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Angle Poise Lamps
Angle Poise Lamps
Balanced-arm lamp
A balanced-arm lamp is a lamp with an adjustable folding arm which is constructed so that the force due to gravity is always counteracted, regardless of the position of the arms of the lamp. Many lamp brands (such as the Anglepoise and Luxo L-1 as well as other devices, such as drawing boards, use this principle.
Configuration
These lamp arms invite comparison with a human arm: the lamp cap is the hand, and there are three joints (equivalent to the wrist, elbow and shoulder) which connect it to the body, in this case reprsented by the base. Just as with the human arm, the advantages of the three joints are that the arm can reach virtually any point in space within a hemisphere with a radius equal to the arm's length. The same mechanism can be employed in other devices with similar requirements, such as copy holders for typists and some computer display holders. This article uses the terminology lamp cap, forearm, upper arm and base for the four basic parts of these lamps. For the physics and theory behind balanced-arm lamps, see Classical mechanics, linkage and torque. There are different methods to balance the lamp-cap of a balanced-arm lamp. Some lamps have two coil springs working in parallel on both sides of the pivoting arm. (A set of springs functions in the same way as a single spring.) Others are balanced with counterweights (a method frequently used in drawing-boards). Friction between parts of the lamp arm can also be used to maintain balance. There are a number of mechanical solutions (coupling, hydraulics and pneumatic arms) which have occasionally been used for balanced-arm lamps.
Balanced-arm lamp
This lamp has a stiff flexible tube as its forearm, and a spring-balanced arm to support it near the middle. That way there is a flexible lamp with a long reach.
The wheel to control the forearm is smaller than the wheel that controls the upper arm. The lamp cap rotates the same direction as the upper arm and forearm.
Balanced-arm lamp
With this technique the tension spring has a double function: it controls both the forearm and the upper arm. This is not a common arm lamp system. The lamp cap rotates the same direction as the upper arm and forearm.
Balanced-arm lamp
A lamp like the Anglepoise lamp has one parallelogram and two extension springs. One spring controls the shortest arm of a parallelogram. Parallel to this shortest arm there is the forearm. To keep these arms parallel there are two other parallel arms (upper arm) that are controlled by a second extension spring. The lamp cap rotates the same direction as the upper arm and forearm.
The forearm of this lamp consist of a single bar. When it is adjusted, the angle of the lamp cap changes along with the arm.
Balanced-arm lamp
A lamp like the Tolomeo desk lamp has no parallelograms in either arm. In this modern lamp the tension springs are hidden in the arms. The lamp cap rotates the same direction as the upper arm and forearm.
Compression springs
Compression springs in the arms The short arms (green) stay parallel. One spring puts pull force on the blue arm. (If the blue arm is tilted back the second spring on this arm gets push force.) The blue arm controls the two parallel arms (red) that make up the upper arm. The other spring puts pull force on the other blue arm. This arm controls the forearm (magenta). The two springs can be the same size; one spring has to lift more weight but is more vertical. The other spring lifts less weight but is more horizontal.
Balanced-arm lamp
One compression spring controls a very short arm (grey). The Roller chain cable connects this arm parallel to the forearm (yellow). The longer spring controls the (blue) arm. The body (red) can turn in the horizontal plane. The body is connected to a stable foot. The body can be smaller because the pressure springs can protrude below the body.
Balanced-arm lamp
Balanced-arm lamp
This construction is quite common in Italian lamps. Gravity causes the parallelogram to deform, making the gap between the long arms smaller. This increases pressure on the rubber in the gap, and the resulting friction holds the arm in balance.
Balanced-arm lamp
This construction uses a chain to keep the arm with the counterweight and the forearm parallel. The lamp-cap and counterweight move in opposite directions (both away from the base or both towards it). The balance that is required is shown by the following formula: d1 = Lamp-cap to base; m1 = weight of lamp-cap d2 = counterweight to base; m2 = weight of counterweight m1 d1 = m2 d2
This lamp has a heavy base, with a parallelogram pantograph construction formed by bars which are all hinged on each other. One long bar extends past the parallelogram construction and has a counterweight. One short bar also extends past the parallelogram construction and holds the lamp cap. The base haves a arc formed stand so the counterweight does not hit the stand in vertical position.
