U.S. patent number 3,886,349 [Application Number 05/455,449] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-27 for mechanical connecting device.
Invention is credited to Akira Arai.
United States Patent |
3,886,349 |
Arai |
May 27, 1975 |
Mechanical connecting device
Abstract
A projector lamp includes a housing rear wall with a central
opening and a coaxial disc having a central opening surrounded by a
truncated conical lip bearing on the rear wall. A lamp socket
forward of the disc includes an axial screw projecting loosely
through a sleeve fixed to the disc and engaged by a thumb nut. A
pair of screws project through 90.degree. spaced holes in the rear
wall and engage tapped openings in the disc. A spring member
includes a rear annulus bearing on the disc front face and curved,
forwardly directed, angularly spaced leaf springs engaging
peripherally spaced points on the socket and a leaf spring engaging
the housing wall to rearwardly urge the spring member. The lamp
socket is universally adjustable by the pair of screws and thumb
nut.
Inventors: |
Arai; Akira (Tokyo,
JA) |
Family
ID: |
27300220 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/455,449 |
Filed: |
March 27, 1974 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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275030 |
Jul 25, 1972 |
3832075 |
Aug 27, 1974 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Aug 5, 1971 [JA] |
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46-70016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
362/306; 362/351;
362/404 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21V
17/164 (20130101); F21V 5/008 (20130101); F21V
21/02 (20130101); F16B 7/00 (20130101); F21V
21/00 (20130101); F21V 19/02 (20130101); F21V
21/30 (20130101); F21W 2131/406 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F21S
8/00 (20060101); F21V 17/16 (20060101); F21V
21/00 (20060101); F16B 7/00 (20060101); F21V
17/00 (20060101); F21V 19/02 (20060101); F21V
21/02 (20060101); F21m 013/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;240/41BM,41SC,41L,41R,52R,52.1,81 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Sheer; Richard M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wolder & Gross
Parent Case Text
REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS
The present application is a divisional application of co-pending
Patent Application Ser. No. 275,030, filed July 25, 1972 now U.S.
Pat. No. 3,832,075 granted Aug. 27, 1974.
Claims
I claim:
1. A projector lamp device comprising a cup shaped shell including
a base wall having an opening therein and a forwardly directed
peripheral skirt wall, a first plate disposed forwardly of said
shell base wall and having an opening therein registering with said
base wall opening, a sleeve secured to said first plate in registry
with the opening in said first plate and projecting rearwardly
through said base wall opening, means supporting said first plate
on said shell base wall for angular adjustment of said first plate
about angularly related axes, a lamp socket assembly disposed
forwardly of said first plate and including a socket rear mounting
plate, a spring member having a base section bearing on the front
face of said first plate and having an opening registering with
said first plate opening and a plurality of angularly spaced curved
forwardly outwardly projecting leaf spring fingers extending from
said base section into engagement with peripherally spaced points
on said socket rear mounting plate, a screw member secured to said
socket rear mounting plate and projecting rearwardly loosely
through said sleeve and an adjustable nut engaging said screw
member rearwardly of said sleeve.
2. The device of claim 1 including a stop element located on the
inside face of said skirt wall and a curved leaf spring extending
from said spring member base section to said stop element to
rearwardly urge said base section into bearing relationship on the
front face of said first plate.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein said first plate includes an
annular rearwardly, inwardly, direct lip surrounding the opening in
said first plate and bearing on said shell rear wall.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein said shell base wall has a pair of
peripherally spaced apertures equidistant from the opening in said
shell base wall and peripherally spaced 90.degree. and said first
plate has a pair of tapped openings angularly aligned with said
shell base wall apertures and said first plate support means
comprises screws projecting through said shell base wall apertures
and engaging said first plate tapped openings.
5. The device of claim 1 including a forwardly concave reflector
positioned forwardly of said lamp socket assembly and having a
central opening coaxial with said lamp socket assembly.
