Improvements in Stage Appliances.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
Improvements in Stage Appliances.
I, JAMES ACHEW, of 31, Camberwell New Road, London, S.W., Comedian, do
hereby decrare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to he
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement-
This invention relates to improvements in stage appliances, and is designed
with the object of providing an illuminated lamp or its equivalent which can
be so operated by an attendant at the wings of the stage upon which such appliance
is situated, as to cause the glazed front of such lamp or its equivalent to change
color at will.
The invention is principally intended for use upon a variety stage, and where
a dualogue takes place in which the performers wager one other that the existing
color of the lamp will change to a color of a different hue, the attendant responsible
for the changing of the colors, according to a predetermined code of instructions,
causing the colors to appear through the front of the lamp in exact contradis-
tinction to the order named by the performers in the hearing of the audience.
And in order that this my said invention may be the more readily understood
and carried into practical effect, reference is hereby made to the accompanying
sheet of illustrative drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1, is a front elevational view of the device.
Fig. 2, being a perspective view of same, while
Figs. 3, & 4 are views of details of the invention.
Referring to the drawings wherein like letters of reference indicate correspond-
ing parts throughout the several figures, a represents a lamp of any suitable
design, but preferably fashioned to resemble an ordinary street lamp and carried
upon a pedestal a¹ a portion 6 of such lamp being glazed with white opal glass
or its equivalent.
A space is provided upon which may be displayed any suitable words, such
as the name of the place of entertainment or that of a street or the like, while
the upper part of the lamp is fashioned of opaque material.
At the rear of the lamp, rearwardly projecting sides d are provided, such sides
having grooves e in their opposing faces.
Within these grooves e sheets f of differently colored glass or other suitable
transparent material are adapted to slide in a vertical direction, each slide f
having attached to its upper part, near each corner thereof, a cord g which cords
pass through eyes h situated upon the back of the lamp, near the top thereof, and
are carried to a suitable point in the wings or back of the stage.
The said eyes of which there are a number corresponding with that of the
cords aforesaid, are formed integral upon one shank, which is preferably screwed
into the back of the lamp.
In operation, light is caused to shine through the glazed portion 6 of the lamp
in any suitable manner, and the desired change in the color of such light is effected
by an attendant stationed in the wings of the stage, slackening the cords connected
to the slide of that particular color which it is desired shall illumine the said

page_text: glazed part 6 of the lamp, which slackening of the cords causes the predetermined
slide to drop into place behind the glazed front b, immediately in front of the
illuminant, and suffuse the former with the individual color of such slide.
If desirable, I may pivot the colored slides f to the back of the lamp instead of
giving them a vertical sliding movement, such as described. I may also if
desirable employ hinged doors or other devices glazed in different colors to effect
the same object.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
The improvements in stage appliances, consisting in a suitably supported lamp
having a glazed opening in the front thereof and provided with rearwardly pro-
jecting sides having vertical grooves in their opposing faces, in which grooves
colored transparent slides are arranged to move up and down through the medium
of manually actuated cords attached to such slides and passing through eyes on
the back of the lamp and carried to a convenient point in the stage wings, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described, and as illustrated by the drawings.
Dated thin 92nd day of August 1900
HUGHES & YOUNG,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for Applicant.