CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR LIGHTING VESTIBULES, HALLS, OR OTHER LIKE PLACES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph and Edmund Ratcliff, General Lamp Manu-
facturers, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for the Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR LIGHTING VESTIBULES, HALLS, OR
OTHER LIKE PLACES."
Sealed the 3rd May 1861, and dated the 7th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph and Edmund'
Ratcliff at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,.
on the 7th November 1860.
We, JOSEPH and EDMUND RATCLIFF, General Lamp Manufacturers,. of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of
our said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR LIGHTING VES-
TIBULES, HALLS, OR OTHER LIKE PLACES," to be as follows (that is to say):-
Our improvements in lamps suitable for lighting vestibules, halls, lobbies,
and such like places, consists in fitting to the metallic or other rim for
receiving the lamp body or glass one or more vertical rods, by preference
three. The bottom of the glass or body we remove or divide into a lower
plain or ornamental dish, and which dish or lower part may be so fashioned as
to be suitable for forming a reservoir for the oil or spirit for supporting the
flame, and in the centre of this part we apply the burner; but when the oil

page_text: or spirit is intended to be held in a separate vessel in connection with the
burner we apply a socket for receiving-it;-and in connection with this bottom
part vertical tubes are applied, which vertical tubes slide over the vertical rods
before referred to; and by means of stuffing boxes or other contrivances the
lower part will be retained in the position desired, as, for instance, in lighting
the lamp the lower or moveable portion of the glass shade is pulled down,
which exposes the burner and interior of the lamp, by the vertical tubes sliding
down the vertical rods connected with the metal rim of the lamp glass; in this
position the lamp may be trimmed, lit, and elevated within the lamp glass to
its proper position by the tubes before referred to sliding up over the vertical
rods. The packing or stuffing in the tubes around the rods will afford sufficient
resistance to prevent the lamp and parts voluntarily sliding down without
being pulled; but instead of the rods being packed or made to slide in stuffing
boxes, other mechanical equivalents may be used for obtaining the necessary
resistance without affecting-the-main_character of our Lavention, which is that
of sliding down or separating the glass or body of the lamp at the bottom, for
the convenience of lighting or extinguishing such descriptions of lamps.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph and Edmund Ratcliff in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
and EDMUND RATCLIFF, General Lamp Manufacturers, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Joseph and Edmund Ratcliff, Her special licence that we, the said Joseph-
and Edmund Ratcliff, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Joseph and Edmund Ratcliff, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of.
Mau, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR LIGHTING VES-

page_text: TIBULES, HALLS, OR OTHER LIKE PLACES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Joseph and Edmund Ratcliff, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Joseph Ratcliff, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
Our improvements in lamps, as suitable for lighting vestibules, halls, lobbies,
and other like places, are intended to facilitate the lighting, regulating, and
extinguishing such kind of lamps, and consist in fitting to the metallic or other
rim for receiving the lamp body, or glass, or otherwise, one or more vertical
tubes or rods, but in a general way we prefer using three, one of them being
(of necessity) hollow, for the passage of gas when gas is intended to be used
for supplying light to such lamps. The bottom of the glass or body of the
lamp (beforo referred to) is left open for the purpose of obtaining access to the
burner or burners of such lamps, over which opening we apply a seperate glass
bottom, the form and character of which we purpose making so as to
harmonize with the general outline of the upper glass body. This lower glass
shade receives the gas or other burner or burners, from which such lamps are
illuminated in any suitable convenient way, well understood by individuals
connected with the general lamp trade; and this bottom shade, with the
burner or burners, is connected with suitable slides, passing in or over the
vertical tubes or rods before mentioned, and by means of stuffing boxes
provided with regulating screws or other suitable appliances, the lower part
may be retained in any position desired, so as to prevent its voluntary falling
down, as, for instance, when it may be necessary to light or extinguish the
flame or flames of lamps so made this lower or moveable portion of the glass
body or shade must be pulled down, an operation facilitated by means of a
suitable knob or ring projecting downwards centrally from the under side of
the bottom, glass part; in this position the lamp may be lit, trimmed, or the
light extinguished, and the lower part again elevated to its proper position by
the tubes before referred to sliding over the vertical rods, the packing of which,
being sufficiently compressed around the rods, affords sufficient resistance to
prevent this part voluntary sliding down. In some instances it may be

