Untitled record

Application filed August 4,1894, Serial No. 519,447, (Nomodel.)

To all τυΊιοτη it may concern:

Be it known that 1, William K. L. Dickson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, in the County of Essex and State 5 of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lanterns for Bicycle-Riders, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a io small, light, and simple lantern for bicycle riders in which a miniature incandescent electric lamp will be employed as the light giving part and which lamp will be supplied with current from a pocket-battery of any suitable 15 construction; and my invention consists in the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a 20 part hereof, Figure lisa front elevation; Fig.

2, a central vertical section; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the base which carries the lampsocket, showing a resistance-coil and switch; Fig. 4, another perspective view of the base, 25 showing the lamp-socket; Fig. 5, a plan view of a modified form of base; Fig. 6, a side view of same with the hanger attached, and Fig. 7 a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, A is the in30 candescent electric lamp, B the reflector, and 0 the glass cover, which is placed iu a ringc and held therein by a spring-ring c'. Ring c has secured to it a pin c², whereby ring c is hinged to plate x by bending the ears x' 35 around said pin. At the top of the reflector is a spring catch b which engages with a lug c³ on ring c to keep the cover closed. The lamp is inserted in a socket having a metal shell a and a metal pin a' which constitute 40 the circuit terminalsand with which the lamp terminals a² a³ make contact respectively. Terminal a' is insulated from terminal a by a tubular piece of insulating material aⁱ. The lamp socket is mounted on the base of insu45 lating material d and projects through the reflector as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Secured to the under side of base d are two binding-posts e e', which project through an opening in plate x. Base d is L-shaped and on the back 50 of the upright portion is secured a plate of insulating material d' upon which is wound a resistance wirer. One end of this wire is connected by wire 1 fo terminal a'through metal plates y and screws z which is screwed through base d and into the lower end of terminal a'. 55 Binding-post e' is connected to socket terminal a by plate y', and binding-post e is connected to the pivot of· switch s by wire 2. The circuit connections, therefore, are as follows: from binding-post e to switch s, through 60 resistance r to plates y, to socket terminal a', to lamp terminal a⁸, through the filament to lamp terminal a², to socket terminal a and plate y' to binding-post e'. Base d projects beyond the upright portion thereof as shown 65 at d? and the upright portion is provided with a ledge d³, said projection and ledge being provided to prevent the switch and resistance wire from coming in contact with the upright extension x² of plate x. As an additional safe- 70 guard against the parts coming in contact , with extension a;²,1 secure thereto a plate x³of insulating material. The reflector has secured to it a block b' and the reflector is secured in position by screws b² passing through 75 extension a;² and entering block b'. Extension a;² is provided with a hook ic⁴ designed particularly for hanging the lantern to the rider’s coat by inserting the hook into one of the coat pockets, or into a loop on the coat 80 provided for that purpose, or the lantern may be hooked to any desirable part of the bicycle, but it is preferred to hang it as above mentioned, in which case the rider is free to dismount without disturbing the circuit con- 85 nections. A further advantage derived from the use of my improved lantern is that if the rider for any⁷ reason dismounts, he can carry his lantern with him without inconvenience and without the delay involved in detaching 90 the lantern from the machine.

Referring to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, d is a base of insulating material having' knuckles x' at one end between which ring c is adapted to be hinged. At the opposite end the base is 95 much thicker and is reduced as shown at/ leaving shoulders g and g' which are drilled to form bearings fora screw of insulating material which has a wire resistance coiled thereon. The part/of the base is concaved 100 into a half circle and provided with grooves /' to form a female screw. The thread of

539,799 screw Τι is formed by cutting a spiral groove in the shank and embedding in this groove a wire h' whose ends are firmly secured in any suitable manner. This wire serves also $ as the resistance. The end of screw h which has its bearing in shoulder g has a metal sleeve h² placed thereon which is connected with wire h’. a and a' are the terminals of a lamp socket similar to that shown in Fig. 2. ιδ i is a contact brush resting on sleeve h² and i' is a contact brush adapted to make contact with wire h'. This brush is in direct contact with plate y' on terminal a. Screw h is provided with a milled head h³ to operate 15 same. In the drawings screw 7i is shown in the position at which the circuit is open.

turning the screw so that it will travel to the right, wire h' will be brought into contact with brush i' completing the circuit to the 20 lamp with the entire resistance in circuit.

The resistance is gradually reduced as the screw contin ties to travel to the right. Sleeve h² is of such length as to always maintain contact with brush i. To extinguish the 25 lamp, screw Ίι is turned back, throwing in resistance again, and when the screw reaches the limit of its inward movement the circuit is broken. The circuit connections are as follows: from battery X by wire 1 to brush i, 30 to sleeve h², through wire h' to brush i', to plate y' and terminal a, through the lamp to terminal a', and wire 2 back to battery.