Reason for Joining This Forum

[Joe Asta]

I thought I should let the group know why I joined this forum.

I am an engineer that designs products used in the building trade. (I didn't even end that sentence and I heard all the groans!!!)

One of the things that I want to accomplish is to understand what happens in the real world with the products I design. This knowledge is very valuable to me. Unlike many of my contempories, I am not happy with just getting the job done and leaving it at that, I need to know that through out the life of the products I design that they perform as intended.

By reading your posts, I learn something everyday. I will put forth my best effort to put that knowledge to practical use in future designs.

Now that you know where I stand, if I post a response that doesn't make sense, it's because I lack the experience in the trenches that each of you experience everyday.

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[Billy Stephens]

I am an engineer that designs products used in the building trade. (I didn't even end that sentence and I heard all the groans!!!)
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Welcome Joe,

What do you Design?
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[Joe Asta]

Light fixtures.

[Billy Stephens]

Light fixtures.

.
......
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[John Arnold]

I thought I should let the group know why I joined this forum...

I joined to meet girls, but, so far, no luck.

Welcome to the board!

[Matt Vozzella]

I joined for similar reasons - I work for a MEP engineer doing design for all the trades now, plumbing for about 10 years. It helps to see what's actually out there beyond the computer screen. Also, I sometimes do predesign inspections on existing buildings.

[Jerry Peck]

Light fixtures.

Cool.

That was my business (not design, but selling, installing, layout, etc.) for 13 years.

Even made several of my own and created my own disco ceiling and floor systems, before we got wise to fire, fumes, etc., so that was quite some time ago. I really had fun designing systems for discos. Questions usually went like this: "What can you do for me?" "How much money do you have?" When they responded "A lot. I want something no one else has.", I knew I had a live one.

Okay, what kind of lighting fixtures do you design? All types? Recessed? Track? Chandeliers?

Here is the biggest gripes I had back then and still have today: Sockets.

First, they never stay tight and when the lamp gets stuck in them the socket (lampholder) unscrews - NOT GOOD.

Second, aluminum base lamps tend to get stuck in sockets and the lamp needs to be broken out and unscrewed with long nose pliers - NOT GOOD.

Third, those cheaper sockets which are plastic with paper around them, use only ceramic sockets.

Fourth, probably beyond you as this would be a parts design and not a lighting fixture design, but how about a two piece socket where there would be some type of fastener on the outside holding the socket together, when the socket burned out, the center contact or outer shell comes loose (like they always do), the outer fasteners can be clipped off (say 3-1/4 turn retainers) and the bad part of the socket replaced - same if the lamp gets stuck in the socket, instead of tearing the socket up to get the lamp out, remove and replace the top part of the socket. Yeah, I know, I just gave my retirement away again, but I am only an idea man, I never seem to be able to make the time and patent things.

You need an idea man on contract?

[Rick Hurst]

How about a retractable chandlier's? You see these always hanging from a second floor ceiling and some have 50 bulbs or more. No easy way to change the bulbs without risking your life on a ladder.

Why not have the lamp somehow retractible so you could lower it and replace the bulbs from the floor level and then send it back up?

Rick

[mathew stouffer]

Sweet idea Rick. What about retractable can light for vaulted ceilings.

[Nick Ostrowski]

How about a retractable chandlier's? You see these always hanging from a second floor ceiling and some have 50 bulbs or more. No easy way to change the bulbs without risking your life on a ladder.

Why not have the lamp somehow retractible so you could lower it and replace the bulbs from the floor level and then send it back up?

Rick

Somebody beat you to the punch on this idea Rick. I've seen a couple of these in houses.

[Rick Hurst]

Somebody beat you to the punch on this idea Rick. I've seen a couple of these in houses.

{tearing up request for information on a patent idea}

[Joe Asta]

The company I work for makes all types of lighting from undercabinet to parking lot fixtures.

I myself work mostly with recessed and track fixtures.

We use ceramic sockets. Not worth saving a few cents on the part that the customer interfaces with.

Company practice does not allow us to skimp on sockets, trims and finishes.

Sorry guys, we don't make chandeliers.

[Matt Vozzella]

You guys get into LEDs for parking/site lighting yet? Big cost up front but huge savings in operation.

[Jerry Peck]

How about a retractable chandlier's?

Already have them.

They are hung from a winch with an electric motor in the attic, lowered and raised with a switch downstairs.

[Joe Asta]

You guys get into LEDs for parking/site lighting yet? Big cost up front but huge savings in operation.

We have hundreds of LED projects in my area and I wouldn't be surprised if the parking lot guys have some too in development.

FYI - It sometimes takes years to get new fixtures to market. Agency testing alone takes several months.

[Steve Frederickson]

Rick,

Cheer up. Maybe you could design one that works. I was involved in an interesting insurance investigation on one of these several years ago. The 6' diameter chandelier fell about 30' to the floor. The owners and their lawyers were blaming it on the installer. It turns out that the cleaning service held the "down" button on too long, so the winch lowered the light until all of the cable was unwound and then it started to wind the cable back up as the winch continued to turn. The cable was then wound slightly around the winch the wrong way, so the down button now raised it and the up button now lowered it. When they finished cleaning the chandelier, the raised it back up using the down button (the buttons aren't labelled; they just pushed whichever button made it go up). The problem was that there was no stop mechanism to prevent it from being raised too high, because the winch thought it was being lowered. When it was fully wound, the tension tore the chandelier off of the cable.
I'm not sure how the case turned out, but I believe that the installer was off the hook.

[Joe Asta]

The engineer could of caught that one in the DFMEA (Design Failure Mode & Effect Analysis). Saved my rear end many a times.

Requirement in automotive, aerospace and military industries but rarely do I see them required in other industries.

[A.D. Miller]

Disco Jerry Peck. Now that is a true visual!

[Rick Hurst]

Disco Jerry Peck?

Now that scares the Bee Gees-us out of me.

rick

[Steve Frederickson]

Here's a link to the installation instructions. It's a bit off-topic, but it's interesting, in case you happen to run across one. Take a look at note h and i. Aladdin Light Lift, Inc.

Is it just me, or is it a problem when a chandelier can fall if you operate the switch for too long? I'm sure that the cleaning company wasn't handed a set of instructions before they cleaned the chandelier.

[A.D. Miller]

Here's a link to the installation instructions. It's a bit off-topic, but it's interesting, in case you happen to run across one. Take a look at note h and i. Aladdin Light Lift, Inc.

Is it just me, or is it a problem when a chandelier can fall if you operate the switch for too long? I'm sure that the cleaning company wasn't handed a set of instructions before they cleaned the chandelier.

SF: It looks like page 9 of the standard installation instructions is suggesting we act like real sparkies and hack up the ceiling joists.

[Jerry Peck]

Disco Jerry Peck. Now that is a true visual!

Disco Jerry Peck?

Now that scares the Bee Gees-us out of me.

rick

Hey guys!

I never danced (disco or otherwise - I can carry a tune and a beat if you put it in a wheel barrow) just designed, built and installed whatever disco lighting systems they wanted and I could think up.

Dance? I trip over my own three ... er ... two feet.