Improvements in Street Lamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1899
Complete Specification Left. 26th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 31st Mar.. 1900
Improvements in Street Lamps.
I, GEORGE LIVESEY, Chairman of the South Metropolitan Gas Company, of
709A, Old Kent Road, London, S.E., do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
It is well known that in electric arc lighting the shadows produced are of a
very pronounced character, and are consequently an element of danger in public
street lighting, from the shying of horses and other causes.
To obviate these inconveniences, it has been usual to employ pendent glass
globes, instead of framed lanterns or lamps, for this class of lighting, as pre-
senting the least possible opportunity for shadow producing.
In incandescent gas lighting, owing to the great brilliancy of the light, a
similar shadow effect is produced. It is not however found convenient to use
pendent glass globes generally for public gas lighting, and recourse must be had
to framed lanterns or lamps.
Now the object of the present invention is to construct a framed lantern for
incandescent gas street lamps in such a way that the shawdows which must
necessarily be produced, shall so fall as to constitute the least possible source
of danger.
To this end I make the lantern circular, and I employ three bars, which I
arrange so that no shadow will be thrown across the road, nor parallel with
the curb, that is to say, I place one of the bars at the back, and I place the
other two at equal distances from the back bar, but in such a position that the
shadows will cross the curb at an acute angle as near to the lamp as possible.
To illustrate more practically the position of the side bars, let it be supposed
the distance between the back and the two side bars, measured on the circum-
ference of the circle, equals in each case, say 4, then the distance between the
two side bars measured round the front will equal, say, 5½
By these means, I obtain a good, clear (that is without shadows), and extended
front to the lamp facing the road, while the shadows which as before stated,
must necessarily be produced, will be in the best possible position to obviate the
dangers above referred to.
1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly des-
cribed and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
It is well known that in electric arc lighting, the shadows produced are of a
very pronounced character, and are consequently an element of danger in public
street lighting, causing the shying of horses and other inconveniences.
To obviate these inconveniences, it has been usual to employ pendent glass
globes, instead of framed lanterns or lamps, for this class of lighting, as pre-
senting the least possible opportunity for shadow-producing.
In incandescent gas lighting, owing to the great brilliancy of the light, a
similar shadow effect is produced. It is not, however, found convenient to use
pendent glass globes generally for public gas lighting, and recourse must be had
to framed lanterns or lamps.
Now the object of the present invention is to construct a framed lantern for
incandescent gas street lamps in such a way that the shadows which must neces-
sarily be produced, shall so fall as to constitute the least possible source of danger.
To this end, I make the lantern circular, and I form the frame with three bars
or uprights, which I arrange so that no shadow will be thrown across the road,
nor parallel with the curb.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation of the lantern constructed
according to my invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view, with the top removed, and
showing also the pavement.
a,, represent the top and bottom rings of the circular frame, and b, b, the
the bars or uprights; c are the frogs which support the lantern on the post or
column.
represents the pavement, and e the curb. The series of lines marked f,
represent the shadows that are thrown by the bars b, b.
In constructing the lantern, I place one of the bars at the back, and I place
the other two bars, b, at equal distances from the back bar, but in such a posi-
tion that the shadows will cross the curb at an acute angle, as near to the
lamp as possible, as shown in Fig. 2. To illustrate more practically the position
of the side bars, let it be supposed the distance between the back and the two
side bars, measured on the circumference of the circle, equals, in each case.
say, 4, then the distance between the two side bars, measured round the front
of the lantern, will equal, say, 5
By these means, I obtain a good, clear (that is, without shadows), and extended
front to the lamp facing the roadway, while the shadows, which, as before
stated, must necessarily be produced, will be in the best possible position to
obviate the dangers above referred to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
Constructing street lamps as herein shown and described, that is to say,
circular, with three bars or uprights, at such distances apart that, when the
lamp is placed in position, the shadows of the two side bars thrown by the light
shall cross the curb at an acute angle, and the side of the lamp next the road-
way shall present a clear and extended front, as and for the purpose set forth.
1000