Improvements in Electric Light Fixtures.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1890-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Light Fixtures.
I, FRED HAMPSON ALDRICH, of Cadillac, in the County of Wexford, State of
Michigan, United States of America, Inventor, 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 has relation to fixtures for electric lights and it has for its object
to provide a fixture which shall enable an incandescent light of ordinary construction
to be conveniently adjusted and locked in the adjusted position.
The invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement aud combinations
of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and
pointed out in the appended claims.
In said drawings:
:―
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one construction of my improved device.
Fig. 2 a horizontal section thereof on the line 2-2.
Fig. 3 a vertical section of a slightly different.construction of my device.
Fig. 4 a vertical section on the line 4-4.
Fig. 5 a like section of still another construction of my device.
Fig. 6 a horizontal section thereof on line -.
Fig. 7 a view showing the parts separated from each other.
Although in the drawings I have shown several constructions of my improved
device, yet from the description hereinafter given it will be seen that the principles
of operation embodied in said constructions as well as the results obtained, are
substantially the same in all, and to more clearly define the differences in con-
struction, I have used like figures of reference to indicate like parts in the several
views.
I will first describe that construction of my device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 which
construction I prefer.
1 designates a shell or casing which may be of any convenient and suitable shape
and which is provided at its upper end with an opening 2 for the admission of the
conducting wires 3. 4 and 5 designate a pair of disks or plates connected at their
peripheries by a ring 6 which is suitably secured near the lower edge of the shell
or casc. is a shaft the upper end of which is journaled in a cross bar 8 in the
shell 1, and the lower end of which extends through the plates 4, 5 and carries the
lamp 9. 10 is a sleeve mounted loosely upon the shaft 7 between the plates 4, 5,
and extending somewhat above the latter.
A coiled spring 11 is arranged in the casing formed by the plates and ring 6, the
ends of said spring being attached respectively to said ring and to the sleeve 10.
12 designates a brace or bridge-piece which is secured upon the upper side of plate 5
and which together with said plate affords bearings for a short vertical shaft 13.
The latter carries a pinion 14 meshing with a spur-wheel 15 which is secured upon
the sleeve 10 above plate 5. Shaft 13 also carries a spur wheel 16 meshing with
a pinion 17 upon the shaft 7. It will thus be seen that by rotating the shaft within
the shell or the shell around the shaft the spring will be wound or unwound
according to the direction of the rotation.
The lower end of the shaft 7 is tubular for the passage of the conducting wires
which make direct connection with the lamp at the lower end of said shaft.
The latter is provided near its middle with a slot 18 for the passage of the wires
which are carried over guide pulleys 19 mounted in the shell and out through the
opening 2 at the upper end of the latter.
A sufficient quantity of the wires may be wound upon the shaft to enable the
light to be carried to any part of a room in which it is located.
It will be seen that by rotating either the shell or the shaft, the wires will be

page_text: caused to be wound upon or unwound from the latter according to the direction of
rotation, which should be so arranged that when the wires are unwound from the
shaft the spring 11 shall be wound and vice versa. It will also be observed that by
reason of the train of gears employed to transmit motion between the shaft 7 and
the spring winding mechanism, several revolutions of the shaft (or of the shell
around it as the case may be) will be required to produce a single additional
convolution in the spring or to reduce its tension by a single convolution according
to the direction of rotation.
By this arrangement, the capacity for adjustment of the device is increased
without danger of straining the spring by overwinding.
To retain the device at any desired adjustment any suitable check or brake
imechanism may be employed which however, must be differently located according
to whether it be desired to cause the rotation of the shaft 7 within the shell or of
the shell around the shaft to take place. In the former instance I may provide the
shaft 7 with a circular plate or disk 20 having a peripheral series of teeth or cogs 21
engaging a spring actuated catch 22 pivoted within the shell and having a thumb-
piece or handle 23 projecting through a perforation in the said shell. To operate,
the shell is grasped within the hands and the thumb-piece is pressed to disengage
the spring catch from the teeth 21 when by pulling or raising at will, the shaft 7
will be rotated to wind or unwind the wires.
