IMPROVEMENTS IN LANTERNS FOR SPORTING AND OTHER PURPOSES Communicated him by TT
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult of the firm of W. P. Thompson &
Boult Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors of 323 High Holborn in the
county of Middlesex and 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of
Lancaster Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LANTERNS FOR
SPORTING AND OTHER PURPOSES Communicated to him from abroad by
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th September 1882.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of the firm of W. P. Thompson & Boult Agents for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex and
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LANTERNS FOR SPORTING AND OTHER PURPOSES [A communication to him
from abroad by Heinrich Lages of Zorge Harz Mountains German Empire]
"
The lantern is preferably made of lacquered tin plate as usual and of any
suitable shape; the door forming the front is hinged so as to open to one side a
small spring giving it a constant tendency to open. There is a double bottom
within which is the mechanism for operating the door. A piece of candle is placed
in a holder and a match is pushed into it or may be placed in position when the
candle is made. A suitable rubbing surface is suitably attached to a sliding rod
impelled inwards by a coiled spring and terminating in a button to pull it out
by a notch is formed in the rod which hitches over the side of the lantern and
holds the rod out against the spring. A vertical rotating spindle is actuated by the
door from it projects a magnesium wire coil, the end of which is by preference
roughened to facilitate the attack of the candle flame. A double casing with a
double roof on top serves to ventilate the lantern while excluding drafts. The
lantern is suitably attached to the shoulder of the sportsman-as by straps &c. and
a string being pulled actuates a double acting detent or lever pivotted centrally
which releases the door which flies open and at the same time by turning the
ID 23 7

page_text: vertical spindle brings the magnesium wire over the wick of the candle. The other
end of of the double acting lever pushes up the sliding rod releases the notch thereof
from the casing, the coiled spring forces it in and the rubbing surface ignites the
match in passing which in turn lights the candle causing the wire to emit a brilliant
light. The open door shields the face of the sportsman from the light.
In a modified form the vertical rotating spindle carries the rubbing surface and
the match is placed in a horizontal sleeve and gently urged inwards by a spring a
coiled spring upon the vertical spindle actuates the door. The magnesium wire is
attached to a projection upon the upper portion of the case which is for convenience
made to open outwards and remains in position above the candle, which latter is
held in a case and pressed upwards by a coiled spring as in ordinary carriage lamps.
The bottom of the candle case can be unscrewed for inserting the candle. An
ordinary top or ventilator may be used with this lamp the action of which is
similar to that already described.
These lanterns may be used for other purposes besides sporting as for instance
on sentry duty, by night watchmen, for laying in wait for thieves, and generally
wherever a strong light is suddenly required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Julius Boult in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th March 1883.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of the firm of W. P. Thompson and Boult, Agents for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex and
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Engineer
"IMPROVEMENTS
"
IN LANTERNS FOR SPORTING AND OTHER PURPOSES a communication to me from
abroad by Heinrich Lages of Zorge, Harz Mountains, German Empire
The herein described lantern has for its object to facilitate taking aim at night,
a magnesium wire coil of peculiar construction being used as a light giving medium
and is ignited by a common tallow or stearine candle which is lit by an automatic
device.
The casing of this lantern consists of sheet metal of any kind but it is preferred
to employ sheet-tin (tinned sheet iron) with a coat of dark varnish or paint
outside.
The accompanying drawings represent the lantern and
Figure 1 is a front view of the lantern with the door open
Figure 2 a vertical section showing the interior mechanism
Figure 3 horizontal section on the line A B of figure 1.
Figure 4 represents on an enlarged scale a coil of magnesium wire as used
according to this invention.
Figure 5 represents a man shooting by the light of this lantern
Figure 6 is a front view, partly in section, of a modification of the lantern.
Figure 7 top view or plan thereof with the hood opened.
Figure 8 side view of the lantern and
Figure 9 plan of the underside of the lantern, after removal of the double bottom,
showing the mechanism for opening the door
The casing C of the lantern is, as stated, made of sheet metal and in the drawings
shown as square in section, but it may if desired be made round, oval, triangular or
polygonal without alteration of the mechanism properly so called.
This casing C of the lantern has in front a door E which automatically opens
when the cord y is pulled and at the same time turns the magnesium wire over the
flame of the stearine, tallow or other candle D. The mechanism required for this
purpose is placed in the double bottom of the casing.
The door E under the impulse of a small coiled spring b has always a tendency
to open and when closed is kept fast by the hook-shaped front-end c of the double
lever F which is pivotted at d. The back end of the lever is bent upwards so as
to actuate, simultaneously with the opening of the door, the igniting device for the
candle D; a spring always presses the lever downwards.
The igniting device above mentioned consists of a lever f to which is fastened
a cushion or paper J which is prepared, saturated, or painted with_amorphous
phosphorus, similarly to the boxes of so-called "swedish" matches. It is firmly
connected to a rod m (Figures 2, 3) provided outside the lantern casing with a head
or button and moves therewith. The sleeve n encloses said rod m and has a
longitudinal slot in which the lever f is guided.
The spiral spring o always presses the rod m and consequently the igniting
device forward.
The said rod m has a small notch a by which it engages with the metal of the
casing when it is in the position shown in dotted lines, viz, when the lantern is set
ready. Now if the cord Y be pulled, the double lever F moves, the front end

