Incandescent Electric Lamps.
Year: 1888

page_text: Incandescent Electric Lamps.
1, FRANK HOLMAN, Clerk, of No. 277 Cumberland Street Brooklyn New York, 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 ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
Reflecting shades for use with incandescent electric lamps have heretofore been
constructed of an approximately conical reflecting top portion, and a transparent or
translucent body portion all in a single piece of glass, the top portion being rendored
reflective by giving its exterior surface a coating of silver which is protected from
injury by a coating of varnish or paint; such reflecting shades entirely enclosing the
lamp the light of which is thrown downward, which is very desirable.
My invention has for its object the provision of a shade for such use which shall be
less liable to breakage than if made entirely of glass, cheaper of construction, and
more convenient and effective in use.
To this end I construct my improved shade with a conical or approximately conical
body portion of sheet metal, or other suitable material, of sufficient strength and
which is not liable to be broken, and a disk of glass or other transparent or translucent
material, said disk being adapted to be fitted against the larger end of the body portion
and detachably secured thereto by suitable catches or fastenings. The conical body
portion is preferably rendered reflective by making its inner surface of bright
polished metal or other reflecting material.
I also provide an auxiliary shade or screen adapted to be applied at one side of the
body portion of the reflector and to be adjusted at various angles in order to screen
the light of the lamp from the eyes of the person using it or allow the full reflection
of the light.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of
reference denote corresponding parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved shade.
Figure 2 is a central vertical section thereof, on the line 1-1 in Figure 1.

page_text: Figure 3 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing the connection of the
two parts of the shade and their spring fastening; and
Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 3.
The conical body portion A, is preferably made of tin or other sheet metal, and the
saucer-shaped disk B, which fits against the larger end of said body portion is made
of glass or other transparent or translucent material. The larger end of the body A
is mado slightly larger than the peripheral portion of the disk B, and is formed with
a rib a against which a head b on the disk B is adapted to abut as the parts are
brought together; the peripheral portion of said disk slipping inside of the lower
edge of the portion A as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. Thus the two
parts of the shade maintain when brought together an invariable relative position.
The two parts A and B, are held together by means of catches C of which two are
shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, althongh any other number of said catches which
will accomplish the purpose may be employed.
Theso catches consist of elastic strips of metal riveted or otherwise fastened
at C to the conical portion A and having their lower ends curved at (, C³, corre-
spondingly with the contour of the faces of the rib and bead a and b. The bead 6 on
the disk B is not continuous, but is divided by a series of equidistant spaces or
recesses 61, (one only of which is shown in Figure 1 of the drawings,) the ends of the
section of said bead inclining in direction of the recesses.
To attach the disk to the body of the shade, it is only necessary to slip the edge of
the disk within the lower edge of said body so that the ribs ab abut against each
other, & also so that the ends of the springs enter the recesses on the disk and then
turning the disk until the catches Cride upon and engage the faces of the bead 6 with
one of their curved portions, the other curved portion thereof binding upon the rib a
on the body A. To separate the-parts of the shade it is only necessary to turn the
disk until the catches spring into the recesses on said disk, when the disk is freed.
-
The body portion A is preferably made in conical form, or flaring and of a shape
approximately similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, with either
straight or curved sides, and at its upper end is preferably formed as usual with a
*suitable flange-adapted to be engaged by the screw fastenings by which the shade is
hung to the clectric lamp, which latter is shown in Figure 2 projects within and--is
enclosed by the shade.
It is preferable although not essential to the efficiency of my invention to make the
interior surface of the body A serve as a reflector, which if shade is made of tin or
other similar metal, may be accomplished by polishing the inner surface in the manner
'well understood with reference to tin reflectors. The body'A may, however, be mado
of other metals, or of materials other than metal, it being only essential that said body
shall possess sufficient strength and rigidity to avoid liability of breakage, and to as
far as possible protect the disk from being broken. For example, said body-may be
molded of papier-mache or other fibrous material, or be made of celluloid or other
tough flexible substance.
The disk B is preferably ground on either the inner or outer surface, thereby
rendering it translucent in order that it shall diffuse and modify the light, and render
it more agreeable to the eye than if transmitted through a transparent disk or
other medium. In lieu of ground glass, transparent porcelain may be used or
any other equivalent transparent, semi-transparent or translucent material may be
substituted.
With my improved construction of shades access can be had to the electric lamp
without removing the shade therefrom, by simply separating the glass disk from the
shade as hereinbefore stated, and it is obvious that the disk may be readily removed
at any time for cleaning, without leaving the lamp unshaded during its absence. In
case of the breakage of the disk it can be replaced at much less cost and at less incon-
venience than if the shade and disk were made of one piece of glass, and consequently
had both to be replaced. In using said disk, if at any time a stronger light is desired
it is only necessary to remove the disk as hereinbefore stated, and use the shade alonė
for the time being.

