Improvements in Electric Lighting Apparatus for Cabs and other Carriages.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Lighting Apparatus for Cabs and other
Carriages.
We, HEADLANDS PATENT ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY LIMITED
of 12 Pall Mall London and HENRY WILLIAM HEADLAND of The Firs High
Road Leyton in the County of Essex Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
According to this invention the side lanterns for cabs and other carriages to be
lighted by electricity are arranged in such manner that the lamps can be taken out
of the lanterns without detaching or unwiring any part relating thereto, and so
that they can in case of need be exchanged or replaced by the ordinary oil lamps.
The same facility is thus also given as at present for cleaning the interior of the
lanterns provided with ordinary oil lamps..
Hansom cabs and other carriages having a lamp inside the vehicle are also
according to this invention provided with electric lighting in that part, for which
purpose one or by preference two electric lamps are provided having different
colours for shewing whether the vehicle is engaged or not. Switches are provided
convenient to the driver for manipulating the exterior and interior lights as desired
or required.
The accompanying drawing illustrates a suitable manner of carrying the invention
into effect.
Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 a part sectional front view of a lantern for a cab
or other carriage.
Fig. 3 is a plan of underside of the base or foot of the electric lamp-holder for
the said lantern.
Fig. 4 is a plan section and Fig. 5 sectional side view of the end of the arm or
socket bracket in which the lantern is placed.
Fig. 6 is a side view of two electric lamps for lighting the inside of the vehicle.
The arms or brackets carrying the lanterns may be of about the usual external
form but are made hollow as shewn at A Figs. 4 and 5 for the wires from a
secondary battery (placed say under the seat) to be carried through as shewn.
These wires terminate in platinum contact points P and N in an insulator C
dovetailed in the socket B and fixed by screws C¹, C¹.
The stock or stem D of each lantern Figs. 1 and 2 is fitted with insulated
contact springs E E'; thus the mere insertion of the lantern into its socket B
brings the platinum points P and N in contact with the contact springs E, E', and
closes the electric circuit in this place. From the contact springs wires are
carried up to two contact buttons F, F¹ in an insulating base piece G in the inner
bottom of the lantern, one button F standing up a little higher than the other
for a reason presently to be explained. The holder I which carries the electric
glow lamp is provided with insulating base K carrying two contact springs LL'
and is made of a form similar to that of the lower part of the ordinary oil lamp
that is to say with a thin flat plate I¹ so that the lamp can be slided in and pulled
out exactly in the same manner as and instead of the oil lamp, the edges of the
plate 1 coming under the flanges M. When the ordinary oil lamp is slided into
its place, its bottom will press on the highest button F but not touch the other
button F hence no electric circuit is established. On the other haud if the

page_text: electric lamp is pushed into its place, its two bottom contact springs L L' will close
the circuit with the two buttons F F.
In the inside of the vehicle are provided two glow lamps O, O Fig. 6, of different
colours and one above the other (or side by side) attached to an angle bracket Q;
these are connected to the battery and to a switch placed convenient to the driver.
By means of this switch he is enabled to turn on the one or the other of the inside
lamps O, O, to indicate whether the carriage is engaged or not.
By means also of another switch he is enabled to turn on or off the outside
Jantern lights.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The electric lighting system for the outside and inside of a cab or other
carriage substantially as described and shewn.
2. The hollow arm or socket bracket A B for receiving the wires with insulated
contact points P and N in combination with the lantern stem having contact springs E
and E substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The glow lamp holder I adapted to slide into its place as a substitute for the
ordinary oil lamp and provided with contact springs L L in combination with the
contact buttons F F of unequal height on the lantern and with a suitable switch
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The glow lamps O O of different colours on a fixing bracket Q and connected
to a suitable switch substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Seventh day of November 1896.
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.