IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRIC LAMP
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Banting Rogers, of St. Clement's House, Lombard
Street, in the City of London, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRIC LAMP."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Banting Rogers at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd May 1881.
JOHN BANTING ROGERS, of St. Clement's House, Lombard Street, in the City of
London, Engineer. "IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRIC
LAMP."
The object of this Invention is improved construction or arrangement of electric
lamp, in which the carbons are fitted to adjust themselves either by their own
weight or by an applied weight to bring the points or ends into electrical contact,
the ends bearing upon or against an asbestos, talc, or other indestructible stem which
is fixed to the body by which the carbons are held in position.
For the purposes of my Invention I form a frame or body of any suitable
material, with a series of branches serving as sockets or tubes at an angle that the
carbons which are fitted therein and insulated therefrom are free to slide, that the
lower ends approach a central point, but kept apart by a strip or a combination of
strips of asbestos, talc, or other suitable indestructible material arranged suspended
from a central stem or socket in which it or them are fitted. The carbons fall
down the branch sockets by their own weight, or by sockets or caps on their upper
ends, said sockets or caps having the conducting wires attached; or the wires may
be attached direct to the carbons.
The lamp thus constructed and arranged can be suspended from a ceiling or
rafter, and enclosed in a glass cover or shade in conjunction or not with a reflector
for the distribution or concentration of the light.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Banting Rogers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd November 1881.
JOHN BANTING ROGERS, of St. Clement's House, Lombard Street, in the City of
London, Engineer. "IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRIC
LAMP."
The object of this Invention is improved construction or arrangement of electric
lamp, in which the carbons are fitted to adjust themselves either by their own
weight or by an applied weight, to bring the points or ends into electrical contact,
the ends bearing upon or against an asbestos, talc, or other noncombustible stem
which is fixed or fitted to the body by which the carbons are held in position.
For the purposes of my Invention I form a frame or body of any suitable
material, with a series of branches serving as sockets or tubes, at an angle that the
carbons which are fitted therein and insulated therefrom are free to slide, that the
lower ends approach a central point but kept apart by a strip or a combination of
strips of asbestos, tale, or other suitable non-combustible material arranged suspended
from a central stein or socket in which it or them are fitted. The carbons fall
down the branch sockets by their own weight, or by sockets or caps on their upper
ends, said sockets or caps having the conducting wires attached; or the wires may
be attached direct to the carbons.
The lamp thus constructed and arranged can be suspended from a ceiling or
rafter, and enclosed in a glass cover or shade in conjunction or not with a reflector
for the distribution or concentration of the light.
My Invention is clearly shown in the annexed Drawings, in which Figures 1
and 2 are views of one arrangement of apparatus in which two carbons A, B, are
set at an angle in sockets or tubes C, C, and are permitted to fall under the action
of a weight or a spring pressing on or near the upper part of each to bring and
retain the points D, E, in close contact with a strip, a leaf, or a combination of
strips or leaves of asbestos, talc, or other suitable non-conducting material F which
is suspended from the socket C, as to divide or separate the carbons at their ends.
The sockets or tubular portion C, C, are in electrical circuit when the strip of
metal G which is articulated at H rests across and in contact with the two
carbons A, B.
:
The weights or springs are in connection with the conducting wires, and the
lamp can be suspended.or otherwise fitted.
The carbons A, B, may be guided by rods I, I.
In Figure 4, I have shown two pairs of carbons A, B, to produce two distinct
"arc" lights in the same lamp, the tale strips being between the carbons.
In some cases the sockets or tubes C, C, may be lined with hollow carbon ferrules
J, J, as in Figures 3 and 4, to prevent any fusion or destruction of the metal, the
carbons A, B, passing through the ferrules. Figure 3 shows contact strips G, G,
fitted in a thimble K, capable of being slid up and down the stem L.
The sockets C, C, can be jointed or pinned to the stem Land the terminals to
the sockets C, C, as in Figures 5 and 6, the usual method of insulation being
adopted to prevent false contacts.
Figure 7 represents a pair of weighted carbons A, B, and socket C suspended
from segmental wires or strips M, M, which serve as conducting wires, and can be
put into contact with the terminals by the buttons N, N.
Figures 8 and 9 show the method I adopt for bringing and keeping the ends of
the two carbons A, B, in contact with the asbestos or talc between them. In this
arrangement the contact points or ends D, E, are uppermost, and I fit plugs P, P,

page_text: in tubes C, C, which are slotted to allow the plugs on which the lower ends of the
carbons A, B, rest to propel the carbons up them under the action of the weight Q.
and cords R, R. S is a gallery or holder for supporting a glass globe to preserve
the light from the action of wind. This arrangement is suitable for lamp posts, for
counters of shops, and the like.
Figure 10 represents a table lamp in which two upper carbons A, B, fall down
tubes C, C, on to and in contact with the upper end of a larger carbon T, which is
capable of being raised by a spring or otherwise fitted within the stem U, the tale
or other non combustible material F being between them, as shown.
I am aware that the placing or arranging of carbons at an angle is not novel,
but in all prior cases the carbons have to be connected with and are caused to move
by a magnet and a train of wheels or levers; I therefore make no claim thereto,
but what I do claim is,-
The construction and arrangement of electric lamps and the several appliances
in combination therewith, acting in the manner and for the purposes described, and
as shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Banting Rogers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN BANTING ROGERS. (L.S.)