IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR THE ROOFS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harrison Doty, of 15, Bury Street, Saint
James's, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR THE ROOFS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 16th April 1875, and dated the 20th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harrison Doty
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th October 1874.
I, HENRY HARRISON DOTY, of 15, Bury Street, Saint James's, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR THE ROOFS OF RAILWAY
CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention for improvements in lamps for the roofs of railway
carriages consists in an arrangement of parts enabling a flat wick burner
with a glass globe to be used whilst retaining the ordinary- globe or
hemisphere used in railway carriages for lighting, the hemisphere being

page_text: kept as a protection to the light without making it a part of the actual
lamp.
I take the ordinary flat wick burner or other suitable burner with a
glass globe chimney, and the novel feature of my Invention is the use
of a smoke chimney or draught hood connecting or forming part with an
annular downward reflector in combination with a spring, bow, or other
handle, the upper part forming the handle of the lamp, and the lower
part being the means by which it is attached to the lamp, and which I
prefer to make with projections which when sprung open and allowed to
close enter into two recesses or holes by which the lamp is attached to
the annular reflector smoke or draught chimney, thus being readily
attached and detached for fitting, cleaning, or other purposes. The lamp
thus fitted is placed in the ordinary lamp hole of the carriage, the glass
hemisphere being left in its place to protect any falling oil or broken
pieces of lamp glass falling upon the passengers. The top of the reflector
at its outer edge rests upon the rim protecting the hemisphere in the
carriage, or the lamp itself may rest in the hemisphere, due provision
in both cases being made for admission of air for feeding the lamp.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Harrison Doty in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HARRISON DOTY; of 15, Bury Street, Saint James', in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Harrison Doty, Her special
license that I, the said Henry Harrison Doty, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Harrison Doty,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR THE ROOFS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Harrison Doty,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Harrison Doty, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in the arrangement and improved construction
of different parts or pieces of which are composed the lamps adapted to
the lighting of railway carriages, usually suspended in the roof or
covering of the said carriages, from which results the power of employing
an ordinary flat wick burner conjointly with the globe or glass hemis-
phere in which is usually placed the lighting apparatus of railway
carriages or other carriages, which as is well known serve to protect the
passengers as well as the carriage from catching fire or other accidents.
To put my Invention in practice I use an ordinary burner, preferably
a flat wick, with a chimney in glass which I cover with a cap or hood,
serving at the same time to increase the draught and to prevent the
formation of smoke. At the lower part of this hood I adapt an annular
horizontal reflector as well as two elastic legs, of which the lower ends
turned at right angles at the bottom are prolonged to hook into eyes or
cavities fixed on the reservoir of the lamps, whilst the upper part carries
a concentric envelope or cylinder, above which is fixed a handle serving
to hold or move about the complete lamp. In the interior of the hood I
fix a light metal chimney which pressed down from above by a spring
is seated hermetically on the glass chimney, of which it increases the
draught.
My new lamp, constructed as described, is placed in the globe or
ordinary glass hemisphere, which is placed in a circular opening made

page_text: well, may be suspended by the annular horizontal reflector above named;
laterally it is provided with springs to protect it against vibration and
jolting.
For the better understanding of my said Invention I will describe
conjointly with the four Figures of the Drawings annexed the details of
the construction and the putting into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan of my lamp in section on the line A, A, Figure 2,
placed in the ordinary glass globe adopted for lighting railway wagons ;
Figure 2 is a lateral elevation of it partialy in section, ditto, ditto;
Figure 3 is a plan of it in section on the line B, B, Figure 4; and,
Figure 4, a front elevation, ditto, ditto. In these Figures a represents
the glass globe or hemisphere surmounted by a metallic cylinder 6 with
rim o to rest on the roof of the carriage, lateral springs d to hold it
suitably, and articulated handle e for carrying it; my improved lamp
placed in these pieces or parts common to the railway is composed of a
metal reservoir f, of which the exterior form is of a nature to intercept
as little as possible the projection of the luminous rays below, whilst in
the inside it is provided with a submerged tube g projecting from the top
for a short distance to the bottom to prevent the flickering of the flame
from the motion of the carriage; h is the burner screwed into the
reservoir, and i the glass chimney fixed on the burner; j, j, are the
elastic legs, terminated at the bottom by the projections which enter
into the holes j³, 1ª, adapted on the reservoir; at their upper part they
are fixed to the hood k, which as is seen is closed at its upper part, and
fitted at its lower part with the reflector 7, it is besides pierced with
holes 8, 8, for the passage of the products of combustion; n is the
metallic chimney placed in the interior of the hood; n', the spring
serving to maintain it on the glass chimney i; and, o, a little metal
cross piece serving to limit the movement of the chimney n in the hood;
p is the external envelope fixed to the hood in any appropriate manner,
and fitted at its upper part with the handle q for holding the lamp; r,r,
are the springs adapted to the hood, the which on the placing of the
lamp on the globe a, b, are sufficiently compressed to protect the lamp
against the shaking and jolting of the carriage.
To take out one of the lamps it is only necessary to lift the ordinary
cover of the roof and to lift it by its handle q. For separating the lamp
proper, that is to say, the reservoir, the burner, and the chimney from

page_text: the rest of the apparatus, it suffices to separate the legs j, j, according
to the position indicated in dotted lines, Figure 2; the remounting is
done in the same way.
The cleaning and trimming of my new lamp is more easy and rapid
than with those usually employed.
Amongst the different advantages presented by the new lamp I note
the most important :-
First. A light abundant, constant, and regular, and of a steadiness
complete, whether the carriages are in motion or still.
Secondly. The form given to the reservoir ƒ as well as the adaptation
of the reflector Z which contributes to the result indicated in article 1.
Thirdly. The use of the hood k pierced with holes, of the metallic
chimney n with its spring n' and its exterior envelope p, contributing
equally to the result above mentioned.
Fourthly. The disposition of the elastic legs j, j, to hold the lamp
to its upper parts, and which presents a very simple and effective way
for separating and uniting these parts very rapidly.
Fifthly. The adaptation of my method of lamps to carriages now in
use without requiring any modification of their form.
Sixthly. The power of employing mineral oil for lighting the
carriages.
Seventhly. The application of these lamps for signals on railways, as
well as mast lights, coast lights, and for other purposes of the marine.
It suffices for this purpose to modify as needed the exterior cover in
which it is customary to place the signal lights, or else the relative
proportions of my lamp.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would
have it understood that what I claim is,—
-
First. The form given to the reservoir ƒ as well as the adaptation of
the reflector 7, substantially as described.
Second. The use of the hood k pierced with holes, of the metallic
chimney n with a spring n¹ and its exterior envelope p, substantially as
described.

page_text: Third. The arrangement of the elastic legs j, j, for uniting the lamp
with its upper parts, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harrison Doty, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy- ||
five.
HENRY HARRISON DOTY. (L.S.)
Witnesses,
D. H. BRANDON, 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris.
R. H. BRANDON, "
"
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