Balanced-arm lamp
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This lamp is similar to the one above, but as the counterweight has a low position, the lamp needs no heavy foot for stability: the centre of gravity is low. The counterbalance does not swing but slides an rotate safer around the stand.
This lamp stand has a complex construction with matching narrow openings. This lamp is out of production .
Balanced-arm lamp
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With this lamp the movement is very limited (the arm moves up and down only) but the technique is nice to look at. As the forearm becomes more horizontal the weight ceases to be balanced on both side of the base. The weight of the base is needed to avoid over-balancing.
Two arms with two counterweights A lamp type like the Tizio works like this. A balancing arm (the forearm) has on one side of an axis a small counterweight and on the other side a lamp cap. These parts are lifted by a second bigger balancing arm (the upper arm) that has on the other side of a second axis a heavier counterweight. The lamp designed by Edouard-Wilfrid Buquet in 1929 works in this way. The lamp is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The two axes have a different angle, and this has some advantages. Lamp-cap x fore-Arm = Arm x Small weight (Lamp-cap + Small weight) x upper-arm = Arm x Big weight.
Balanced-arm lamp
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This kind of lamp has a forearm balanced by weight or springs. Its disadvantage is that the upper arm cannot point up or forwards.
Friction
Balanced-arm lamp
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The friction between the twisted arm controls the movement between the arms.
This lamp works by coupling together the upper arm and the forearm. It is called a gravity-locked or cam-locked elbow See here
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Hydraulic arm
Balanced-arm lamp
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The Biggest pivoting arm lamp in the world is in Rotterdam. It has one hydraulic cylinder to control the forearm, and one hydraulic cylinder to control the upper arm.
Pneumatic arm
Arm lamp with a pneumatic cylinder. The gravity compress the air in the pneumatic cylinder.
In popular culture
Two spring balanced desk lamps of this type feature as the main characters in the Pixar animated film Luxo Jr..
See also
Engineering science and mechanics Industrial design Light fixture Torsion spring Mechanical advantage Mechanical engineering technology Moment (physics)
Balanced-arm lamp
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External links
Dutch students from the University Delft Netherlands [2] experimenting to balance a lamp. In Dutch but with a lot of images.
Patents history
Classifications IPC :F21V21/26 International patent category : B23B31/171 GB191104491 [3] An Improved Device for Supporting or Suspending Electric Lamps and the like (1911) U.S. Patent 1370231 [4] - 1921 harmonica arm [5] 1923 parallelogram & counter weight [6] 1926 friction [7] 1929 2 counter weight [8] 1934 spring and counter weight
FR757890 1934 CARWARDINE GEORGE FR784932 1935 CARWARDINE GEORGE [9] 1937 friction [10] 1938 2 parallelogram 2 springs [11] 1939 2 pressure springs [12] 19.. a-symmetric arm-lamp [13] 1947 friction and a spring [14] 1949 [15] 1949 spring in the arm [16] 1954 friction arm
1. U.S. Patent 3003737A11961 [17] -- 1961 [18] 1971 U.S. Patent 5333103A1 [19] - 1991 EP0518569 1992 EP1274545 2003 mechanical coupling devices
References
[1] http:/ / www. tribtech. com/ app. 20. htm [2] http:/ / www. ocp. tudelft. nl/ project2006/ wb14/ referenties. html [3] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB191104491 [4] http:/ / www. google. com/ patents?q=1370231 [5] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB206435 [6] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB254972 [7] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB285045 [8] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB481198 [9] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB470502 [10] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB489547 [11] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB504791 [12] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB536342 [13] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB589994 [14] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB618344 [15] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB629364 [16] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB713378 [17] http:/ / www. google. com/ patents?q=3003737A11961
Balanced-arm lamp
[18] http:/ / www. delphion. com/ cgi-bin/ viewpat. cmd/ GB1249774A [19] http:/ / www. google. com/ patents?q=5333103A1
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License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported http:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/