US1831477A - Lamp replacer - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 10, 1931. 'N. J. BIRONG ET AL 1,831,477

LAMP REPLACER Filed Dec. 10, 1930 INVENTORS NICHOLAS J. BIRD/Y6 JOHN M/LLEE ATTORNEYS.

' Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES NICHOLAS J'. IBIRONG, OF GLENDALE, AND J OHN MILLER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA PATENT. OFFICE LAiur aEPLAcER Application filed December 10, 193o. Serial ma ia;

Our invention has reference to devices for attaching electric lamps to or removing them from elevated sockets to obviate the necessity of employing step ladders for accomplishing this purpose, such devices being known in the art as lamp replacers.

It is a purpose of our invention to provide a lamp replacer which is characterized by its 1 ing or replacing the lamp. from or to its socket. v

We will describe only one form of lamp replacer embodying our invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings: I

Figure 1 is a View showing in side elevation one form of lamp replacer embodying our, invention and with the replacer in open or non-gripping position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the replacer in lamp gripping position.

Figure 3 is a View taken at right angles .to Figure 2 and with a portion of the device broken away. x Figure it is a fragmentary view similar to Fi ure 2 and showing the arms of the device in gripping relation to a relatively large lamp bulb. I

In carrying out our invention, we provide any desired length. Upon the .upperend of the pole is secured a ferrule 16, and projecting from this ferrule is an ear. v17 through P which extends a pin 18 to provide a pivotal mounting for a pair of crossed levers 19. and 20. V I

The lever 19'beyond the pivot pin 18 is constructed to provide a pair of relatively H curved, and divergent clamping arms 21,and a third and relatively short clamping inserted, all without the necessity of Ioperata handle which is in the form of apole of arm 22.. This arm 22is of a different curvature from that of the arms 21 and is offset laterally with respect thereto for a purpose to be described hereinafter- Beyond the pivot pin 18 the lever is provided with apair of divergent and relatively short clamping arms 23 which are adapted to coact-with the arms 21' as well as the arm .22 in efiiecting gripping of lamp bulbs ofLvarious sizes. All of the arms are covered with sleeves 24 of rubber orother suitable materialin order to provide a yielding medium between the arms: and a lamp bulb to prevent breaking of the latter.

Links 25 are connected to thelower ends of the levers19 and- 20, and from their points of connection with the levers they converge toward the handle 15 where they are connected tothe lower end of a spring 26. This spring is of the coiled contractile type and its upper endis secured to the ferrule 16 by. means of a screw27. This screw may also be employedtosecure the ferrule to the handle] The spring 26 tends to move thelinks upwardly and, in consequence, to move the lower ends of the levers outwardly thereby causingthe two sets of armsifor the respective levers to bespread' to anon-gripping position with; respect to a lamp bulb. I

The upper'end of a spring 28 is connected tothe lower ends of the links 25, while the lower end of the springis connected to the upper end of a cord 29 which extends downwardly through screw eyes 30 secured to the handle l5 for'engagement with a latch head 31 provided with .a base32 secured by means ofscrews 33'to thefhandle 15 preferably-eta point adjacent the lower end of the handle in order that thelatch head may be readily accessible to insert or remove the cord.

j The latch head 31 is provided with a V shaped groove 34 in which the cord 29 is adapted to be received, and the cord is providedat intervals along its length with knots 351 VViththe cord disposed within the groove in the manner illustrated in Figure 2, any one of the knots 35 engagesthe latch head at the lower end of the groove so as to restrain the spring 26 f against contraction to move the levers to'the' position shown in Figure 1.

In operation, the spring 26 causes the arms 21, 22 and 23 to normally occupy non-gripping positions with respect to a lamp bulb, that is when the spring is not expanded by downward pull on the cord 29. Thus, with the clamping arms in non-gripping position, they may be applied to a lamp bulb so that the bulb is interposed between the arms.

By pulling downwardly upon the cord the links 25 are actuated to move the lower ends of the levers inwardly thereby moving the clamping arms inwardly to engage the lamp bulb, and by subsequent pulling on the handle or rotation thereof the bulb can be removed from the socket. By causing one of the knots to engage within the groove of the.

latch head, the cordcan be maintainedin lowered position to retain the clamping arms in gripping engagement with the lamp bulbso that manipulation of the handle to remove the lamp from its socket can be executed with dispatch and without the liability of the arm disengaging the bulb.

WVith the cord 29 held in extended'position by the latch head 31, the spring 26 is extended so that once the cord is disengaged fromthe latch head the spring serves to return the clamping arms to non-gripping' position. However, in practice itis desirableuthat the cord remain latched and the clamping arms in gripping position, and particularly so where a relatively long handle is employed for the reason that the latch head being remote from the clamping arms would necessitate first the unlatchingof the cord and then the holding thereof to prevent the spring 26 from moving the arms to non-gripping posi tion and the consequent dropping ofthe, bulb from the device.

