CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIFTING AND WORKING STAGE SCENES AND OTHER THEATRICAL MACHINERY
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROWLAND
MACDONALD STEPHENSON, of Upper Thames Street, in the City of London,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Brttain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Rowland Macdonald Stephenson, my exors, adññors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Rowland Macdonald Stephenson, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such
others as I, the said Rowland Macdonald Stephenson, my exors, adîñors,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHIFTING AND WORKING STAGE SCENES AND OTHER THEATRICAL MACHINERY;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Rowland
Macdonald Stephensou, shall cause a particular description of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters

page_text: Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Rowland Macdonald Stephenson, do hereby declare that the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and set forth in the Drawings hereunto annexed, and in the
following description and explanation thereof, that is to say :-
Drawing Number 1 represents a transverse section of a theatre, shewing
A, the lower flies; B, the upper flies; C, the stairs to the platform under the
stage; D, wrought iron roof; E, border frames which carry the cloths repre-
senting clouds, skies, roofs, landscape-wood, the soffits of arches, vaults, and
caverns, &c. &c., and from which they are lowered and raised in succession,
as required, over sheeves or pullies by the endless chain d, to one or other
side of which the two cloths in each set which are to work in each change
are attached at distances determined by the depths of cloth which may be
required for the different scenes, and which border frames E may be used
as connecting bridges, and for flights and traversing the stage, and for such
other purposes as may be required from them, as girders for suspension or
otherwise. These border frames are supported on one frame or base at each
side, and are all raised at will by ropes and counterweights, over wheels, as
shewn on the Drawing. F, girders, bearers, and beams; G, columns; H, wing
frames of which the depth of the stage determines the number (estimated for
a large theatre at five pairs); they may be flat, triangular, or circular, carrying
one, two, or three wings at once, having a forward and retrograde motion
and a rotatory motion, or either, and which, while within range of the working
gear, can enlarge or contract the stage as required, and can be readily removed
away. Upon these the wings or side scenes are placed and worked in
succession. These wings stand at any desired angle to the audience, and
by sufficient inclination represent closed rooms when required; in each
change the triangles revolve one hundred and twenty degrees, or one third
of a circle. I, hanging carriages which support the gearing of H, that is to
say, V, W, and X, K, keeps at top and base of wing frames, to secure
side scenes in their places. L, horizontal main shafting. M, wheels and
drums to counterweights. N, rack and pinion to shift carriages for main
scenery. O, fixed platform under the stage on which the trap gear P and
Q work. P, carriages and gearing of traps. Q, traversing platforms on
which P traverses. R, carriages which work main senery. S, wheels and
gearing of R. T, hand gear for shifting. H, the wing frames to regulate the
width of the stage.

page_text: Drawing Number 2 represents a plan of a theatre, shewing V, driving
wheel and pinion, giving motion to W and X; W, a square wrought iron
shaft upon which X slides. X, slow motion wheel and worm for producing
rotatory motion of H, the wing frames, described in Drawing Number 1. X
is operated upon by T, to enlarge or contract the stage. Y, proscenium
opening of theatre; the dimensions of this and all the other parts are taken
from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Z, staircases from the base to the roof
of the theatre. a is that portion of the stage called the sinking stage, which
can be lowered and raised at pleasure. 6 are various sized and shaped traps
for the purposes of the theatre, worked by P and Q, in Drawing Number 1;
c, cuts in the stage for raising set scenes and frames.
Drawing Number 3 represents a longitudinal section of a theatre, shewing A,
lower flies; B, upper flies; C, stairs under stage; D, roof; E, border frames;
F, girders; G, columns; H, wing frames; I, hanging carriages; K, keeps ; L,
horizontal shafting; M, wheels and drums to counterweights; O, platform
under stage; P, trap carriages; Q, traversing platform for ditto; R, carriages
for main scenery; S, wheels and gear of R; V, driving wheel and pinion;
Y, proscenium opening; Z, stairs; d, endless chain to work borders, skies, &c.,
which are attached to the border frames E; e, vertical or oblique connecting
shafts between upper and lower horizontal shafting; f, drums on e, to carry
d, the endless chain; 9, double pinions and clutches, to reverse the motions
when needed; h, driving motion and winch which imparts motion to the
whole, and which by the means described, and shewn upon the Drawings,
changes at one operation, with dispatch and precision, and without noise,
thirty-five or more different pieces of scenery, namely, ten side scenes removed
from sight, ten different subjects brought to replace them, five skies or roofs
removed, five new sets to replace them, five main scenes lowered, removed
and raised from cuts C; i, stage room for scenery, dressing rooms, &c.
Drawing Number 4 represents a plan of a theatre taken at the level of
the under flies, shewing B, upper flies; L, horizontal shafting; M, wheels and
drums to counterweights; N, rack and pinion of main scenery carriages
described in Drawing Number 2; R, carriages for main scenery; S, wheels
and gearing of ditto; Y, proscenium opening; Z, stairs; a, sinking stage; b,
trap; c, cuts; h, driving motion; i, stage room; k, connecting shaft between
machinery on two sides of the theatre; 1, double ratchets on carriages R to
arrest progress of main scenery in descent in drums to carry main scenery;
n, spindles of carriages R; o, grating or floor flies.
Drawing Number 5, plan of the girders and columns under the stage, and

