Improvements in Lamps and the Method of Attaching Them to Carts or other Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps and the Method of Attaching Them to Carts
or other Vehicles.
JOHN HOWARD Ross, 35, Wills Street, Lozells, Birmingham, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvement consists in fixing removably to the lamp, & cart or vehicle,
a connecting piece, formed in any suitable manner, so as to be a yielding or
springing support for the lamp, to prevent the vibration of the cart or vehicle
from being conveyed to the lamp, so forcibly, as if the lamp was attached to the
cart or vehicle with a rigid support; the object being to materially add to the
life of the lamp, & to prevent the sudden jerk from putting out the light, as
is frequently the case when the lamp is rigidly fixed to a vehicle & travelling
over rough roads.
The connecting piece may be in the form of a flat spring, bent or shaped so
as to give sufficient elasticity, the one end made to fit into a sleeve secured upon
a cart the other to a sleeve secured to the lamp; & to prevent the lamp from
being stolen off the vehicle, I pierce the flat steel connecting piece at both ends
so as to leave projecting tongues, in such a manner that as the end of flat steel
is pushed into its sleeve the tongue is depressed, but upon reaching the stop,
the tongue springs out into a suitable indentation or depression formed in
the sleeve, which prevents the flat spring from being withdrawn. To enable the
spring to be withdrawn from either the cart or lamp, a hole is pierced in the
depressed part of sleeve to receive a suitable key in such a manner as to raise
the spring tongue out of depression & thus allow either the lamp to be withdrawn
from the spring or the spring connecting piece from the cart.
In order that the lanip niay be reversible, that is fixed on either side of the
vehicle if used upon a cart or carriage, I place the sleeve to receive the connect-
ing spring preferably across the bottom of the lamp, & leave the sleeve open at
both ends, so that the flat connecting spring may be pushed in from either side
of the lamp. In this case in the lamp sleeve there is a continuous depression
with two holes or two depressions & a hole in each to receive the key, so that the
projecting tongue will spring out & secure the lamp to the connecting piece,
which ever way it is pushed into the sleeve. Lamps of this class I prefer to make
with two side lights both exactly the same, according to the kind of side light
as generally used in the particular form of lamp to which the sleeve is adapted.
Instead of the flat spring connecting piece, I may employ gates with their springs
similar to those now used upon cycle lamps (which I need not describe, as they
are well understood), in this case the back & front portion which connects
the upper & lower gate, I prefer to make of sheet metal, wider at the top than the
bottom & upon the cart & lamp I fix plates with the edges bent up to receive the
edges of the plates, to which the gates are secured, in such a manner that when
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page_text: the gate plates are pressed down in their slides to a suitable distance, the edges
of the gate plates being sloped, wedge themselves tightly against the back of
the groove & so prevent any shake or rattle. The spring tongue in this case I
prefer to raise from the plates which are secured to the cart & lamp respectively,
upon which the slides are formed to receive the gate plates-on the cart plate
the tongue to project downwards & in the lamp plate to project upwards. From
the plates which connect the gates I form short projections or tongues which
stand rigid horizontally from the gate plates in such a manner that as the gate
plate is being pushed down its slide, either upon the lamp or the cart the project-
ing piece depresses the spring tongue & when the gate plate has reached the part
where it has wedged itself in its slides, the projecting part from gate plate has
passed over the tongue & allowed the tongue to spring out to its normal position,
so that the gate plate cannot be removed from the slide until the tongue is de-
pressed so as to allow the projecting part of gate plate to pass back over it.
To depress the tongue I provide a hole in the gate plate opposite to the tongue
for the insertion of a suitable key, whereby it can be pressed back to clear the
rigid projection from the gate plate.
My object in making the gates or other spring, attachment between the cart
or vehicle & lamp, removably attached to the lamp, is to make the lamp more
convenient for carrying about as a hand-lamp-when-this-part is detached from it.
I do not limit myself to the form of spring tongue & depression, or projecting
piece which locks the spring connecting part upon the lamp & cart respectively,
as it is obvious that these may be made in different forms & yet come within
the limit-of-my-invention. In some cases instead of the spring tongue or its
equivalent being raised from or attached to the plate on lamp or cart respec-
tively, & the stops or locking parts on the part which fits into these plates, it may
be found more convenient to put the stops upon the cart & lamp plates & the
spring-tongues-or their equivalent upon the gate plates in the same way when a
flat connecting spring picce is used, it may be so arranged that the spring-tongue-
or its equivalent, may be in the sleeve, & made to act upon suitable stops on the
ends of spring connecting piece, either for the attachnient to the cart or lamp,
or both.
