U.S. patent number 3,666,935 [Application Number 05/037,584] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-30 for retractable flood lamp.
Invention is credited to Charles E. Derry, Oscar G. Pritchett.
United States Patent |
3,666,935 |
Pritchett , et al. |
May 30, 1972 |
RETRACTABLE FLOOD LAMP
Abstract
A lamp designed particularly for being flush mounted in numerous
applications particularly at aircraft fields, the device comprising
continually plurality of lamp bulbs which are footed within a
vertically slideable carriage that is track mounted within the
housing so as to bring the carriage above the surface of the ground
while the housing is secured below ground, thus allowing the lamp
to extend above the ground surface only when necessary.
Inventors: |
Pritchett; Oscar G. (McChord
AFB, WA), Derry; Charles E. (St. Maries, ID) |
Family
ID: |
21895129 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/037,584 |
Filed: |
May 15, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/247;
248/354.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64F
1/20 (20130101); F21V 21/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B64F
1/20 (20060101); B64F 1/00 (20060101); F21V
21/00 (20060101); F21S 003/00 (); F21P
005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;240/3,1.2,66,67 ;312/29
;248/354R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Prince; Louis R.
Assistant Examiner: Yasich; Daniel M.
Claims
What I now claim is:
1. In a retractable flood lamp, the combination of an assembly
comprised of a lower box, said lower box having a flange around the
upper edge thereof, said flange extending outwardly and being
secured at the level of the ground, a carriage vertically movable
within said lower box, a lamp box being mounted on said carriage,
said lamp box containing a plurality of lamps for directing light
rays outward therefrom, said lamp box being provided with a
reflector on the side thereof opposite to said lamps, one side of
said lamp box comprising a transparent glass window through which
said light shines, opposite ends of said lamp box being secured to
opposite upwardly extending walls of said carriage and between
which walls said lamp box in placed, said carriage comprising a
horizontal floor having said opposite side walls extending upwardly
from opposite ends of said floor, said floor having a pair of
downward projecting walls on the underside thereof, said downwardly
extending walls each supporting a pair of bolts therethrough, each
said bolt supporting rotatably freely thereon a roller.
2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lower box
is provided with a plurality of vertically extending roller tracks,
each one of said rollers being vertically slideable within one of
said roller tracks, and a lower end of an actuator being pivotably
mounted freely to a bottom wall of said lower box, the opposite end
of said actuator being pivotably mounted freely to an underside of
said carriage floor.
Description
This invention relates generally to lamps such as are used for
flood lighting an area.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a
retractable flood lamp designed particularly for being flush
mounted within the ground so to be out of the way, but which in an
operative use may be upwardly extended above the ground surface so
to illuminate an area, after which it may be again retracted.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a retractable
flood lamp designed particularly for use at airports, and wherein
with the lamp assembly mounted between aircraft such as fighters in
normal parking rows, this lamp assemply can flood left side of one
aircraft and a right side of adjacent aircraft.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a retractable
flood lamp which is particularly suitable in many areas where
lighting is required but pole mounted lamps are impractical.
Another object is to provide a retractable flood lamp which can be
mounted on aircraft carriers and other ships' decks, and which will
be flushed when not in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a retractable
flood lamp which can be installed on ramps of air terminals so to
allow passengers to see from an to terminal buildings, and which
will also be useful to ground crew use.
Still another object is to provide a retractable flood lamp with
which certain alterations can be used upon a home lawn, a patio or
swimming pool and the like.
Other objects of the present invention are to provide a retractable
flood lamp which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture,
rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.
