Balanced arm lamps

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The 1934 Anglepoise was the first balanced-arm lamp to be produced

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.

1 Configuration
2 Lamps balanced with springs
3 Lamps balanced by pressure and friction
4 Lamps balanced with one counterweight
5 Lamps balanced with two counterweights
6 Lamps using other systems
7 References
8 See also
9 External links
10 Patents history

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. 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.

A Luxo L-1 type of lamp with two parallelogram and two extension spring sets

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 side of the pivoting arm. (A set of springs functions in the same way as a single spring.) Others are balanced with counterweights. 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.

Compression and tension springs at rest and under load

There are many variations of construction with springs. Springs can be located on the forearm or the upper arm, or both, as well as nearer the base. Some lamps use tension springs, and others use compression springs. The image at the left shows (left to right) a compression spring at rest, then under load, followed by a tension spring at rest, and then under load. Some springs can resonate, producing low-level unwanted noise.

Spring-balanced upper arm, flexible forearm
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.

Tension spring over wheels
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.

Two arms, one spring, one toothed wheel
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.

Two parallelograms and two tension Spring (device) sets
One tension spring controls the forearm, which is a parallelogram having two bars. A stronger spring set controls the upper arm, which has three parallel bars (see photo, right). (There is a less stable construction with two parallel bars in the upper arm which is less expensive to manufacture.) Due to the parallel linkage of the lamp, the lamp cap keeps pointing in the same vertical direction when adjusting the height of the lamp. As with most balanced-arm lamps, the whole assembly can rotate in the horizontal plane, and is mounted on a stable foot.

Two parallelograms and two tension Spring (device) sets

One tension spring controls the forearm, which is a parallelogram having two bars. A stronger spring set controls the upper arm, which has three parallel bars (see photo, right). (There is a less stable construction with two parallel bars in the upper arm which is less expensive to manufacture.) Due to the parallel linkage of the lamp, the lamp cap keeps pointing in the same vertical direction when adjusting the height of the lamp. As with most balanced-arm lamps, the whole assembly can rotate in the horizontal plane, and is mounted on a stable foot.

One parallelogram and two extension spring sets
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 (device). The lamp cap rotates the same direction as the upper arm and forearm.

Single forearm bar, one parallelogram , two tension spring sets
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.

Tension springs within the arms
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 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.

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.

Compression springs near the foot
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.

A compression spring with one parallelogram
In this method, just one compression spring controls a pantographic arm.

Spiral spring controls a pantograph arm
Patent: GB1290891A from 1970

Torsion springs controls the pivoting arm

Pressure and friction lamps
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.

A single counterweight
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

A single counterweight

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

One parallelogram with one counterweight
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.

One parallelogram with an extended counterweight
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.

Three parallelograms with one counterweight
This lamp has a complex construction.

A single arm with two counterweights
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.

Two balancing arms with two counterweights
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.

Two balancing arms with two counterweights

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.

Here are some less common ways of balancing arms.

Lamps having a vertical axis
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
The friction between the twisted arm controls the movement between the arms. This arm system also works with friction.

Mechanical coupling devices
This lamp works by coupling together the upper arm and the forearm. It is called a gravity-locked or cam-locked elbow [See here].

Hydraulic arm
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
This is an image of a pneumatic arm lamp.

At Wikiversity you can learn more and teach others about Balanced arm lamps at:

The Department of Balanced arm lamps

Dutch students from the University Delft Netherlands experimenting to balance a lamp. In Dutch but with a lot of images.

Classifications IPC :F21V21/26

International patent category : B23B31/171

GB191104491 An Improved Device for Supporting or Suspending Electric Lamps and the like (1911)

U.S. Patent 1,370,231 - 1921 harmonica arm -

[1] 1923 parallelogram & counter weight

[2] 1926 friction

[3] 1929 2 counter weight

[4] 1934 spring and counter weight

FR757890 1934 CARWARDINE GEORGE

FR784932 1935 CARWARDINE GEORGE

[5] 1937 friction

[6] 1938 2 parallelogram 2 springs

[7] 1939 2 pressure springs

[8] 19.. a-symmetric arm-lamp

[9] 1947 friction and a spring

[10] 1949

[11] 1949 spring in the arm

[12] 1954 friction arm

U.S. Patent 3,003,737A11,961 -- 1961

[13] 1971

U.S. Patent 5,333,103A1 - 1991 -

EP0518569 1992

EP1274545 2003 mechanical coupling devices

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This section contains paid listings which have been purchased by companies that want to have their sites appear for specific search terms and related content. These listings are administered, sorted and maintained by a third party and are not endorsed by Search.com.