IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRIC LAMPS AND LAMP FITTINGS
Year: 1885

page_text: Lamp Fittings.
"
I THOMAS TAYLER. SMITH of 4 Circus Place, Finsbury in the City of London,
Architect, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRIC LAMPS AND LAMP FITTINGS,
to be as follows:—
In the Specification of my Patent dated 24th August 1883 Nº 4104 I showed
how an electric lamp or lamps could be supported by a flexible cord passing around
a pair of pulleys, and be maintained in position when raised or lowered by means
of a balance weight attached to one of the pulleys, thus affording very simple and
efficient means for adjusting hanging lights to the required level.
The object of the present invention is to still further increase the range of
utility of an electric lamp or lamps and to enable one or more of such lamps to be
used in a variety of useful ways, such for example as a banging lamp or as a table
lamp, or as a bracket lamp the same single flexible cord serving to convey the
current thereto in each case.
The invention also relates to means for arresting the movement of the flexible
cord in its passage through its guide when the desired length bas been drawn out,
and to a switch of small dimensions by which the current passing through the cord
can be controlled by one hand in the act of drawing out the cord or letting it be
wound up.
In carrying out my invention I propose to considerably increase the available
length of flexible cord and to lead it around multiple pulleys suspended from or
mounted in a suitable framework so that it will occupy but little space and can be
drawn out or off from the pulleys to a great distance with only a comparatively
small movement of the balance weight or weights.
A set of doubly or trebly grooved pulleys or two sets of singly grooved or
multigrooved pulleys may be used to wind the cord around. In the latter case
I prefer to group a large and a small pulley together for each pair.
This cord I connect to a lamp or lamp frame of shade adapted to be drawn
down and fitted or secured temporarily upon separate lamp "supports such as table
standards or wall brackets which may be placed and used in different positions as
required.
The multiple pulleys and flexible cord may have detachable connections as in
my patent above referred to or otherwise so. that they can be readily attached, to
or detached from the ceiling or other point of suspension.
The temporary lamp stands or supports to which the lamp, lamp frame or shade
enclosing or carrying the lamp or lamps, is to be attached, I provide with branching
arms having slotted ends with which nuts on the lamp frame or shade engage and
to which the said nuts may be secured. The temporary stands might also have
sockets to receive the detachable and movable lamp frame or shade to which the

page_text: flexible cord containing the flow and return wires is attached Thus knobs or
spheres on the lamp frame, and spring cups on the stands, may be used to,
temporarily connect the parts.
The lamp frame or shade support when not attached to its corresponding stand
or braket for wall or table, can be used as a hanging lamp simply, and by reason
of the multiple pulley arrangement, many feet of flexible insulated conducting
wire can be carried in a small compass sufficient, indeed to enable the lamp to be
drawn down and used within many feet from the point of attachment to the
ceiling or other point of suspension of the lamp. 'The pulleys may be arranged
above the lamp or they may be adapted to the window frames so as to be concealed
by the curtains.
Should the lamp be required to be temporarily fixed for use as a table or reading
lamp, or as a wall lamp on a bracket, its. shade support or frame may be readily
drawn down and fitted upon, or in a stand or lamp bracket of suitable form,
without the disadvantage of wires trailing across the floor, the said frame or
shade support being secured in place by suitable clips nuts and slots or their
equivalent.
In order to prevent the balance weight dragging upon the flexible cord when
the weight of the lamp frame or shade to which the said cord is attached is borne
by the temporary stand or bracket, I arrange that the cord when drawn out of
the vertical shall be gripped by an elastic jaw suitably supported or the balance
weight may be locked in its frame. A flexible rubber sheath I have found answers
well as a gripping device.
To control the current passing by this flexible cord I interpose a switch of small
dimensions, which can conveniently be operated by one hand, so that the lamp or
lamps can be lighted or extinguished with facility in the act of raising and lowering
the frame or shade and in any position thereof whether it be suspended in mid air
or temporarily attached to a wall bracket or table support.
•
This switch consists of a pair of flexible spring arms, one rather larger than the
other mounted upon a pair of articulated lever arms pivotted on the ends of a
duplex wire spring, fixed to the inside of a box with a detachable cover. A curved
metal plate facing the ends of the spring arms is also fitted within the box, and the
end of one wire is connected with the said plate, the other wire being in electrical
connection with the duplex.spring and flexible spring arms.
A slotted rod of ebonite or insulated material engages with the articulated lever
arms, and its ends protrude through the sides of the box at right angles to the line
of entrance of the cord so that it can be easily operated by one hand. When this
rod is pushed in one direction the spring arms are caused to engage in close
succession with the metal plate and rub against its surface while when pushed in
the reverse direction the spring arms break contact in succession one arm being
used especially to take the spark on breaking contact.
The duplex spring serves to close the articulated lever arms in either of their
extreme positions and thus to hold the rod or push bolt in either of its two
positions.
It will be understood that the temporary stands might carry the lamps and that
the current might be conveyed thereto or switched on automatically by the act of
fitting the flexible conductor thereto and that other means than those above
indicated may be used for temporarily connecting the lamp tops or shades with the
,corresponding lamp standards or bases.
When using incandescent lamp sockets of the Woodhouse and Rawson type,
I form the binding screws of threaded metal cores externally insulated.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction and Arrangement of Electric
Lamp Fittings.
*
"
I THOMAS TAYLER SMITH of 4 Circus Place, Finsbury in the City of London,
Architect do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
'THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRIC LAMPS.. AND LAMP. FITTINGS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In the Specification of my Patent dated 24th August 1883, N° 4104, I showed
how an electric lamp or lamps could be supported by a flexible cord passing
around a pair of pulleys, and be maintained in position, when raised or lowered,
by means of a balance weight attached to one of the pulleys, thus affording very
simple and efficient means for adjusting hanging lights to the required level.
The object of the present Invention is to still further increase the range of utility
of an electric lamp or lamps, and to enable one or more of such lamps to be used
as a hanging lamp, as a table lamp, or as a bracket lamp, the same single flexible
cord serving to convey the current thereto in each case.
The Invention also relates to means for arresting the movement of the flexible
cord in its passage through its guide when the desired length has been drawn out,
and to a switch of small dimensions, by which the current passing through the
cord can be controlled by one hand, in the act of drawing out the cord or letting it
be wound up.
t
In carrying out my Invention, I propose to considerably increase the availablö
length of flexible cord, and to lead it around multiple pulleys suspended from, or
mounted in a suitable framework, so that it will occupy but little space, and can
be drawn out or off from the pulleys to a great distance, with only a comparatively
small movement of the balance weight or weights.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shewn at Fig. 1 an arrangement of
pulleys for taking up the extra length of cord required for use when the suspended
lamp is intended to be employed either as a table lamp or a bracket lamp at a
considerable distance from its point of suspension.
In this figure, A is a bracket fixed to the ceiling and fitted with two
pulleys 1, 2.
B is a weight fitted with a pair of cheeks, and serving to carry two pulleys 3, 4
The pulleys 1 and 4 are made of larger diameter than the pulleys 2 and 3, for
the reason that will be presently obvious.
C is the flexible cord containing two insulated wires, and connected with the
lead wires from an electric battery or its equivalent in the manner described in
my above mentioned patent.
This cord C is brought down from the electric connection piece under the
pulley 4 of the weight B, and carried up over the pulley 2 of the bracket A.
From this pulley it is brought down, led under the pulley 3, and brought up to
and led over the pulley 1, from which it passes to the lamp.
..

