Improvements in or relating to Illusory Devices.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 21st May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIERVATION.
Improvements in or relating to Illusory Devices.
1, HENRY WILLIAM WIELAND of 12 Stockwell Park Crescent in the County
of Surrey, Theatrical Manager, do herchy declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to an illusory device which is specially applicable for
places of public amusement, but which can also be employed for business purposes
by costumiers, drapers, tailors and the like.
The apparatus consists of an erection preferably divided into two compartments,
one partaking of the nature of a corridor and the other of a room of polygonal or
other shape.
Both compartments are completely lined with mirrors and so arranged that the
entrance is provided in the first compartment and the exit in the second.
The first compartment as explained above partakes of the nature of a corridor
and is fitted on either side with refracting mirrors formed in zigzag fashion set pre-
ferably but by no means necessarily at angles of about 60 degrees to each other.
By this arrangement the faces of the mirrors are parallel to those of the
corresponding mirrors on the opposite side of the corridor and each pair of mirrors
forms a bay or recess and at the junction of the mirrors forming the sides or walls
of the bays may be mounted pillars of any suitable material and form and overhead
arches may also be employed to give a more finished appearance to the corridor.
At each end of the corridor are plain and angled mirrors and at the end furthest
away from the entrance is a passage leading into the second compartment or room
of any suitable shape and lined completely round with mirrors conforming to its
contour; at the further end of this compartment is the exit.
When a person enters the corridor his image will be reflected from one mirror
onto the opposite and parallel mirror, and refracted onto the mirror forming the
other side of its respective bay, refracted from this mirror to the opposite and
parallel one and so on, and the effect upon the spectator will be that he will see his
own image and those of surrounding people and objects reproduced in countless
numbers, and the arrangement is such that the number of reduplications is constantly
increasing the further he advances, until when he reaches the second compartment
they are apparently limitless. When moving, his images will appear to be both
advancing and retreating at the same moment, which will cause such bewilderment
that he will with difficulty be able to keep along the straight passage, and will have
a constant tendency to run into the different mirrors forming the several bays or
recesses; in fact this apparatus constitutes a maze. The general appearance will
be considerably enhanced by hanging lanterns, coloured and revolving lights etc.
from the ceiling or arches which will of course be reproduced as before and produce
a very pleasing and striking effect.
The addition of flowers, statues and other ornamental devices will greatly add
to the general appearance.
This erection may be either roofed in or not as preferred while a brilliant
revolving light adds to the effect.
Dated this 26th day of January 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT.
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Illusory Devices.
I, HENRY WILLIAM WIELAND of 12 Stockwell Park Crescent in the County
of Surrey, Theatrical Manager, 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:-
This invention relates to an illusory device which is specially applicable for
places of public amusement, but which can also be employed for business purposes
by costumiers, drapers, tailors and the like.
The apparatus consists of an erection preferably divided into two compartments,
one partaking of the nature of a corridor and the other of a room of polygonal or
other shape.
Both compartments are completely lined with mirrors and so arranged that the
entrance is provided in the first compartment and the exit in the second.
The first compartment as explained' above partakes of the nature of a corridor
and is fitted on either side with reflecting mirrors formed in zigzag fashion set
preferably at angles of about 60 degrees to each other.
By this arrangement the faces of the mirrors are parallel to those of the
corresponding mirrors on the opposite side of the corridor and each pair of mirrors
forms a bay or recess and at the junction of the inirrors forming the sides or walls
of the bays may be mounted pillars of any suitable material and form and overhead
arches may also be employed to give a more finished appearance to the corridor.
At each end of the corridor are straight and angled mirrors and at the end
furthest away from the entrance is a passage leading into the second compartment
or room of any suitable shape and lined completely round with mirrors conforming
to its contour; at the further end of this compartment is the exit.
When a person enters the corridor his image will be reflected from one mirror
onto the opposite and parallel mirror, and onto the mirror forming the other side of
its respective bay, reflected from this mirror to the opposite and parallel one and so
on, and the effect upon the spectator will be that he will see his own image and
those of surrounding people and objects reproduced in countless numbers, and the
arrangement is such that the number of reduplications is constantly increasing the
further he advances, until when he reaches the second compartment they are
_ apparently mitless. When moving, his images will appear to be both advancing
and retreating at the same moment, which will cause such bewilderment that he
will with difficulty be able to keep along the straight passage, and will have a
constant tendency to run into the different mirrors forming the several bays or
recesses in fact this apparatus constitutes a maze The general appearance will
be considerably enhanced by hanging lanterns, coloured and revolving lights etc.
from the ceiling or arches which will of course be reproduced as before and produce
a very pleasing and striking effect.
