IMPROVEMENTS IN LANTERNS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A. M and
W. Clark of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN LANTERNS
communicated to him from abroad by George Frederick Fisher, of St John in
the Province of New Brunswick and Dominion of Canada
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th April 1883.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents IMPROVEMENTS IN LANTERNS [communicated to him from abroad by
George Frederick Fisher, of St John in the Province of New Brunswick and
Dominion of Canada]
The object of this improved construction of lantern is to render the same more
durable and to facilitate the lighting.
According to this Invention the lantern is constructed with a cylindrical cap or
casing open at the bottom and arranged above the globe and held by the funnel
tube to the cross pieces of the side tubes or side bars of a lantern in such a manner
that the upper end of the glass globe can pass within the said cap, which is of
greater diameter than the upper end of the globe. The cap is provided in one side
with a longitudinal slot or other aperture through which the upper free end of a
spring strip which is fastened to one of the side tubes projects. The spring strip
is provided at its upper end with two prongs projecting toward the interior of the
cap. The globe which is of the usual construction is provided at the upper end
with an annular bead or ridge and rests on a perforated circular metal plate in the
usual manner. When the globe is lowered the lower prong of the spring rests
upon its upper edge and holds it in place. If the lantern is to be lighted the
upper end of the spring strip is withdrawn from the cap and the globe can then
be raised sufficiently to permit of passing a match between the lower edge of the
[Price 1

page_text: globe and the plate to the burner. By releasing the spring when the ridge or bead
of the globe is above the prongs the bead will rest on the upper prong and will
hold the globe raised.
In a modification the spring strip is provided at its upper end with a single
prong or bend which also rests on the upper edge of the globe when the said
globe is in its usual position. The globe is provided at its upper end with a collar
and when the globe is to be raised and held in this position, the spring strip is
withdrawn to permit of passing the upper end of the globe into the cap and after
the globe has been raised to such an extent that the lower edge of the collar will
be above the prong. If the spring is then released its prong catches under the
bottom edge of the collar and holds the globe raised.
The spring is fastened to one of the side bars or tubes in such a manner that it
will not be affected by the heat, the lantern is made more durable than the tubular
lanterns of the usual construction in which the globe holding spring is above the
globe and exposed to the heat of the burner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th-October 1883.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents "IMPROVEMENTS IN LANTERNS
" A communication to me from abroad
by George Frederick Fisher of St. John, in the Province of New Brunswick and
Dominion of Canada.
The object of this improved construction of lantern is to facilitate lighting the
same and to render it more durable.
The Invention consists in a lantern constructed with a cylindrical cap above the
globe or chimney which has a bead or collar at its upper end and into which cap a
spring strip or wire projects provided at its free end with one or more prongs which
spring strip or wire presses down on the upper edge of the globe or catches under
the bead or collar at the upper end of the globe and holds it slightly raised while
the lantern is being lighted.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures. Figure 1 is a
longitudinal elevation of the improved lantern parts being broken out and others
shown in section. Figure 2, is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the upper part
of a modification of the same.
A cylindrical casing A or cap open at the bottom is held by the funnel tube B to
the cross pieces of the side tubes C or side bars of a lantern in such a manner that
the upper end of the glass globe or chimney D can pass within the said cap, which
is of greater diameter than the upper end of the globe. The cap A is provided on
one side with a longitudinal slot E or other aperture through which the upper free
end of a spring strip or wire F projects which is fastened to one of the side tubes C.
The spring strip or wire is provided at its upper end with two prongs a projecting
toward the interior of the cap. The globe or chimney D which is of the usual
construction is provided at the upper end with an annular bead or rim G, and it
rests at bottom on a perforated circular metal plate H in the usual manner.
globe is held in place by the prong a which rests upon its upper edge. If the
lantern is to be lighted the upper end of the spring strip or wire is withdrawn
from the cap A in the direction of the arrow a' and the globe can then be raised
slightly, say about 1%, inches or sufficiently to permit of passing a match between
the lower edge of the globe and the plate H to the burner. By releasing the
spring strip or wire F when the bead & is above the prongs a the chimney can
be held in the raised position by the bead G resting upon the upper prong a.
The
In the modification shown in Figure 2, the spring strip or wire F is provided at
its upper end with a single prong or bend a which also rests on the upper edge of
the globe or chimney D when the said globe is in its usual position. The globe is
provided at its upper end with a collar H¹and when the globe is to be held in the
raised position the spring strip or wire F is withdrawn in the direction of the
arrow a', and the globe raised within the cap A until the lower edge of the collar H¹
will be above the prong a, the spring strip or wire is then released when the prong
catches under the edge of the collar H' and holds the globe raised.
As the spring strip or wire F is fastened to the tube C in such a manner that it
will not be affected by the heat the lantern is made more durable than the tubular
lanterns of the usual construction in which the globe holding spring is above the
globe and exposed to the heat of the burner.

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is:
.
In a lantern, the combination with a glass globe or chimney of the open bottomed
cap A having a slot E, and the side tubes C, C, carrying a spring wire or strip,
substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty fourth day of October A.D. 1883.
A. M. CLARK (L.S.)