Improvements in Prismatic Plates for Refracting or Projecting Daylight through Windows and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 12th Feb., 1898
MULTICATION.
Improvements in Prismatic Plates for Refracting or Projecting
Daylight through Windows and the like.
I, JOHN MEIGGS EWEN, of No. 1129, The Rookery, Chicago, County of Cook,
State of Illinois, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to prism light canopies and the like, and has for its object
to provide a new and improved canopy or the like of which the following is a
description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a horizontal section through an apartment provided with one form
of my improved canopy;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a view showing a different mode of applying my invention.
Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.
My present invention is adapted to be used for lighting apartments of any
description wherein prism tiles or plates or the like are used, and where such prism
tiles or plates or the like instead of forming part of the window are suspended
in proximity thereto in some convenient manner.
I have illustrated in the drawings diagrammatically, as it were, a simple form of
my device in order to make its application clear.
As illustrated in these drawings, a series of prism lights are suspended in
proximity to the aperture A through which the light is admitted into the apart-
inent B. The prism lights, or other light directing devices, are bound together in
any suitable frame and are so positioned that part of such lights project beyond
one or more of the edges of the aperture. As illustrated in Figure 1, the prism
lights are divided into what may be called three sections. In the section C, which
is directly opposite the opening, the prism lights are preferably in the ordinary
position so as to throw the light directly back through the aperture. In the
sections and E, which project beyond the edges of the aperture, the prisms are
tilted or otherwise positioned so that instead of throwing the light directly back
they throw it in an angular direction, so that it will be projected through the
aperture A.
It will be seen that by this construction, I am enabled to very materially
increase the light receiving surface in proportion to the opening through which
the light is admitted, and thereby obtain a greatly increased illumination of the
apartment to be lighted. In some instances, it will be desirable to do away with
one or more of the sections so that the prisms will only project beyond one edge
of the aperture. It is also evident that these prism lights may be held in any
desired position and may project beyond any or all of the edges of the aperture
through which the light is admitted.
66
I have used the word canopy," but I do not wish to limit myself to any
echnical meaning which said word may have, and by such term I mean to

page_text: include any and all constructions wherein the prisms are located in proximity to
the aperture through which the light is admitted, some of said prisms projecting
beyond one or more of the edges of such aperture.
I have only attempted to illustrate my invention, diagrammatically, as it were,
and I do not limit myself in any manner_to the construction shown, as the only
purpose of such construction is to make my invention clear, and as it will be readily
understood, the construction may be greatly varied without departing from the
spirit of my invention.
I have used the words "prism lights," but I mean to include by such term
any and all devices which act in a similar manner to change the direction of
rays of light.
1 "
In Figure 3, I have shown a construction wherein the prism lights. are placed
substantially in the same plane as the aperture through which the light is admitted,
but removed from said aperture so as to project beyond one or more of the sides
thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the 'said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim:
1. A prism plate for windows, comprising a series of prism lights and a
frame associated therewith so as to form the prism plate, said prisms arranged
in groups adapted to throw the light through the window whether the prisms of such
group are in front of the window or not, suitable supports to retain the prisim plate in
position, all of the prism lights in substantially the same plane, and some of them pro-
jecting beyond the side margin of the window through which the light is to be
thrown.