Rechargeable flashlight

A rechargeable flashlight comprising in combination a tubular casing of dielectric material for receiving therein at least one rechargeable battery,

• said casing having a rear end portion threaded for screw engagement with an end cap and a forward end portion threaded for screw engagement to a light bulb and reflector cap assembly,
• a metal sleeve attached to the inner surface of the casing adjacent to said first mentioned threaded portion,
• said sleeve having a flange overlapping the end of the casing and an inwardly formed indentation providing a slot between the sleeve and the inner surface of the casing for receiving and making electrical contact with one end of a current carrying bus bar,
• a cross member of rigid material attached to the inner wall of the casing between the foremost battery in the casing and the light bulb reflector cap assembly,
• said cross member having an electrical terminal therethrough in alignment with the post terminal of the foremost battery in the casing and a cut-out adjacent to the inner wall of the casing for entry of a bus bar,
• a metal spring attached to the terminal on said cross member in such manner that the free end of the spring makes electrical contact with the central terminal in the base of a light bulb,
• a rear end cap of dielectric material having interior threads engageable with the threaded rear end section of the casing and an interior annular shoulder,
• a cup positioned in said rear end cap and having an exterior rim flange bearing against the annular shoulder of the rear end cap,
• a conical metal spring having its base nestled in said cup with a terminal bend in the end of the outermost coil for making contact with said metal sleeve flange and its apex positioned against the bottom terminal of the rearmost battery in the casing,
• a current carrying bus bar positioned against the interior surface of the casing and extending from the indentation in the metal sleeve, through the cut-out in the casing's cross member and to a threaded metal cup bulb retainer in a light bulb reflector cap assembly,
• means exterior of the casing for moving said bus bar fore and aft to respectively make and break electrical contact with said bulb retainer,
• a light bulb and reflector cap assembly comprising an internally threaded bezel of dielectric material, a lens, a reflector having an externally threaded tubular neck extension and an interior shoulder in said neck extension, a flanged light bulb and a metal cup bulb retainer with internal threads for engagement with the threads on the reflector's neck extension for screwing the flange surface of the light bulb against the interior shoulder in said neck extension,
• said threaded metal cup having a central aperture in its base whereby the central terminal and its surrounding dielectric insulation at the base of the light bulb protrudes therethrough to make electrical contact with the metal spring attached to the terminal in the cross member, and
• a phono-jack affixed to the tubular casing for accepting a phono plug attached to a D.C. charging source for recharging the batteries in the casing, said phono-jack having one electrical lead therefrom attached to the metal bus bar and its other electrical lead attached to the electrical terminal on the cross member of the tubular casing.