Year: 1899

page_text: Date claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
being date of first Foreign Application
(in United States),
17th Feb.. 1899
I, GEORGE WALE, of 100, Winslow Street, Everett, Massachusetts, United
States of America, Optician do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to that class of kaleidoscopes used for viewing objects
by light reflected therefrom.
Fig. 1 of the drawings is a view in side elevation of my improved kaleidoscope.
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on the line 3-3, in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken centrally through the base and object-support.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the mirrors, mirror-holder, eye-piece and lens,
taken on the line 5-5, in Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a similar view of the lower portion of one side of the mirror-holder
and one of the mirrors, taken on the line, 6-6, in Fig. 1.
Referring to the drawings, 1 is the base which may be formed of wood or
other desired material, and of any desired form.
The upper end, 2, of the base is preferably circular in form and supports the
circular object-supporting disk 3, which is rotary upon the central pivot or pin 4.
5 is the mirror-holder which is preferably formed of sheet-metal bent to
V-form in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3, and having its side edges introverted
to form flanges 6.
The mirrors, 7, 7, having their reflecting surfaces at a suitable angle for pro-
ducing kaleidoscopic effects, are located within the mirror-holder and have their
inner edges adjacent to each other in the angle of the holder, and their outer
edges inclosed by the introverted edge-flanges, 6. respectively.
The mirror-holder is supported by a bracket, 8, formed of wire erected from
the base and extending around the bottom edge of the holder, forming an
ornamental bead thereon and reinforcing the lower end of the holder against
angular displacement.
Portions of the lower edge of the mirror-holder are bent, as at 9. tp underlie
and support the respective mirrors; and other portions of such lower edge are
bent, as at, 10, to engage the bracket, 8, to which they are secured by soldering
or in any known manner.
The mirror-holder is preferably located a short distance above the object-
support and in vertical alignment with a sector of the object-supporting disk,

page_text: with the apicillary line of the mirror approximately at right angles to the plane
of the object-support and in line with the axis of rotation of the disk.
The upper ends of the walls of the mirror-holder are bent outwardly approxi-
mately at right angles, as shown at 11, to form horizontal flanges adapted to
support the superposed eye-piece or cap, 12.
The cap is formed of sheet-metal, preferably, having an ornamental depend-
ing edge-flange, 13, portions of which are introverted beneath the edges of the
horizontal flanges, 11, on the mirror-holder, whereby the cap is secured in
position upon the end of the holder.
Interposed between the cap and the ends of the mirrors, is a lens, 14, pre-
ferably plano-convex in form and having its axis parallel with the mirrors and
approximately in line with the apicillary line of the mirrors, and its focal length
approximately equal to the distance between the lens and object-support and
less than the distance or normal distinct vision.
The cap is provided with a central aperture, 15, and the packing-ring or
washer, 16, is similarly apertured, the lens being located in line with said
apertures.
In using the device, the same may be held in the hand or placed upon a table
or other support, and objects, placed upon the rotary disk, 3, and brought by
rotation of the disk beneath the open lower end of the mirror-holder, can be
viewed through the lens, presenting to the eye a plurality of images symmetri-
cally arranged around a common center, each being similar in appearance to the
sectoral field exposed to the eye-piece.
By the use of the lens in combination with the mirrors and mirror-holder, I
am able to reduce the length of the latter materially, to magnify the objects
viewed and also to give an increased appearance of relief to the reflected images
of the object.
It is well known that the distance of normal distinct vision is about ten or
twelve inches; and to secure distinct images of the object viewed, it is neces-
sary to have the eye-piece of the instrument, if not provided with a lens, about
this distance above the object support.
With a mirror-holder ten or twelve inches long, not only is the expense of
the instrument increased, but its large size renders it less pleasing in external
appearance, and, if the instrument is placed upon a table of usual height, the
eye-piece will be found too high for convenient use of a person occupying a
chair beside a table.
Also with a mirror-holder of such dimensions, the visual angle is so small
than little appearance or relief is given to the reflected images of the object.
By reducing the length of the mirror-holder, I am able not only to add to the
pleasing appearance and convenience of the instrument, but also to give a greater
appearance of relief to the reflected images and multiply the intensity and volume
of light reflected from the object to the eye-piece.
By the use of the lens, I am able to compensate for the reduced length, which
reduces the distance between the eye-piece and object-support below the normal
distance of distinct vision, thus correcting any indistinctness or blurring of the
images caused by the nearness of the eye-piece to the object-support.
The sides of the mirror-holder, as well as the mirrors, are preferably tapered
towards the top, the inner edges being approximately vertical and perpendicular
to the plane of the object-support, and the outer edges inclined upwardly toward
each other, so that the lower portions of the mirrors divergently project beyond
the vertical lines of the eye-piece, 12, and are not covered thereby, thus form-
ing an open or light-admitting side of the mirror-holder which increases in
width from top to bottom and permits the entrance of a large quantity of light for
the illumination of the object, the projecting lower portions of the mirrors acting
as reflectors of light coming from above the instrument, and serving to direct
such light upon the sectoral portion of the object-support below the mirror-
holder and the object supported thereby to render the same more distinct.