page_text: of the sinking stage, shewing F, girders; G, columns; Y, proscenium; Z,
stairs; a, sinking stage; b, traps; c, cuts.
Drawing Number 6 contains a plan, elevation, and section shewing the
arrangements for working the wings by a forward and retrograde movement,
in which are represented, Y, proscenium; Z, stairs; a, sinking stage; b, traps;
c, cuts; p, horizontal driving shaft, dotted in plan, on which is q, driving wheel,
acting as required upon r, a double rack, working the wing frames which
traverse on s, a fixed bed of rails, for track of wing frames; t, wing frames
carrying the side scenes; u, guide and traversing wheels; w, index rod and
guage for simultaneous shifting of driving wheel 9, by which one or two wings
can be put in motion, or both or both, thrown out at will.
Drawing Number 7 represents plan at level of upper flies, shewing B,
upper flies; L, horizontal shafting; R, carriages for main scenery; S, wheels
of gearing of R; Y, proscenium opening; Z, stairs; h, driving motion; k,
connecting shaft; 1, double ratchets; m, drum; n, spindles; o, flooring; x,
wrought-iron rods fixed to the under part of rafters of theatre; y, battens
of main scenery which traverses on a; 2, rollers, sheeves, and stirrups to y,
which is brought along its rails into action of machinery when needed.
Drawing Number 8, plan and elevation of suspension frame A³, with
carriages and gearing B2 to traverse the stage in any direction, and rise or
descend at any given angle. The frame A revolves on a centre, and when
fixed for service forms an inclined plane, being held at both ends. The
carriage B with the object to be transported, which is attached by a wire
C, or cord, or otherwise, descends the plane by its gravity and winds or
unwinds the barrel D2 in its transit. The Figures 3 and 4 are to larger
scale.
Drawing Number 9, plan and elevation of sinking stage in which are
shewn E, girder; G, column; a, sinking stage; b, situation of traps; E³,
gearing for raising and depressing sinking stage.
Drawing Number 10, the elevations of trap carriages and gearing to a
larger scale, shewing O, fixed platform; P, trap carriages; Q, traversing
platform.
And having now fully described my said newly invented improvements,
and the manner in which the same are to be performed, I declare that I do
not claim any of the parts of the machinery before described as separately
and in itself new, or otherwise than as it is newly arranged, combined, and
applied for the purposes of my said improvements. But that what I claim as
new, and of my Invention, are the modes of shifting and working stage scenes

page_text: and other theatrical machinery herein-before described, in their generality
and entirety, and in the various obvious modifications of which the same are
susceptible, without any material deviation from the general system thereof.
And such my said newly invented improvements being, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, entirely new, and never before used within that part of
Her Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
Her Dominion of Wales, Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, or in any of Her said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, I do hereby declare this to be my
Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe this my said Specifica-
tion doth comply in all respects fully, and without reserve or disguise, with the
proviso in the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent contained,
wherefore I hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege to my said
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Rowland Macdonald Stephenson, have
hereunto set my band and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and forty.
ROWLAND MACDONALD (L.S.) STEPHENSON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the First day of September, in the year
of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid Rowland Macdonald Stephenson came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifica-
tion aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Third day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty.