Street Light Technical Information Willis Lamm   STREET LIGHTS: Patents from 1950 through 1953

Patents are an effective way to understand the development of street lighting in the United States. In this section I have posted patents as I located them. (Early patents are difficult to locate as they were not cross-indexed.) All patents are listed in order of their filing dates. Click on the patent number or thumbnail to view the entire patent.

The 1950s witnessed a departure from high tension series circuits and a trend toward mercury vapor illumination. Additionally inventors struggled to better direct light coming from the lower glare fluorescent luminaires that tended to send a great deal of light in unnecessary directions.

Patent No. 2540784 Filing date: January 21, 1950 Patent date: February 6, 1951 Title: Detachable Bracket Construction for Lighting Arms Inventor: Andrew A. Hocher Assignee: Hubbard and Co. Claims: Method of attaching a bracket arm to an existing post with adjustments.
Patent No. 2702850 Filing date: February 10, 1950 Patent date: February 22, 1955 Title: Globe for Luminaires Inventor: Donald W. Harling Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Ripple pattern for diffused acorn style globes.
Patent No. 2653782 Filing date: February 25, 1950 Patent date: September 29, 1953 Title: Highway Lighting Device and Method of Making Same Inventor: Henry C. Pfaff, Jr. Claims: Long bracket arms with mounts for steel and wood poles.
Patent No. 2647202 Filing date: March 24, 1950 Patent date: July 28, 1953 Title: Luminaire for Street Lighting Inventor: William B.Elmer Claims: Admiral's hat design that could also accomodate refractors.
Patent No. 2673287 Filing date: May 12, 1950 Patent date: March 23, 1954 Title: Multiple Street Lighting Fixture Having an Adjustable Socket Support Inventor: William B. Elmer Assignee: Wheeler Reflector Co. Claims: Ratchet type adjustable socket for multiple street light circuits.
Patent No. 2686255 Filing date: June 22, 1950 Patent date: August 10, 1954 Title: Street Lamp Inventor: Emilio Pascucci Assignee: Corning Glass Works Claims: Sealed beam street light.
Patent No. 2659809 Filing date: June 29, 1950 Patent date: November 17, 1953 Title: Electric Lamp Shade Inventor: Earl Paul Melia Claims: Vandal proof post top luminaire surround.
Patent No. 2659840 Filing date: August 3, 1950 Patent date: November 17, 1953 Title: Street Lighting Control Unit Inventor: Edward H. Yonkers, Jr. Assignee: Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Co. Claims: Relay control for multiple street light circuits.
Patent No. 2717954 Filing date: August 16, 1950 Patent date: September 13, 1955 Title: Elongated Roadway Luminaire Inventor: Charles H. Rex Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: V-shaped fluorescent luminaire arrangement for better light distribution.
Patent No. 2727984 Filing date: September 11, 1950 Patent date: December 20, 1955 Title: Latch Device for Closed Type Luminaire Inventor: Robert L. Smythe and Donald W. Harling Assignee: McGraw Electric Co. Claims: Improved latching for hinged refractors.
Patent No. 2758199 Filing date: September 30, 1950 Patent date: August 7, 1956 Title: Open Type Luminaire Reflector Inventor: Edward H. Yonkers Assignee: Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Co. Claims: Use of stainless steel for reflectors to reduce light loss due to corrosion.
Patent No. 2662165 Filing date: November 29, 1950 Patent date: December 8, 1953 Title: Yard and Street Lighting System and Luminaires for Use Therein Inventor: Kurt Franck Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Wall mount luminaire for yards and underpasses.
Patent No. 2690502 Filing date: January 15, 1951 Patent date: September 28, 1954 Title: Ornamental Street Lamp Standard Inventor: Charles W. Exline Claims: Portable street light standards for special events and occasions.
Patent No. 2808135 Filing date: January 30, 1951 Patent date: October 1, 1957 Title: Metal Pole Structure and Method Inventor: Clarence E. Moran Assignee: Utility Pole Co. Claims: Steel street lamp pole and bracket arm design.
Patent No. 2696357 Filing date: April 7, 1951 Patent date: December 7, 1954 Title: Pole Bracket for Street Lighting Inventor: William B. Elmer Assignee: Wheeler Reflector Co. Claims: Adjustable bracket arm.
Patent No. 2731227 Filing date: April 16, 1951 Patent date: January 17, 1956 Title: Guy Rod Clamp for Bracket Arm Inventor: W. Carl Anderson Assignee: Union Metal Manufacuring Co. Claims: Adjustable V-clamp for bracket arm guy rods.
Patent No. 2774015 Filing date: April 23, 1951 Patent date: December 11, 1956 Title: Photoelectric Control Apparatus Inventor: William C. White Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Solid state photocontrol using a cadmium-sulfide crystal.
Patent No. 2721931 Filing date: May 7, 1951 Patent date: October 25, 1955 Title: Street Lighting Luminaires and Refractors Therefor Inventor: Kurt Franck Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Refractor for clamshell type mercury vapor lamp.
Patent No. 2690505 Filing date: November 28, 1951 Patent date: September 28, 1954 Title: Reflector Support for Street Lighting Fixtures Inventor: William B. Elmer Assignee: Wheeler Reflector Co. Claims: Clamp to latch-on support adapter.
Patent No. D167864 Filing date: April 30, 1952 Patent date: September 30, 1952 Title: Lighting Fixture Bowl Inventor: Viktor Schreckengost Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Refractor Bowl with square bottom aspects.
Patent No. 2714653 Filing date: August 14, 1952 Patent date: August 2, 1955 Title: Street Lighting Apparatus Inventor: Eugene Lemmers Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Fluorescent luminaire for series circuits.
Patent No. 2709224 Filing date: October 22, 1952 Patent date: May 24, 1955 Title: Photo-Electric Lighting Control Unit Inventor: Philip Garnick Assignee: Fisher-Pierce Co. Claims: Improved luminaire-top photo control.
Patent No. 2778929 Filing date: December 31, 1952 Patent date: January 22, 1957 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Robert W. Loehr Assignee: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. Claims: Clamshell type mercury vapor luminaire.
Patent No. 2732483 Filing date: February 24, 1953 Patent date: January 24, 1956 Title: Street Lighting Luminaire Inventor: William B. Elmer Claims: Fluorescent luminaire with mercury vapor lamp for heating.
Patent No. 2833916 Filing date: May 25, 1953 Patent date: May 6, 1958 Title: Luminaire Inventor: John P. Foulds Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Improved fluorescent roadway luminaire.
Patent No. 2786130 Filing date: July 10, 1953 Patent date: March 19, 1957 Title: Street Lighting Luminaire Inventor: William B. Elmer Claims: Improved multi-faceted deflector.
Patent No. 2802150 Filing date: July 23, 1953 (Divided from August 3, 1950) Patent date: July 24, 1956 Title: Street Lighting Control Unit Inventor: Edward H. Yonkers, Jr. Assignee: Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Co. Claims: Relay control for multiple street light circuits.
Patent No. 2756349 Filing date: November 17, 1953 Patent date: August 6, 1957 Title: Light Integrating Means for Photocell Circuit Inventor: Karl Frank Assignee: Micro Balancing, Inc. Claims: Luminaire head mount photocontrol.

Continue to 1954 - 1957

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Please note: This index is a work in progress. If you notice an error or are aware of something that is missing, please feel free to Email me. Thanks!