US2534182A - Electric fixture for tubular fluorescent lamps - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet l M. W. SCHWARTZ ET AL ELECTRIC FXTURE FOR TUBULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Dec. 12, 1950 Filed Dec. 2, 1946 De@ 12, 1950 M. w. SCHWARTZ ETAL 2,534,182

ELECTRIC FIXTURE FOR TUBULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Filed Deo. 2, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TCR Patented Dec. 12, 1950 ELECTRIC FIXTURE FOR TUBULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Martin W. Schwartz and Max J. Marks, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 2, 1946, Serial No. 713,420

(Cl. 24-0-5L11) Claims.

This invention relates to an electric lighting xtureffor straight tubular lamps of the uorescent type, and is more particularly described as a relatively flat lighting xture particularly intended for wall and ceiling installation, but may have a more general use wherever applicable.

Lighting nxtures for fluorescent tubes are often subject to the objection that they project toofar from their mounting plate, that is, from the wall or ceiling to which they are applied, and thus present a cumbersome, sprawling type of xture which occupies too much space and has a crude and unfinished appearance.

The present invention overcomes these objections by providing a three lamp fixture in which the tubular lamps and their supports are grouped closely together in compact relation and have a common reector which not only directs light rays downwardly and outwardly from the fixture, but also directs a portion of them toward the back of the iixture for illuminating the wall or ceiling to which the xture is applied, thus avoiding a dark space surrounding the xture and utilizing almost the entire lighting eiiect of the lamps.

Tubular lamps of this type reduire mounting sockets and ballasts or transformers Afor starting and maintaining'them in operation, and these are most conveniently housed within the lamp itself. It is a particular object of the present invention to dispose these mounting sockets, ballasts, and starting devices in such locations that they will be compactly housed within the Xture itself, supported by the mounting plate and so disposed that they do not project materially therefrom so that the lamps are in a relatively flat arrangement, not projecting or protruding from the wail or fixture in an objectionable manner. This particularly adapts the fixture for use in rooms with low ceilings and for wall fixtures, but they may also be used in other locations and arrangements.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view looking at the top of a xture in accordance with this invention, parts of one end being broken away for showing the lamp mounting means;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the fixture shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the iixture;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the xture as taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of one end of the mounting plate;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of one end of the reiiector;

Fig. 7 is a perspective of one end of the enclosing end caps; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective of one of the end socket mounting plates.

The present invention is particularly designed and intended for a three lamp mounting fixture in which one of the mounting sockets extends at right angles to the other two which are disposed oppositely and outwardly therefrom. With this arrangement, the lamps may be disposed substantially in alignment or the middle one slightly below the other two resulting in a flat compact arrangement of the lamps and their mounting means so that a common reiiector may be extended between them, the reflector and the end mounting plates providing space for receiving the starter sockets, ballasts, and transformers which are necessary for fluorescent lamps of this type.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a lighting fixture of this type comprises a back mounting plate ID, a reflector I I, a pair of end plates I2, and a pair of enclosing end caps I3.

Each end plate I2 has bent sides I4 with socket openings l5 therein; in the relatively lower edge centrally of the end piece is a curved recess IS through which one of the lamps extends and cut and bent downwardly from the opposite edge forming a recess Il is a mounting portion I3 for a lamp socket having a socket opening I9. At the sides of the recess I'I and bent at right angles to the plate are mounting platforms 20.

Through each of the socket openings I5 and I9 in each of the end plates I2, a lamp socket 2| is inserted and secured in place to the adjacent end wall by means of a fastening screw 22. Connected between the lamp sockets of the opposite ends are a central lamp 23 and two side lamps 24. Since the sockets for the side lamps extend oppositely through the socket openings I5 at the sides of each end plate, and the socket for the central lamp extends downwardly at right angles to the side sockets, they may be substantially in alignment or the central lamp may be mounted slightly below the other two to produce a more pleasing effect in the fixture, all of the sockets being compactly arranged on the end plates so that the sockets and ends of the lamps are covered and. enclosed by the end caps I3. Each end cap may be removably mounted on the fixture by means of a screw 25 inserted through the end cap and into a threaded perforation 26 of a flange 21 turned downwardly from the inner edge of the end plate mounting portion I8.

To secure the end plates together in spaced relation, the top mounting plate IIJ has end flanges 28 which overlap the inner edges of the mounting platforms 20, these flanges accurately positioning the end pieces with respect to the mounting plates and the mounting plate being secured to the mounting platforms in any suitable manner, but preferably by spot welding them together.

At the sides of the top plate are inwardly inclined flanges 29 for receiving corresponding inwardly bent edges 3B at the opposite upper edges of the reflector i I. This reflector is formed with an intermediate curved portion 3| adapted to ex- 3 tend over the central lamp 23 and downwardly at the sides and spacedY therefrom, thence bent upwardly and outwardly to provide outer reflecting surfaces 32 extending outwardly toward the outer lamps 2li about midway of' the vertical height thereof when disposed in a horizontalposition as shown in Fig. cl; and thence the sides are bent inwardly to provide reflecting surfaces 33 extending inwardly and upwardly and terminating in the bent flanges 30.

