Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Producing Changeable Effects of Coloured Light for Theatrical and other Entertainments, for Advertising, and other purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 8th Jan.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Producing Changeable
Effects of Coloured Light for Theatrical and other Entertainments,
for Advertising, and other purposes.
I, KENNETH MCLENNAN, of 97 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, in the County of
Lancaster, Artist, 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:
-
My Invention relates to improvements in means and apparatus for producing an
infinite variety of changeable effects of coloured light, whereby any change of
colour or tint, or light or shade, or gradual darkness, or moonlight, or sunset or
sunrise effects can be projected and displayed upon any object by combination with
reflected or focussed artificial light, or objects may be viewed through the medium,
the various tints and changing effects produced being specially intended for spec-
tacular and other analogous purposes as hereinafter explained.
The means and apparatus I employ according to my Invention are coloured
liquids contained in a suitable transparent vessel through which the rays of light
pass the are protected upon the object to be displayed.
In the accompanying sheet of Drawings-
I show as examples two forms of apparatus constructed according to my Inven-
tion and which I consider suitable for carrying the same into practical effect; but
I wish it to be understood that these forms are merely intended as examples and
not as limitations as many other suitable forms embodying the same principle
might be advantageously employed.
In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus with part of the front
frame and glass removed and Figure 2 is a transverse section on a larger scale of
the upper part of the same. Figures 3 and 4 are views of an alternative form of
the apparatus.
Referring first to the form of apparatus illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 I employ
two frames 1, 2 of wood, metal or any other suitable material and having on their
inner sides internal recesses in which are fitted and secured two sheets of polished
plate glass 3, 4. The frames 1 and 2 are bolted or otherwise secured together, a
suitable packing 5 being employed where required in order to make watertight
joints. The narrow space between the two parallel sheets of glass 3, 4 forms a
chamber 6 for the coloured liquids which are admitted through an inlet pipe 7 to
the space 8 at the top of the chamber 6. The space 8 acts as a mixing chamber and
has a sheet 9 of perforated sheet metal or any other suitable material fixed at the
bottom through which the coloured liquids flow into the chamber 6 and escape
at the bottom-through an outlet channel and pipe 10 which I prefer to carry upward
on the outside of the frame to about the level of the mixing chamber 8 in order to
keep the chamber 6 full of liquid. In communication with the inlet pipe 7 I
connect three pipes 11 for the supply of primary colours such as Red, Blue and
Yellow in combination with a water supply pipe 12 from the main or other source.
The inlet pipe 7 is controlled by a valve 13, and all four pipes 11, 12 are also
controlled by separate valves.

page_text: By this arrangement of apparatus I am able to admit clear water or either of
the tinted liquids to the chamber 6 between the two sheets of glass, and further to
blend any two or all three of the coloured liquids in an infinite variety of combina-
tions thereby producing an endless variety of chromatic effects in any depth of
shade or tint. The coloured liquids may be supplied to the apparatus by gravita-
tion from tanks above or by means of a pump or equivalent from blending troughs
below or by coupling portable cylinders containing coloured liquids under pressure
to the supply pipes 11 and the primary supplies may be altered or increased in
number or secondary colour sources added when required for special effects and
when other than transparent effects are required an additional supply of some semi-
opaque or cloudy fluid may be employed to produce obscuring effects. The valves
may be operated by an electric or other motor for producing automatic changes of
colour effects, this being particularly applicable for advertising and analogous
purposes. The apparatus may be constructed in various sizes and may be employed
singly or in series in combination with natural light or with any suitable form of
artificial light or illuminating appliance or device.
The sheets of glass for special effects may be moulded with figures, signs, orna-
ments, leterring or advertisements or other embellishments. Referring now to
Figs. 3 and 4 the chief feature of difference between the apparatus shown therein
and that described is that, in this case, the sheets of glass 3, 4 are made convex
instead of flat and the frame ring shaped instead of square, in all other respects the
construction is substantially the same as the first apparatus.
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:-
1. The use and application, in conjunction with apparatus of the type indicated,
of coloured and other liquids as means for producing and displaying an infinite
variety of chromatic and changeable effects of coloured light for spectacular, adver-
tising and like purposes substantially as herein set forth.
2. An apparatus consisting in its essential features of a tranparent chamber, an
inlet or inlets for the admission of coloured and other liquids and an outlet for the
same, and means for supplying, blending, equalizing and otherwise controlling the
flow of said liquids through the chamber for the purposes specified.
3. The two special forms of apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as
and for the purposes herein described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Dated this 13th day of November 1897
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant, 17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester.