Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 13th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 14th June, 1887.
I GEORGE WILLIAM JONES of 55 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The arrangement of a system of Gas burners, Lime lights, Electric lights or Lamp.
lights in such manner and so connected that the lights may be changed, lessened, or
increased or thrown from one object to another to produce optical illusions, such as the
disappearance or partial disappearance of a solid body or scene, or any or all the
illusions usually exhibited by means of a transparent reflector.
To accomplish this I connect together a series of rods, links, levers, and other
appliances in such a way that they can all be actuated by one lever or detached if
required and worked by two or more levers.
My system applies more especially to arrangements wherein a sheet of glass is used
as a transparent reflector and screen, shewing at one time a scene or object in view of
the audience, and again when the light is diminished or lowered and a strong light
brought to bear on a duplicate scene or object out of view of the audience acting as a
screen or reflector and rendering the scene or object visible by reflection.
In cases where gas is used as an illuminant I have levers fitted on the heads of
the plugs of the gas cocks, those levers to turn off the gas I fit at right angles with the
opening in the plug, those to turn on the gas 1 fit on in a line or parallel to the
opening in the plug, or the reverse may be used; These levers are connected by rods
to two or more crank levers actuated by links and a handle or lever working radially
on a centre in such a way that when a certain number of gas cocks are full the
open
other gas cocks are quite closed. Consequently if the lever be moved the position of
the levers on the gas cocks is reversed, those previously open are now closed, and
those which were closed are now opened, the action may be gradual or sudden at the
will of the operator. In working illusory effects with Lime lights, Electric lights, or
lamps, bands and pullies may be substituted for levers and connecting rods, or worked
in combination with them.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Optical Illusions.
GEORGE WILLIAM JONES of 55 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of my invention is to arrange a system of gas burners, lime lights, or
other lights for the purpose specified in such manner that when worked in combination
with transparent and silvered reflectors a gradual or sudden change of light may be
effected by means of levers, links and rods, working the gas supply cocks, such change
being produced by the action of one main lever.
My system applies more especially to arrangements wherein a sheet of glass is used
as a transparent reflector and screen, shewing at one time a scene or object in view of
the audience, and again when the light is lowered or diminished and a strong light
brought to bear on a duplicate scene or object out of view of the audience acting as a
screen and reflector and rendering the scene or object visible by reflection.
In cases where gas is used as the illuminent I have levers fitted on to the heads of
the plugs of the gas cocks, those to turn off the gas I fit at right angles to the
opening thro' the plugs, those to turn on the gas I fit on in a line or parallel to the
openings in the plugs, or the reverse may be used; These levers are connected by
rods to two or more levers actuated by links and a main lever or handle working
radially on a centre in such a way that a certain required number of gas cocks are full
open when the other gas cocks are quite shut.
In order that the action of my apparatus may be better understood I subjoin a
diagram Fig. 1 shewing the position of the levers and connections when the gas
illuminates the scene and objects on a stage in sight of an audience; The dotted lines
indicate the positions of levers and connections when the light is changed and made to
shew the reflection of a scene and objects out of sight of an audience.
The letters denote the various parts as follows.
A, main gas supply.
B, gas pipes.
B₁ gas pipes for upper service.
C, gas cocks for lower service.
, gas cocks for upper service.
D, main lever.
E, connecting rods.
F, links.
G, levers or gas cocks.
H, top or upper service gas pipe.
I, silvered reflector.
J, standard or bracket for supporting main lever.
sanamte service for ton light.

page_text: A transparent reflector or sheet of glass is placed between the two services of gas
lights preferably at an angle of 45° to the horizontal plane, stage or platform, when
the lower lights (which are carried along the stage in the ordinary way) are in
operation they illuminate a scene or objects directly visible to the audience and the
main lever rods and connections are in the position shewn in the diagram.
By a sudden movement of the lever D, in the direction of the arrow the lower
lights are extinguished and the top lights Ĥ, are lighted up shewing the audience the
reflection of objects out of sight by means of the transparent reflector or sheet of glass.
To insure the immediate or instantaneous illumination of the upper lights I lead off
a separate supply pipe K, from the main supply A to the upper service H, thereby
keeping the upper lights always burning blue.
The reflector I (or a series of reflectors may be used) is focussed to the burners in
the pipe H, and an increased amount of light given so that photometrically the
reflected light and the actual light seen by the audience are the same in illuminating
power, consequently the change of light whether gradual or sudden is not observed
by the audience.
I do not confine myself to the horizontal position of the top lights and the reflector,
as in cases where a glass screen is used in a vertical position to the plane of the stage
I can produce the change of light by a corresponding change in the position of cocks,
levers &c., (i.e.) instead of my standard J resting on a horizontal plane I can apply it
to a wall or elsewhere, and the action of the apparatus would be the same.
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
1st. The arrangement of a system of gas burners, cocks, gas pipes, levers, links,
and rods in such manner that the motion of one lever will diminish or extinguish one
set of lights and at the same time increase or turn full on another set of lights for the
purpose of producing optical illusions.
2nd. The combination of said system with transparent and silvered reflectors for
the purpose above named.
3rd. The application of a separate or auxiliary service of gas to the top burners to
insure its instantaneous ignition when a sudden change of light be required.
Dated this 13th day of May 1887.
GEORGE WILLIAM JONES.