6. A lamp position adjusting apparatus for use in a projector
having an umbrella-shaped reflecting mirror comprising: a disc
(120) with a central hole and a portion around the central hole
protruded into the configuration of a truncated cone or hub rising
in one direction from the disc plane; a cup-shaped member (114)
adapted to receive a lamp and having a projection on an inner
surface; a tubular sleeve (120b) having an inner end coaxially
fixed in the central hole of said disc (120) and loosely inserted
from the inside into a hole bored centrally in the bottom of said
cup-shaped member (114); a lamp socket (107a) having a bottom wall;
a bolt (118) coaxially engaged with said lamp socket (107a) loosely
inserted into said tubular sleeve from the inner end thereof; a nut
(121) threaded onto the projected end of said bolt; a ring (119)
arranged between said disc (120) and lamp socket (107a) and having
a central hole loosely penetrated by said bolt (118); a plurality
of loop springs (119a), each extending integrally and radially from
the circumference of the ring (119) in the form of arches rising
unidirectionally from the ring plane and engaging the peripheral
portion of said bottom wall of the lamp socket for thereby urging
the same in the forward direction; another curved leaf spring
(119b) extending integrally and radially from the curcumference of
said ring (119) and having a free end engaging said projection
formed on the inner wall surface of said cup-shaped member (114)
for thereby making said hub portion or truncated conical portion of
said disc (120) pressedly engage with the inner bottom surface of
said cup-shaped member (114); and two screws (122) loosely and
externally inserted through corresponding holes bored eccentrically
in the bottom of said cup-shaped member at an equal distance from
the center thereof and along two radii crossing at right angles and
then threaded into corresponding eccentric holes (122a) bored in
said disc (120).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to improvements in
mechanical connectors and projector lamps, and it relates
particularly to an improved separable coupling and a projector lamp
adjusting mechanism.
It is frequently desirable to interconnect the components of
various devices by coupling means which permits the rapid firm
assembly and disassembly of a pair of components without the use of
tools. Among the devices frequently requiring such separable
coupling means are for example, toys, lighting fixtures, various
appliances and the like. The separable coupling means heretofore
available or proposed possess numerous drawbacks and disadvantages.
They are generally awkward arrangements of low reliability and
often complicated and expensive, of little versatility and
otherwise leave much to be desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an
improved projector lamp and mechanical connecting device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
separable coupling.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved mechanical separable coupling which may be easily operated
without the use of tools.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved
light projector having a lamp position adjusting mechanism for
selectively varying the light projecting and focussing
characteristics of the projector.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a
separable coupling and adjusting mechanism of the above nature
characterized by their reliability, simplicity, ruggedness, ease of
operation, low cost and great versatility.
The above and other objects of the present invention will become
apparent from a reading of the following description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate
preferred embodiments thereof.
In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of a
separable coupling comprising a female coupling member including a
first peripheral wall having a plurality of circumferentially
spaced recesses accessible at the inner face of the peripheral wall
and cam defining faces tapered radially outwardly in a direction
from each of the recesses toward the outer edge of the wall, a male
coupling member having a circular second peripheral wall at least
partially telescoping the first peripheral wall and having
peripherally spaced openings registering with corresponding
recesses, and an elongated resilient member disposed in the male
coupling member and having outwardly directed ears resiliently
biased outwardly under the influence of the resilient member
through respective of the openings and into engagement with the
recesses when the coupling members are in coupled condition.
The peripheral walls of the coupling members may be of conical or
cylindrical shape and continuous or interrupted along their
circumferences. The recesses and openings are advantageously
circumferential slots and the locking member is formed of spring
wire with the ears having outwardly converging sides. Cam faces are
formed on the inside surfaces of the female coupling member
peripheral wall, the cam faces flaring outwardly toward the wall
outer edge. In the fully extended condition of the ears, the
distance of the ends of the ears from the center of coupling member
is less than that of the outer edges of the cam faces. Where the
peripheral walls are conical the inside surface of the female
coupling member defines the cam faces.
