IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PICTORIAL EFFECTS.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Phillips, of Nunhead, in the
L
County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PICTORIAL EFFECTS.
""
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Phillips
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st July 1875.
I, WILLIAM HENRY PHILLIPS, of Nunhead, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PICTORIAL EPPECTS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improved arrangements of apparatus for
producing pictorial effects by means of reflecting surfaces mounted in
a box or case in such manner as to repeat the reflection of objects and
surfaces arranged therein, whereby a variety of pictorial and other
designs or effects are produced which can be seen through a sight hole.

page_text: or eye piece on one of the sides of the case. For this purpose I line or
cover the inner sides of a rectangular box or case with silvered glass or
other suitable reflecting surfaces, the bottom being covered either with
plain or ornamental surfaces, according to the character of the ground
required to be produced in the picture. The lid or cover of the box may
be of ground glass, tissue paper, oiled cloth, or other semi-transparent
material, plain or ornamental.
Any objects or surfaces placed or arranged within the interior of the
box or case, or on or about the sides thereof, will be reflected many
times on the opposite sides, and thus produce endless vistas as viewed
from the sight hole or oye piece of the apparatus.
Various effects and transformations may be produced by means of
slides or moving objects introduced through or covering apertures on the
sides or other parts of the box or case, panoramic effects being also
obtained by means of bands arranged to travel to and fro around rollers
or otherwise, the ornamental or other surfaces thereof being reflected as
previously described.
Miniature fountains, cascades, fireworks, gas, or other means of
illuminating the interior may also be introduced and employed, by
which means very novel and artistic effects may be obtained in com-
bination with the pictorial effects produced by the internal reflecting
surfaces of the box or case.
Great facility is afforded for the production of ornamental designs,
which may be obtained by the repeated reflection of one portion of such
design arranged within the interior of the box or case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Phillips in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY PHILLIPS, of Nunhead, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, a
send greeting

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Henry Phillips, Her special license
that I, the said William Henry Phillips, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry Phillips, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PICTORIAL EFFECTS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Henry Phillips, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Phillips, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improved arrangements of apparatus for pro-
ducing pictorial effects by means of reflecting surfaces mounted in a box or
case in such manner as to repeat the reflection of objects and surfaces
arranged therein, whereby a variety of pictorial and other designs or
effects are produced which can be seen through a sight hole or cye picce
on one of the sides or other suitable part of the case.
For this purpose
I line or cover the inner sides of a rectangular box or case with silvered
glass or other suitable reflecting surfaces, the bottom being covered
either with plain or ornamental surfaces, according to the character of
the ground required to be produced in the picture. The lid or cover of
the box may be of ground glass, tissue paper, oiled cloth, or other semi-
transparent material, plain or ornamental.
Any objects or surfaces placed or arranged within the interior of
the box or case, or on or about the sides thereof, will be reflected
many times on the opposite sides, and thus produce apparently

page_text: and Figure 4 a plan of apparatus for producing pictorial and scenic
effects (which can be viewed through a sight hole or eye piece), arranged
and constructed in accordance with my Invention.
a is a rectangular box of wood or other suitable material, two or moro 2
of the sides being lined with silvered glass or other suitable reflecting
surfaces a², a¹. On one or more of the inner sides and on the top and
bottom surfaces ornamental materials, surfaces, or objects a³, a², (such as
or similar to those represented in Figures 5, 6, and 7) are arranged,
which when viewed through the sight hole or eye piece at b6 or b¹are 3
reflected and repeated many times in the reflecting surfaces a', a', around
the sides, thus producing apparently endless vistas to the eye of the
observer, light being admitted from the top or otherwise.
The objects or scenery a employed for each inner side may be jointed
together so as to fold into the form required, as shown in sectional plan a

page_text: at Figure 8, or otherwise to be introduced into the box or case a from the
top when the lid or cover c is raised.
The back or sides may be perforated or otherwise arranged, the silver
being removed from the glass reflectors in order to exhibit illuminated
openings of white or colored light from the exterior.
Figure 9 shows a vertical section and a plan in section of apparatus
similar to that previously described, in which only two reflecting surfaces
a², a', are employed; a² is the scenery or object to be reflected arranged
to slide in grooves at each end of the box a so that it and the ground or
floor can be changed for others by removing the bottom slide a³.
Figure 10 shows a plan in section of a box or case a arranged with
reflecting surfaces a¹, a', opposite to and parallel with each other, the
scenery being mounted on rollers d, d, at the back, so that it can be
caused to move through the box, and thus produce panoramic effects.
The quadrangular form arranged with four reflecting surfaces, with
the sight hole on one side or at one of the angular corners, I find to be
the most effective, and when the sight hole is placed near one of the
angles the two reflectors nearest the point of vision should be fixed,
leaving an open space between the front edges for a view of the interior,
the scenery or objects being placed either in single parts or so as to fold
at the angles.
The ground or bottom of the box or case a may be arranged to slide
into position in order that it may be changed to suit the scenic effects
displayed in the interior. The top may also be arranged to slide into
position or be hinged to one of the sides, and it may either be trans-
parent or semi-transparent, and ornamented in various ways with objects
applied to or suspended therefrom.
The sight hole may be formed by removing the silver from the glass
in the case of glass reflectors, but if polished metal is employed a hole
must be pierced through it for this purpose.
Magnifying or other lenses may be applied to the sight hole if
desired.
The sides of the case may be arranged to open for the admission of
light, or for the introduction or exhibition of scenery, models, artificial
light, or moving objects. The bottom may also be transparent, and

page_text: fountains, water, and fireworks may also be employed to enhance the
scenic effects exhibited in the interior of the box or case.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner
of performing or carrying the same into practice, what I claim is the
improved combination, arrangement, and construction of apparatus for
producing pictorial and scenic effects, substantially in the manner herein-
before described and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
...
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Phillips, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight. hundred and
seventy-five.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
WILLIAM HENRY PHILLIPS. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.