page_text: It is desirable to locate the lens as near the apicillary line of the mirrors as
practicable; and by tapering the mirrors and their holder, I am able to locate
the lens in a position to receive the rays of light at favorable angles from both
mirrors, and at the same time to locate the eye-aperture, 15, in the center of
the superposed cap, as shown.
When desired, the edge-portions, 10, of the mirror-holder may be extended to
entirely inclose the bracket-wire, 8, as shown in Fig. 5, and form the sole con-
nection between the bracket and mirror-holder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: -
1. In a kaleidoscope, the combination with a rotary object-support, and a
lens, of a pair of kaleidoscope-mirrors, and means for supporting said mirrors
with their apicillary line approximately in line with the lens and axial center
of the object-support and perpendicular to the plane of the object-support.
2. In a kaleidoscope, the combination with a rotary object-support, and a
lens; of a pair of mirrors arranged at an acute angle with relation to each other
and with an open side approximately their whole, length, and means for sup-
porting said mirrors with their apicillary line approximately in line with the
lens and axial center of the object-support and perpendicular to the plane of
the object-support.
3. In a kaleidoscope a rotatable object-support having an approximately plane
top surface exposed directly to the rays of light and unobstructed for the appli-
cation thereto of objects to be viewed; a pair of mirrors and a mirror-holder
maintaining the mirrors at an angle with relation to each other; and with
their apicillary line approximately perpendicular to the top surface of the object-
support and in line with its center of rotation.
4. In an instrument of the class described, a pair of elongated mirrors; a
mirror-holder maintaining the mirrors in an angular position relatively to each
other; an eye-piece and compensating lens at the upper end of the holder;
rotatable object-support; and means for sustaining the holder with its lower end
at a distance above the object-support, with its upper end at a less distance from
the object-support than the distance of normal distinct vision; and the apicillary
line of the mirrors approximately in line with the center of rotation of the object-
support.
5. In a kaleidoscope, a pair of elongated upright mirrors arranged with their
reflecting surfaces at an acute angle with relation to each other; a superposed
aperture eye-piece, a subjacent rotatably-pivoted object-support; and means for
supporting and maintaining the eye-piece, mirrors and pivotal axis of the object-
support in fixed relation to each other such that the eye-aperture, the apicillary
line of the mirrors and the pivotal axis shall be approximately in the same
straight line.
6. In a kaleidoscope, an elongated open sided mirror-holder, mirrors.held in
place within said holder at opposite sides its longitudinal opening, a cap or eye-
piece applied to the upper end of said holder and a bracket embracing the lower
end of said holder outside the backs of the mirrors, said bracket sustaining said
holder and preventing its angular displacement.
7. In a kaleidoscope, a mirror-holder V-shape in cross section and tapered
from bottom to top; in combination with a pair of kaleidoscope-mirror similarly
tapered from bottom to top and secured in said holder by introverted edge-
portions of the sides and bottom of the holder.
8. In a kaleidoscope, the combination with a support of a bracket erected
from the support; a pair of mirrors and mirror-holder having portions of its
bottom-edge bent to engage the lower edges of the mirrors, and other portions
bent to engage this supporting bracket.
9. In a kaleidoscope, the combination with the mirror-holder formed of sheet-

page_text: metal and having portions of its upper end bent outwardly at approximately right
angles to form flanges, of an eye-piece superposed upon said flanges and having
depending portions introverted beneath the edge of said flanges, whereby the cap
is secured to the holder.