STABILIZED LAMP

• US 3,846,627 A
• Filed: 09/06/1973
• Issued: 11/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Erle D. Chastain
• Original Assignee: Erle D. Chastain
• Inventors: Chastain, Erle D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matthews, Samuel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'Connor, E. M.
• Application Number:
  US05/394,840
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 240/7.1LJ,62.2,62R,62B,69,41.6,73JC,73QD,7.5,41.62,73R,2S
• US Class Current: 362/477
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/068 by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/08 automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 45/02 the devices being intended to illuminate the way ahead or other areas of environments

Abstract

A vehicle mounted stabilized lamp assembly having a housing enclosing a lamp and a supporting frame. The frame is pivotally mounted in the housing on horizontal shafts. Electrical power is supplied to the lamp through tapered brushes contacting the shafts. A dampener is attached to the frame to resist undesirable oscillations. A plurality of weights can be attached to the frame to change the center of gravity and adjust the attitude of the lamp.

Claims

1. A self-adjusting lamp for mounting on a vehicle comprising a housing for attachment to said vehicle, a focused lamp means mounted in said housing to rotate about a horizontally extending axis, said lamp means mounted with its center of gravity located below said axis whereby said lamp means remains in a preselected attitude with respect to gravitational force as said vehicle moves;

and means for varying the position of said center of gravity on said lamp means to alter the preselected attitude of said lamp means.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 where said position varying means comprises a bracket extending horizontally from said lamp means, a plurality of weights, means on the extending end of said bracket for supporting the desired number of said weights.

3. A device as dEfined in claim 1 additionally comprising a pair of shafts and bearings rotatably supporting said lamp means in said housing, separate brush means resiliently urged in a direction to contact each of said shafts in sliding contact whereby electrical power is supplied to said movable lamp means through said shafts, each of said shafts having a conical portion on one end, and each of said brushes having a countersunk portion which engages a conical portion on one of said shafts whereby said brushes make essentially point contact with said shafts and said brushes are retained in position on said shafts.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein the apex angle of said conical portion is smaller than the apex angle of said countersunk portion.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising a dampener means operatively associated with said lamp means whereby swinging motion of said lamp means is resisted.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said dampener means is adjustable to vary the dampener forces applied to said lamp means.

7. A self-adjusting lamp for mounting on a vessel comprising a housing mounted on said vessel, said housing defining a sealed chamber, a transparent portion on said housing, a selectively removable wall for allowing access to said chamber, a frame mounted in said chamber, a focused lamp fixed to said frame to direct the lamp beam through said transparent portion, a pair of coaxial shafts extending from opposite sides of said frame and rotatably attached to said housing whereby said frame rotates about a horizontally extending axis, said shafts being positioned so that the center of gravity of said lamp and frame assembly is below the axis of rotation of said shafts whereby said lamp and frame assembly rotates about said axis as said vessel moves and remains in a preselected attitude with respect to the direction of gravitational force, means on said frame for varying the position of said center of gravity of said lamp and frame assembly to vary the attitude thereof, a dampener means connected to said frame whereby swinging motion of said frame is resisted, and separate brush means resiliently urged in a direction to contact each of said shafts whereby electrical power is supplied to said movable lamp means through said shafts, each of said shafts having a conical portion on one end, and each of said brushes having a countersunk portion engaging said conical portion, the apex angle of said conical portion is smaller than the apex angle of said countersunk portion.