page_text: By this arrangement it will be seen that nearly double the length of cord C, as
compared with my arrangement under the above mentioned patent, is available for
use, and consequently the lamp supplied with the electric current may be moved
about to a considerable distance from the point of suspension of the cord.
D is a brake lever pivotted to the pendent bracket A, and so situate with
respect to the pulley 1, that the friction surface which it carries (preferably a block
or pad of elastic rubber) may be brought into contact with the part of the cord
laid over that pulley, to check the tendency of the cord' to yield to the drag of the
weight.
The lower end of this brake lever D is formed with an eye or guide through
which the cord passes to the lamp.
While the lamp is pendent, the brake lever will be held out of action, or in the
dotted position, but when the lamp is moved away from under the pendent
bracket, and set upon a stand, or fitted on a wall bracket, or when any slackening
of the cord occurs the brake lever will drop and apply the brake, thereby
. preventing the further dropping of the weight B, and the drawing in of the cord.
'
A set of doubly or trebly grooved pulleys, or two sets of singly grooved or
multi-grooved pulleys, may be used in place of the arrangement just described, to
wind the cord around.-In the latter case I prefer to group. a large and a small
pulley together for each pair.
The pendent lamp I so construct as to permit of its being secured temporarily to
either a table standard or a wall bracket. These may be formed with sockets or
elastic fingers to receive the lamp, which may, if desired, carry a knob or sphere to
fit the socket.
The pulleys around which the cord O is laid, will in general be arranged above
the lamp, but they may be adapted to the window frames, so as to be concealed by
the curtains, or boxed.up out of sight in a recess or corner of the apartment to be
illuminated.
The merit of this part of my Invention, it will be obvious, is, that when the
lamp is temporarily fixed for use as a table or reading lamp, or as a wall lamp on
a bracket, the disadvantage hitherto experienced of wires trailing across the floor,
will be avoided.
To control the current passing by this flexible cord, I interpose a switch of small
dimensions, which can conveniently be operated by one hand, so that the lamp or
lamps can be lighted or extinguished with facility in the act of raising or lowering
the same, or in any position thereof, whether it be suspended in mid-air, or
temporarily attached to a wall bracket or table support.
This switch is shewn in two views at Figures 2 and 3, the cover of the switch
being removed to show the interior thereof.-It consists of a small circular
wooden box ȧ, carrying on its bottom a slotted plate b, to which one of the electric
conducting wires is made fast.
Overlying this plate is a pair of articulated, arms c, which carry guide pins on
their free ends that enter the slots in the plate.
Fitted to each of these arms is an elastic finger or contact maker d, the one
being longer than the other, and connecting the two arms together at their free
ends is a tension spring e.-Overlying the joint pin of the articulated arms is a
potched rod of ebonite or other non-conducting material f. the ends of which
project through holes in the sides of the box a, and are free to slide therein.
By sliding this rod, the free ends of the articulated arms are caused to move
towards or from each other, and thus force the elastic fingers d which they carry,
into contact or out of contact with a metallic strip 6* fitted to the side of the
box a, and having secured to it the second of the electric conducting wires.
The continuations of the electric conducting wires are made fast, the one to the
strip 6, and the other to the slotted plate b.
. When this rod f is pushed in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2, the spring arms
are caused to engage in close succession with the metal plate 6*, as shewn in that
figure, and rub against. its surface, but when' pushed' in the reverse direction, or

page_text: that of the arrow in Fig. 3, the spring arms will break contact in succession, one
arm being used especially to take the spark on breaking contact.
The tension spring e serves to close the elastic fingers in either of their
extreme positions, and thus to hold the rod or push bolt f in either of its two
positions, thereby locking the elastic fingers either in or out of contact with the
metallic strip b*.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st The means above described for providing for the transference of electric
lamps to any desired position in an apartment, without producing undue slack in
the electric conducting cord.
2nd The construction of switch above described for facilitating the supply of
electric current to, and cutting it off from, electric lamps.