When it shall be desired to cause the shell to rotate around the shaft, a spring
actuated catch in the shape of a bell crank lever may be pivoted to the side of the
lamp as shown in dotted lines at 24 Fig. 1; such a catch may, when the lamp, which,
it will be remembered is attached to the shaft 7, is grasped, be readily operated to
throw it out of engagement with teeth or projections 25 formed on the under side of
the plate 4, which, being part of the spring case, is attached to the shell, thus permit-
ting the latter to revolve around the shaft.
In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a modification of my invention which mainly
consists in substituting for the coiled spring arranged in a separate case, a spiral
spring arranged within the winding shaft. In this modification, I have furthermore
shown the shell or casing to be connected revolubly to the ceiling (or other point of
attachment) the lamp being suspended adjustably from the same by the conducting
wires.
The construction is as follows:-25¹ designates a cap or flanged disk which is
permanently secured in any suitable manner to a ceiling or other point of attach-
ment; the shell 1, is connected revolubly to said flanged disk and is provided with
a cross bar 27¹.
The disk 25' has a central perforated boss or collar 28 from which depends a
tubular shaft 7, the lower end of which has a bearing in the cross bar 27¹.
The lower end of the tubular shaft has a plate 30 from which tube 1 extends
upwardly surrounding the tube or shaft 7 and terminating on a line with a circular
plate or disk 32 attached to the shell at or near the upper edge of the latter. To
the cylinder 1× near its upper edge is attached a circular disk 33 and above the
latter upon the cylinder is journaled or loosely mounted a sleeve 34 which also has
a bearing upon the lower end of the boss 28. The sleeve 34 is provided with
annular Hanges 35 between which is loosely mounted a pinion 36 firmly fastened to
disk 32; a spur wheel 37 is firmly secured upon said sleeve near the lower end.
The disk 33 has a brace or bridge picce 38 thus affording bearings for a shaft 39
having a fixed pinion and spur wheel 40 and 41 meshing respectively with the spur
wheel 37 and pinion 36. A spiral spring 42 occupies the space between the
cylinder 1 and shaft 7 and is attached at one end to the latter and at its other end
to the sleeve 34.
The conducting wires enter through the perforated boss 28 and shaft 7 through
a notch 44 in the disk 30 at the lower end of said tube, to which they are secured
by a band 45. Finally after being coiled around said tube 1* the wires pass over
the guide pulleys and out through the opening 47 in the lower end of the shell
below which the lamp is supported by said wires,

page_text: By simply pulling upon the lamp the conducting wires may be unwound from the
tubular shaft by a rotary movement of the shell, which, being transmitted to the
spring serves to wind the latter and vice versa.
To retain the lamp at any desired adjustment I have here shown an arm or
lever 49 connected pivotally to the boss 28 and engaging a series of shallow teeth 50
formed in a flange 57 upon the disk 32 at the upper end of the shell. These teeth
should be of such a nature that when the shell or casing is revolved rapidly in
either direction, the arm or lever 49 shall slip idly over them, while, when the
movement ceases it shall engage. The lamp may thus at any time be readily
lowered by simply pulling it, while, in order to cause the spring actuated mechanisin
to raise it, a preliminary pull in a downward direction is first necessary in order to
release the catch.
For the stop mechanism just described, which might be termed a gravity latch,
a friction mechanism might be substituted such as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,
where 52 designates a friction bar attached pivotally to the flange of the disk or
cap 25 and bearing against the upper edge of the shell with which it is held in
contact by the action of a screw 53. By properly regulating the tension of said
screw this device will be found very useful and efficient for the purpose indicated.
It is obvious that the parts of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and in.
Figs. 3 and 4 might be very readily interchanged with each other and that thus,
for instance, the spring case having the coiled spring shown in the first two views
might be applied to the stationary fixture shown in Figs. 3 and 4 or the tubular
shaft containing the spiral spring shown in the latter two views to the movable
fixture shown in Figs. 1 and 2; but any such changes and alterations 1 consider to
be within the province of the skilled mechanic and while I reserve the right to
make such changes I do not deem it necessary to describe or to illustrate them in
further detail; I likewise reserve the right to use any latch or retaining device
that may be found suitable for my purpose or to dispense with one altogether which
may be done by properly balancing the device or proportioning the strength of the
spring relatively to the weight to be sustained. The train of gears to transmit
motion may also, when great simplicity is desired, be dispensed with.
