IMPROVEMENTS IN HOLDERS FOR LAMPS AND CANDLES
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Dickson Derry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th January 1874.
I, JOHN DICKSON DERRY, of Ladbrooke Road, Notting Hill, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HOLDERS FOR LAMPS AND CANDLES," to be as
follows:-
The expression "holders" is intended to include both a lamp or
candle carrier proper, herein-after termed "carrier," and a contrivance
or apparatus for suspending the same herein-after termed "supporter,"
the distinctive feature and object of the Invention being the so sus-
pending the carrier in a swinging or rocking position as that it may"
attain a truly or approximately upright position when at rest, and be
removeable from the supporter when desired. The carrier includes any
kind of carrier adapted to the supporter for this purpose, firstly, by
being constructed or furnished with a cone-shaped or self-centering rest,
or a seating piece for resting or supporting the carrier centrally or nearly.
so upon and from a point or pivot or extremity of the supporter; or
secondly, by being constructed or furnished with a knife edged, or

page_text: approximately knife edged, or rounded rest, or a seating piece for resting
or supporting the carrier upon and from the top edge or surface of a
horizontal or other bar; or thirdly, by being constructed or furnished
with a pivot for resting or supporting the carrier on a flat or hollowed
surface on the supporter.
5
In all cases the disposition of the weight should be such as to bring
the centre of gravity of the carrier including its candle or lamp below
the point or place of suspension, and in the line of the vertical axis
thereof, or as nearly so as may be, so that the candle or lamp may
attain a perpendicular or upright position when the swinging or rocking 1
of the carrier ceases.
In accordance with this definition it is intended to construct candle-
sticks (see sketch or Figure I. in accompanying Drawing) with shallow
cone-shaped rests of metal beneath the sconce or sconces frames, and
with a hole or holes in the side to give access to the under side of such 1
rests, others (see sketch or Figure 2) with a knife edged ring or opening
through the body and beneath the sconce or sconce frame, and others,
(see sketches or Figures 3 and 3ª) with a pivot on the carrier.
If intended only for hanging up the lower portion of the carrier may
be a ball, or bob, or weight of any description, but if for standing on a 2
table or bench the lower portion will in addition be provided with a foot
or stand as usual, or (as in sketch or Figure 3) or in any convenient
manner.
The supporter will be a bracket or projecting arm of any suitable
description, or the equivalent therefor, an extremely simple form being 2
a piece of iron wire spiked or screwed into a wall projecting therefrom
straight out (as in Figure 1) or curved; brass and other brackets or
arms more or less ornamental are however intended; also clips, claws,
(as in Figure 3) spikes, or fastenings, or feet, or stands (as in Figure 2
or) of any description accordingly as required for permanent or temporary 3
fixing of the supporter to walls or shelves, or looking-glass frames, or
pianos, or upon tables, or in other places or circumstances. The brackets
or arms to have turned-up ends or points or knobs when intended for
the holders with cone-shaped rests, and the stands in some cases (as at
× in Figure 2) to be provided with loop handles or means of hanging up 3.
against a wall.

page_text: In some cases the supporters will be attached to chandeliers, thus
affording the means of adding the carriers (and so lighting up when
required), a stick being used if wanted to hook them on. or remove
them.
The points, pivots, and knife edges generally, whether on carrier or
supporter, are, if desired, to be blunt or even flattened at the extremity
or edge (see Figures 4 and 5), so as to induce a quicker cessation of the
swinging or rocking action, or a ball and socket bearing to be used (as
at Figures 6 and 7.)
As a less complete or satisfactory carrier and supporter it is intended
in some cases that the carrier should rest or swing and rock upon the
supporter in, at, or by two places of support instead of one, or in, upon,
or by one lengthened or continuous support. The opposite sides of an
ordinary candlestick will furnish two places of support if holes (as in
Figure 8) be formed for the purpose. A tube way through the candle-
stick, or if it be solid a hole completely through it will supply a
lengthened or continuous support. These are simple plans, but objection-
able if the supporter be not fixed or placed so as to afford a truly
horizontal bearing, the self-righting object of the Invention not being so
fully developed as in the more complete apparatus or furniture above
described; and lastly such combination or combinations of the said
apparatus or furniture, or of parts thereof, will be employed, as may be
found convenient.