Dated the Twenty-first day of February 1899.
Improvements in Lamps and the Method of Attaching Them to Carts
or other Vehicles.
JOHN HOWARD Ross, 35, Wills Street, Lozells, Birmingham, Manufacturer,
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 fol-4
lowing statement:-
My improvement consists in fixing removably to the lamp, cart, or vehicle,
a connecting piece formed in any suitable manner, so as to be a yielding or
springing support for the lamp to prevent the vibration of the cart or vehicle
from being conveyed to the lamp so forcibly, as if the lamp was attached to the
cart or vehicle with a rigid support; the object being to materially add to the
life of the lamp & to prevent the sudden jerk from putting out the light, as

page_text: is frequently the case when the lamp is rigidly fixed to a vehicle & travelling
over rough roads.
The connecting piece may be in the form of a flat spring, bent or shaped so
as to give sufficient elasticity, the one end made to fit into a sleeve secured upon
a cart the other to a sleeve secured to the lamp; and to prevent the lamp from
being stolen off the vehicle, I pierce the flat steel connecting piece at both ends
so as to leave projecting tongues, in such a manner, that as the end of flat steel
is pushed into its sleeve the tongue is depressed, but upon reaching the stop,
the tongue springs out into a suitable indentation or depression formed in
the sleeve, which prevents the flat spring from being withdrawn. To enable the
spring to be withdrawn from either the cart or lamp, a hole is pierced in the
depressed part of sleeve to receive a suitable key in such a manner as to raise
the spring tongue out of depression & thus allow either the lamp to be withdrawn
from the spring or the spring connecting piece from the cart.
In order that the lamp may be reversible, that is fixed on either side of the
vehicle if used upon a cart or carriage, I place sleeve to receive the connect
ing spring preferably across the bottom of the lamp and leave the sleeve open at
both ends, so that the flat connecting spring may be pushed in from either side
of the lamp. In this case, in the lamp sleeve there is a continuous depression
with two holes or two depressions and a hole in each to receive the key, so that the
projecting tongue will spring out & secure the lamp to the connecting piece
which ever way it is pushed into the sleeve. Lamps of this class I prefer to make
with two side lights, both exactly the same, according to the kind of side light
as generally used in the particular form of lamp to which the sleeve is adapted.
Instead of the flat spring connecting piece I may employ gates with their springs
similar to those now used upon cycle lamps (which I need not describe, as they
are well understood) in this case the back & front portion which connects
the upper & lower gate, I prefer to make of sheet metal, wider at the top than the
bottom & upon the cart & lamp I fix plates with the edges bent up to receive the
edges of the plates, to which the gates are secured in such a manner that when
the gate plates are pressed down in their slides to a suitable distance, the edges
of the gate plates being sloped, wedge themselves tightly against the back of
the groove & so prevent any shake or rattle. The spring tongue in this case I
prefer to raise from the plates which are secured to the cart & lamp respectively,
upon which the slides are formed to receive the gate plates-on the cart plate
the tongue to project downwards and in the lamp plate to project upward. From
the plates which connect the gates I form short projections or tongues which
stand rigid horizontally from the gate plates in such a manner that as the gate
plate is being pushed down its slide, either upon the lamp or the cart, the project-
ing piece depresses the spring tongue, and when the gate plate has reached the
part where it has wedged itself in its slides, the projecting part from gate plate
has passed over the tongue and allowed the tongue to spring out to its normal
position, so that the gate plate cannot be removed from the slide until the tongue
is depressed so as to allow the projecting part of gate plate to pass over it:
To depress the tongue I provide a hole in the gate plate opposite to the tongue
for the insertion of a suitable key, whereby it can be pressed back to clear the
rigid projection from the gate plate.
My object in making the gates or other spring attachment between the cart
or vehicle & lamp removably attached to the lamp, is to make the lamp more
convenient for carrying about as a hand lamp, when this part is detached from it.
I do not limit myself to the form of spring tongue & depression, or projecting
piece which locks the spring connecting part upon the lamp & cart respectively,
as it is obvious that these may be made in different forms & yet come within
the limit of my invention. In some cases instead of the spring tongue or its
equivalent being raised from or attached to the plate on lamp or cart respec
tively, and the stops or locking parts on the part which fits into these plates, il
may be found more convenient to put the stops upon the cart and lamp plates,

page_text: and the spring tongues or their equivalent upon the gate plates in the same way;
when a flat connecting spring piece is used, it may be so arranged that the spring
longue or its equivalent may be in the sleeve and made to act upon suitable stops
on the ends of spring connecting piece, either for the attachment to the cart or
lamp, or both.