These and other objects will become readily evident upon a study of
the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the units comprising the
present invention,
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view thereof with the carriage in an
above ground position, and
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an actuator comprising a
component of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown a
retractable flood lamp according to the present invention wherein
there is a reflector 1 and a lamp box top 2 of a lamp box 3. A
plurality of light bulb sockets 4 a positioned on opposite sides of
the lamp box between which there are supported a plurality of
electric light bulbs 5. The opposite sides of the lamp box are
outwardly rounded as shown in FIG. 1 and a washer with friction cup
is positioned on each outer side thereof. An electric circuit
housing 7 is located in the lower portion of the lamp box, and a
glass lamp cover 8 is located on a further wall of the lamp box 3
so the light rays from the lamps may project outwardly of the lamp
box. A nut 9 is welded to the box interior of the opposite
outwardly rounded side walls so as to engage a bolt 10 that is
passed through a washer 11 and through a side wall 12 of a carriage
13, the light box being hidded between the walls 12 of the
carriage.
It is to be noted that the reflector 1 is positioned against the
upper side of the lamp box top for reflective purposes.
As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, the carriage 13 has a pair of
downwardly extending walls 14 extending downward below a floor 15
upon which the lamp box 3 is positioned. A pair of openings 16 are
provided in each wall 14 for the purpose of receiving there through
a bolt 17 upon which there is mounted rotatively free a roller 18,
the roller 18 being slideable within a roller tract 19 of the lower
box 20. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for purpose of smooth operation
of the roller in the roller tract, there is fitted on bolts 17 a
pair of washers 21 between which there is a compression coil spring
22 located on one side of the vertical wall 14 while on the
opposite side of the wall 14 there is mounted on the bolt 17 a pair
of washers 23 between which there is a compression coil spring 24,
the assembly being secured by means of a nut 25 secured by carter
key 26, the carter key being fitted through the nut 25 and the bolt
17.
The lower box 20 includes an outwardly extending flange around the
upper edge thereof as shown at 27 for purpose of flush mounting
with any ground surface. In the bottom of the box 20 there is a
cross configurated lower wall 28 upon which there is a bottom
actuator end mount 29 comprised of two elements in between which
there may be fitted one end of an actuator 30 shown in FIG. 3. This
actuator is provided with an opening 31 in one end thereof for
being fitted on a bolt 32 passed through openings 33 in the mounts
29 and which is secured by means of a washer 34, and a nut 35
secured by means of a carter key 36. The opposite end of the
actuator 30 has an opening 37 receiving a bolt 38 passed through an
opening 39 in an upper actuator end mount 40 secured to the under
side of the floor 15 of the carriage 13. The bolt 38 is then fitted
with a nut 41 and secured by a carter key 42.
As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, the actuator 30 has an electric
wire connected there to, thus indicating that electrical energy is
applied there to so to drive an electric motor contained there
within.
The actuator 30 includes an actuator shaft 43 fitted through a
washer 44 which has a nut 45 welded on the washer. A sleeve 46 is
fitted over one end of the actuator, the sleeve containing a coil
spring 47, the opposite end of the spring bearing against a washer
48 having nut 49 secured thereto by a weld, the nut supporting a
bearing containing the opening 37 there through and through which
the bolt 38 extends. It will now be evident that the actuator
serves to vertically move the carriage above and below a flush
mount with the ground surface.
To mount this invention into the ground, a hole larger than the
size of the housing or lower box 20 would be dug in the ramp and
the insides cemented to prevent dirt caving in on the unit. The
hole, being larger than the box 20, will allow for natural water
drainage. The flange would prevent the unit from falling to low
below the ground surface and the flange also serves for securing
the unit in the ground. Limit switches may be mounted externally of
the actuator to limit the actuator travel and to turn the light on
and off as desired. Limit switch is mounted in the actuator which
utilize the extended actuator hot wire to turn the light on and
off.
It is to be noted that the coil springs 22 and 24 illustrated in
FIG. 1, and the coil spring 47 illustrated in FIG. 3 have a second
purpose of absorbing some of the shock in case the unit is hit
while in an extended position.
Other uses for the present invention are for mounting the unit at a
slight angle in a garage floor or a lubrication room of a service
station under the lubrication racks. The present invention could
also be used for flood lighting of signs, billboards and the like.
Other uses for the invention would be for picnic areas, parks,
sidewalks, driveways and other areas which require lighting in
security of buildings or the like.
* * * * *