CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PRODUCTION, MAINTENANCE, DIRECTION, OR DISTRIBUTION OF LIGHT, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEXANDER
GORDON, of Fludyer Street, in the City of Westminster, Member of the
Institution of Civil Engineers, and JAMES DEVILLE, of the Strand, Lamp
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty William the Fourth, did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster, the
Third day of December, in the sixth year of His reign, give and grant unto us,
the said Alexander Gordon and the said James Deville, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that we, the said Alexander Gordon and the said James Deville, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PRODUCTION, MAINTENANCE, DIRECTION, OR DISTRIBUTION OF LIGHT,
PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that we, the said Alexander
Gordon and the said James Deville, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, to be
enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months

page_text: next immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
reference being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Alexander Gordon and the said James Deville, do hereby declare that the
nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
known and performed, are described and ascertained in and by the following
description thereof, reference being had to the Drawings her cunto annexed,
and to the figures and lotters marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our Invention consists, firstly, of improvements or modifications in the
production and maintenance of light, as herein-after described.
When a jet
of the two gasses, oxygen and hydrogen, is directed against a piece of lime,
light is produced. It is necessary for the continuance of this light in equal
brilliancy that the jet of flame be not allowed to act upon the same spot of
lime for more than a few seconds. The needful supply of gas being provided, as
herein-after described, and the jet or jets being of proper size, we prepare the
lime or other carthy or metallic matter in the shape of a cylinder or number
of cylinders, and so soon as the jet or jets of gas or gases are lighted, the
cylinder or stick of cylinders is caused to revolve with an upward or a down-
ward motion, as may be required.
We
Throughout the Drawings the same letters and character of letters refer
to the same or similar parts of the apparatus. Figure 1 is the external
view of the lime apparatus; and Figure 2 is a vertical section of the
same, through the middle at right angles to the plane of the view.
cut the lime a, a, of any required size and place it in the case b, b, from
which it is to be pushed up or down with a rotatory or spiral or other
suitable motion. The lime in this manner is caused to pass the jet or jets
of flame at any convenient place, as at c, c. The lime when in uso rests
upon the disc d, which is moved up or down the caso b, b. The ascent or
descent is obtained by means of the screw e, which is passed through a female
screw at f, f; a cross piece 7, 7, working in a slot or groove as at h, h, pre-
vents the screw c, c, from turning around in the hollow cylinder or frame,
such as j. By means of one or more studs or pins h, k, or other similar
contrivance, working in a groove in j, the part b, b, may be caused to revolve
upon the part j. j. By means of a toothed wheel or other suitable contrivance
we communicate motion to the cylinder b, b, and the female screw f, f, is thus
worked around upon the screw c, e. The piece d, d, is thus caused to ascend
or to descend, carrying with it the lime or other material to be presented to
the flame; the lime is held slightly by the thin edge of the hollow cylinder
at m. We use a timepiece or other suitable mover for giving motion to thi

page_text: lime apparatus.
OC
(Figure 1) is a small cistern, with an inlet and an outlet
pipe supplied with a small current of water, so as to keep the jet tubes cool
which supply the gas for the light at c, c. Our gasometers or gasholders,
whether for hydrogen or for oxygen, aro made similar to Figure 3, which
represents a section of one of them. n is the frame or floor on which the
tank of the gasholder rests; o is the tank; q is a frame fastened upon the top
of the tank, and the guide piece or parallel motion is attached thereto.
Having formed a hollow cylinder or other shaped vessel, of any suitable
material, for the gasholder, we place a strong air-tight and water-tight
diaphragm into it. The upper compartment is thus fitted for holding a
regulating weight of water, or of other material, and the lower compartment
is fitted for holding gas. Across the bottom of the lower compartment we
place a bar with a hole in the middle of it, in such manner that it may work
parallel and rise and fall upon the outlet pipe p, made strong enough to guide
it. Across the top of the upper compartment wo place a similar bar, that it
may also work parallel; & is the inlet pipe.
There are various well-known methods for producing hydrogen gas, indeed,
we sometimes use carburetted hydrogen. We prefer using zinc and dilute
sulphuric acid. Having procured a high and narrow gasholder and tank
(in shape much like Figure 3) made of wood, lead, or other materials
which shall not be acted upon rapidly by the acid, we supply the tank
with the requisite quantity of diluto acid. We attach to the top of the
inside of the gas compartment a basket or cluster of granulated zinc.
When the gas holder is fully down in the tank, the granulated zinc meets
with the acid, hydrogen gas is formed, and the gasholder is forced up.
As this gas is taken or passes away the gasholder of course descends,
until by the zinc and diluto acid coming again into contact, the genera-
tion of gas recommences and the gasholder again rises. Thus a small
gasholder is found to be sufficient for producing and regularly maintaining
the requisite quantity of gas. By means of blocks and tackle, or other
suitable contrivance, we can raise the gasholder completely out of the tank,
so as to charge, change, or replenish the basket or cluster of granulated zinc.
We prefer in most cases to use a small gasholder of this description for
making the hydrogen gas, and in such case we have another gasholder for
holding the gas when made. Figure 4 exhibits a section of this arrangement
of a hydrogen gas-making apparatus t, t, t, connected with the hydrogen gas-
holder u, u, and attached thereto by a bar of iron w, w, or by other suitable
means, so that the gasholder and the upper part of the hydrogen gas-making
apparatus shall rise and fall simultaneously. x is the basket or cluster of

