Improvements in Weather-guard Attachments for Lanterns.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Weather-guard Attachments for Lanterns.
I, JOHN P. WARNER, of Washington City in the County of Washington, and
District of Columbia, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in what I term weather guard attachments
for lanterns, more especially intended for railroad men, conductors, yard-masters,
and any other persons who are to perform clerical work of any kind in the open
air, especially during rainy or inclement weather; and the object of the invention
is to provide an attachment to lanterns by which said railroad men and others, can
not only protect the paper, invoice or report, upon which they are to write, from
wind and weather, but have lamp-light, when necessary, and a suitable and
convenient rest for the hand to write upon, thus forming a lantern, desk and shelter
at the same time.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, reference is had to the
accompanying drawings, in which like letters indicate similar parts throughout.
Fig. 1 represents an ordinary conductor's lantern with my weather guard
attachment in vertical section, in position for use, Fig. 2 is an elevation at right
angles, and Figs. 3 to 5 are modifications, Fig. 3 being an elevation, partly in section,
Fig. 4 an elevation at right angles to Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 showing the lantern with
the attachment folded.
A is an ordinary lantern, as at present used by conductors, yard-masters, etc. to
which my attachment is connected in the following manner :-To the side of the
wire-guard, or to the bottom and the top, is attached a short hood B. To this
hood at b the upper side G of the attachment is hinged, consisting of a light frame
made of tin, or sheet metal or of other suitable material, in which is secured a piece
of isinglass, glass or equivalent transparent material. To one side of the frame is
attached by hinges d or any other suitable manner, the, side D, of sheet metal,
and to it in turn, is hinged the bottom E, at e which forms the rest or support for
the hand. To the opposite side of the top C is hinged the other side F, having at
its lower end a narrow flange g provided with a short pink. The bottom E is
provided at one side with a suitable hole through which is passed the pin h, and
when in position, rests upon said flange g, being thus secured and ready for use.
The paper or brief upon which it is intended to write, is laid on the bottom and
may be secured by the pins i, two or more, at the inner end of said bottom. The
light from the lamp in the lantern will shine through the glass shade, the hand boing
then passed through the open end of the weather guard attachment, and the
writing to be done on the briefs, can be observed through the isinglass top C, being
thus protected from the inclement weather.
When the writing is finished, the bottom E is raised off the pin h and is folded
against the side D, and these two being folded together against the top C, the other
side F is folded against them, and the four pieces C, D, E, and F, are then folded
against the mouth of the hood B in folded condition. Said hood is provided at its
lower side with a keeper a, with which a spring catch k, on the one side F, engages,
and thus secures the four sides of the weather guard attachment in position on the
lantern.
The lantern can then be used in the ordinary manner by conductors, yard-masters,
and others for signalling the trains etc., until it is again required for writing.
This weather guard attachment can easily be applied to the lantern now in use, as
well as to new ones, at a very moderate expense. It is not liable to get out of

page_text: order, and the operation of recording anything in the open air, especially during
inclement weather can be accomplished in a convenient and expeditious manner.
If desired the rear side of part F may be silver plated or in any other way receive
a highly polished surface so as to act as a reflector when the weather guard
attachment is folded against the hood thereby greatly increasing the power of the
light from the lamp. This is especially valuable to rail-road men when it is
desired to signal trains, etc., in foggy, rainy or other inclement weather, also in
examining the condition of the seals, etc.
In the modification shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 the sides are hinged to the edges of
the bottom E, which in turn is attached by hinges to the hood B. The upper 1
edges of the sides D are made diagonal and upon them the top C is folded. Said
top C is attached to the hood B by hinges b, and when the sides and bottoms are
folded, the top C folds against them, and will appear as in Fig. 5. The sides D
are provided with hinges d, so as to fold, and may be extended, as shown by the
dotted lines, in Fig. 3, if desired. They can be secured in place by any suitable 1
spring catch, or equivalent. At their lower inner ends may be arranged short
flanges ', under which the paper briefs are held for writing upon.
The device may be made detachable if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invenṇ-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I 2
claim is :-
1st. The combination of a lantern with a weather guard attachment consisting of
a hood, to which a rectangular receptacle is hinged, having four parts or sides, the
lower one of which forms the rest for the hand and serves to support writing
materials and the upper one being provided with a sheet of transparent material, ;
allows the writing to be observed, all arranged substantially as described.
2nd. The combination of a lantern A, having a hood B secured to it, with the
weather guard attachment, consisting of the top C, provided with the sheet of
transparent material c hinged to the said hood, the sides D & F fastened to the
top C and supporting the bottom E by means of a hinge at one side and the
flange g, having a pin at the other, substantially as described and shown.
3rd. A lantern A, with a hood B, to which the receptacle having the four folded
sides C, D, E and F, is hinged, the said side E being provided with a spring
catch k, for securing the sides in folded position on the side of the hood, all as
herein shown and described and for the purpose specified.
4th. The combination with rail-road lanterns of the weather guard attachment,
consisting of a bottom or hand rest having a holding device for writing or other
paper to which rest the sides are attached, and a hinged top, provided with
transparent materials, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 18th day of February 1893.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
. 37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.