Improvements in Portable Electric Lamps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Electric Lamps.
We, OWEN THOMAS BUGG, Junior, Electrician, of No. 256, West 23rd Street,
Borough of Manhattan, New York, and DAVID HENRY DARLING, Merchant, of
No. 904, President Street, Borough of Brooklyn, City of New York, both in the
United States of America, 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 has for its object, to provide a portable electric lamp which shall
have a minimum weight and shall utilize a single enclosing case as a conductor
between an electrode of the battery and a terminal of the lamp carried or supported
by the case.
This invention will be fully understood by referring to the accompanying draw-
ings, in which,
Figure 1 illustrates in sectional view a full sized portable lamp embodying the
improvements; and,
Figure 2 is a sectional view taken through the insulated conductor which con-
nects one electrode of the enclosed battery with the inner terminal of the lamp
itself.
Prior to this invention portable electric lamps had been constructed, in which
enclosed battery-cells were placed one upon another, and two enclosing conducting
casings utilized for completing the circuit between the electrodes of the battery-
cells and the terminals of the lamp itself.
This invention contemplates the utilizing of a single tubular metallic enclosing
casing which acts as a support for the lamp and its reflector and also as a conductor
from one electrode of the enclosed battery, while the other electrode is connected
by an insulated conductor enclosed within the casing and held between it and a
loosely fitting non-conducting tube which surrounds and insulates the battery
cell or cells.
Referring now to the drawings in detail for a full and clear understanding of
the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to construct and use the
same; T represents a tubular metallic casing screw-threaded at its opposite ends,
as shown, and provided with removable screw-threaded caps C C. I represents a
tubular insulating lining of an outer diameter approximating that of the tubular
casing T and an inner diameter adapted to receive one or more battery-cells having
conducting containing cups B, B, which constitute, say the positive electrode of
such cells, E E being negative electrodes thereof. The lower cup B of said cells
rests normally against the inner surface of the lower removable metallic cap C,
while the bottom of the upper cell rests upon the electrode E of the first-named
cell.
L represents an ordinary incandescent lamp secured in the usual manner by a
screw-threaded socket within a metallic ring F, which closely fits about the central
portion of the tubular casing T and sustains also the reflector R, said metallic
ring making electrical contact with one terminal of the lamp and with the enclos-
гр.
01

page_text: ing casing, 1 represents a part of a standard for securing the entire lamp to a
bicycle or vehicle in the usual manner.
s represents a flat strip of metal, such as copper, surrounded throughout a major
portion of its length by an insulating medium r, such as soft rubber, the lower end
of said strip being bared so as to constitute an electrical contact for the inner
terminal of the lamp L, the upper end thereof being bent as shown, so that when
bent down into the position shown in full lines, against the upper electrode E the
lamp will be in circuit with the battery and when released on removal of the cap C
it will assume the position shown in dotted lines. T¹ represents a screw-threaded
switch controlling knob secured to the upper cap C.
The operation of this improved lamp is obvious it being apparent that when
the battery-cells are in the position shown and the thumb-screw T secured in its
lower position so that the strips bears against the electrode E, a sufficient current
will flow from the battery in the direction of the arrow through the upper elec-
trode E, strips s, inner terminal of the lamp L, outer terminal thereof, through the
metallic ring F, tubular casing T to the lower cup electrode B of the lower cell,
through the inner electrode E thereof and by the upper cup electrode B to the
starting point, thereby causing the lamp to glow.
Instead of enclosing the flat conducting strips between the insulating tube I
and the enclosing casing T, it might be imbedded in the body of the insulating
tube and said tube cut away at the proper point for receiving the contact pressure
of the inner terminal of the lamp L.
The details of construction might be varied in other respects and still not
materially depart from the spirit of the invention, the most generic feature of which
lies in the utilizing of a single conductor casing with one or more enclosed battery-
cells insulated therefrom by a tubular lining and electrical connections between
said cell or cells and a lamp carried by the casing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;-
1. A portable lamp having a single tubular conducting casing and an insulating
lining therefor, in combination with one or more battery-cells electrically con-
nected with the casing and the terminals of an electric lamp carried also by the
casing, substantially as described.
2. A portable electric lamp consisting of a single tubular conducting casing pro-
vided with removable caps at its opposite ends and having an insulating lining,
one or more battery cells, one electrode of which makes electrical contact with one
of said removable caps, while the other electrode thereof is connected with a con-
ductor insulated from the exterior casing, in combination with an electric lamp,
one terminal of which is connected directly to said conductor and the other to the
conducting casing, substantially as described.
3. A portable electric lamp consisting of a conducting or metal casing pro-
vided with removable caps at its opposite ends, a tubular insulating lining and
one or more enclosed battery-cells, one electrode of which is connected to the
casing, in combination with an insulated conductor located between the casing and
the interior lining, together with an electric lamp one terminal of which is con-
nected directly to the casing and the other adapted to be connected with said
conductor and a switch for connecting the before mentioned conductor to the
remaining electrode of the battery, substantially as described.
4. A portable electric lamp consisting of a single conducting casing carrying
an electric lamp, one terminal of which is in permanent electrical contact there-
with, an interior non-conducting lining and one or more battery-cells one electrode
which is connected to the conducting casing, together with an insulated conductor
adapted to be connected to the remaining terminal of the lamp, and a thumb-knob
or switch adapted to cause the free end of said conductor to bear against the remain-
ing terminal of the lamp, substantially as described.

page_text: 5. A portable electric lamp consisting of a tubular conducting casing T provided
at its opposite ends with removable caps C C; an insulating tubular lining I
enclosing one or more battery-cells, one electrode of which is in electrical contact
with the casing; an electric lamp secured to and in electrical contact with the con-
ducting casing; an insulated conductor located between the casing and the insulated
lining and adapted to connect with the remaining terminal of the lamp, the free
end of said conductor being bent over the insulating lining and held in contact
with the remaining electrode of the battery by a thumb-screw T', carried by the
upper removable cap C, substantially as described.
11
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.