Street Light Technical Information Willis Lamm   STREET LIGHTS: Patents from 1966

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. 3421005 Filing date: January 6, 1966 Patent date: January 7, 1969 Title: Ambient Light Controlled Solid State Relay Inventor: Edward S. Baker Assignee: Boeing Co. Claims: Solid state photocontrol.
Patent No. 3387866 Filing date: February 16, 1966 Patent date: June 11, 1968 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Samuel L. Baldwin Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Cobrahead luminaire adjustable mounting design.
Patent No. 3348035 Filing date: February 25, 1966 Patent date: October 17, 1967 Title: Adjustable Luminaire Lamp Support Inventor: John Stuart Franklin Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Adjustable socket mount.
Patent No. 3353015 Filing date: March 9, 1966 Patent date: November 14, 1967 Title: Street Lighting Luminaire Inventor: John Stuart Franklin Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Separate door to access ballast and related components.
Patent No. 3398291 Filing date: March 24, 1966 Patent date: August 20, 1968 Title: Luminaire with Heat Shield and Support Means for the Photoelectric Control Device Inventor: Robert W. Zerfoss Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Heat shield device to protect recessed cobrahead photocontrol.
Patent No. 3382357 Filing date: May 3, 1966 Patent date: May 7, 1968 Title: Reflector for Street Lighting Luminaire Inventor: Dale W. Welty Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Improved reflector for clamshell luminaire.
Patent No. 3377477 Filing date: May 9, 1966 Patent date: April 9, 1968 Title: Street Lighting Luminaire Inventor: Herbert A. Odle Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Modified ovate mercury vapor luminaire.
Patent No. 3387126 Filing date: May 18, 1966 Patent date: June 4, 1968 Title: Roadway Luminaire Inventor: Kun S. Lim Assignee: Wellmade Metal Products Co. Claims: Fluorescent luminaire that mounts on highway divider rails.
Patent No. 3395273 Filing date: May 26, 1966 Patent date: July 30, 1968 Title: Refractor Street Lighting Luminaire Inventor: Dale E. Welty Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Refractor type post mounted ball luminaire.
Patent No. 3455590 Filing date: July 5, 1966 Patent date: July 15, 1969 Title: Latch Device Inventor: Robert W. Zerfoss Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Improved cobrahead latching mechanism.
Patent No. 3421008 Filing date: July 13, 1966 Patent date: January 7, 1969 Title: Photoelectric Control Device for Street Lights Inventor: Mark B. Shaw Assignee: Tork Time Controls Claims: Solid state photocontrol with improved calibration.
Patent No. 3435202 Filing date: August 10, 1966 Patent date: March 25, 1969 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Edward R.Jablonski Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Improved cobrahead with adjustable socket.
Patent No. 3561682 Filing date: September 25, 1966 Patent date: February 9, 1971 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Charles H. Rex Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Improved clamshell (M-400) design.

Continue to 1967 - 1969

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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!