With this construction, all of the lamps give direct illumination, the light from the central lamp 23 is reflected downwardly by the curved surface 3 l the inward rays from the lamps 2li are reflected downwardly from below the horizontal centers of the lamps by the reflecting surfaces 32, and the light rays from above the horizontal centers ci the lamps are reflected upwardly and against a ceiling or wall to which the lamp is attached by the reilecting surfaces 33.

This construction also provides a space at the ends within the end plates and covered by the caps i3 for lamp starting devices not specically shown but commonly used with tubular ucrescent lamps, and between the reliector l i and the top mounting plate lil for ballasts or transform-ers 3G. These particular devices form no part of the present invention, but since they are necessary to the successful operation of the xture, suitable spaces must be provided for mounting them compactly, or the fixture will become cumbersome and' will lack the compact and neat appearance which is desirable in a iixture of this type.

In the top plate, a central mounting opening 3l is provided for receiving a nxture stem and other openings are commonly provided in the plate for securing and mounting the ballasts t-thereto.

Although this construction is particularly intended for a three lamp xture, it may also be varied for receiving similar arrangements of two or more lamps. Although a particular construction is thus described, it should be regarded by way of illustration and not as a limitation, since various changes in the construction, combination, and arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In an electric lighting xture for straight tubular lamps, a pair of end plates and connectingv means supporting them in spaced apart relation, each end plate having a recess in one edge larger than a lamp therefor, the opposite edge being bent outwardly, and two opposite edges at right angles thereto also bent outwardly, the bent edges having rsocket receiving perforations therein, sockets mounted in the perforati'ons and the two opposite ones extending outwardly, and lamps mounted in corresponding sockets of the vend plates and projecting beyond the end plates at both. ends.

2'. In an electric lighting fixture for straight tubular lamps, a pair of endy plates and connecting means supporting them in spaced apart relation, each end plate having a recess in one edge larger than av lamp therefor, the opposite edge being bent outwardly, and two opposite edges at right angles thereto also bent outwardly, the bent edges having socket receiving perforations theresockets mounted in the perforations and the two vopposite ones extending outwardly, lamps mounted in corresponding sockets of the end plates and projecting beyond the end plates .at both ends, and a cap for each end of the fixture tting over the sockets and lamp ends. and overlapping theend plates.

3. In an electric lighting fixture for straight tubular lamps, a pair of lamp supporting end plates,.each end4 plate having a lamp recess in one edge and three bent and perforated socket receiving edges, sockets secured in the perforations for holding the lamps, the central lamp extending through the recess of each plate and the othersat the outer edges of the plates, a reector betweenl the end plates rounded inwardly around the central lamp and extending outwardly toward the inner mid-portion oi the other lamps and inclined inwardly from the mid-portions of the other lamps, and a cap covering the ends of the lamps and the sockets therefor and also the end plates.

fl. In an electric lighting xture for straight tubular lamps, a mounting plate and two lamp supporting end plates connected thereby, a reflector having two opposite outwardly extending angular portions joined and spaced apart by an int-.fardly rounded portion, a lamp recess in one edge oi each end plate, means at the outer side ci each end plate for supporting three lamps, one r` vvtending through the recess and the other two at e out de edges oi the end plate, the central lamp seated in the rounded portion of the re- Lijiector, and the two outside lamps being substancentered with the outer angular edges ci angular portions of the reflector.

5. In an electric lighting fixture for straight tubular lamps, a supporting top plate, a pair of end plates secured to ard spaced apart by the top plate, a reiiector having side angular portions extending oppositely outward and joined by an inwardly rounded portion, the reflector disposed between the end plates and secured to the top plate having a central space between the rounded portion and the top plate for lamp ballasts and transformers, each end plate having a rounded recess corresponding to the inwardly rounded portion of the reflector, lamp socket mountingY means at the outside ci eachmounting plate, lamp sockets secured therein, lamps mounted in corresponding sockets at the two ends, the two outer lamps being at the outside edges of the end plates and thecentral one between them in the inwardly rounded portion of the reflector and extending through the rounded recess o the end plates, and cover caps extending over the lamp ends and the end plates leaving spaces between the lamp sockets for lamp starting devices supported by the end plates.

MARTIN SCHWARTZ. MAX J'. MARKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patentz.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,224,512 Johnston Feb 24, 1942 2,293,672 Beckman Aug. 181'942 2,323,002 Baker June29, 1943 2,3391) 10. Greenwald Jan. 11, 1.944 2,362,091 Parlato Nov, 7,1944 2,379,793 Guth July 3, 1945 2,381,452 Hrabak Aug. V'7, 1945 OTHER REFERENCES Catalogue llo. 32, Garden City Platingk Co., copyright 1939, page 22. (Copy inDiv. 65 of this Oice.)

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