Patents by Inventor Charles B. Poppenheimer

Charles B. Poppenheimer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6068384
    Abstract: A lamp assembly for outdoor purpose includes a housing, a lamp module, and a potted power module. A support ring is positioned within the housing so as to connect the housing to the lamp module. An additional tilt ring may be connected therewith to provide an additional degree of movement. The support ring and, if included, the associated tilt ring has the ability to key the lamp module to the housing. This makes it possible to relamp or perform maintenance on the lamp without affecting the aim or distribution of the light. In addition, the lamp assembly preferably includes at least one flue plate disposed between the lamp module and the housing to form at least one flue, the at least one flue advantageously creates and maintains convective cooling within the housing of the lamp assembly during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: NSI Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn M. Tyson, Charles B. Poppenheimer, Michael Leonhardt
  • Patent number: 5556188
    Abstract: A wet niche light having a nonconductive forming shell 14 with a nonconductive housing 16 mounted therein. A double ended lamp is fixed within the housing in sockets which do not retain the lamp in friction engagement but rather hold the lamp by axial compression. A conductive reflector extends over the sockets and is grounded externally. A planar lens having vertical ribs is positioned within a bezel that attaches to the forward side of the housing by means of resilient clips. The nonconductive forming shell includes a conductive ring about the front opening of the shell with a conductor extending rearwardly for coupling with a pool grounding net. The lamp is positioned far enough within the housing such that no direct light from the lamp will strike the surface of the water in the pool at less than the critical angle of total reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: GTY Industries
    Inventor: Charles B. Poppenheimer
  • Patent number: 5483428
    Abstract: A wet niche light having a nonconductive forming shell 14 with a nonconductive housing 16 mounted therein. A double ended lamp is fixed within the housing in sockets which do not retain the lamp in friction engagement but rather hold the lamp by axial compression. A conductive reflector extends over the sockets and is grounded externally. A planar lens having vertical ribs is positioned within a bezel that attaches to the forward side of the housing by means of resilient clips. The nonconductive forming shell includes a conductive ring about the front opening of the shell with a conductor extending rearwardly for coupling with a pool grounding net. The lamp is positioned far enough within the housing such that no direct light from the lamp will strike the surface of the water in the pool at less than the critical angle of total reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: GTY Industries
    Inventor: Charles B. Poppenheimer
  • Patent number: 5349505
    Abstract: A wet niche light having a nonconductive forming shell 14 with a nonconductive housing 16 mounted therein. A double ended lamp is fixed within the housing in sockets which do not retain the lamp in friction engagement but rather hold the lamp by axial compression. A conductive reflector extends over the sockets and is grounded externally. A planar lens having vertical ribs is positioned within a bezel that attaches to the forward side of the housing by means of resilient clips. The nonconductive forming shell includes a conductive ring about the front opening of the shell with a conductor extending rearwardly for coupling with a pool grounding net. The lamp is positioned far enough within the housing such that no direct light from the lamp will strike the surface of the water in the pool at less than the critical angle of total reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: GTY Industries
    Inventor: Charles B. Poppenheimer
  • Patent number: 4999757
    Abstract: A light fixture mounted in a niche can having two degrees of freedom of adjustment so as to provide universal orientation. A lamp housing is mounted to an inner ring which is mounted by a pivot assembly to an outer ring. The inner ring may be pivoted relative to the outer ring and locked in a particular orientation relative thereto. The outer ring is positioned in a niche can and may be rotated in the can about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the pivot assembly. A lock assembly selectively locks the outer ring in the niche can to fix the orientation of the lamp. The inner ring may be removed from the mounting system of the pivot assembly for relamping. A retrofit stand can mount the outer ring such that it can be pivoted about an axis which is also perpendicular to the axis of the pivot assembly to again provide universal orientation of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Assignee: GTY Industries
    Inventor: Charles B. Poppenheimer
  • Patent number: 4768139
    Abstract: A lighting fixture includes a ground stake having a channel-like cross section, a lamp socket mounted to the stake, a lamp element engaged to the socket, and a power cable connected to the socket and extending within the channel of the stake. The lamp socket has spike contacts within lamp cores which pierce the narrow edges of the power cable to provide electrical contact from the power cable conductors to the lamp element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1988
    Assignee: GTY Industries
    Inventor: Charles B. Poppenheimer
  • Patent number: 4674187
    Abstract: A pool light installation device is provided which quickly and easily cuts holes in the walls of above-ground pools. A cutting plate and a cutting base member are placed one on either side of the pool wall at the chosen location, joined together by a threaded bolt which passes through a small hole made previously in the pool wall. The threaded bolt is rotated by the use of a wrench or other tool causing the cutting plate to be drawn towards and into the cutting base member. The cutting plate has teeth formed therein which penetrate the pool wall and commence a shearing action between the cutting plate edge and the opening in the cutting base member, which then cuts a hole in the pool wall in the exact shape of the cutting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: GTY Industries
    Inventor: Charles B. Poppenheimer
  • Patent number: 4574337
    Abstract: An underwater light employing a housing positioned within a niche such that water may flow around the housing. A lamp is positioned within the housing directed toward a lens. The lamp reflector is surrounded by high thermal conductivity metallic wool extending out to the housing which may also be of high thermal conductivity. A potting compound in the rear of the housing encapsulates the electrical connections. A lens assembly in one embodiment is illustrated as being pivotal within the niche housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignee: GTY Industries
    Inventor: Charles B. Poppenheimer
  • Patent number: 4539629
    Abstract: A spa light having a lens head positionable through the wall of a spa and including a lens facing inwardly in the spa. A two piece housing is assembled to provide a transformer cavity and a lamp cavity, the housing being positionable with the lens head. The transformer cavity is sealed with a transformer therein to reduce the voltage to 12 volts. The lamp cavity is open to receive a lamp, a lamp socket and a reflector. The cavity is arranged to allow convection air flow past the reflector and water flow from the water cavity to avoid excessive accumulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1985
    Assignee: GTY Industries
    Inventor: Charles B. Poppenheimer
  • Patent number: D523705
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Inventors: Ronald J. Baida, Bruce D. Barfell, Charles B. Poppenheimer