Street Light Technical Information Willis Lamm   STREET LIGHTS: Patents from 1963

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 mid 1960s saw many refinements and innovations. There are so many patents that we only have room for one year per page. There were developments in both clamshell and cobrahead luminaires. Some communities preferred the smaller clamshell profile and there were issues related to weight and heat when ballasts and similar components were included in the cobrahead body. As a result, inventors continued to develop both types of streetlights.

Patent No. 3215980 Filing date: January 14, 1963 Patent date: November 2, 1965 Title: Reflecting Device for Public Street Lighting Appliances Inventor: Marie Henri Hubert Adam Assignee: l'Eclairage Technique Claims: Improved light cutoff for cobrahead luminaires.
Patent No. 3184199 Filing date: January 15, 1963 Patent date: May 18, 1965 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Phillip B. Clark and Edward R, Jablonski Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Cobrahead with improved slip fitter.
Patent No. 3204092 Filing date: January 29, 1963 Patent date: August 31, 1965 Title: Street Lighting Luminaire Inventor: Edward R. Jablonski Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Improved latching devices for cobrahead luminaires.
Patent No. 3187175 Filing date: March 21, 1963 Patent date: June 1, 1965 Title: Power Distribution System Inventor: Richard J. Lang Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Combination luminaire post and transformer vault for residential service.
Patent No. 3225187 Filing date: March 29, 1963 Patent date: December 21, 1965 Title: Luminaire Assembly Inventor: Paul J. Curtin Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Post mount mercury vapor luminaire.
Patent No. 3219812 Filing date: May 2, 1963 Patent date: November 23, 1965 Title: Lamp Holder Assembly for Luminaires Inventor: Charles E. Turner Assignee: American Electric Manufacturing Co. Claims: Adjustable socket for cobrahead luminaires.	v
Patent No. 3213271 Filing date: May 10, 1963 Patent date: October 19, 1965 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Joseph Agustus Tolbert Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Adjustable beam shallow refractor luminaire.	v
Patent No. 3241257 Filing date: June 24, 1963 Patent date: March 22, 1966 Title: Information Suppling Unit Inventor: Joseph Agustus Tolbert Claims: Combination street luminaire and illuminated sign.	v
Patent No. 3264465 Filing date: September 3, 1963 Patent date: August 2, 1966 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Charles H. Rex Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Bucket luminaire with components in bracket arm.
Patent No. 3344268 (Original Filing: September 12, 1963) Filing date: January 25, 1966 Patent date: September 26, 1967 Title: Refractor for Use in Uniformly Illuminating a Polygonal Area Inventor: Herbert A. Fouke Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Refractor design that produces a polygonal pattern.
Patent No. D199456 (Design patent) Filing date: September 17, 1963 Patent date: October 27, 1964 Title: Luminaire Lens Inventor: Dale E. Welty Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Shallow refractor for cobrahead lunminaire.
Patent No. 3264466 Filing date: October 16, 1963 Patent date: August 2, 1966 Title: Luminaire Inventor: William D. Bacon, Jr. Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Bucket luminaire with components in bracket arm.
Patent No. 3267276 Filing date: November 12, 1963 Patent date: August 16, 1966 Title: Street Lantern Inventor: Paul Hasler Assignee: Novelectric Claims: Horizontal mercury vapor luminaire that can be span wired.
Patent No. 3278743 Filing date: December 16, 1963 Patent date: October 11, 1966 Title: Street Light Refractor Inventor: Kurt Franck Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Improved refractor for bucket luminaire.

Continue to 1964

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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!