I will now describe that construction of my device shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7,
and in these figures, the cylinder 1× is provided near its lower end with a horizontal
circular disk 2* which is firmly attached to said cylinder and which is provided at
its outer edge with teeth or spurs 3× circumferentially arranged upon its upper
side.
Said cylinder has ribs or keys 5* to engage grooves 6× formed in the shaft 7.
The latter may thus be fitted in the cylinder so as to rotate with the latter.
The plate 4 has at its outer edge a rim 10x which is threaded to engage the like
end of the shell. The spring 11 has its ends attached respectively to the cylinder
and to the rim. The shell has bearings 13× on its under side for a vertically sliding
stem 14 the lower end of which is provided with a catch 15* adapted to engage
the teeth or spurs 3*. The stem is forced in a downward direction by means of a
suitably arranged spring 16x and it has an arm or thumb-piece 17* extending
through a slot 18× in the shell and by means of which the said spring catch may be
conveniently operated.
The wires extend from the bulb 9 through a vertical perforation in the shaft 7
and thence through a slot in said shaft and cylinder into the casing where it passes
over the guide pulleys and out through the opening 2, and to the ceiling of the room
where it is made fast.
The upper end of the cylinder has a disk 24* to prevent the wires from slipping
off the upper end of the cylinder, and a brace 25* arranged transversely in the
upper part of the shell is provided with a bearing for a spindle 26* at the upper
end of the shaft. Said shaft is provided near its lower end with a shoulder 27*
adapted to bear against the underside of plate 4.
To lower the light, the thumb-piece is operated so as to release the catch 15×
from the teeth 3* The wire may then be unwound from the cylinder, the spring 11
being at the same time wound within the casing. By releasing the thumb-piece,

page_text: the spring catch will again be caused to engage the teeth and the parts will be
retained in the position to which they have been adjusted. To take up or shorten
the wire, it is simply necessary to release the spring catch 15* from the teeth and
to carry the light fixture towards the point where the wire is made fast, the
spring 11 automatically rewinding the wire upon the cylinder.
Various changes may be made in the details of construction of my device,
without departing from the principle of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a vertical shaft, an electric light fixture at the lower end
of said shaft the conducting wire or wires extending through the shaft, and spring
actuated mechanism for automatically winding the wires around the said shaft,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of a vertical shaft, an electric light fixture at the lower end
of said shaft the conducting wire or wires extending through the shaft, spring actuated
mechanism for automatically winding the wires around said shaft and a spring.
actuated catch to arrest said winding mechanism at any desired point of adjustment,
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of a shell or casing, a shaft revoluble within the latter, a-
spring, means for winding and unwinding said spring by the revolution of the shaft
within the casing or the latter around the shaft and the conducting wires comprising
the return and flow wires wound upon the shaft within the casing, depending from
the latter and directly supporting the lamp, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of a shell or casing, a shaft revoluble within the latter, a
spring, means for winding and unwinding said spring by the revolution of the shaft
within the casing or the latter around the shaft, a catch or stop mechanism to arrest
motion at any desired adjustment and the conducting wires comprising the return
and flow wires wound upon the shaft in the casing depending from the latter and
directly supporting the lamp, substantially as set forthi.
5. The combination of a shell or casing and an interiorly arranged shaft,
revoluble with relation to each other, a spring arranged to be wound by the
revolution of such shaft or casing and a train of gears arranged to transmit
motion between said spring and the shaft and casing, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with the conducting wires joined in a single continuous
flexible cord comprising the flow and return wires and directly supporting the lamp,
of a shell through which the said conducting wires are guided, a shaft within said
shell and spring actuated mechanism for winding said conducting wires upon the
shaft, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of a tubular shaft or stem, a tube partially surrounding and
connected to the same, a sleeve journaled upon said tube, a spiral spring mounted
in the space between the tubular shaft and the tube surrounding the same and
attached at its ends- to the said tube and to the sleeve journaled thereon, a sur-
rounding shell or casing revoluble with relation to the tubular shaft, means for
transmitting motion between said shell or casing and the revoluble sleeve and the
return and flow wires entering through the tubular shaft, connected to and wound
upon the tube surrounding the latter and guided over suitable pulleys out through
an opening in the lower end of the shell, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 29th day of July.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.