Another feature of the present invention resides in the lamp
position adjusting mechanism in the light projector in which an
adjusting plate is positioned in front of the projector rear wall
and carries an axial sleeve projecting rearwardly through an
opening in the projector rear wall. A conical lip projects
rearwardly from the adjusting plate around the sleeve and bears on
the projector rear wall and a pair of 90.degree. spaced adjusting
screws extend through openings in the projector rear wall and
engaged tapped openings in the adjusting plate. A spring member
includes an annulus bearing on the adjusting plate front face,
radially extending forwardly projecting curved leaf springs
supporting a lamp socket at their free ends and a leaf spring
engaging a fixed point to rearwardly urge the annulus. A screw
projects rearwardly from the lamp socket through the sleeve and is
engaged by a thumb nut at its rear portion.
The improved coupling and lamp adjusting mechanism are reliable,
simple, rugged, highly reliable and of great versatility.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a coupling embodying the
present invention illustrated in a separated condition;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of still
another embodiment of the present invention shown in which the
coupling is shown in a coupled condition;
FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view, partially broken away, of a
further embodiment of the present invention shown in a separated
condition;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of an adjustable lamp
employing the coupling of the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a part thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1 which shows a preferred embodiment of the
present invention for separably coupling two separate male and
female coupling member which respectively include cylinders 1 and 2
by mating or telescoping the first cylinder 1 within the second
cylinder 2 which has a relatively large wall thickness and an inner
diameter equal to the outer diameter of the first cylinder 1.
Within the cylinder 1 is positioned a spring 3a in a transverse
plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder 1 in
such a manner that it resiliently presses on the inner wall surface
of the cylinder 1. The spring 3a is a wire spring having the
configuration of expandable arch. The spring 3a has looped or bent
sections or ears 3a' with outwardly converging sides and which
project outwardly from both ends of the spring 3a and at any
convenient positions therebetween. The ears 3a' pass through
corresponding holes 4 in the shape of slots formed in the wall of
the first cylinder and the projecting end of each ear or looped
sections extend outwardly to some extent from the circumferential
surface of the first cylinder 1. Moreover, there are formed tapered
surfaces 5 in the inner wall surface of the thick-walled cylinder 2
at positions where the projecting outer end portions of the looped
sections or ears 3a' engage the second cylinder 2 during coupling.
As the cylinder 1 is inserted in the cylinder 2 to an increasingly
deeper position, the tapered surfaces 5 cooperate with the
outwardly projected portions of the looped sections and push them
into the associating holes 4 formed in the cylinder 1. In the wall
of the cylinder 2, there are formed slot shaped holes or cavities 6
at the positions adjacent to the inner edge of the tapered
surfaces.
The outwardly projecting portions of the ears 3a' formed on the
expandable spring 3a are pushed into the wall of the cylinder 1 by
means of the tapered surfaces 5 on the cylinder 2 as the lower end
of the cylinder 1 is inserted in the cylinder 2 to an increasingly
deeper position against the outward bias of spring 3a. When the
outwardly projected ends of the ears pass over the inner edge of
the tapered surfaces 5 and reach the positions opposite to the
through holes or cavities 6 formed in the wall of the cylinder 2,
the outwardly projected ends of the looped sections are allowed to
enter the through holes or cavities 6 by the expanding force of the
spring 3a. Thus the mating cylinders 1 and 2 are firmly coupled
together. When it is desired to separate these two cylinders from
each other, one of the cylinders is rotated with respect to the
other about their common axis. The engaging portions of the loop
sections or ears 3a' formed on the spring 3a will then be pushed
into the wall of the cylinder 1 against the expanding force of the
spring 3a due to the sliding contact with the edge of the through
holes or cavities 6, so that these mating cylinders can be pulled
away in the opposite directions along the common central axis. Upon
separation of these cylinders, the spring 3a restores to the
initial position as shown in FIG. 1 due to the expandability of the
spring 3a.
In FIG. 2 there is illustrated another embodiment of the present
invention, wherein the outer cylinder is formed of thin plate. In
this embodiment, there are formed in the enlarged upper border 2a
of the female coupling member outwardly bulging bill-shaped
sections 5a having cam-defining tapered inner surfaces. Also formed
in border 2a are holes 6a at positions adjacent to the inner edge
of the tapered surfaces. These tapered surfaces and holes 6a are
essentially equivalent to the tapered surfaces 5 formed internally
in the thick wall of the cylinder 2 and to the through holes or
cavities 6 as shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the expandable arched
spring is positioned in cylinder 1a and is shown as a V-shaped
expandable spring 3b having ears or looped sections 3b' at both
ends thereof. It will be noted that the expandable spring may
include additional ears looped sections other than those formed at
both ends thereof.
FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of the present invention in
which the coupling members 1c and 2c are of conical shape. In this
case since the conical inner surface of the external cylinder 2c
serves to push the looped sections 3c' of the expandable spring 3c
into the wall of inner cylinder 1c at the early stage of mating of
the two cylinders, there is no need of forming tapered surfaces as
described previously in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 for pushing
the ears looped sections inwardly. The inside face of the upper
border of female member 2c defines cam faces.
FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment according to the present
invention adapted to detachably couple, for example, a dish-like
decorative metal cap 7 mounted on top of a hanging pipe 7a of a
pendent type lighting fixture with a mounting plate 8 fixedly
attached to the ceiling board 9 by means of rivets or the like. The
circumferential wall of the dish-like decorative metal cap 7 is
shaped conically, and the mounting plate securedly mounted on the
ceiling board includes a disk having three integral lugs 8a
depending from the periphery thereof. The lugs 8a are so designed
that they correspond to a portion of the circumferential wall of a
virtual hollow cone which may be established with the mounting
plate 8 as its base. The dimensions of the lugs 8a are such that,
when the decorative metal cap 7 is mounted coaxially over the
mounting plate 8, the lugs 8a can be brought into contact with the
inner surface of the conical circumferential wall of the metal cap
7. In each lug 8a there is formed a horizontal slot adapted to
receive a corresponding ear or bent loop section of the expandable
arched spring 3d in the same manner as described in the previous
embodiments. Thus the projected or outer end portions 3d' of the
looped sections will slightly extend beyond the lugs. In the
conical circumferential wall of the dish-like decorative metal cap
7 are formed horizontal slots 6a, which are adapted to receive the
projected end portions of the looped sections when the open end
surface of the dish-like decorative metal cap 7 is brought into
contact with the ceiling board. It will readily be understood from
the above description that the coupling means shown in FIG. 4
substantially corresponds in construction to the embodiment of FIG.
3. Thus in FIG. 4 when the dish-like metal cap 7 is mounted
coaxially over the mounting plate 8 secured on the ceiling board,
the projected end portions 3d' of the ears or looped sections
formed on the spring 3d will enter the corresponding slots 6d
formed in the conical circumferential wall of the dish-like metal
cap so that the latter can be mounted on the ceiling. It will be
understood that the cap 7 cn be dismounted from the ceiling board
by rotating the same around the central axis thereof.
Although the embodiment of FIG. 4 has been described as a coupling
means for mounting a decorative metal cap of a pendent type
lighting fixture onto the ceiling board, the structure may be
inverted to make a coupling for detachably mounting the dish-like
metal cap 7 which is coaxially secured at the bottom of the post 7a
onto the floor board by use of a mounting plate having lugs. Of
course the conical mating members shown in FIG. 4 may also be made
to have right cylindrical configurations as shown in FIG. 1 or
2.
It is known that the mating cylindrical bodies can be held together
by means of some knock pins or balls. In such a conventional
arrangement, the individual knock pin or ball has to be arranged
resiliently in the wall of the cylindrical bodies. This
arrangement, therefore, is hardly applicable to the hollow bodies
having a small wall thickness, and also the structure of the
resulting coupling means becomes disadvantageously complicated.
According to the present invention, in place of the knock pins or
balls, looped sections or ears are formed on an expandable spring
which is extended along the inner surface of one mating cylinder.
This arrangement is advantageous especially when some components
are to be accommodated within the cylinders, because this
arrangement minimally decreases the internal space within the
cylinders.
