IMPROVEMENTS IN GASELIERS AND OTHER PENDENT LIGHTS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henri Richardin, of the City of Paris, in the
Republic of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GASELIERS AND
OTHER PENDENT LIGHTS."
Sealed the 5th February 1878, and dated the 10th August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henri Richardin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th August 1877.
CHARLES HENRI RICHARDIN, of the City of Paris, in the Republic of France.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GASELIERS AND OTHER PENDENT LIGHTS."
In pendent lights or gaseliers the light is raised or lowered by weights, chains,
and sliding tubes; the drawback to the use of these is that they can only be con-.
veniently employed where the ceiling is lofty; moreover, the sliding tubes become
defective with constant usage.
The object of this Invention is to remedy these defects, and so construct the
gaselier that it is equally applicable to low or high ceilings, the height of the room
being immaterial.
The advantages and novelty of the Invention consist in the facility with which
the light can be raised or lowered, the suspending rods folding one within the other
in the following manner:-The suspending portion consists of three parts folding
one within the other from bottom to top, and vice versa, the upper part is composed
of four square and hollow tubes, connected by soldering them above and below to
cross pieces; the upper pieces, hollow like the lower, communicate one with the
other by a connecting piece by which the gas is supplied. The lower cross piece
unites with the second part of the suspender, which is formed of two hollow tubes
of the same dimensions as the former; this junction is effected by cocks admitting
of any circular displacement of this second part without interruption to the flow of
the gas. The last or third part, formed like the preceding one of two tubes, is
articulated to the former and so rendered solid with it, turning, as desired, in any
direction. The lower ends of these tubes are fixed to a branch piece, forming the
support to the gas or other globe and burner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Henri Richardin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
February 1878.
CHARLES HENRI RICHARDIN, of the City of Paris, in the Republic of France.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GASELIERS AND OTHER PENDENT LIGHTS."
In suspended lights, as in use in dining rooms, restaurants, and so forth, the
mobility of the lamp hitherto has been effected by different means, though limited
to two principal characteristics, one of which is the movement of the lamp for the
regulation of its height by means of weights, and the other for producing the same
effect by the sliding or development of the suspending rod.
In pendent lamps with weights, which are most universal and numerous, the
principal drawback is that they necessitate a certain height for their proper function
which is not always attainable; and those whose suspending rod is made the
means of regulation present much the same inconvenience, and, moreover, become
defective after some time of constant usage.
The subject of the present Invention differs entirely from these, in that, unlike the
counterweight principle, it can be employed irrespective of the height of the ceiling,
and compared with the sliding rod system in infinitely its superior, as the same
care in its use is not exacted and its mode of construction is less complex. My
suspension is a folding one, that is to say, it is formed of several parts or pieces,
unfolding one after the other and inversely redoubling one within the other, in
such wise that the pieces being made of a height and in number desired it is always
a simple and ready method of establishing a hanging lamp, no matter what may be
the local dispositions to encounter. As regards their decorative and artistic features
these leave nothing to be desired, and would be in accordance with commercial
exigencies.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings represent a gaselier with the sus-
pended portion folded up; Fig. 3 is a vertical section by the line 1-2, and Fig. 4
a horizontal section by the line 3-4 of Fig. 1.
Figs. 5 and 6 represent a modification hereafter mentioned.
The suspending portion of the gaselier comprises three pieces, the upper one of
which is formed by the assemblage of four square tubes a, a¹, a², a³, the union of
these tubes being effected by soldering them above and below respectively to the
blocks b, b¹, see Figures 3 and 4, the upper blocks b, b', hollow like the lower ones,
communicate one with the other by the junction c, whence the gas for burning is
supplied. The lower blocks b, b¹, unite with the second piece, which consists of
two hollow tubes d, d¹, of the same dimensions as those a, a, a², a³; this connection
is effected by the taps e, e', which allow of free circular motion or displacement to
the part d, d¹, without hindering the flow of gas. The third and last piece, formed
like the preceding one, of two hollow tubes f, f, is connected to the piece d, d¹, by
the articulation g on which it turns. The other ends of the tubes f, f', are fixed
to the piece h, to which is fixed the joint of the globe or lamp support, whether the
light be from gas, mineral essence, or otherwise.
It should be mentioned that the shape of the gaselier represented is merely as
an example, as I do not limit myself to any particular form, that shown in the
Drawing being intended only as an illustration of the principle.
The arrangement and combination of the three parts a, d, f, thus explained, it
remains only to mention that the width of each piece must be in accordance with
its fellows, that is to say, the width between the blocks b, b', of the first piece is
equal to that of the head of the second piece d, d, and the head of the third piece
being still smaller, so that in folding up the three parts, that is to say, the piece
.d, d', in the upper one the articulation g places itself between the blocks b, b¹, and
the head of the piece f, f¹, adjusts itself within the joints e, e¹, see Fig. 1.
