Street Light Technical Information Willis Lamm   STREET LIGHTS: Patents from 1964

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. As technology developed there was an additional drive to achieve greater efficiency, producing more usable light in more desirable directions for each watt of power used.

Patent No. 3265883 Filing date: April 30, 1964 Patent date: August 9, 1966 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Joseph A. Tolbert Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Improved light cutoff for cobrahead luminaires.
Patent No. 3257553 Filing date: April 30, 1964 Patent date: June 21, 1966 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Joseph A. Tolbert Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: 4-way directional cobrahead.
Patent No. 3283138 Filing date: May 8, 1964 Patent date: November 1, 1966 Title: Lighting Apparatus and System Inventor: Dorothy M. Huber and Charles H. Justice Assignee: Philadelphia Electrical and Manufacturing Co. Claims: Improved clamshell luminaire.
Patent No. 3274383 Filing date: June 1, 1964 Patent date: September 20, 1966 Title: Luminaire Inventor: William H. Dorman Assignee: Corning Glass Works Claims: Improved cobrahead refractor.
Patent No. D201034 (Design patent) Filing date: June 1, 1964 Patent date: May 4, 1965 Title: Street Lighting Refractor Inventor: William H. Dorman Assignee: Corning Glass Works Claims: Design patent for the improved cobrahead refractor.
Patent No. 3355847 Filing date: June 16, 1964 Patent date: December 5, 1967 Title: Street Lighting Columns Inventor: John William Pratt Assignee: Abacus Engineering Claims: Hinged lamp post.
Patent No. D201092 (Design patent) Filing date: July 17, 1964 Patent date: May 11, 1965 Title: Street Lighting Refractor Inventor: Franklin M. Neal Assignee: Corning Glass Works Claims: Improved cobrahead refractor.
Patent No. 3299263 Filing date: July 7, 1964 Patent date: January 17, 1967 Title: Luminaire Socket Support Inventor: Arthur M. Bjontegard Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Adjustable socket support for mercury vapor cobraheads.
Patent No. D201035 (Design patent) Filing date: July 10, 1964 Patent date: May 4, 1965 Title: Street Lighting Refractor Inventor: Franklin M. Neal Assignee: Corning Glass Works Claims: Improved clamshell refractor.
Patent No. 3283139 Filing date: September 29, 1964 Patent date: November 1, 1966 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Donald W. Harling Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Lower wattage mini cobrahead.
Patent No. 3342996 Filing date: September 30, 1964 Patent date: September 19, 1967 Title: Light Sensitive Power Control Circuit Including Diode Switch Inventor: William O. Crusinberry Assignee: Hunt Electronics Co. Claims: Photoelectric control using impedence switching diodes.
Patent No. 3340393 Filing date: November 14, 1964 Patent date: September 5, 1967 Title: Underpass Luminaire Inventor: Kurt Frank and Herbert Odle Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Luminaire for walls and underpasses.
Patent No. 3303456 Filing date: October 23, 1964 Patent date: February 7, 1967 Title: Lamp Socket Inventor: Donald W. Harling Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Improved socket system for mini cobrahead.
Patent No. 3369115 Filing date: December 16, 1964 (Refiled April 3, 1967) Patent date: February 13, 1968 Title: Elongated Luminaire with Directional Control of Light Distribution Inventor: Edward H. Yonkers Assignee: Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Co. Claims: Vertical fluorescent luminaire with prismatic light direction.
Patent No. 3371201 Filing date: December 16, 1964 (Refiled April 3, 1967) Patent date: February 13, 1968 Title: Elongated Luminaire with Directional Control of Light Distribution Inventor: Edward H. Yonkers Assignee: Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Co. Claims: Vertical fluorescent luminaire with prismatic light direction. (Variants from the original design.)

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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!