The addition of flowers, statues and other ornamental devices will greatly add to
the general appearance.
This erection may be either roofed in or not as preferred.
The accompanying drawing represents a plan of an apparatus constructed
according to this invention.
A is the entrance and B the first compartment or corridor formed as will be seen
from the drawing of any desired number of reflecting bays C with plain ends D the
whole of the walls being lined or faced with mirrors. In some cases as at E both
sides of the partition are faced with mirrors. From the entrance at A. the person
passes as indicated by the arrows into the corridor B and along that to the opening F
which leads into the second compartment or room G and from that by the opening H
to the exit I which latter is not a plain open passage but has approximately half
of its width cut off by the projecting partitions J K which however slightly overlap

page_text: that is each extends from the wall to which it appertains a little beyond the centre
so that a straight through view cannot be obtained thus maintaining the illusion to
the last. L serves the same purpose as J leaving a relatively narrow opening M by
which the visitor ultimately leaves the structure.
The dot and dash lines will show some of the reflections that take place in this
structure. Thus in the corridor B mirror ! reflects on to mirror 2 upon the other
side of the apparatus and also on to mirror 3 forming the other wall of the same
bay C upon the same side of the apparatus. Mirror 2 reflects on to mirror 4 which
in its turn passes on the image to mirror 5 which passes it to mirror 6, mirror 6 to
mirror 7, 7 to 8, 8 to 9, 9 to 10, and 10 to 11 across the corridor to the entrance to
the second compartment or room. 11 passes the reflection to 12, 12 to 13, 13 to 14,
14 to 15, and also to 16, 16 to 17, 17 to 18, and 15, both of which latter pass it on
to 19 which passes it back to 17 from which also it would have received it direct.
19 would also return it to 20 which would pass it to 21 which again would pass it
back to 15 and 18. 15 would also pass it to 22 which would return it to 19 and 19
would throw it on to 23 which would pass it to 24, 24 to 25, 25 to 26 and 27,
27 back to 23, and 23 to 28, 28 to 26, 26 to 29, 29 to 30, 30 to 31 which would also
receive it from 29, and 31 to 32. Most of these mirrors pass the image again to
other mirrors besides those indicated in the above series the reproduction thus
obtained being practically limitless.
At N and in many other parts may be placed statues or ornamental objects of
any suitable description.
A person or object at N for example would be reflected in 17 and from there
passed on to 16. By 16 to 13, 13 to 12, 12 to 11, 11 to 10, 10 to 9, 9 to 8, 8 to 7
and 7 to 6 and so on thus reproducing in the corridor B the person or object
standing at N in the inner room. Also N would be transmitted by 15 to 14,
14 to 11, 11 to 10, 10 to 9, and so on as before, and oppositely from N to 19,
19 to 23, 23 to 27, 27 to 3, 3 to 1, 1 to 2, 2 to 4, 4 to 5, and so on. N would also
be interminably reflected again and again in 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 and these
multiplications would again be passed on and multiplied in the manner previously
explained. Similarly the image of a person or object in the corridor would be
thrown backwards and forwards between these bays and from them passed into the
inner room in the same manner just described as for an image originating at N, but
in the reverse direction. It will therefore be seen that a person entering at A as
soon as he gets fairly into B is bewildered by the multiplicity of objects presented
to him, although these may be situated in the inner rooin entirely out of his direct
view, and that his image is at the same time and while he is standing in the corridor
reproduced in the inner room.
In the drawing which is merely a diagram to illustrate how the invention may be
carried into effect none of the details as to pillars, ornaments, overhead arches or
the like are introduced as these may be varied in any desired manner and do not
constitute the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. An illusory device or structure having two compartments such as B and G so
arranged that the images or reflections in each are interchanged substantially as
described.
2. The illusory device or structure constructed and operating substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
H. W. WIELAND.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.