To avoid this awkward method of operation with the attendant possibilities of breaking the bulb, the spring 28 is provided. With the cord latched as described and the clamping arms in gripping position, one may remove the bulb from the clamping arms by manually spreading either one set of arms or the other sufficientlyto allow withdrawal of the bulb from between the arms. Such movement of the clamping arms is permitted by reason of the extensibleconnection provided by the spring 28 for it will be understood that the spring permits upward movement of the links 25 sufficiently to allow the required spreading of the clamping arms to release the bulb. Conversely, a bulb may be inserted between the arms by manually spreading them, and without unlatching the cord from the latch head.-

An important feature of our invention is.

the relative arrangementof the two sets of clamping arms inorder to render the deviseapplicable to lamp bulbs of various sizes. As illustrated, the arms 23 are disposed between the arms 21, and the curvature of the two pairs of arms is such that the arms are arms are adaptable to the gripping of lamp bulbs of various sizes.

Although we have herein shown and described only one form of lamp replacer embody ng our mventlon, 1t is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim V V p 1. A'lamp replacer comprising clamping arms for gripping a lamp bulb, means for mounting the arms to occupy gripping and non-gripping positions, means for yieldably urging the arms to non-gripping position, manually operable means for moving the arms to gripping position, and means for latching the manually operable means to maintain the arms in gripping position, said manually operable means including a yieldvable element which permits manual move.-

ment of the clamping arms to non-gripping position to permit the insertion or removal of a lamp bulb without unlatching the manually operable means.

2. A lamp replacer comprising two sets of arms pivoted to occupy gripping and nongripping positions, one of the arms of one set co-acting' with those of the other to clamp a lamp bulb of one size, and the remaining arms ofthe first set co-acting with those of the other to clamp a lamp bulb of another size when the two are in gripping position.

3. A lamp replacer comprising a pair of crossed and pivoted levers, a pair of arms on. one of the levers, a pair of arms on the other lever co-acting with the first pair of arms to grip relatively large bulbs, and a third arm on one of the levers positioned to co-act with the arms on the other lever for gripping relatively small bulbs.

4. A lamp replacer comprising a pair of levers crossed and pivoted, a pair of arms on one of the levers, a second pair of arms on the other lever, said pairs of arms being curved inwardly, and the arms of one pair being disposed between those of the other pair, and a third arm on that lever having the pair of arms disposed to the outer sides of the other pair of arms, said arm being oiiset with respect to the other arms of the respective lever.

5. A lamp replacer comprising a pair of levers crossed and pivoted, a pair of arms on one of the levers, a second pair of arms on the other lever disposed to the outer sides of the first pair of arms, a third arm on the last to non-gripping position to allow the insermentioned lever between the respective pair tion or removal of a lamp bulb wlthout unof arms so as to co-act with the arms of the latchmg the manually operable means.

NICHOLAS J; BIRONG.

other lever in gripping relatively small lamp bulbs.

6. A lamp replacer comprising a pair of levers crossed and pivoted, a pair of arms on one of the levers, a second pair of arms on the other lever disposed to the outer sides of the first pair of arms, a third arm on the last mentioned lever between the respective pair of arms so as to co-act with the arms of the other lever in gripping relatively small lamp bulbs, means acting to move the levers to positions in which the arms occupy nongripping position with respect to a lamp bulb, and means manually operable for mov ing the levers against the action of the first means for causing the arms to assume a gripping position with respect to a lamp bulb.

7. A lamp replacer as embodied in claim 6 wherein vieldable means is correlated to the manually operable means for permitting movement of the arms to a non-gripping position while the manually operable means is active to retain the arms in gripping position.

8. A lamp replacer comprising a handle, a ferrule on me end of the handle, a pair of levers crossed and pivoted on the ferrule. arms on said levers co-acting with the arms of the other lever to grip bulbs of another size. links connected to the levers and to each other, a spring associated with the links acting to move the levers to a position in which the arms occupy non-gripping position with respect to a bulb. a manually operable member connected to the links and mounted on the handle for actuating the links against the tension of said spring to move the levers into a position in wh ch the arms oc upy grinping position with respect to a lamp bulb, and means on the handle adapted to engage the member for latching the latter in a position in which the arms are retained in bulb arms for gripping a lamp bulb, means for mounting the arms to occupy gripping and non-gripping positions, means for yieldably urging the arms to non-gripping positions, manually operable means for moving the arms to gripping position, and means for so latching the manually operable means to maintain the arms in gripping position and yet ermit manual movement of the arms JOHN MILLER.

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