page_text: zinc, which is acted upon when immerced in the dilute acid y; = is a small
space allowed for the gas when formed, and from which it passes by the pipe s
into the hydrogen gasholder; B is a bonnet, by removal of which we clean out
the lower part of the hydrogen gas-making apparatus; this bonnet is kept in its
place. by means of a screw and moveable bridge. In making oxygen gas, we
prefer using black oxide of manganese in a pulverized state. We roast or heat
this black oxide of manganese, until the moist vapors which may be in it are
driven off. Figure 5 represents a front and a side elevation of an apparatus
for obtaining the oxygen gas from the black oxide of manganese; C is the
retort, of which there may be two or more, which is heated red hot in a stove
or portable furnace; the angle shewn in the Drawing may be varied at pleasure
or the retort may be horizontal. The oxide of manganese is supplied through
a.hopper funnel and cock or valve or other suitable contrivance at D, to the
red hot retort, in such quantities as are necessary. The oxygen gas when
generated passes through any suitable communication to the inlet pipe of the
oxygen gasholder.. It must be observed, that the two gasses of which we have
spoken, namely, the oxygen and the hydrogen, must be kept distinct from each
other, and only allowed to mix at or very close to the point of ignition. If
this be not attended to, an explosion may be the consequence. If this caution
be attended to, no such accident can happen. Figure 6 exhibits the general
arrangement of the oxy-bydrogen light apparatus; E, the hydrogen gas
making apparatus, and gasholder; F, the oxygen gas-making apparatus.
When these are placed in an open situation, they may be in immediate contact
with each other, but, when they are placed in any compartment of a light-
house or other confined space, a wall K should be built up between them,
and the hydrogen apartment will ventilated. G is the hydrogen pipe and cock
uniting to one limb of a breeches, or three-way piece at H; I, the oxygen
pipe and cock uniting to another limb of the three way piece, the third limb
of the three way piece leading up to the lime.
The lime apparatus,-which-has-already-been-described at Figures I. and 2,
is elevated on a table L, and the light distributed as may be desired. In
this Figuro (6) the light is supposed to be required in a paraboloid reflector M,
whence the rays of light aro projected in the direction of the lines N. But
here any other of our various arrangements for directing or distributing light
as hercin-after described, may be used, or the light may be used as a simple
or naked light. When we proceed to obtain a light from the oxy-hydrogen
apparatus, we first turn on a jet of hydrogen, and light it when blowing against
the lime. Then we gradually open the cock of the oxygen pipe, until the light
from the inflamed jet of oxy-hydrogen upon the lime be of its utmost intensity.

page_text: Our Invention consists, secondly, of improvements in the direction or
distribution of the oxy-hydrogen light, or of any other light, and we
principally avail ourselves of the properties of reflection and refraction;
our object being to obtain a concourse of rays in such direction or direc-
tions as may be required. We sometimes cause light which, if not pre-
vented, would diffuse itself over a sphere, to confine itself to an angle or
cone of a few degrees, or sometimes, we cause it to confine itself to a disc
or sheet of light, or an azimuth light, or a plane of light. By a conical
reflector, as Figure 7, with a light placed at the small open end C¹, we have
the means of throwing a conical light when we require to illuminate equally
every part or any part of the horizon; this is an azimuthal light. We
form a reflecting apparatus for this purpose, by causing a cone to revolve
about its apex, as an axis of revolution, and the proper axis of the cono to.
describe a horizontal plane; by this means the upper and lower sides of the
cone become the generating lines of two surfaces, and these two surfaces
will possess the property of reflection.
of such an apparatus; the line Y, Z,
which the axis of the cone had revolved:
sist of two very short cones O, P, of large proportional diameters. If these
two cones be separated a little from each other, and a light be placed in the
middle between them the rays will be reflected into an azimuth or sheet of
light. Figure 9 exhibits a section of an apparatus formed of three cones, for
directing or distributing light. The upper and under cones cause the rays to
form an azimuth light, and the cone Q, open at the apex, throws the rays from
the central light into a beam. We sometinies place this cope upon a
revolving frame for the purpose of causing its mouth or base to travel around
and project a beam of light from time to time upon any given point of the
horizon. Figure 10 exhibits the plan of Figure 9, and the direction of the
light.may be understood. by the lines diverging from the circumference, and by
the almost parallel lines from Q. Figure 11 exhibits in perspective the
manner in which two or more of such elongated cones Q, Q', may be applied
between the short cones which give the azimuth light.
Figure 8 exhibits the elevation
being the line of the plane on
This Figure 8 will, in fact, con-
We do not confine ourselves to the use of straight lined surfaces for reflecting
purposes; we find in practice that oblique reflections appear more vivid than
the reflections made at greater angles. And we use such curves for reflection
as may be required for the purposes of the light. We use a hollow truncated
paraboloid, revolving or fixed, in the space between two_azimuthal conoidal
reflectors, as shewn in Figure 12. Having formed the upper portion R, and
.

