US2867717A - Leg attached light - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 6, 1959 M. J. PORQUE-1R, 2,867,717

LEG ATTACHED LIGHT Filed July 6, 1956 Michael J. Forquer INVENTOR.

United States Patent() LEG ATTACHED LIGHT Michael J. Forquer, Greeley, Colo.

Application July 6, 1956, Serial No. 596,339 i 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-10.68) i This invention` relates to lights that are attachable to the leg of a cyclist.

An object of the inventionl is to provide an improved light which is adapted to be secured to the leg of a cyclist, as by a strap, clip or the like. In this way, the strap functions not only to support the dry cell ashlight but also to hold the trouser leg of the cyclist snugly against the leg of the cyclist.

s y2,867,717 'rammed Jane,r `1959 i with which the buckle is engageable.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved ilashlight structure wherein there is a battery case having a cavity in which one or more batteries are adapted to be supported, the closure for the battery case being of light transmissive material, as colored or transparent plastic, and movable to selected positions of 4adjustment with regard to the battery or batteries in the case so as to bring the lamp bulb socket that is carried by the closure into a circuit closing relationship with the battery and a conductor mounted in the cavity vof the closure and the battery case.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a structurally improved flashlight adapted principally to be attached to the leg of a cyclist although it may be used in other capacities, the flashlight having an arrangement whereby adjustment of the closure on its functions to open and close a switch by bringing a lamp bulb socket into contact with a conductor'which rmly embraces one or more of the batteries in the battery case.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of a fragmentary part of a cyclists leg having a flashlight made in accordance with the invention applied thereon;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the light attachment in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the structure in Figure 2 but showing the closure in a switch open position;

Figure 4 isa plan view of the attachment in Figure l;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View showing one of the ways in which the lamp socket may be attached to the closure; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a conductor which is to be used in the battery case to establish a circuit for the battery.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated an attachment 10 for the leg of a cyclist. This attachment comprises a clip, band, strap 12 or the like which is wrapped around the pants leg 14 of the cyclist in order to hold the pants leg snugly wrapped around the ankle or other part of the leg of the cyclist, This prevents the pants leg from becoming engaged with the sprocket and chain on the bike or becoming caught on any other projecting part of the bicycle. Strap 12 has means to Flashlight 20 made in accordance with the principles .of the invention is riveted or otherwise attached to the strap 12. It is adapted to be worn on the outside surface of the leg of the cyclist so as to be visible clearly from that side of the bicycle as the cyclist moves down the street or highway. It is also visiblefrom the front and rear by virtue of a special construction for the ashlight as will be' described subsequently.

Flashlight 20 consists of a casing 22 of a shape to snugly accommodate one or more dry cell batteries, for example, battery 24. The number of dry cell batteries desired will determine the size of the battery case 22 and also its shape. The illustrated embodiment in Figure 1 has room for two ordinary, flat, square or oblong dry cell batteries, while the embodiment of Figures 3 and 2 accommodate but a sing1e ilashlight dry cell, this latter form of the invention being correspondingly lighter but lacking in the light duration of the embodiment of Figure l. In either case, the battery case 22 is made of nonconductive material and has'a conductor 26 located therein. Theconductor is in the form of a strip having an arm 28 at one end with a tab 3l) at its extremity. An arm 32 parallel to arm 28, is attached to thestrip, arms 28'and 32 being spaced from each other to form a pocket4 in which the battery 24 is litted. y A third arm 34 is arranged at right angles to the strip and functions asa switch contact.

A light transmissive closure 36 which is made 'of electrically insulating material, as a transparent or translucent plastic, is adjustably secured onto the battery case 22. An angle bracket 38 having a panel 40 and a right angularly disposed tongue 42, is located in the closure 36 and is movable therein with regard to the case 20. Tongue 42 is fitted in pocket 44 formed in the closure 36 in order to hold the mounting bracket secured to the closure. A threaded opening 46 is formed in panel 40 and is adapted to support a light bulb 48. A part of the bracket, specifi- -cally panel 38, is adapted to be brought into engagement with contact 34 in order to form another switch contact.

The means for adjustably holding the closure 36 onto the case-40 consist of two groups of corrugations or ribs 50 and 52, respectively, that are formed onthe opposite walls of case 22. Undulated spring metal or plastic clamps 54 and 56 are secured to closure 36 and coact with the groups of ribs to hold the closure in place on the open end of the case 22. The closure 36 has side walls which deline a lamp cavity 58, these Walls being slidable on the outside surfaces of the Walls of the battery case 22. Accordingly, the closure functions to cover the battery cavity of the case 22.

An electrical circuit is established by the conductor 26 being in contact with one pole of the dry cell battery. The contacts 34 and 38, when closed or touching, include the lamp socket and lamp of theashlight in the circuit, while the socket holds the lamp in such disposition that it touches the other pole of the vdry cell battery when the ilashlight is in the operative position. When the flashlight isvin the inoperative position, that is, by pulling the closure outwardly from the battery case 22 as shown in Figure 3, the lamp is separated from the battery and the contacts of the switch are separated'from each other.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to thoseA equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope` of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new'is as follows;

In a flashlight, the combination of a case and a 'mov-V able `closure for the case, Vmeans to hold said closure in selected position Withrespect to said Vcase vincludingay series of ribs and an undulatedclnpcarriedgbyffsaid ease-and said closure and inengagement With each other, ian elongated conductive strip located -internally vand eX- tending ,longitudinally of Ysaid Casing, ,a ,rst angulat'efd Y* varm'contactingone pole of a battery in the battery case, a secondangulated armspaced from and parallel tosaid =rst angulated arm and coacting with the latter and the ,part of'the strip therebetweenffor supporting the battery in the battery case, athircl angulated yarm spaced from i'and. parallel :to :the other an'gulated arms to provide a Acontact, Aan angulated conductive strap detachab-ly fas- Ht'ened -in said closure,.a lamp `socketformed by one leg of said strap, said one leg of the conductive strap being dis'p'o'sei "in 'Oiglpkitiol` (0 S'l'fid hild 'lgulated ai'ln an'd adapted to be brought into Contact with the latter for functioning as a switch in response to movement of said closure on said case, said closure being of light transmissive material and having walls which dene a lamp cavity in which said socket is disposed.

References Citei in'the'le of this patent UNITED `SiATlS PATENTS 1,297,654 ABurgess V jlvl-ar. 18, 1919 1,312,220 Wacker 1Aug. 5, 1919 1,320,934 Schopp Nov. 4, 1919 A1,599,658 DeLap Sept. 14, 1926 2,538,332 Schaefer Jan. 16, 1951 2,744,139

Wudyka May 1`, 1956

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