Abstract: A lead-acid battery construction comprises a casing, electrolyte means received in the casing and positive and negative electrode means mounted in the casing in contact with the electrolyte and being spaced apart by separator means. The positive electrode means includes a shaped grid structure having a top bar, a lug and depending spine portions, and further includes active material contained within tube means held in contact with the spines. An enclosure body is located around portions of the shaped grid structure in a position to selectively prevent flow of current from surfaces of the grid structure not in contact with active material. The enclosure body consists of self-registering plastic grid complement means and is formed with depending parts which are engaged inside distended upper ends of the tube means.A further inventive aspect resides in a method of engaging grid complement means with shaped grid structure means.

Abstract: Safety lamp apparatus, suitable for use as a miner's cap lamp, includes a housing body closed at one side by a plastic light transmitting member. A bulb member is yieldably received in the housing body and is operable, when energized, to provide a filament in a state of incandescence for emitting visible radiation. During use of the apparatus in an explosive atmosphere conditions may arise where deformation of the light transmitting member from external impact forces directed thereagainst may drive deformed portions of the light transmitting member against the bulb member with sufficient force to cause bulb breakage and resulting explosion of the atmosphere.In the present invention protective means is provided comprising an arrangement of parts defining an oblique angular relationship between the central longitudinal axis of the bulb member and the impacting surface of the deformed portion of the light transmitting member.

Abstract: A lead-acid battery construction includes gridless reactively limited positive and negative electrode means combined with separator material and an electrolyte. Reactive limitation of the negative electrode means may be realized by providing the negative electrode means with inner portions comprising non-reactive (i.e. solid) lead and outer portions of reactive (i.e. porous) lead. Reactive limitation of the positive electrode means may be provided by the said negative electrode means. The positive electrode means comprises PbO.sub.2 which occurs in outer reacting portions and inner non-reacting portions. The battery having such reactively limited electrode means may only be discharged to the extent that the inner reactive lead portions of the negative electrode means become completely transformed into PbSO.sub.4, whereupon all electrochemical reaction in the battery will cease. That portion of the PbO.sub.2 of the positive electrode means which has not been transformed into PbSO.sub.

Abstract: A holder, for example a multiple light source socket, is mechanically travelled in a supporting structure, in both rotary and linear paths of travel. Rotary travel provides for interchangeably locating lamps along a focal axis in a luminaire housing. Linear travel of the socket provides a focusing adjustment for each lamp along the focal axis to position it at a desired point of focus. In one form the supporting structure may comprise a miner's cap lamp having an externally located knob which may be manually turned by a miner to move the socket member. Other forms of supporting structures and movable parts may be provided as hereinafter disclosed.

Abstract: Luminaire apparatus, including a luminaire having a paraboloidal reflecting surface and a source of radiant energy such as a light source located at the focal point of the reflecting surface, is combined with means for selectively refracting light emitted by the light source and carrying out an improved method of producing a flood configuration of reflected light.

Abstract: Improved positive electrode means for use in a lead-acid battery includes a shaped grid structure, a self-registering plastic grid complement member selectively overlying portions of the shaped grid structure, tube means engaged around depending portions of the grid complement member and active material confined within the tube means. Assembly of these constituent parts is characterized by a first insertion of the shaped grid structure into the grid complement member thereby to produce an angular displacement of self-registering side portions of the grid complement member; further advancement of the shaped grid structure into the grid complement member enables the angularly displaced side portions of the grid complement to revert to their normal position in self-registering relationship to the grid structure.

Abstract: Fabricated tubular bodies for use in a positive plate of a lead-acid battery are formed in a number of desirable ways from a mixture of fabrication components. In the invention methods the fabrication components are separated into differing sets of fabrication means, at least one of which sets consists of reinforced tapes. The mixture of fabrication components may, by braiding, cartridge-belt weaving or other processes, be arranged in predetermined relation to provide for highly effective retention and support of active material around current carrying grid portions of a positive plate when the said plate is immersed in an electrolyte of a lead-acid battery, to further provide preservation of dimensional stability and of said retention of active material over extended periods of operation of the said battery, and to still further provide for adequate communication between the active material and the electrolyte via tubular wall portions formed with a desirably controlled and predetermined porosity.

Abstract: A luminaire apparatus includes a housing having a source of radiant energy mounted therein, a rotatable light transmitting member supported at one side of the housing and reflector means. The reflector means consists of a stationary reflector body and expansible reflector means for controlling the configuration of radiation energy projected through the light transmitting member located between the stationary reflector body and the light transmitting member. In one desirable form the stationary reflector body is provided with a specular surface which projects reflected light in a spot configuration while the expansible reflector means is provided with light diffusing surfaces which are operable to progressively modify the spot configuration to provide a flood configuration.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling reflected radiant energy to progressively vary distribution of the reflected radiant energy between spot and flood configurations comprises a housing body having a reflector surface, a lamp mounted in the housing body at the focal point of the reflector surface, and a dual light transmitting unit supported at an outer side of the housing body. The dual light transmitting unit includes a light transmitting disk component of circular shape fixed in abutting relation to the housing body, and a light transmitting disk cover component mounted for rotative movement about the central axis of the housing body and against the light transmitting disk.The light transmitting disk component is of generally circular shape and has an inner portion removed to form a substantially semi-circular opening.

Abstract: A storage battery is constructed with a casing in which is contained an electrolyte and positive and negative plate means. The positive plate means includes a grid structure having a top bar and depending spines, active material, and braided or woven tubular bodies for locating the active material around the spines. A molded thermoplastic bonding element and a thermoplastic bonding material are combined in the positive plate in fused relationship to one another. The bonding element and the bonding material may, in one embodiment of the invention, be of the same chemical composition, and in another embodiment may be of differing chemical composition but fusible with one another within ranges of fusing or melting point temperatures which are common or close to one another.

