IMPROVED APPLIANCES FOR HANGING ELECTRICAL LAMPS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Tayler Smith of Circus Place, Finsbury in the
City of London, Architect. for an Invention of IMPROVED APPLIANCES FOR
HANGING ELECTRICAL LAMPS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Tayler Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th August 1883.
THOMAS TAYLER SMITH of Circus Place, Finsbury in the City of London,
Architect, "IMPROVED APPLIANCES FOR HANGING ELECTRICAL LAMPS.'
"
The object of the present invention is to provide inexpensive and efficient means
for suspending incandescent and other electric lamps from ceilings and other points
of attachment, which will permit of the position of the lamps being adjusted
vertically without interrupting the continuity of the electrical circuit, and will
enable the said lamps and their fittings and supports to be readily detached and
removed.
In the specification of my patent dated 31st August 1882, N° 4162, I have
described several arrangements in which a flexible cord or cords, containing both
the flow and return wires suitably insulated is or are led around a spring reel or
pulley in order to convey a current to the lamp.
These arrangements are more or less expensive, and the present improvements
are designed to afford equal facilities for the vertical adjustment of the lamps, but
at a greatly reduced cost for fittings, and to allow of the lamp or lamps together
with the flexible support and pullies being readily detached from the ceiling or
other surface and attached elsewhere as required.
To this end I lead the flexible cord containing the insulated wires from the lamp
around a pulley carried by the ceiling plate, and I make connection, with the
branch wires from the dynamo or other source of electricity by means of a
detachable coupling or carriage, which is adapted to be slidden into guides and
make contact with permanent terminals arranged within or secured to the said
ceiling plate after the manner described by me in the Specification of my Patent
bove referred to.
'

page_text: The hanging electrical lamp I balance by a weight carrying a sheave or pulley
through or round which the flexible cord passes. This balance weight is provided
with a guide for steadying the lamp, and this guide may take the form of a hole
through the balance weight or of a loop or eye on the weight, or in an arm or arms
extending therefrom. It may also be formed of two overlapping hooks or split
rings to facilitate the insertion and removal of the cord.
The lamp and socket may be of any suitable construction, but the socket
I provide with an extension, such as a tube surrounding the cord, which serves
both as a guide for ensuring the proper vertical position of the lamp, and as a stop
for arresting its upward movement, and preventing injury to the lainp or its socket
from striking the banging balance weight. This guide stop may be buffed with
leather or rubber to diminish jarring, and may be concealed by a tassel. The
pulley in the ceiling plate I make detachable and so construct that it can be
readily and securely fixed in place or removed therefrom when required.
A convenient mode of effecting this is to slot the side pieces or cheeks which
carry the pulley spindle, diagonally or laterally so that the said spindle can be
slidden or pressed into place, a curved spring or a hinged or sliding piece serving to
prevent its accidental displacement; or the stem of the pulley may be formed with
an enlarged head adapted to be inserted within a slot or key hole in the ceiling
plate and be securely held therein by a hinged or sliding piece and catch.
It is important, in order to diminish expense, that a single cord or tapo
containing both the flow and return wires suitably insulated shall be used to
support and convey the electric current to the lamp or lamps, as only 2 pullies and
1 weight are then required. I have found that a single cord, composed of two sets
of wires insulated the one from the other, each set containing from 12 to 15 strands
of the size known as N° 40, B.W.G., runs well over pullies of about 1 inch
diameter, and works smoothly and efficiently without injury to the wires.
I would remark that for convenience both pullies may be made detachable, the
one from the balance weight and the other from the ceiling plate. This may be
effected by fitting the pulley spindles with removable screw caps and washers,
which may be of an ornamental character, or by mounting them in the manner
above indicated.
To secure the weight pulley in place a curved or other hanging or spring catch
may be fitted to the side pieces or checks of the weight, and the guide on the
weight pulley may consist of a broad ring having a diagonal cut through it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Tayler Smith in the Patent Office on the 23rd February
1884.
THOMAS TAYLER SMITH of Circus Place Finsbury in the City of London
Architect "IMPROVED APPLIANCES FOR HANGING ELECTRICAL LAMPS"
The object of the present Invention.is to provide inexpensive and efficient means
for suspending incandescent and other electric lamps from ceilings and other points
of attachment, which will permit of the position of the lamps being adjusted
vertically within a considerable range without interrupting the continuity of the
electrical circuit, and will enable the said lamps and their fittings and supports to
be readily detached from the ceiling or equivalent surface and removed when
required.
