IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE- MENT OF SHADES AND REFLECTORS FOR GAS LIGHTS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS, PATENT to Robert George Kent, of Old Compton Street;
Soho, in the County of Middlesex, Tool and Metal Warehouseman,.
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE-
MENT OF SHADES AND REFLECTORS FOR GAS LIGHTS."
Sealed the 4th August 1868, and dated the 5th May 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert George Kent
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th May 1863.
I, ROBERT GEORGE KENT, of Old Compton Street, Soho, in the County
of Middlesex, Tool and Metal Warehouseman, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGE-
MENT OF SHADES AND' REFLECTORS FOR GAS LIGHTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements whereby the light obtained
from fish-tail, bat's-wing, oval, argand, or other gas burners giving a flame of
an elongated form, is more perfectly diffused and reflected than by the arrange-.
ments hitherto in use. Shades (either of glass or porcelain) and reflectors are
constructed of an elliptical form, and are employed in combination with such
burners as before mentioned, the same being fixed and adjusted by means of
suitable fittings, the result being that the rays of light diverging from every
portion of the elongated flame are duly transmitted and reflected, and the whole
of the illuminating power of the flame is thus made available. The reflectors
may be used with or without the shades, and may be formed of glass or metal,
or combinations of glass and metal, or of any substance or substances possessing
the requisite powers of reflection, and the surfaces thereof may be either smooth,
or, cut, or corrugated, so as to reflect the rays of light in any desired direction.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert George Kent in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 31st October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE-PRESENTS SHALL COME; I, ROBERT
GEORGE KENT, of Old Compton Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex,
Tool and Metal Warehouseman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert George Kent, Her special licence, that I,.. the said Robert
George Kent, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Robert George Kent, 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SHADES AND REFLECTORS
FOR GAS LIGHTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Robert George Kent, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under his, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said. Robert George Kent; do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being. had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that
is to say :-
My said Invention relates to certain improvements whereby the light obtained
from fish-tail, bat's-wing, oval, argand, or other gas burners giving a flame of
an elongated form, is more perfectly diffused and reflected than by the arrange-
ments hitherto in use.
The shades which are constructed in accordance with my said Invention are
of an elliptical form, the material employed being either glass or porcelain,
and aro used in combination with such burners as before mentioned. The
shades are fixed and adjusted by means of suitable fittings, which, being well

page_text: understood by persons conversant with such matters, need not be here
described.
The result of the employment of the shades so constructed and employed
as before mentioned is, that the rays of light diverging from every portion of
the elongated flame are duly transmitted and reflected, and the whole of the
illuminating power of the flame is thus made available.
The reflectors are also constructed of an elliptical form, and are formed of
glass or metal, or combinations of glass and metal, or of any substance or sub-
stances possessing the requisite powers of reflection, and the surfaces thereof
may be either smooth, or cut, or corrugated so as to reflect the rays of light in
any desired direction. The reflectors are placed in any desired position with
reference to the flame, and may be used with or without the shades as may be
desired..
My Invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the annexed
Drawings.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, represent different forms of the shades before men-
tioned with the reflectors attached; Figures 4 and 5 are fittings used in
connection with the shades, the latter being suspended by the upper part
thereof upon the rings. By this arrangement all shadow is avoided.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which it is to be performed, I would observe in con-
clusion, that what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as my
Invention, is, the construction and arrangement of shades and reflectors for
the purposes aforesaid, in the manner herein-before substantially set forth and
described, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert George Kent, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
30 Witness,
ROBERT GEORGE KENT. (L.S.)
E. P. H. VAUGHAN,
15, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.