That my invention may be the more readily understood I will now proceed
to describe it as illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.. I
is a top view of gates & plates with locking arrangement ready to be secured to
both cart & lamp. Fig. II, is a vertical section of Fig. I across the line E, E,
but with the spiral springs D withdrawn, shewing also a part of a lamp & wood-
work of the vehicle to which the gate is attached. Fig. III is a key to unlock
the gates so that they can be withdrawn from either the cart plate or lamp plate.
Fig. 4, is an elevation partly in section shewing another method of using my
locking arrangement. Fig. 5 is a side section of same across the line E, E.
In Figs. I & II, the same letters indicate the same parts.
In Fig. I, A, A, are two plates folded over as shewn at A, narrower at one
end than the other-the one with the narrow end at top, as shewn on the left
hand of illustration being intended to fix upon the lamp, the other as shewn on
right hand, to be fixed to the cart or vehicle. B, B, are two plates having edges
turned down & bent so as to slide into & engage with Ain plates A. Gare-
two plates folded over at C, so as to form hinges connected to similar parts from
plate B, by means of pins C. The springs D D of which there may be one or
more are so arranged as to keep the gate in its normal position as shewn in
Fig. 1. In Fig. 11, the locking arrangement will be easily seen attached to
plate A or cut out of it is a tongue A", shaped & tempered so as to remain nor
mally in the position shewn. Attached to plate Bor bent over from it is a
tongue B, under the spring as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. I and shewn
-in-section-in-Fig.-II at right angles_to_the_plate. In plate B, there is a hole B
for the insertion of a key to unlock it. The gate in both figures is shewn locked
into the plates A-to release the gate from the lamp plate A, the key J, Fig. III
must be passed across the inside of gate & the pin K of key inserted in the
hole B of plate B & pressed against the tongue or spring A so as to depress
it. When this is done the gate can be pushed down off-the lamp by reason of
the projection B being allowed to pass over the spring tongue A". The same
description exactly answers for the releasing & attaching of the gate to the a
plate A fastened upon woodwork of cart except that the gates lift up out of
the slides on cart instead of being pushed downwards as on lamp.
Frepresents a brass bead of a cylindrical bodied lamp round a glass lens G,
having a box H attached to the body of lamp & the plate A screwed as shewn,
riveted or otherwise secured to it. When used on a square lamp, of course the
plate would be placed directly against the side or back of lamp. The object of
making the plates A wider at one end than the other & the flanges B of the
plates B to correspond is that when the plates B are slid into the plates A they
may wedge & prevent shaking & consequent rattling. This however is no part
of my invention as straight slides may answer the same purpose, with stops for 4
the plates A to wedge against when in the desired position; the tongue A"
springing out & securing them in that position in a similar manner to that
described. It is also obvious that the spring tongue may be put upon or made
of plates B & the stops corresponding to B¹, fixed to & made of plates A. In
Fig. 5, A is a steel spring, having tongue A¹, pierced in it & bent out as shewn. 5
C is a lamp bracket with a part bulged out C into which the lower tongue fits.
C is a hole for the insertion of a key as described in other figures. The part C
is secured to the wood B of cart. D is a flat tube or sleeve with a depression Du
& two holes D for the insertion of the key, the object of of having two holes
is that the spring may be passed into the sleeve from either end, so that the 5
lamp E, part of which is shewn may be turned either to the right or left, to
make either a right or left hand lamp.

page_text: In Fig. 4 the same letters refer to the same parts as Fig. 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1st. The combination of a spring arrangement connecting a lamp to a cart,
with a spring to lock it in position reversibly to the lamp & also to the cart &
capable of being released from either, substantially as described & illustrated
in Figs. 4 & 5 of the accompanying drawings.
2nd. The combination of gates supported by spiral springs, for the purpose of
fastening a lamp to a cart or vehicle in combination with the locking arrange-
ment substantially as described & illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3rd. The application of a spring and an indentation to receive the spring
with a hole for a key to pass through to release the spring in combination with
a support for attaching to a lamp or cart, with a key to operate the same and
substantially as described in relation to Figs. I, II, IIE 4, 5 of the accompany-
ing drawings.
Dated this Twenty-first dor of Navamhan 1800