page_text: Incandescent electric lamps are often so hung that the light falling from them is
distressing and unpleasant to the eyes of the person using the lamp, and temporary
paper shades are commonly resorted to in order to temper and divert the light.
My invention provides an auxiliary shade or screw 1) for this purpose. Said screw
is made of two parts or leaves, preferably of sheet metal, hinged together at d, and
the upper leaf is provided with some convenient fastening by means of which it
can be readily attached to the shade A. The fastening which I prefer to use for this
purpose consists of a button.a¹ fixed to the shade A and a button hole or slot d³ in the
leaf of the screen D, as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The hinge &²
should operate with sufficient friction so that the lower leaf d of the screen can be
turned thereon at any desired angle and there held frictionally. In Figure 2 the
lower leaf d is shown in two positions in full lines and in one other position in dotted
lines. When said leaf d is in the position indicated at x it will in the proportions
shown almost entirely cover the disk B or about one-half thereof, and materially cut
off the light; but if adjusted to the position indicated at the extreme lower right hand
side of the disk, it will simply shade the eyes of the worker without obstructing the
light to any material degree; while if its use is not required at any time, said leaf
may be turned upon its hinge until it rests against tho leaf d. "The side of the
screen D which is toward the light may be made with a reflecting surface, if desired,
the upper leaf d of said screen being employed solely as a fastening for uniting the
screen D to the shade A. Said leaf need not necessarily be made of sheet metal or
of imperforate material, but may be a mere skeleton if preferred. It should be
observed that the screen D is shown in Figure 1 much narrower than it is preferable
in practice to make it, this being done in order that it shall not obscure the remaining
parts in that figuro.
Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure
by Letters-Patent is :-
I. The combination, with an approximately conical shade, of a disk of transparent
or translucent material arranged at the larger end of said shade, and fastened thereto,
substantially as shown and described.
11. The combination, with an approximately conical shade, of a disk of transparent
or translucent material supported. at the larger end of said shade in position to
intercept the light coming therefrom, substantially as shown and described.
III. The combination, with an approximately conical shade, of a disk of transparent
or translucent material, adapted to fit against the larger end of said shade, and
detachably connected thereto, substantially as shown and described.
IV. The combination, with an approximately conical shade having a reflective
inner surface, of a disk of transparent or translucent material, adapted to fit against
and close the larger end of said shade, substantially as shown and described.
V. The combination, with an approximately conical shade having a reflective inner
surface, of a disk of transparent or translucent material adapted to fit against the
larger end of said shade and a spring catch for detachably fastening the disc and
shade together, substantially as shown and described.
VI. The combination, with an approximately conical shade having a bead near its
larger end, of a disk of transparent or translucent material, provided with a bead
near its upper edge adapted to abut against the bead on the shade, substantially as
shown and described.
VII. The combination, with an approximately conical shade provided with a bead
near its lower edge, and with a series of spring catches projecting beyond said rib,
of a disk of transparent or translucent material, adapted to fit against and close the
Tower end of said shade, and having a bead near its upper edge, divided by series
of recesses, and adapted to be engaged by said catches, substantially as shown and
described.
VIII. The combination, with an approximately conical shade, of a screen detachably
held to the side of said shade, and adapted to be projected beneath and screen the light
from the bottom of said shade, substantially as shown and described.

page_text: IX. The combination with an approximately conical shade, of a hinged screen
detachably held to the side thereof, projecting below the bottom thereof, and
adjustable toward or from the bottom of the shade in order to more or less obstruct
the light, substantially as shown and described.
X. The combination, with an approximately conical shade, of a screen constructed
in two sections hinged together, the upper section being constructed with a fastening
device for detachably connecting it with the shade, and the lower section projecting
below the shade and adjustable at different angles to or from the shade, substantially
as shown and described for the purposes set forth.
XI. The combination, with an approximately conical shade, a disk of transparent
or translucent material adapted to be fitted against and close the larger end of said
shade, and spring catches on the shade engaging a bead on the disk, of a screen in two
sections hinged together, the one detachably connected to the shade, and projecting
below the disk and adapted to be adjusted at different angles to and from said disk
and shade, substantially as shown and described, for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 31st day of May 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.