Post Cap Lamp

Abstract

A molded plastic cap, for a fence-type post, formed of a hollow body having a downwardly opening post socket formed integral with the lower end thereof. The socket is shaped to snugly receive the upper end of a post for mounting the cap thereon. The upper end of the socket extends a short distance upwardly, within the body, and is closed by a horizontal wall having a central opening. An electrical bulb receiving socket is positioned within the post socket, with its upper end abutting said wall. A lamp bulb arranged within the body, above the upper surface of the wall, has a base extending through the wall opening and threadedly engaged with the bulb socket to secure the bulb socket within the cap. Vertically extending, inwardly opening channels are formed on opposing side walls of the post socket and electrical wire is arranged within each channel and connected to the bulb socket base portion, so that the bulb socket is held against turning or twisting within the post socket by means of the wires engaged within the channels, as well as by the upper end of the post abutting the lower end of the bulb socket.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Chain link fences formed of a single strand of link chain supported by spaced apart vertical posts are frequently used for decorative purposes or to bound areas, such as walkways, etc. Decorative caps may be applied to the upper ends of the posts for visual improvement. Where such type fences are used for walkways or driveways or the like, it would be desirable to provide suitable lighting for better nighttime visibility.

Thus, the invention herein relates to forming the decorative caps in such a manner, that they may also function as lamps, so that each post may be lit up when desired. Thus, the lamps are integrated with the chain link support posts.

While outdoor post mounted lamps of various types are conventional, the construction herein is concerned with inexpensive, plastic molded parts which fit and lock together simply and may be easily taken apart, without tools, since such type chain link fences, particularly where used for decorative or demarkation purposes at golf courses, driveways and similar places, must be easily movable so as not to interfere with ground maintenance, as for example mowing grass.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The invention herein contemplats a decorative cap for mounting upon a post supporting a strand of link chain, which cap is made of a molded plastic, hollow body portion through which light may be transmitted, with the lower end of the body provided with a socket for receiving the upper end of the post. Contained within the socket is a conventional electrical lamp bulb socket which is held within the post first, by the bulb which is positioned within the hollow body and whose base extends through a wall portion of the post socket to engage and connect with the bulb socket, and secondly, by the upper end of the post engaging the lower end of the bulb socket, and thirdly by the electrical connecting wire, which carries current to the bulb socket, engaged within integral channels formed within the post socket. Thus, the hollow body, which is preferably formed in two parts so that it may be opened for access to the bulb, the electrical bulb and the electrical bulb socket may all be handled as separate parts and quickly assembled or disassembled without the use of tools, and yet will form a sturdy integrated lamp construction.

Thus, an object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive lamp in the form of a decorative cap for application to the uper end of a fence post, which is formed of a number of separate pieces which may be easily assembled or disassembled as desired, without tools, and yet will be weather tight and durable for outdoor use.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become aparent upon reading the following description, of which the attached drawings form a part.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a decorative chain link fence incorporating the post cap lamps.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view, of a post with a cap mounted thereon and a connecting chain (shown in dotted line).

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the lower part of the cap body, taken in the direction of arrows 3--3 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the cap mounted upon the upper end of a post.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view taken in the direction of arrows 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the parts shown disassembled.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the upper end of a post, and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the electrical bulb receiving socket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a chain link fence 10 formed of a single strand of link chain 11 supported by post 12. Preferably, the link chain is of molded plastic as are the posts. Although the shape of the post may vary, by way of example, the posts are illustrated as being each H-shaped in cross-section with a central web 13 and side flanges 14 making up the H-shape. The lower end of the web is extended to form a pointed spike 15 for penetration into the ground G. A central flange 16 is formed integral with the opposite faces of the web 13. Preferably, the central flange is tapered from the lower point upwardly and then back downwardly into the plane of the web. The upper end of the post is provided with a slot 17 for receiving a link of the chain.

Removably mounted upon the top of the post is a cap 20, illustrated as being spherical in shape with a lower hemispherical body part 21 and an upper hemispherical part 22 having a rim 23 overlapping and receiving the upper free edge of the lower part for frictionally retaining the two parts together.

The lower body part 21 is formed with an integral post receiving socket 25 which extends below the body part as well as upwardly into the interior of the body part where it is closed off by a horizontal wall 26 having a central hole 27. The post receiving socket 25 is also formed with channels 28 on opposite walls of the approximately rectangular shaped in cross-section socket, which channels extend the full height of the socket.