To keep the two movable parts d, d, and f; f¹, folded, two cheeks k, k', are

page_text: mounted on the junction c, one being solid on one side with the decorative part m,
and the other pivoting on a point n made on the symmetrical pendent m¹ of the
part m. Then between the blocks b, b', these cheeks present two projections or
stops o, o, and in the centre they receive the plate p by soldering, screwing, or
otherwise. The small projection a fixed to the block b arrests the piece d, d¹, when
folded up. The head of the piece f,f', is surmounted with a small inclined plane 7,
whose object is to raise the plate p by gradually attacking it, that is to say, the
whole cheek piece k, k'.
The action of the suspension is as follows:-In folding up the lamp, support is
lield in one or both hands, the piece d, d', is turned up by pivoting it on the articu-
lation c, e; when quite at the top the end g of the piece f, f¹, raises the plate p and
stops at the projection s. The cheeks k, kl, again falling, oppose the projections o, o,
to the ends of the tubes d, d', and the plate p to the head g In unfolding, a slight
turning movement is given to the piece f, f¹, then the head g raises the plate p by
the point, culminating in its inclined plate, an so liberates the head of the tubes
d, di, from the projections o, o.
Instead of using the piece f, f¹, for ungearing the rocking picce k, k', I can employ
a combination of chains, hanging on each side of the pendent, and guided in rings
of the parts m, m¹; the left chain would, for instance, serve to raise the piece k, k¹,
and the right chain to return it to its place if its own weight was not sufficient.
Each of the tubes a, a', a², a³, terminates above and below in a plain and screw
cut part, with a shoulder below the block 6 or 6'; an ornamental nut i permits
of closely locking the leather placed between the shoulder of the tube and the
block.
Other combinations for folding the parts may be conceived without interfering
either with the general form or ornamentation; for instance, instead of folding the
piece d, d, within the first piece it can fold outside it, and the piece f, f', outside
this, the retaining piece is consequently modified in its action and to work it will
be articulated to the junction c or otherwise disposed.
Fig. 5 represents a pendent modified in one of its parts; Fig. 6 is the same
holding the light; Fig. 7 is a profile of the articulation of the two last pieces. In
this case the pendent is formed of three parts, the first consists of the combination
of four tubes a, a', a², a³, commencing from the junction c; the second comprises
two tubes d, d¹, articulated in the centre of the blocks b, b', at the base of the first
piece and by means of taps e, el; the third piece is composed of four portions of
tubes ff, f, f³, articulated two and two at F, F', as well as at four taps g arranged
at the heads G, H, of this latter piece, these heads themselves forming articulations,
that G with the ends of the tubes d and f, f, Fig. 7, and that H with the ends of
the tubes ff. Moreover, the head H by a screw thread / receives the globe or
light support constructed to receive the gas led to the head H, thence to conduct
it to one or more burners. The four small tubes f, f¹, f, ƒ³, replace the two tubes f
of the last piece of the Figures 1 to 4 preceding, and form a parallelogram articulated
to the taps g, and consequently are capable of stretching out, as shown Fig. 5; or
more or less open, as seen Fig. 6. At the head G are two small hooks x, y, which
receive the two ends of a chain l, whose object is to hold the parallelogram firm in
all situations, in hooking by the corresponding link to a small hook of the head H.
Thus in the complete extension of the pendent the chain is folded in two, having
one end hooked to the attachment and the other to the attachment y, and in a
more or less raising of the light the chain detached from y descends to hook by
one of its links to the lower hook z.
The articulations of the parallelogram are such that, in no matter what position,
the flow of gas is never impeded even when the head H is raised to that of G.
Supposing the pendent in the position, Fig. 5, it is easy to fold it up, as previously
explained. The piece d is raised between the four tubes a, and by aid of the pro-
jections z, made on the upper surface of the head G, it raises the plate p of the
cheeks k, which pivot at n, the projection 8 stops the movement, and the four
tubes f, f, well stretched out, fall between the tubes d, d', the weight of the lamp

page_text: naturally assures the verticality of the last piece. This improvement therefore
consists in composing the last piece of the pendent of four tubes, articulated in such
a manner as to be capable of taking all the forms (more or less open) susceptible of
being effected by the revolution of these tubes thus solidified. When this piece is
made of four equal tubes it forms a jointed parallelogram. It may also be composed
of a greater number of tubes joined in groups or in two distinct rows, the folding
of these tubes would then produce more or less geometrical figures. The same
principle of articulation can be applied either solely to the. last piece or to several
of the parts forming the pendent.
Should it be required to assist in raising the pendent to fold it up completely,
it is easy to adopt either counterweights or springs, balancing in the desired limits
the weight of the movable parts of the pendent.
Finally, without confining myself to the forms, dimensions, and materials of
construction of the component parts,-
I claim the exclusive privilege and right of the system of pendent described
herein, which is essentially characterized by its mode of folding and unfolding,
constituted as it is of a variable number of parts folding one within the other and
inversely unfolding one after the other.
I claim the details of construction shown in the Drawings, with the option of
varying their execution to suit the multiple applications to which the Invention is
applicable, and reserving the use in certain cases of any suitable combination of
weights or springs for facilitating the folding or unfolding of the pendent.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Henri Richardin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TY
זגומת
N. (L.D.)
H. RICHARDIN.