to engage the springs in the manner set forth.
It will be understood that I do not claim springs projected upwardly from the
globe-holder such as are commonly used upon kerosene or coal oil lamps, to
elastically grasp the parallel neck of the lamp chimney, as such constructions are
not designed to firmly grasp a flaring globe flange, and are not therefore adapted
to perform the functions of my construction.
In my construction, the operative portion of the spring is in close proximity
to the ring A which supports the globe flange, and operates upon the globe
flange adjacent to such ring, the most projecting portion of the spring being
located above the ring sufficiently to grasp the globe flange a little above its
highest part, so as to secure a grip upon the flange and hold it normally downward
upon the ring A¹.
Having now 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. A globe-holder provided with the rim A and the ring A¹ to support the
flange C, and having one or more springs within such rim and constructed with

page_text: inwardly inclined surface as herein described, and arranged to operate auto-
matically when the globe flange is pressed into the holder or removed therefrom,
to obviate the manipulation of the springs.
2. A globe-holder provided with a ring A¹ to support the flange C, and one or
more springs having an inwardly inclined surface to be forced outwardly when
applying the globe flange, and the spring or springs having the greatest projection
at a suitable distance above the ring A¹ to lock upon the tapering globe flange,
substantially as herein described.
3. A globe-holder provided with one or more of the leaf springs B having each
the lug provided with inwardly inclined surface and adapted to yield auto-
matically when the flaring flange of the globe is pressed into the holder, sub-
stantially as shown and described in reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
4. The improved globe-holder for admitting and releasing the globe flange
automatically as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawing.
" Dited New York NY
March 10th 1899
THOMAS SEXTON CRANE,
Agent for Applicant.