In the Specification of my Patent dated thirty-first August One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-two N° 4146 I have described several arrangements in
which a flexible cord or cords containing both the flow and return wires suitably
insulated is or are led around a spring reel or pulley in order to convey a current
to the lamp.
These arrangements though very efficient are more or less expensive and the
present improvements are designed to afford equal facilities for the vertical
adjustment of a hanging lamp or lamps but at a greatly reduced. cost for fittings
and to allow of the lamp or lamps together with the flexible support and pulleys,
being readily detached from the ceiling or other surface and attached elsewhere as
required.
The Invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying
Drawing in which a simple hanging balanced lamp and fittings of the kind above
indicated are illustrated by way of example.
Fig 1 shews the hanging lamp complete in elevation, Figures 2 and 3 show
the balance weight provided with a detachable pulley and of about full size.-
Fig 4 is a plan view of the same; Figures 5 and 6 show the ceiling connections
and upper detachable pulley in front and side views respectively.
Figures 7 and 8 are front and side views of an upper pulley to be referred to
hereafter. Figures 9 and 10 are side and front views of a balance weight and
detachable pulley with a safety catch applied thereto and Figures 11, and 12, are
detail views of a simple arrangement for attaching the wires of the flexible cord to
those fixed in or above the ceiling but which arrangement, by itself, forms no part
of my present Invention.
In these Figures the same letters of reference indicate like or corresponding
parts.
Referring now to Fig: 1 A represents an electric lamp and socket of any well
known and approved construction with which the flow and return wires of the
flexible cord B are properly connected in the manner well understood-This single
cord B containing both the flow and return wires suitably insulated passes around
two pulleys C C¹ the upper pulley being made detachable from and supported by
the ceiling plate D and the lower pulley being attached to or carried by the weight E
to which any appropriate design may be given and which is of such size as will
nicely balance the electric lamp and its socket. The other end of the flexible
cord B is brought into connection with the branch wires in or above the ceiling
plate by means of a detachable coupling or carriage adapted to be slidden into
guides and make contact with permanent terminals arranged within or secured to
the said ceiling plate after the manner described by me in the Specification of my
Patent hereinabove referred to or in any other convenient manner. By this very*
simple arrangement the cord leading from the lamp and its socket can.not only be

page_text: rapidly attached to or detached from the coiling but the lamp can be raised.and
lowered vertically within very considerable limits and will remain in its adjusted
position without the necessity for employing spring reels and pawls.
Tho weight E has a guide such as e for the cord B and the lamp socket has a
tubular or other suitable extension which serves both as a guide for steadying the
lamp and ensuring its proper vertical position, and as a stop. for arresting its
upward movement and preventing injury to the lamp glass or its socket from
striking against the hanging balance weight E.-This guide stop may be buffed with
leather or rubber to diminish jarring, and with the lamp socket may be concealed
by a tassel as shewn in the Drawing-The pulley C carried by the ceiling plato I
make detachable as above stated and so construct that it can be readily and securely
fixed in place or removed therefrom when required.
A convenient mode of effecting this is to slot the side pieces or cheeks which
carry the pulley spindle diagonally or laterally so that the said spindle can be
alidden or pressed into place, a curved spring or a hinged or sliding piece serving
to prevent its accidental displacement, or the stem of the pulley may be formed
with an enlarged head adapted to be inserted within a slot or key hole in the
ceiling plate and be securely held therein by a hinged or sliding piece and catch.
I preferably however slot the side pieces or cheeks c, c of the pulley C in the
manner shown in Fig: 6, and I prevent the accidental displacement of the pulley
by a stop c which depends loosely from a pivot pin between the two checks co
and overlies the top edge of the pulley C.-This hanging stop c' is shaped at its
lower part to allow of the cord B running freely over the pulley.-A hanging stop
may also be applied to the outside of the pulley as shewn in Figures 7 and 8, and
in this case it will overhang one end of the pulley spindle and prevent its
accidental displacement.
A somewhat similar arrangement may also be applied to the lower pulley C¹
whereby it can be easily disengaged from the balance weight E, when desired.-In
practice I do not find that this lower pulley has any tendency to become
displaced from the slotted cheeks o², but as a preventive a curved hanging
stop such as shown in Figures 9 and 10 may be used.-The facility afforded
for detaching the lower pulley from the weight E is convenient when packing
away the lamp and its fittings but is not absolutely essential to my Invention.