page_text: the under portion S (Figure 12), so that, in every vertical section through the
focal point where the light is to be placed, the lines T, U, may be portions of a
parabolic curve whose parameter shall intersect its axis at V or V, according
to the side of the burner from which the light to be reflected comes, so as to
keep the light in the focus of the parabolas. In the space between the upper
portion R and the under portion S there is room for the application of the
paraboloid W. The portions R and S, possessing all around the property of
reflecting, in lines parallel to the plane of their axes, all the rays incident upon
them from a light properly placed, throw an azimuthal light, and the paraboloid
W possessing the same property of reflection, in rays parallel with its axis,
throws a beam of light in any required direction. Figure 13 is a plan of
Figure 12, and by means of dotted lines we shew the direction of the rays
and beam. We generally use with this apparatus a zone or hoop glass X, to
refract the rays which might otherwise not infringe upon any of the parabolas.
The refracted rays are represented upon Figure 12. We sometimes fix the
paraboloid W and the zone of glass X upon a revolving frame, as E, or upon
any suitable kind of revolving frame; sometimes we use the reflectors and
zonal refractors, as shewn in section on Figure 14 in plan on Figure 15, or in
elevation on Figure 16. The glass zones may be made in one or more pieces,
and when there are more zones than one they may be framed with brass or
other suitable metal, as in Figure 14. When we use such apparatus as repre-
sented in Figures 14, 15, and 16, we sometimes fix the zones firmly, and cause
another piece or pieces of glass CE to revolve around so as to throw the beam
represented on Figure 15. Instead of the truncated revolving reflectors, or in
conjunction therewith, we sometimes apply a trapezium or trapeziums with
reflecting surfaces between the short truncated cones, or between the truncated
conoids, with parabolic or other curved sides, the reflecting surfaces of such
pieces being placed in radial and vertical planes. We apply the hydrogen gas-
making apparatus above described, with referenco to Figure 4, for purposes
of heat as well as for purposes of light.
We have now described our "Certain Improvements in the Production,
Maintenance, Direction, or Distribution of Light, Parts of which Improvements
are applicable to other Purposes," with reference to the annexed Drawings, in
such manner as to enable persons conversant with works of a similar nature
to practice the Invention.
And we hereby declare that we do not claim the application of a rising and
falling gasholder for the purpose of producing light by the action of hydrogen
on platina, and that we do not claim the conical or conoidal reflector, nor the

page_text: paraboloids, nor parabolic curves for reflection, by themselves. That we do
not claim the construction of mere gasholders (such as Figure 3); but we
do claim as our Invention,-
First, the screw motion and tube, as herein-before described, for holding
and causing the ascent or descent of the lime or any other solid body sub-
mitted to an oxyhydrogen jet or jets of flame or flames, or submitted to
other flame or flames for the purpose of maintaining light, when the scrow
motion shewn at Figures 1 and 2 is used for bringing a succession of pieces of
lime or of other solid body to the action of the flame.
Secondly, we claim a gas holder or gas-making apparatus, which by its fall
shall bring the substances for generating the gas into contact with each other,
whether such be for the purposes of light or heat.
Thirdly, we claim the bonnet B (Fig. 4,) upon the hydrogen gasmaking
apparatus.
Fourthly, we claim the hopper or funnel arrangement, with its cock or
valve, for supplying material to an oxygen gas-making retort.
Fifthly, we claim the cooling apparatus a (Figure 1.)
Sixthly, we claim a light-reflecting apparatus, made in manner shewn by
Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 14, 15, 16, or made by a combination of any
essential parts thereof, whatever may be the nature of the luminous body,
and whatever be the shapes of the transparent refractors used in conjunction
with any such reflectors.
Seventhly, we claim the truncated conical reflector, and the truncated
reflecting paraboloid, or other truncated conoidal reflector, when such re-
flectors are used for flashing, for alternating or recurring, for periodical or for
revolving lights on coasts, rivers, harbours, or for other marine or navigation,
or for signal or telegraphic purposes, whatever may be the nature of the
luminous body employed.
And we claim the use and application of the trapesium or trapeziums with
reflecting surfaces, in conjunction with the truncated cones, or conoids with
curved sides.
And, lastly, we claim the use and application of our improvements in pro-
curing and maintaining the oxy-hydrogen light, for all purposes public or
domestic.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander Gordon and the said James
Deville, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Third day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.
ALEXANDER (L.S.) GORDON.
JAMES
(L.S.) DEVILLE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of June, in the
sixth year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth, the said
Alexander Gordon and the said James Deville came before our said Lord the
King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all
and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written. And
also the instrument aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King
George the Third.
Inrolled the Third day of June, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-
six.