US2895137A - Miner's lamp bracket - Google Patents

Description

July 21, 1959 J. N. SIMPSON ETAL MINERS LAMP BRACKET Filed Aug. 6, 1956 WES. JackA I Simpsan tbarleslfloyer.

3 atent Battery CompanyyPhiladelphia, Pin, a corporation of iNew Jersey Application August6, 1956,Serial No.- 602,228

.2 Claims. (Cl. 2--3) This invention relates to a miners lamp bracket for -mounting on safety hats and caps.

,An outstanding disadvantage of miners lamp brackets .of known construction is thatathey are relatively complicated in construction and expensive/to manufacture and assemble; furthermore, most are of metallic construction, therefore accidental collision with an electric wire might causemtransmissionof a dangerous electric shock to the miners head.

'"An oject of the present invention is 'to providea'novel :miners lamp bracket for safety hats. and caps, which bracket is devoid of the abovementioned disadvantages.

"A more specific object of the present invention-listo -provide a-miners lamp bracket which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction and which is made of insulating material so as to prevent transmission of electric shocks.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lamp bracket assembly which includes a relatively light, molded bracket of a construction to permit easy and quick assembly of the lamp supporting parts, and which provides a very secure grip onto an electric lamp detaohably supported by the bracket.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from a study of the following description, taken with accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figures 1 and 1a are exploded perspective views showing a miners lamp bracket assembly for mounting on a safety hat, and

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through the molded lamp bracket shown in Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, numeral 1 denotes, in dot-and dash outline, a fragmentary portion of a safety hat (or cap), such as worn by miners and industrial workmen for protecting the head against falling objects, and the like, which hat may be made of any suitable plastic material, such as plastic material which is reinforced with glass fibres, or of phenolic or other suitable insulating material, or even of metal. Hat 1 has a crown portion and brim portion which are integrally formed. Numeral 2 denotes a pair of holes formed in the front portion of the hat, and in the same vertical plane. Through holes 2 a pair of binding head machine screws 3 or other fasteners, are inserted and screwed into metal inserts 4 embedded in the rear surface of a molded lamp bracket 5 of insulating material, such as a plastic molded block of black, opaque, ethyl cellulose or other suitable colored or clear plastic material. Bracket 5 is in substantially the form of rectangular block but having a topportion with a slight downward and outward taper.

Metal inserts 4, preferably of aluminum or other non corrosive material, are provided in the rear of block 5. The inserts are of substantially the shape of a sewing thimble and are vertically ali ed.

The molded bracket 5 is preferably formed with a well or cavity 5a so as to lessen its weight. The surface at the right, as viewed in the figures, is a substantially ice spherical segment corresponding to the shape of the outer surface of the adjoining crown portion of the hat.

Metal inserts 4, preferably with knurled outer surfaces, are molded and embedded in the lamp bracket 5 and have internal screw threads for threadedly engaging screws 3 'to' fasten the lamp bracket 5 to the 'hat 1. Inserts 4 are disposed at right angles to the surface of the hat. "The front surface and top surface of bracket 5 are preferably grooved by: means of grooves-6. The top surface thereof .is preferably provided with a recess 7 in which a name plate may be inserted or on which the name of the manufacturer may be molded, cast, or engraved and thus made readily visible. The small hemisphericalindentation 8 in the top of bracket 5 may serve as a-leadfor drilling a hole for securing'the old style carbide lamp.

The sides of the bracket 5 are preferably provided with rectangular recesses or well portions '9 which correspond in shape to the sidesof a metal clip-12, preferably of corrosive resistant material, such as stainless zsteelwith spring properties. Threadedinserts or 'holes iltlrareprovided in these recesses 9 for engagement with machine screws '15 or other fasteners which pass centrally through Speed'Nuts or..washers 14 afterentering the holes fit when the parts are in registry as indicated in dash lines. An important feature-ofrecess 9 -is thatby means ofta single screw 15 oneaoh side, 'the 'clip issecurely'held in place-since any-tendency for the .clipto turn about the axis of holes 10 would be -prevented because the edges of the side portions of the clip would abut the marginal wall portions of recess 9. As screws 15 are turned with their threads in engagement with the inwardly projected and arcuately bowed leaves of the Speed Nuts 14, such leaves are flexed toward the plane of the speed nuts so as: to tightly and yieldingly hold the screws 15 in locked relationship, as distinguished from conventionally used self tapping screws which do not provide a secure lock for preventing disengagement of the screws.

