Improvements in or relating to Supports or Brackets for Lighting and other Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1899
Improvements in or relating to Supports or Brackets for Lighting
and other Purposes.
A communication from WILLIAM STANLEY ARNOLD, Electrician, of 927, Market
Street, City, County, and State of San Francisco, California, United States
of America.
I, ALFRED Julius Boult, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a certain new and useful flexible support or bracket
for use more especially in connection with incandescent or electric lights, which
consists in the arrangement of parts and details of construction as will be herein-
after fully set forth in the drawings and described and pointed out in the specifi-
cation.
The object of the invention is to so construct a support or bracket which while
permitting of being adjusted into various positions whereby the lamp or article
upheld thereby may be varied as to position, will possess sufficient rigidity to firmly
hold the lamp or article carried or supported thereby in such adjusted position; at
the same time possessing such pliability as will permit of its being readily bent or
coiled into any desired shape without liability of breaking.
In order to comprehend the invention reference must be had to the accompany-
ing sheet of drawings, forming a part of this application, wherein―
Figure 1, is a side view of the bracket or support secured to a suitable base at
one end, which is illustrated in section, the same shown with an incandescent
lamp supported thereby.
Figure 2 is a similar view disclosing the various features of construction going
to make up the bracket. or support;
Figure 3 is a broken detail sectional view of that end of the bracket or support
to which the lamp or article to be displayed is secured;
Figure 4 is a similar view disclosing the relative position which the strengthen-
ing wires assume as the bracket or support is bent over; and
Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line rr Figure 1.
In the drawings the letter A is used to indicate any suitable style of base or
stand to which the bracket or support is attached. The bracket or support is
formed of a hollow core A¹ consisting preferably of resilient coiled wire extending
throughout the entire length of the support or bracket, and an outer covering A
preferably of coiled steel or compressed spring. Between the inner core and
outer covering and around the former is arranged a series of parallel, strengthening
wires or rods B. possessing sufficient ductility to permit of the same bending
freely without breaking. Preferably these strengthening wires or rods are made
of copper and in number about fourteen are employed, although the number may
be increased or decreased as desired. Over one end of the parts thus arranged is

page_text: fitted the cap or ferrule B', within which is cemented, soldered or otherwise rigidly
secured one end of outer covering A², inner core A¹ and the wires or rods B. This
cap or ferrule is formed with the screw-threaded end a by means of which it is
secured within the screw-threaded opening a¹ of the base A; although any other
suitable form of connection may be made between these parts.
Upon the opposite or free end of the outer covering A2 is removably secured
the cap or ferrule B2, through the reduced screw-threaded end of which works the
free end of the inner core A¹. Within this cap or ferrule also extends or projects
the free ends of the strengthening wires or rods B, which, at this end, are unsecured
in order to play back and forth between the outer covering A2 and inner core A¹
as the bracket or support is bent into various positions or coiled. It is of import-
ance that the said strengthening rods or wires be free at this end and permitted
longitudinal play, for if secured or tied at this end against movement the flexibility
of the bracket or support would not only be destroyed but the said rod or wires
would quickly break by repeated bending of the support or bracket and the utility
of the bracket or support thus be destroyed. By reference to Figure 4 of the
drawing the position which the strengthening wires or rods assume relative to
each other as the support or bracket is bent or turned will be readily understood.
To the reduced end b of cap or ferrule B2 is removably secured the socket C of
the lamp C, with which connect the electric wires 1, 2 passing freely through
the inner core A¹. Inasmuch as the core A' is a hollow one, the wires 1-2 pass
therethrough and form no part of the bracket or support, consequently the said
wires may be removed without necessitating the destruction of the bracket or sup-
port or by simply disconnecting the wires from the lamp the said bracket or sup-
port may be removed without disturbing the wires.
While the invention has been illustrated as serving the purpose of supporting
an electric lamp, it is obvious that its use it not thus confined. For instance the
same may be used in show windows for the display of goods-such as boots or
shoes. When thus used it will be necessary to secure a shoe form to the cap or
ferrule 12. In fact the bracket or support may be used for any purpose requiring
a pliable or flexible arm having sufficient rigidity to maintain the position into
which it is placed.
In order to prevent the bracket or support being bent or turned downward at too
great an angle to the cap or ferrule B2, a short wire or rod (2 is introduced into
the series of strengthening wires or rods B secured within said cap or ferrule.
This rod or wire is firmly secured within said cap or ferrule and extends with the
wires or rods B a short distance beyond the inner end of the cap or ferrule,
Figure 2. By making this rod (2 of steel or heavier material than the wires or
reds B greater resistance will be given to the bracket or support at this end, thus
preventing the same being bent at a sharp angle to the cap or ferrule B2 and over-
coming danger of the support or bracket breaking at such point. This rod will
be referred to in the claims in order to prevent confusion, as a supplemental
strengthening rod.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
claim is:
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
11
1st. A flexible support or bracket having an inner hollow core, an outer coiled
metallic covering for said core, and a series of parallel strengthening wires or
rods arranged between the core and the outer coil, said wires or rods being rigidly
connected at one end to the core and outer coil but free thereof at their opposite
ends whereby the same may give longitudinally as the bracket or support is turned
or bent.
2nd. A flexible support or bracket having an inner core, an outer covering
within which the same is inclosed, and a series of strengthening wires or rods
arranged between the core and its covering, said wires or rods being secured to the

page_text: core and outer covering at one end but left free at their opposite end whereby the
same may have longitudinal play as the support or bracket is turned or bent.
3rd. A flexible support or bracket having an inner core, an outer covering
therefor, a series of strengthening wires or rods arranged between the core and
covering, a cap or ferrule for connecting the support or bracket to a suitable base
and to which the core, covering and strengthening are rigidly secured at one end,
and a cap or ferrule secured to the opposite end of the said covering and within
which the free end of the core and strengthening wires or rods loosely lie, the core
and wires or rods being permitted free longitudinal movement as the bracket or
support is bent or turned.
4th. The combination with a flexible support or bracket, of a series of strengthen-
ing wires or rods arranged therein and rigidly connected thereto at one end only
whereby the same are permitted longitudinal movement as the support or bracket
is bent or turned.
5th. The combination with a flexible support or bracket of a series of strengthen-
ing wires or rods arranged therein and rigidly connected thereto at one end only
whereby the same are permitted longitudinal movement as the support or bracket
is bent or turned, and of a supplemental rod arranged within the support or bracket
at its lower end in order to prevent an abrupt bend being made at or near the base
thereof.
Dated this Thirteenth day of December 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.