Loosely fitted within the post receiving socket 25 is a conventional electrical bulb receiving socket member 30 having a base portion 31 to which are connected wires 32 for providing electrical power as well as for interconnecting the bulb sockets of each of the various caps. That is, the wire extends from one cap to the next and then is plugged into an electrical outlet.

The wire 32 on each side of the socket member 30, is arranged within the channels or grooves 28 in the post sockets, and being relatively stiff holds the bulb receiving socket member against twisting or turning within the post socket when the electrical lamp bulb 33 is inserted through the hole 27 in the wall 26 and its threaded bulb base 34 is threadedly engaged within the threaded receptacle 35 in the bulb-receiving socket. Once the bulb is threaded tightly into place, it holds the bulb receiving socket against removal from the post socket. When it is desired to remove the electrical bulb or to disassemble the unit, the electrical bulb 33 may be unthreaded from the receptacle, with the electrical wires 32, which have sufficient stiffness, holding the bulb socket against turning or twisting.

The post socket is of a cross-sectional size to snugly receive the upper end of the post. Due to the slot 17 in the web 13, the post upper end is resilient so as to permit squeezing and resilient expansion within the post socket for tightly frictionally holding it in place. Since the cap covers the upper end of the post slot 17, it keeps the chain 11 therein and conversely, must be removed for removal of the chain from the post.

As can be seen, the caps may be utilized without the electrical wire connetions and bulbs and bulb sockets, merely as decorative caps as well as to provide the function of holding the chains within the upper ends of the post slots. When it is desired to provide lights in conjunction with the use of such a fence, the electrical sockets 30, which may be premounted in spaced relationship upon the wire 32, may be placed into the caps and then locked in plce by insertion of the bulbs and utilized for as long as desired. Conversely, they may be removed from the caps when not needed. Thus, for such use as driveway markers, the electrical lighting can be provided when needed and removed when not necessary.

The shapes of the posts and of the caps may be varied for different decorative effect. However, preferably they are made of molded plastic and the cap body portion must be of a material which is transparent or transluscent to light.

Claims

Having fully described an operative embodiment of this invention, I now claim:

1. A cap lamp for mounting upon the upper end of a post, comprising:

a thin wall hollow body of a light transmitting plastic material;

a downwardly opening post socket formed integral with the lower end of the body and being of a size to snugly receive the upper end of a post for mounting the cap upon the post;

a wall substantially closing off the upper end of the socket, and a central opening formed in said wall;

an electrical bulb-receiving socket member located within the post socket below said wall and having an upper bulb-receiving receptacle positioned beneath said wall opening;

an electrical lightbulb arranged within the body, above said wall and having a base extended downwardly through said opening and releaseably engaged with said receptacle, for securing the bulb-receiving socket member within the post socket; and

a vertically extending inwardly opening channel formed within a generally vertical inner wall surface of the post socket and extending the height thereof, said electrical bulb-receiving socket member having a generally vertical surface closely adjacent said post socket vertical surface, and a relatively stiff, electrical wire extending from the bulb-receiving socket member vertical surface and projecting immediately into and extending along said channel for holding said bulb-receiving socket against turning and twisting relative to the post socket, said wire further extending from the lower end of the post socket for connection to an electrical power source, for thereby carrying the electrical power to the bulb.

2. A cap lamp as defined in claim 1, and including a second inwardly opening channel formed within the inner wall surface of the post socket, opposite to said first mentioned channel and said electrical wire having a portion connected to and extending from the bulb socket means and arranged within said second channel and extending downwardly and outwardly of the post socket for connection to additional similar cap lamps, and for likewise holding the bulb socket means against turning and twisting within the post socket.

3. A cap lamp as defined in claim 1, and wherein the upper end of said post socket extends upwardly within the hollow body so that said wall is located a short distance above the lower end of the hollow body for thereby positioning the bulb well within the hollow body and roughly near the center thereof.

4. A cap lamp as defined in claim 1 and said hollow body being approximately sperhical in shape and being formed in two approximately hemispherical parts, namely, a lower part with which said post socket is integrally formed, and an upper, removable part whose free edge is formed to releasably engage with the upper free edge of the lower part.

5. A cap lamp as defined in claim 4 above, and said post socket being in the form of a thin wall, uniform, roughly rectangular cross-sectional shaped tube whose upper end portion is formed integral with said lower part and whose lower end portion is open to receive and frictionally hold the upper end of the post whose upper end portion is formed to correspondingly engage within said post socket.

6. A cap lamp as defined in claim 1 in combination with a post, the post having an upper end portion inserted within the post socket and abutting against a lower end of the electrical bulb-receiving socket to retain the electrical bulb-receiving socket within the post socket against axial displacement.