Electric lamp holders

Claim 2

An indicating instrument comprising: a. a casing; b. display means mounted in the casing; c. means for illuminating said display means within the casing, said illuminating means comprising an electric lamp holder mounted to extend into the casing from outside thereof, said lamp holder comprising i. a member for supporting an electric light-emitting lamp, ii. a pair of electrical contacts mounted on the support member for connection to respective electrical terminals of the electric lamp carried by said support member, iii. a lamp housing having an aperture therein for receiving the support member with the lamp and said contacts located wholly within the housing, said housing comprising an end-part defining said aperture, an opaque wall section integral with said end part, a light-transmitting wall section extending from said opaque wall section for transmitting said light through the housing wall, and means for providing an air-tight seal between the opaque and light-transmitting wall sections, iv. a pair of electrical leads that extend through the said light-transmitting wall section of the housing for resiliently engaging respective ones of the said contacts, and v. an air-tight seal between the wall of the housing and the said electrical leads; and d. means sealing the said end-part of the lamp-holder housing to the casing with said opaque and light-transmitting wall sections projecting into the casing.

Claim 3

An electric lamp holder comprising: a member for supporting an electric light-emitting lamp; a first pair of electrical contacts mounted on the support member for connection to respective electrical terminals of the electric lamp carried by said support member; a cylindrical lamp-housing having an aperture therein for receiving the support member with the lamp and said first pair of contacts located wholly within the housing, said housing comprising a first end-part defining said aperture for receiving said support member as aforesaid and adapted to co-operate with said support member for retention of said support member in said aperture, and a cylindrical wall which extends from said first end-part for embracing the lamp within the housing and which includes a second end-part at the opposite end of the housing from said first end-part to close the housing at that end, said housing having an opaque section constituted by a portion of the said wall extending from said first end-part, a light-transmitting section constituted by the remainder of the wall for transmitting said light through the housing wall, and a first air-tight seal sealing said light-transmitting section to said opaque section; a second pair of electrical contacts that extend through the said wall of the housing for resiliently engaging respective ones of the said first pair of electrical contacts; and a second air-tight seal between the wall of the housing and the second pair of electrical contacts.

Claim 4

An electric lamp holder comprising: a member for supporting an electric light-emitting lamp; a first pair of electrical contacts mounted on the support member for connection to respective electrical terminals of the electric lamp carried by said support member; a cylindrical lamp-housing having an aperture therein for receiving the support member with the lamp and said first pair of contacts located wholly within the housing, said housing comprising a first end-part defining said aperture for receiving said support member as aforesaid and adapted to co-operate with said support member for retention of said support member in said aperture, and a cylindrical wall which extends from said first end-part for embracing the lamp within the housing and which includes a second end-part at the opposite end of the housing from said first end-part to close the housing at that end, said housing having an opaque section constituted by a portion of the said wall extending from said first end-part, a light-transmitting section constituted by the remainder of the wall for transmitting said light through the housing wall, and a first air-tight seal sealing said light-transmitting section to said opaque section; a second pair of electrical contacts that extend through the said wall of the housing for resiliently engaging respective ones of the said first pair of electrical contacts; and a second air-tight seal between the wall of the housing and the second pair of electrical contacts.

Claim 5

A holder according to claim 2, wherein the said second pair of electrical contacts extend through the said end-part of said housing.

Claim 6

A holder according to claim 2, including a pair of spaced metal sleeves carried by the housing to extend through said wall, and wherein respective ones of the said second pair of electrical contacts extend through said sleeves and are soldered therein.

Claim 7

A holder according to claim 2, wherein the said opaque section is of metal and the said light-transmitting section is of glass, the metal having a coefficient of expansion which is substantially the same as that of the glass.

Claim 8

A holder according to claim 5, wherein the said opaque section is fused to the said light-transmitting section.

Claim 9

A holder according to cLaim 2, wherein the said opaque section is of metal and the said light-transmitting section is of glass, and wherein at least the part of the said opaque section immediately adjacent to the said light-transmitting section has a wall thickness which is substantially less than that of the said light-transmitting section.

Claim 10

A holder according to claim 2, wherein the said support member includes a tube, and wherein the said first pair of electrical contacts are constituted by a pair of slip-rings mounted on the exterior of the tube and spaced apart axially thereof.

Claim 11

A holder according to claim 2, wherein the said housing aperture is screw-threaded, and wherein the said support member includes a cap having a screw-thread for co-operating with the said screw-threaded aperture to mount the support member in the housing.

Claim 12

An indicating instrument comprising: a. an air-tight casing; b. display means sealed into the casing; c. means for illuminating said display means within the casing, said illuminating means comprising a plurality of electric lamp holders mounted to extend into the casing from outside thereof and each lamp holder comprising i. a member for supporting an electric light-emitting lamp, ii. a first pair of electrical contacts mounted on the support member for connection to respective electrical terminals of the electric lamp carried by said support member, iii. a cylindrical lamp-housing having an aperture therein for receiving the support member with the lamp and said first pair of contacts located wholly within the housing, said housing comprising a first end-part defining said aperture for receiving said support member as aforesaid and adapted to co-operate with said support member for retention of said support member in said aperture, and a cylindrical wall extending from said first end-part for embracing the lamp within the housing, said wall including a second end-part at the opposite end of the housing from said first end-part to close the housing at that end, said housing having an opaque section constituted by a portion of the said wall extending from said first end-part, a light-transmitting section constituted by the remainder of the wall for transmitting said light through the housing wall, and a first air-tight seal sealing said light-transmitting section to said opaque section, iv. a second pair of electrical contacts that extend through the said wall of the housing for resiliently engaging respective ones of the said first pair of electrical contacts, and v. a second air-tight seal between the wall of the housing and the second pair of electrical contacts; and d. air-tight sealing means sealing the said housings of the said lamp holders into the casing.

Claim 13

An indicating instrument comprising: a. an air-tight casing; b. display means sealed into the casing; c. means for illuminating said display means within the casing, said illuminating means comprising a plurality of electric lamp holders mounted to extend into the casing from outside thereof and each lamp holder comprising i. a member for supporting an electric light-emitting lamp, ii. a first pair of electrical contacts mounted on the support member for connection to respective electrical terminals of the electric lamp carried by said support member, iii. a cylindrical lamp-housing having an aperture therein for receiving the support member with the lamp and said first pair of contacts located wholly within the housing, said housing comprising a first end-part defining said aperture for receiving said support member as aforesaid and adapted to co-operate with said support member for retention of said support member in said aperture, and a cylindrical wall extending from said first end-part for embracing the lamp within the housing, said wall including a second end-part at the opposite end of the housing from said first end-part to close the housing at that end, said housing having an opaque section constituted by a portion of the said wall extending from said first end-part, a light-transmitting section constituted by the remainder of the wall for transmitting said light through the housing wall, and a first air-tight seal sealing said light-transmitting section to said opaque section, iv. a second pair of electrical contacts that extend through the said wall of the housing for resiliently engaging respective ones of the said first pair of electrical contacts, and v. a second air-tight seal between the wall of the housing and the second pair of electrical contacts; and d. air-tight sealing means sealing the said housings of the said lamp holders into the casing.

Claim 14

An instrument according to claim 10, wherein the said opaque sections of the housings are of metal, and wherein the air-tight seals between the housings and the casings are constituted by metal joints between the casing and the respective said opaque sections.

Claim 15

An instrument according to claim 10, wherein the said casing includes a front panel, and wherein the front panel has apertures therein to receive said lamp holders respectively.