The clip 12 is provided with spring fingers 13 which are adapted to securely hold either the well known Edison or Wheat lamp. The sides of clip 12 are provided with holes 11.

The outer surfaces of the sides of clip 12 are flush with the outermost surfaces on the side portions of bracket 5 so as to eliminate projecting edges.

It will be noted that the lamp bracket is substantially devoid of any sharp corners or edges that might catch onto clothing or objects or which may readily chip. Moreover, the molded lamp bracket, being of insulating material, has dielectric features, so that in case a live wire should strike against the clip or bracket, dangerous voltages will not be transmitted through the bracket to the head of the wearer.

The screws 3 and 15 and washers 14 are preferably made of noncoirosive metal, such as stainless steel or cadmium plated steel to prevent oxidation and the like.

Thus it will be seen that we have provided an efiicient lamp bracket assembly which is particularly suitable for safety hats and caps, such as worn by miners and industrial workmen, which bracket includes a very light weight, small, compact molded part which is easily and cheaply manufactured and which is devoid of sharp corners and edges, and which prevents transmission of electricity therethro ugh; also which is recessed at the sides to prevent rotation of the snugly fitting side portions of a clip for supporting an electric lamp, and which requires only a single screw, instead of a plurality of screws, at each side because of the engagement of the margins of the side portions of the clip with the marginal wall portions of the recesses; furthermore we have provided an efficient lamp bracket assembly, which remains securely fastened indefinitely; furthermore we have provided .a miners lamp bracket which is extremely attractive and compact and light in weight.

While we have illustrated and described a single specific embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustration only, and that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of our invention and within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with a safety hat including a plurality of holes in the front crown portion thereof, a lamp bracket including a block of insulating material having a rear surface in the form of a spherical segment and corresponding to the shape of the front crown surface of said hat, a recess of substantially rectangular shape formed on each side surface of said block, said block having a central cavity extending from said rear surface and having sidewalls substantially parallel to said recess, a spring clip of substantially U-shaped cross section and having side portions of substantially rectangular shape closely fitting the pen'meters of said recesses so as to prevent relative turning movement between said side portions and the sides of said block, said side portions each having only a central hole, a screw and spring Washer for each hole, each spring washer having leaves engaging the threads and flexed by rotation of the threads of the screw and being resiliently held against one of said cavity sidewalls.

2. A miners lamp bracket for attachment to the front portion of a protective headgear, said bracket comprising a block of insulating material having a rear surface in the form of a substantially spherically shaped segment, said block having a central cavity extending from said rear surface for reducing the weight of the block, a pair of metallic, internally threaded inserts embedded in said block and extending inwardly from said rear surface and into which screws are threadedly engaged for fastening the block to said headgear, said block having rectangular recesses on its sides, said block having a central cavity extending from said rear surface and having sidewalls substantially parallel to said recess, and a spring clip of substantially U-shaped cross-section and having a plurality of spring fingers in the front portion thereof, the side portions of said clip being substantially rectangular and fitting in said side recesses, the outer surfaces of the side portions of the clip being flush with the outer surface of the side portions of said block, said side portions each having only a central hole, a screw and spring washer for each hole, each spring washer having leaves engaging the threads and flexed by rotation of the threads of the screw and being resiliently held against one of said cavity sidewalls, the perimeter of the recess being in abutting engagement with the perimeter of the side portions of the clip to prevent rotation of the clip about said screws as an axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 261,385 Roelofs July 18, 1882 1,875,143 Punton Aug. 30, 1932 2,234,097 Tinnerrnan Mar. 4'; 1941 2,428,676 Moore Oct. 7, 1947 2,462,973 Kelrick Mar. 1, 1949

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