Street Light Technical Information Willis Lamm   STREET LIGHTS: Patents from 1967 Through 1969

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. 3385258 Filing date: January 16, 1967 Patent date: May 28, 1968 Title: Luminaire Having Level Indicator Inventor: Paul J. Curtin Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Cobrahead with built in leveling sight.
Patent No. 3482087 Filing date: February 20, 1967 Patent date: December 2, 1969 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Harold P. Kelley, Jr. Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Modern post mounted mercury vapor luminaire.
Patent No. 3366785 Filing date: February 23, 1967 Patent date: January 30, 1968 Title: Lighting Fixture Inventor: Charles W. Huber, Jr. Assignee: Pemco Corp. Claims: Colonial style post mounted refracted mercury vapor luminaire.
Patent No. 3480772 Filing date: March 9, 1967 Patent date: November 25, 1969 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Alfred B. Gough Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Improved cobrahead optics.
Patent No. 3478200 Filing date: April 4, 1967 Patent date: November 11, 1969 Title: Combined Street Light and Identification Sign Structure Inventor: Clifford Bruce Hewson Assignee: E. W. Bliss Co. Claims: Street corner post luminaire with street sign panels.
Patent No. 3483365 Filing date: April 10, 1967 Patent date: December 9, 1969 Title: Luminaire Spiral Ring Coupling Means Inventor: George N. Starr Assignee: American Electric Manufacturing Co. Claims: Sprial coupling ring to attach the refractor to the reflector.
Patent No. 3492473 Filing date: May 4, 1967 Patent date: January 27, 1970 Title: Luminaire Refractor Latch Inventor: Edward R. Jablonski Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Improved latch for mini cobrahead.
Patent No. 3450939 Filing date: May 9, 1967 Patent date: June 17, 1969 Title: Solid State Control Switch with Instant On Characteristic and Low Wattage Components Inventor: John J. Misencik Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp. Claims: Solid state photocontrol with on-delay issues eliminated.
Patent No. 3479701 Filing date: August 16, 1967 Patent date: November 25, 1969 Title: Latch Device Inventor: Robert W. Zerfoss Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Improved NEMA style latch.
Patent No. 3530287 Filing date: March 6, 1968 Patent date: September 22, 1970 Title: Streetlighting Luminaire Containing Replacable Sealed Optical System Inventor: Donald E. Husby Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Co. Claims: Cobrahead luminaire having a sealed beam lamp-reflector-refractor optical unit.
Patent No. 3562510 Filing date: June 20, 1968 Patent date: February 9, 1971 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Samuel L. Baldwin Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Modern mast luminaire with interchangeable heads.
Patent No. 3560731 Filing date: June 27, 1968 Patent date: February 2, 1971 Title: Luminaire Housing Inventor: James R. Burton Assignee: McGraw-Edison Co. Claims: Colonial style mercury vapor luminaire.
Patent No. 3581082 Filing date: August 9, 1968 Patent date: May 25, 1971 Title: Street Lighting Luminaire Refractor Inventor: Jan Shadwick Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Improved refractor for clamshell type luminaires.
Patent No. 3524051 Filing date: August 19, 1968 Patent date: August 11, 1970 Title: Luminaire Inventor: Samuel L. Baldwin and David L. Wood Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Box type luminaire.
Patent No. 3661685 Filing date: October 28, 1968 Patent date: May 9, 1972 Title: Laminated Assembly of Polycarbonate and Polyacrilate Resin Sheets and Method of Making the Same Inventor: Mitchell M. Osteen Assignee: General Electric Co. Claims: Laminated polycarbonate cobrahead luminaire.
Patent No. 3544785 Filing date: September 10, 1968 Patent date: December 1, 1970 Title: Luminaire Inventor: William A. Weibel Assignee: Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Co. Claims: Vertical post fluorescent luminaire.
Patent No. 3590238 Filing date: November 18, 1968 Patent date: June 29, 1971 Title: Street-Lighting Luminaire Inventor: John B. Arens Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp. Claims: Adjustable HID lamp socket.
Patent No. 3619603 Filing date: May 7, 1969 Patent date: November 9, 1971 Title: Street-Lighting Luminaire Inventor: Herbert A. Odle Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Improved rail mount luminaire.
Patent No. 3652047 Filing date: August 18, 1969 Patent date: March 28, 1972 Title: Luminaire Attaching Means Inventor: George N. Starr Assignee: American Electric Manufacturing Corp. Claims: Improved slip fitter design.
Patent No. 3679889 Filing date: November 18, 1969 Patent date: July 25, 1972 Title: Bi-Directrional Highway Luminaire Inventor: Kurt Franck Assignee: Holophane Co. Claims: Luminaire system that directs more light in the direction of vehicular travel.

Continue to 1970-1974

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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!