In FIGS. 5 and 6 there is shown a lamp adjusting mechanism and a
coupling according to an embodiment of this invention in a
projector for illuminating a room, stage or display goods. The left
half portion 101 defining an outer cylindrical body is open at its
rear end (in this description, the left and right ends of the
illustrated projector correspond to the rear and front ends thereof
respectively). An end plate 101a having a central
light-transmitting opening 102 formed therein is suitably secured
in position to the inner front border of the half portion 101. On
the end plate 101a are positioned four stay bolts 103 at locations
corresponding to the corners of a square the center of which
coincides with the center of the end plate. A front end plate of
the inner cylinder 104 is arranged coaxially with, but spaced from
the half portion 101 of the outer cylinder by means of spacer tubes
mounted on the stay bolts 103. The front end plate of the inner
cylinder has a central light-transmitting opening drilled therein,
which is approximately equal to the light-transmitting opening 102
in size and configuration. To the open rear end of the inner
cylinder is riveted the peripheral flange of the rear inner
cylinder 106 with the circumferential collar of a concave
reflecting mirror 105 being sandwiched therebetween. In the rear
end plate 106a of the rear inner cylinder 106 and in the reflecting
mirror are formed, respectively, central openings for permitting a
light source lamp 107 described hereunder to be inserted from the
rear side along the main optical axis of the projector.
To the front extensions of the four stay bolts 103 and spaced from
front end plate 101a by spacer tubes mounted around the stay bolts
is fastened with associated nuts the rear end flange of a cylinder
109 for slideably guiding a lens holding sleeve 108. Since a headed
screw 110 screwed into the lens holding sleeve 108 which is
inserted in the guide cylinder 109 is slideable along the axially
extending slot 109a formed in the guide cylinder 109, the lens
holding sleeve 108 and the guide cylinder 109 can be locked
together at any desired relative position along the common axis
thereof.
Between the front end plate 101a of the outer cylinder 1 and the
rear end of the cylinder 109 for guiding the lens holding sleeve
108 extend a pair of leaf springs 123 at both sides of the
light-transmitting opening 102. If desired, for adjusting the light
to be projected a mask plate 112 having a central opening 111 may
be secured between the leaf spring 123 and the front surface of the
end plate 101a. The outer cylinder 113 shown in the right portion
of FIG. 5 is releasably mounted around the outer peripheral surface
of the bent portion formed on the front end plate 101a so that the
rear and front outer cylinders 101 and 113 form a detachably
coupled single cylindrical body having a common axis, by means of a
releasable coupling of the construction shown in FIG. 3, in which
the front end section of portion 101 is conical and nests in the
conical end section of portion 113, and the looped sections 3c' of
a curved wire spring located in portion 101 project through slots
in portion 101 and releasably engage aligned slots in portion 113.
The rear outer cylinder 101 is kept in association with a suitable
base (not shown) by means of some universal joint so that the axis
of light to be projected can be directed in any desired direction
and, if desired, said universal joint can be locked once the
direction of the light being projected has been decided.
On the rear end portion of the inner cylinder 106 is disengageably
mounted a cup-shaped body 114 at its open peripheral edge, the
cup-shaped body 114 being adapted to hold therein a light source
lamp. A disc-shaped metallic washer 115 is coaxially arranged on
the rear end of a socket 107a (see FIG. 6) adapted to receive the
light source lamp 107 and, by riveting the washer 115 with the bent
end portions of the metallic strip 116 attached on the socket, the
washer 115 and the socket 107a are coupled together and form an
integral unit. Additionally, a screw 118 is inserted in the central
hole drilled in the washer 115 from the right hand side in the
plane of FIG. 6. At a time when the counter-sunk head of the screw
113 is received in the counter sink of the central hole, the
circumferential area and the counter-sunk head of the screw 118 are
soldered together so that the screw 118 forms an integral extension
of the axis of the socket 107a. The screw 118 also extends loosely
through the central hole formed in a ring 119 formed of a phosphor
bronze plate. The ring 119 has several integral leaf springs 119a
extending outwardly in various directions from the ring 119. These
leaf springs 119a are all curved towards the washer 115 in such a
manner that each end thereof can be inserted in and secured by an
associated slot 115a in the washer 115. The peripheral notches