Abstract: An improved storage battery of the lead-acid class includes grid structures provided with grid complement means in the form of enclosure bodies of a chemically inert material selectively arranged about portions of the grid structure to protectively reinforce same. These protectively reinforced grid structures, embodied in either a negative plate or a positive plate, may be utilized advantageously in making and operatingthe lead-acid battery, and are desirable for plates in which an active material is contained in tubes or occurs in pasted form. The enclosure bodies may be a material impermeable to electrolyte. Where the grid structure for a positive plate is provided with an antimony content, the enclosure bodies constitute a barrier which substantially inhibits release of antimony from all portions of the grid structure which are not in contact with the active material.

Abstract: A tubular plate for electrical lead acid accumulators comprises tubes formed of porous fibrous material having a shape such that the ratio of volume to surface area of active material is no greater than 0.20 times the thickness of the tube taken in a direction between the sides of the plate which face the negative electrodes. At least one side of each tube has a concave surface. The tubes are formed with integral rigid flanges formed by weld joints between the tubes. The flanges support the tubes and aid in shaping of the tubes.

Abstract: Radiant energy from a luminaire body is selectively controlled by means of a diaphragm structure mounted at one side of the luminaire body. The diaphragm structure includes a plurality of radiant energy transmitting leaves, means for pivotally supporting the leaves on a housing component of the luminaire body, and cylindrical adjustment means for moving the leaves through limited arcs of travel into and out of the paths of travel of constituent rays of energy emitted from the luminaire body. The diaphragm leaves may comprise filtering elements as well as refracting bodies. By such means the characteristics, for example color, distribution etc., of the emitted radiant energy, partially or in its entirety, may be varied.

Abstract: A tubular support sleeve for tubular storage battery plates comprises a seamless helical tubular lattice structure of fusible flat reinforced thermoplastic tapes, the tapes being fused to one another at their points of intersection. The tapes may be in the form of a laminate consisting of a central strength member having a fusible material on either side thereof. The support sleeve may be used alone or it may be used to contain a braided or felted retaining sleeve. Fusible flat reinforced thermoplastic tapes and staple fiber strands may be braided or woven together to produce a sleeve having combined support and retaining capabilities.

Abstract: A luminaire housing body is formed with a reflector chamber closed at one side by a radiation transmitting member. At an opposite side, the housing is extended to form a socket enclosure. A lamp socket member is rotatably mounted in the socket enclosure and is structured to define spaced apart inwardly dished reflector surfaces, hereinafter referred to as concaved reflective surfaces, in each of which a lamp may be placed at a focal point and independently energized by electrical means. A reflector member is located in back of the radiation transmitting member and is formed with a socket aperture.At either side of the concaved reflector surfaces, the socket member is shaped to present tapered outer ends which can be moved into and out of the socket aperture. The arrangement of the parts is such that a de-energized lamp is constantly shielded by the tapered ends to prevent shadow or distortion when another lamp is in use.

Abstract: A luminaire apparatus includes a luminaire housing body, an electrical cable member and a power source. Means are combined with the cable for compressibly securing one end of the cable in the housing in a position to provide an effective moisture seal and the cable jacket is held in fixed relation to the housing so that strain or pulling forces exerted on the cable are not transmitted to electrical conductors contained therein. When the power source is a battery of the class used in a miner's cap lamp apparatus, for example, in which the housing body is a headpiece to be attached to a miner's "hard hat", the electrical cable may have an opposite end sealably engaged in the battery top, and provided with a strain relief member. A portion of the cable extending inside the battery top is held in a cable locking device so that pulling forces exerted on the cable are not applied to electrical conductors connected to battery terminals.

Abstract: A source of radiant energy is combined with spaced apart reflecting surfaces which are derived from the parabolic and which have a common focal point but differing focal lengths. Radiant energy is reflected in substantially parallel rays and passed through radiation transmitting means which include radiation controls zones. The reflecting surfaces and the radiation transmitting means are mounted for rotary displacement of one relative to the other to vary the distribution pattern, intensity, color, and other characteristics of the reflected radiant energy in a unique manner. Radiation output from the source of radiant energy may be instantly tailored to a task at hand such as may arise, for example in theatrical lighting, mine lighting, police and surveillance work, military operations, fire fighting, sports activity, illumination of recreational areas and the like.

Abstract: An improved storage battery of the lead-acid class includes grid structures provided with grid complement means in the form of enclosure bodies of a chemically inert material selectively arranged about portions of the grid structure to protectively reinforce same. These protectively reinforced grid structures, embodied in either a negative plate or a positive plate, may be utilized advantageously in making and operating the lead-acid battery, and are desirable for plates in which an active material is contained in tubes or occurs in pasted form. The enclosure bodies may be a material impermeable to electrolyte. Where the grid structure for a positive plate is provided with an antimony content, the enclosure bodies constitute a barrier which substantially inhibits release of antimony from all portions of the grid structure which are not in contact with the active material.

Abstract: A source of radiant energy is combined with spaced apart reflecting surfaces which are sections of paraboloids of revolution and which have a common focal point but differing focal lengths. Radiant energy is reflected in substantially parallel rays and passed through radiation transmitting means which include radiation controls zones. The reflecting surfaces and the radiation transmitting means are mounted for rotary displacement of one relative to the other to vary the distribution pattern, intensity, color, and other characteristics of the reflected radiant energy in a unique manner. Radiation output from the source of radiant energy may be instantly tailored to a task at hand such as may arise, for example in theatrical lighting, mine lighting, police and surveillance work, military operations, fire fighting, sports activity, illumination of recreational areas and the like.