IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANTERNS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Alexander Forrest, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Stained Glass Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANTERNS."
Scaled the 11th December 1866, and dated the 13th June 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Alexander Forrest
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th June 1866.
I, JAMES ALEXANDER FORREST, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Stained Glass Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANTERNS," to be as
follows:-
In lanterns constructed according to my Invention any ordinary or con-
venient agent, means, or materials for the production of light for illuminating
purposes can be employed, and although they, the said lanterns, are
suitable for the ordinary uses or purposes of lanterns, that is to say, for
protecting the light-giving flame, and allowing the rays of light to pass or
radiate through, they are particularly well adapted for street lamps in which

page_text: carburetted bydrogen gas or oil is commonly burnt. The bottom and top
of a lantern made according to my Invention are made of metal or other
rigid material, they form the framework and can be of an ornamental or
plain outline as desired. The part of the lantern between the top and
bottom I make of one piece of British sheet glass, or of one piece of fluted
sheet glass of a cylindrical, oval, tapering in the form of a cone, or other
like shape readily obtainable during the process of manufacturing British
sheet glass or fluted sheet glass before the blown "cylinders" are cut up and
flattened.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Alexander Forrest in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th December 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ALEXANDER FORREST, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Stained Glass
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Alexander Forrest, Her special license that I, the said James
Alexander Forrest, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Alexander Forrest, my executors, administrators, 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 Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANTERNS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Alexander Forrest, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, 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 James Alexander Forrest, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of illus-
trative Drawings, that is to say:-
Lanterns constructed according to my Invention are suitable for protecting
gas, oil, and other lights employed for purposes of illumination. They are
particularly well adapted for use on lampposts in streets and other public
thoroughfare for the following amongst other reasons:-First, the transparent
parts are not affected by weather or change of temperature; second, a very
small surface of an opaque substance or body intervenes to. prevent radiation
of the light rays; third, they can be made of graceful outline and ornamented
at small cost; fourth, they can be easily and cheaply repaired; and, fifth,
they can be fitted to lampposts now in use.
My said Invention consists in the employment in the construction of a
lantern of one piece of smooth or fluted blown sheet glass in combination
with a suitable frame of metal or other rigid material. In the manufacture
of sheet glass the ordinary practice is to form cylinders by blowing and
afterwards to cut these up, flatten and anneal them. By my Invention the
cost of cutting and flattening is saved, the glass as it leaves the hands of the
blower of course after it has been annealed and trimmed being employed.
Other forms than the cylindrical can be readily blown and used in the con-
struction of lanterns; some of these which I have found to answer are, as
well as the cylindrical, shewn on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 represents a cylinder of glass; Fig. 2, a complete lantern with
glass cylinder in position, and Fig. 3 a horizontal transverse section at A, B.
a is part of a lamppost with supporting brackets b, to which the bottom part
c of the frame is affixed; d are pillars to support the top part of the frame;
f is the glass cylinder. The pillars & may, if desired, pass through the cylinderf
and the number thereof may be varied. For convenience of removal and
repair and to allow for expansion and contraction of the frame packings
of india-rubber or other elastic or soft material between the glass and the
frame could be used. Fig. 4 is a horizontal transverse section of an oval
glass, and Fig. 5 a perspective view of a form tapering in the manner of a
cone. Both of these are easily formed by blowing in the usual way. Other
forms both regular and irregular could be blown, I would have it understood,
however, that I do not confine myself to the use of any particular shape; I
would also have it understood that the cutting of the glass in two or more
lengths and the fitting of these into a frame would be a colourable imitation
my Invention.
of
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and particularized

page_text: the same, I claim, the combination of blown sheet glass, of cylindrical or other
form, with framework substantially in the manner and for the purpose set
forth.
In witness whereof I, the said James Alexander Forrest, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
In the presence of
JOHN. T. KING,
JAMES ALEXANDER FORREST. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.