115b, which are formed in the washer 115 at positions adjacent to
respective slots 115a, provide the leaf springs 119a with
clearances when the leaf springs 119a are bent sufficiently as
shown in FIG. 5. One or more of the leaf springs 119a are shaped to
have a gentler curve than the other leaf springs 119a as shown at
119b. By engaging a notch 119b' formed on the free end of leaf
spring 119b with a projection 114a formed on the inner wall surface
on the cup-shaped body 114 at a suitable position, the springs 119a
press the ring 119 towards the bottom of the cup-shaped body 114. A
disc 120 is arranged coaxially between the ring 119 and the bottom
plate of the cup-shaped body 114. At the center of the disc 120 is
formed a cone-shaped counter sink 120a of which circumferential
surface is soldered with the outer peripheral surface of the inner
end (right end as seen in the drawing) of a bushing 120b inserted
in the central sink 120a from the left hand side as seen in FIG. 6,
so that the bushing 120b and the disc 120 form substantially an
integral unit. The bushing 120b extends loosely through the central
hole formed in the bottom plate of the cup-shaped body 114 as shown
in FIG. 5. Within the bushing 120b is loosely inserted the screw
118 and on the leading end of the screw 118 is mounted an adjusting
nut 121. A pair of holes are drilled in the bottom of the
cup-shaped body 114 at an equal distance from the center of the
bottom of the cup-shaped body along the two radii which intersect
each other at right angles. There are inserted in these holes a
pair of headed screws 122 from the left hand side as seen in FIG.
5, the leading ends of the screws 122 being screwed in the
corresponding eccentric threaded holes 122a formed in the disc 120.
These two eccentric threaded holes 122a, also, are located along
two radii which intersect each other at right angles at the center
of the disc 120. On the periphery of the disc 120 are formed
notches 120c, which provide the leaf springs 119a with clearances
as in the same manner as the notches 115b formed in the washer 115
and serve to prevent the relative rotation between the ring 119 and
the disc 120.
As the structure for supporting the light source lamp within the
cup-shaped body 114 is as above, the light source lamp 107, socket
107a, washer 115, and screw 118 form substantially a single
integral body which is biased rightwards in the plane of FIG. 5 by
the resilient force of the leaf springs 119a. On the other hand,
the truncated cone formed on the disc 120 which is integrally
connected with the bushing 120b is pressed by leaf springs 119b
against the inner surface of the bottom plate of the cup-shaped
body 114. Therefore, if nut 121 shown in the left end portion of
FIG. 5 is screwed in, the light source lamp 107 will be retreated
along the main optical axis against the forward biasing force of
the leaf springs 119a. On the contrary, if the nut is screwed out,
the light source lamp 107 will be advanced by the biasing force of
the leaf springs 119a. In addition, when either one of the two
screws 122 of which heads are exposed outside the bottom plate of
the cup-shaped body 114 is tightened, the screw 118 which is
coupled integrally with the light source lamp will be tilted about
the truncated cone formed on the disc 120 towards the screw 122
which has been tightened. As mentioned above, each of the two
screws 122 is disposed on either one of the two radii which
intersect each other at right angles at the center of the base
plate on the cup-shaped body 114, the light source lamp can be
tilted, by tightening or loosening either one of the screws 122, in
both the vertical and horizontal planes and furthermore, by
appropriately tightening or loosening both the screws 122, to any
intermediate directions between the vertical and horizontal
planes.
The lamp assembly is mounted to a female coupling member 137, of
similar construction to that shown in FIG. 4, by means of a post
137a coaxial with coupling member 137 and having one end secured to
the horizontal plate of coupling member 137 and its other end
suitably connected to the forward border of shell 101. Like the
female coupling member shown in FIG. 4, the coupling member
includes a conical peripheral wall which is beaded along its edge
as at 138 and has formed therein a plurality of circumferentially
spaced horizontal slots 133d' corresponding to slots 6d. In other
respects the coupling member 137 is similar to that shown in FIG. 4
and may be employed with a mating male coupling member, like that
shown in FIG. 4, which is provided with an associated wire spring
having outwardly directed ears, or like that shown in FIG. 3.
While there have been described and illustrated preferred
embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous
alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing
from the spirit thereof.
* * * * *