page_text: thereof releases the door so that the same flies open and at the same time its other
end presses in such a manner under the rod m that the notch x is disengaged from
the wall of casing C and thus the the igniting device suddenly darts forward. The
candle D is provided, close by the wick, with a so called swedish match z either
inserted or cast into the same which the passing of the friction surface J ignites and
the flame is transferred to the wick of the candle D. To ensure the friction surface
or cushion J bearing against the match z, the spring is fixed on the wall of the
case C (Figure 3).
In the case C there is moreover a vertical rod H easily rotating on its journals
(Figure 1) having at its lower end au arm w (Figures 1 and 3) which by wire vis
so connected with the door that rod H rotates about 90°, the limits of rotation of arm w
being shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.
The said rod H has a lateral extension or arm y to which the magnesium wire
coil is fastened in any suitable manner.
The magnesium spiral may be wound of wire of round, square, or ribbon shaped
cross section and the end to be ignited is, by means of a sharp knife, so scraped or
incised that the magnesium is finely divided and loosened as much as possible.
This ensures a quick and certain lighting of the magnesium wire coil S as has been
proved by experiments.
The hood of the lantern consists of two concentric cylinders M N, the outer one
M being perforated. Each of these cylinders has a separate arched roof P P¹
(Figures 1, 2) thus preventing the candle being blown out by draft.
The lid of the lantern casing together with the hood can be opened as shown in
Figure 2. At the bottom of the case C there is an eye U through which a strap is
passed for fastening the lantern on the shoulder as shown in Figure 5.
The operation of the lantern is as follows:
The magnesium coil S is first placed on the arm of the rod H in such a manner
that the loosened end is about 1 centimetre above the candle D, care is to be taken
not to disfigure the spiral and not to injure the thinned end as this would impede
the quick, viz: the sudden, ignition of the coil. By the button i the rod m is now
withdrawn till the notch x engages with the metal and the candle D furnished
with the match is put in place. The igniting device is now set, the door E closed
and the lantern, door in front, is strapped on the left shoulder (Figure 5). Thus
provided the operator stands in wait, say when hunting at night, and when the
approaching game is heard in what is supposed to be shooting distance, aim towards
that direction is taken, and a sudden pull given to the cord y fastened on lever F
thereby the door of the lantern opens, the igniting devices move forward, igniting
the candle D, simultaneously the magnesium coil passes above or into the candle
flame and becomes ignited whereby, in a second, an illumination equalling daylight
is obtained to within shooting distance. If motion is avoided, the game, as shown
by practice, stops for a little while and fixedly gazes into the light, so that the
huntsman can choose a suitable animal and take secure aim. Should the game not
remain within shot, it is seen what direction it takes &c. The magnesium then
burnt off, whilst the candle D continues to burn and serves the sportsman in cutting
open killed animals, or on the road home. The eye is not in the least affected by the
lantern, as the open door throws its shadow on the face of the huntsman.
The modification shown in Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, differs from the lantern above
described only in details of construction.
In the case A¹ made of sheet metal, the door B¹ is mounted free to swing on hinges
and is kept closed by a hook C¹ at the bottom of the casing (Figures 6, 7, 8, 9)
On a sidewall of casing A¹ a vertical arbor or spindle a rotates between lugs
attached to the case and a coiled spring surrounding it, gives it a continuous
tendency to rotate in the direction of the arrow Figure 7. This shaft a³ has on a
lateral arm 62 the curved friction surface c², which, when the door B' opens, viz. when
the arbor a rotates, passes the head of the match and ignites it as hereinafter
described; the match d² (whether a swedish one or a common one) is in this case
not cast into the candle close to the wick, but is placed in the sleeve f² fixed on

page_text: that wall of the case A' which is opposite the arbor a. The match d² is placed
into the sleeve from outside and is lightly pressed inwards by spring g². The
flaine of the candle remains always at the same height as it is pressed upwards by
a coiled spring as in carriage lanterns. The candle is fixed in sleeve D¹ from below
after the piece m¹ has been unscrewed.
The magnesium wire coil X may be fixed on one or the other extension y' y² of
the flap n' and its end extending into the candle, is roughened, as herein above
described, to facilitate ignition. The said flap n' opens outward, see figure 6, and is
held by a snap fastening o¹. For opening door B' a lever p is fixed on shaft a²
connected with the same by the connecting rod q'. The hood F¹ of known
construction is also made to open and the lantern manipulated as described.
As is easily seen the lantern may be used for other purposes also, for instance on
sentry-duty, or by night watchmen, for laying in weight for thieves, generally
everywhere where a strong light is required to be suddenly brought suddenly to
bear on an object.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner of
performing the same, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I wish
it to be understood that what I claim and desire to protect by the hereinbefore
in part recited Letters Patent is:
First: The combination in a lantern for sporting and other purposes, of a
magnesium wire, a candle, and means to light the same, so arranged, that the candle
will continue to burn after the magnesium light becomes extinct, substantially as
set forth and illustrated.
Second: A magnesium wire coil, the igniting end whereof is loosened, or
roughened, so as to cause it to become more quickly and more certainly ignited,
substantially as set forth.
Third The combination with the candle D of the match z inserted or cast in it
in such a manner that, when the match is ignited by the frictional device, it lights
the wick of the candle, substantially as described and shown.
Fourth As a means of carrying the magnesium wire coil to the candle flame,
the combination with the door E of the rod H arms y and w and wire v substantially
as set forth and shown.
Fifth The igniting device consisting substantially of the rod m with notch x
and coiled spring o, arm f fastened to rod m, carrying at the upper end a friction
surface, the said device when "set" being released simultaneously with the opening
of the door E by the double action lever F.
Sixth The lantern hood consisting of two cylinders M N, inserted one within
the other, M being perforated and cach being separately covered by an arched
roof P P substantially as described and shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Seventh A lantern of the construction shown in Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 substantially
characterized by the supporting of the match in a separate sleeve f2, the placing of
the magnesium wire coil x on the flap n' and the insertion of the candle into the
sleeve D' from below.
:
Eighth The complete lantern constructed and operating substantially as
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings
In witness whereof I, the said Alfred Julius Boult have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twelfth day of March in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.