Improvements in and relating to the Attachment of an Electric Lamp to a Cap or the like
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
COMPLETE STBULLICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ALFRED RODRIGUEZ, of 235 Decatur Street,
Brooklyn, County of Kings, State of New York, Electrician, and EDWARD
DAYTON ROCKWELL, of Bustol, County of Hartford, Connectiout,
Manufacturer, both in the United States of America]
Improvements in and relating to the Attachment of an Electric
Lamp to a Cap or the like
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of ilaseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, Middlesex, 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 stateinent
Qui invention relates to an improved cap, particularly designed for the use
of bicyclists, the object being to produce a cap adapted to be worn like an
ordinary cap, and also to have an electric-lamp renovably connected with it.
With these ends in view, our invention consists in the combination with a cap, of
electric wies permanently applied thereto, and terminating at their rear and
forward ends in contact points adapting the cap to have au electric lamp and body-
wires removably connected with it. Qui invention funther consists in certain
details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described,
and pointed out in the claims
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1, a perspective view of a cap constructed in accordance with our
invention, and having an electric lamp applied to it.
Figure 2, a similar view of the cap with the elective light removed.
Figure 3, a broken rear view of the cap showing the contact buttons provided
for the removable attachment of the spring-sockets connected with the body-wires.
Figure 4, a detached broken view partly in vertical section and partly in
elevation, showing one of the spring-sockets applied to one of the contact-buttons.
Figme 5, a detached view in side elevation of one form which the lamp may
assume,
In carrying out our invention, as her em shown, we employ a cap A, having a
a visor A, and of ordinary appearance and general construction. To this cap we
permanently apply two electric wies B B, respectively extending from front to back
in its opposite edges, within which they are concealed. For convenience of
description, these wires will be hereafter spoken of as "cap-wines." At their
forward ends the cap-wes emerge from the cap at a point above the visor thereof,
and terminate in contact pins B' B, while the icat ends of the said wires
terminate in contact-buttons B B³, placed side by side in the same horizontal
plane. The particular character of the terminals of the cap-wnes, may, however,
be changed as desired.
As herein shown, the electric lamp C, which may be of any approved construction,
18 located centrally within a cup-shaped reflector C, furnished at its rear cod with
a neck or bank C³, provided with two oppositely located nipples cc, which
respectively receive the contact-pins B' B, forming the terminals of the forward
ends of the cap-wires B B before described. From the said shank or neck C'
depends a plate or foot C, adapted to be inserted into a sheet-metal chip or
socket D. secured to the upper face of the visor A', in the center thereof, whereby
the lamp may be readily attached to and removed from the cap, which may therefore
be worn with or without the lamp, as desired. To connect the lamp with the cap,
its foot C is inserted into the socket D, after which the contact pins B B are

page_text: inserted into the nipples a e before mentioned. On the other hand, to remove the
lamp, the contact-pins B B are withdrawn from the mpples ec, after which the
foot Cis withdrawn from the socket D.
The contact-buttons B³ B forming terminals for the rear ends of the cap-
wires BB, are respectively designed to receive in removable attachment, spring
sockets EE, respectively connected with wires E' E', which we shall hereafter call
the "body-wires to distinguish them from the "cap-wies "B B. The contact
buttons B B and the sping sockets EE correspond, as shown, to the ordinary
button and sping-socket of a glove-fastener, but of course, they may take a great
variety of fouing, and we do not limit ourselves to what we have shown. The
wires are woven together in a gable E', which passes downward under or
over the coat of the wearer of the cap. The said body-wnes are connected at
then lower ends with a source of electric energy, such, for instance, as a small
dynamo carved by the bicycle and operated thereby, or a small storage battery, or
by a small electric generator, or by any other source of electric energy, whether
carried by the bicycle on the person wearing the cap.
It will be found very convenient to pass the cable E under the coat collar, and
down under the coat, but of course, that way of wearing the device is not essential,
however convenient it may be.
In case the means employed for supplying a current to the lamp are carried by
the bicycle, we shall preferably locate in the cable, a separable coupling of some
approved construction, such, for instance, as the coupling shown in connection with
Fig. 1, and consisting of two members F and F, which it is thought do not need
detailed description These members remain coupled under ordinary conditions,
but not so firmly but what they will separate under any unusual strain, so that in
case the wearer of the cap should dismount from the machine without first separating
the coupling members, they will separate themselves without injury to any of the
connections, and without the danger of pulling his cap off.
In case a storage battery or small generator is employed and carried in the
pocket of the wearer of the cap, such a coupling would not be necessary.
It will be understood, of course, that when the lamp is removed from the cap,
the body-wires nie disconnected therefrom, leaving the cap free to be worn and
used in exactly the same manner and with exactly the same freedom that it could
be worn and used if it were not provided with permanently applied cap-wires
terminating at their rear and forward ends in contact-points which may be
Biranged and concealed so that the cap will present the appearance of an ordinary
cap, and will not be distinguished therefrom by the ordinary observer.
I will readily be seen that a lamp carried by the cap upon the head of a bicycle
rider, possesses advantages which cannot possibly be secured by a lamp carried
fastened to his wheel, or upon his breast, for the location of the lamp upon the cap
enables the der to throw the light in any direction with the utmost ease, the
light following the direction in which he wishes to look, while on the other hand,
a light fixed to the machine is limited to illuminating a small section of the road
duectly in front of the machine, and a light worn on the breast of the ruder 18
also limited to illuminating the contracted space which he can cover by moving
lus body.
We
It is apparent that in carrying out our invention the details of construction of
the cap and the lamp, and their various connections, may be widely varied
would, therefore, have it understood that we do not him ouselves to the exact
construction here shown and described, but hold ourselves at liberty to make such
changes and alterations us fairly fall within the spirit and scope of our invention
Thus, instead of employing the contact-points B Bm the form of pins, they might
be located entirely within the socket D, and adapted to have frictional engagement
with the foot connected with the stem C of the reflector C. By arranging the
contact-points within the socket D, they would be concealed from view and protcoted
thereby, and would dispense with the inanipulation of the points B' B' in removing
and applying the lamp.

page_text: We are aware, however, that a fillet or band adapted to be worn on the head. and
to have an electric lamp connected with it, is old, and we do not claim broadly means
for adapting an electric lamp to be worn upon the forehead.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim 15
-
1 The combination with a cap adapted to be worn upon the head. of two cap-
wires permanently applied thereto, and terminating at their rear and forward ends
In contact points, substantially as set forth, and whereby an electric lamp and wires
supplying a current thereto may be removably connected with the cap, substantially
as described.
2. The combination with a cap adapted to be worn upon the head, of cap-wires
permanently located therein and terminating at their rear and forward ends in
contact points, an electric lamp arranged to be removably connected with the
cap and the contact points at the forward ends of the wires, and body-wires adapted
to be renovably connected with the contact points, forming the terminals of the
rear ends of the cap wires, substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of Mar 1805
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.