.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the hanging lamp can be rapidly
disengaged froin its ceiling connections by slipping the coupling carriage to which
the flexible cord B is attached out of its terminal guides, and by unshipping the
upper pulley Cand that the lamp can be as readily replaced.
It is important in order to diminish expense that a single cord or tape con-
taining both the flow and return wires suitably insulated shall be used to support
and convey the electric current to the lamp or lamps as only two pulleys and one
weight are then required I have found that a single cord composed of two sets of
wires insulated the one from the other each set containing from twelve to fifteen
strands of the size known as N° 40 B.W.G. runs well over pulleys of about
one-and-a-quarter inch diameter, and works smoothly and efficiently without
injury to the wires.
Referring now to Figures 11 and 12 I will describe a simple and convenient
means for effecting the connection of the flexible cord with the ceiling which
however forms by itself no part of my present invention.
In this case the flexible cord passes through a knob or button F and by means
of a knot the weight of the lamp is borne by the said knob or button. The free
end of the flexible cord is connected to the insulated halves. of a sliding piece G
which when in place make contact with a pair of spring terminals in the ceiling
plate to which the leads are respectively connected.
The knob or button F is secured in place by a central screw f and it is only
necessary to withdraw this screw and slip down the knob F to permit of the slide
G to which the wires of the flexible cord B are attached being withdrawn from the
ceiling plate.

page_text: The upper pulley for the flexible cord is detachably connected to the ceiling
plate in the manner above explained and thus the hanging balanced lamp with its
pulleys and flexible cord can be readily detached from or attached to the ceiling or
similar surface.
I would remark that I am aware that electric lamps have been supported by
flexible copper tapes or cords passing around pulleys, and that the lamps have
been balanced by a weight or weights but in such cases the copper cords have
been uninsulated; or if insulated, separate cords and pulleys have been used for
the flow and return wires respectively. Moreover the pulleys in such hanging
lamps have not been detachable, and therefore skilled labour was necessary to fix
the lamps in place or effect their removal.
According to my Invention, however, I support my lamp by a single flexible
cord containing both the flow and return wires suitably insulated, and my pulleys
and ceiling connections are so constructed and arranged that the balanced lamp
can be easily and safely fixed or removed by unskilled labour and without the use
of tools.
When a weight of annular form is used, as may be necessary in the case of a
cluster of incandescent lamps, more than one cord may be required to support it
but only one of these cords need be used to convey the current to the lamps.
In this case also other pulleys may be required, but the same principle of
detachability and detachable insulated flexible connections will be observed
For use in kitchen and offices the upper pulley or pulleys may be detachably
connected to the ceiling by a hook and eye, or by a screw stem in lieu of the
means above described.
Having now described the nature of my Invention of "Improved appliances for
hanging electrical lamps" and explained in what manner the same may be carried
into practical effect I wish it to be understood that I claim:-
First: The adaptation to hanging electrical lamps supported by a flexible cord
or cords containing both the flow and return wires suitably insulated and balanced
by a weight or weights, of a detachable coupling and detachable pulleys such as
CC, for facilitating the disconnection of the lamp and its attachments from the
ceiling or from the balance weight or weights, and means for preventing the said
weight or weights from injuring the lamp glass or lamp socket when the lamp is
fully raised, substantially as described:
Secondly The combination with one or more electrical lamps, a flexible cord such
as B containing both the flow and return wires suitably insulated and a weight for
balancing the lamp or lamps and provided with a pulley, of a detachable coupling
of any suitable construction for connecting the wires of the said cord with the
fixed lead wires overhead, and a detachable pulley such as C connected to the
ceiling or equivalent surface for the purpose of facilitating the attachment or
removal of the lamp or lamps together with their suspending cord and pulleys,
substantially as described.
Thirdly The combination with the lamp and socket A, flexible cord B, detach-
able pulleys CC¹ and means for detachably connecting the wires of the said cord
with the fixed lead wires in the ceiling or equivalent surface, of a balance weight E
provided with a guide e and a guide stop on or extending from the lamp socket,
s and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Tayler Smith have hereunto set my hand
nd seal the twenty-second day of February in the year of our Lord One
housand eight hundred and eighty four.
"