page_text: .namely, the lighting, regulating, and extinguishing of such lamps.
..But as our Invention will be better understood by referring to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, I will proceed to describe the same, reference being made
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a pendant lamp intended to be lit with gas, constructed
in the best way, according to our judgment, for giving effect to our Invention.
The top rim A is partly broken away in front, and is connected from three
ornamental radial arms marked B, B, B, to three plain or ornamented tubes
marked C, C, C, and which tubes-are attached to the ornament D, D, which
terminate the main tube or shaft E, which may be fitted at the top-with a
ball and socket joint, or otherwise, as preferred; F, F, is the glass shade or
body represented in section, supported from the top by the upper edge of the
body resting on a flange or a rim placed or formed on the bottom or inner
edge of the rim A; and G is a glass bottom, also in section, with an
ornamental rose marked II, HI, likewise in section, through which a ground
plug marked 1 passes, and which plug terminates at the top or otherwise, as
convenient, with a suitable gas burner, the flame of which is here exhibited
marked J, and finishing at the bottom with an ornamental loop, the turning of
which will cut off or open the way for the flow of gas; this plug is secured to
the socket L by means of a suitable nut and projecting washer at the top,
thereby connecting the rose H, glass G, and socket L, securely together. To
the socket L three radial arıns are secured, two of which is here shown
marked M, M, terminating with enlarged collars, into which the vertical tubes
marked N, N, are tapped, or otherwise securely united. These tubes
terminate at the top with stuffing boxes, with screws for tightening up or
regulating, as required, and which stuffing boxes are not exhibited, as they are
well understood, and may be variously constructed without affecting the object
desired, which will be hereafter explained. Down in the tubes N, N, the
vertical rods 0, 0, are intended to slide, and which rods are partly shewn in
dotted lines within the tubes, terminating within an enlarged part to fit easy
the internal capacity of the tubes in which they work. The rods O, O, are
secured at the top to the angular radial arms marked P, and which arms
terminate at their outer ends with flanges, so as to make them subservient for

page_text: receiving screws,
which pass through the rim A, and secure the ornamental
radial arms before referred to marked B, B, B. The vertical rod Q is hollow
to permit the flow of gas down through the tube C, and in through the rim A
radially, and descending through the tube R, which tube is fitted with a
stuffing. box or fluid slide, so as to prevent the escape of gas at this part;
supposing the glass G, with its attendant part, were elevated to their proper
position the lamp would resemble the appearance as exhibited at Fig. 2, which
in all its details is identical with Fig. 1, and from which it will be seen that
the use of the stuffing boxes is first intended to prevent the escape of gas
through the tube and slide through which it passes, and generally to afford
sufficient resistance to prevent the glass G' and attendant parts voluntary
descending or dropping to the position in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines at Fig. 2,
and yet permit of this part being easily lowered when required for the purpose of
lighting lamps so constructed, a desideratum much required in the description
of lamps herein-before named, and to which our improvements apply.
Fig. 3 is a top view of Fig. 1, taken through the dotted line S, S. The
double dotted concentric circle represents the top edge of the glass G.
I do not think it necessary to exhibit the various ways in which our
Invention may be realized or diversified for the purpose of adapting such
lamps for the use of oil or other material that may be required or preferred
for illuminating such lamps, as such adaptation does not require any material
alteration in the main feature of construction to that here shewn, as any com-
petent workman would understand the necessary alterations required either for
the lighting of such lamps with gas, volatile or other oils, tallow, or wax, as
necessity or preference may require; as, for example, supposing the lamp
constructed on our improvement to be constructed for burning oil, it would
not be necessary to provide for the flow of gas as desired in Fig. 1, although
the rods or slides necessary for giving effect to our Invention may be made
with tubing, and consequently hollow, with propriety and convenience, as they
would possess sufficient strength with a diminution of weight.
Having thus given a description of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same may be generally carried into effect, I wish it understood that we do
not purpose confining ourselves to the shape, character, design, outline, or
mode of construction herein described and exhibited, as the same may be
greatly diversified as taste, style, or economy may require, without departing
from the spirit of our Invention; but what we claim, and wish to protect by
these our in part recited Letters Patent, is, the constructing of lamps for the
purposes herein-before named in such a way that the bottom part of such

page_text: lamps may be drawn down for the purpose of affording facility for lighting,
extinguishing, and cleaning, the connection between such sliding or moving
parts, and the main body of such lamps; being hidden or confined within the
glass shade of the same.
In witness whereof, I, 'the said Joseph Ratcliff, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
JAMES S. COCKINGS, C. E.
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
JOSEPH RATCLIFF. (L.S.)