Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 25th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 26th Aug., 1887.
ROBERT HALL BEST of the Firm of Best & Lloyd Chandelier Manufacturers
Cambray Works Handsworth near Birmingham do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My Invention refers more particularly to the means of securing & suspending
the Lantern body or glass whereby it may be attached or detached to or from its
support for the purpose of cleaning for example readily & at will without the
assistance of a second party.
Hitherto these Lantern bodies have been suspended by several hooks attached to
their respective chains or their equivalents depending loosely from one common
centre of support & as a consequence there has been an undue amount of trouble &
risk of breakage attached to such operation to avoid which it has been necessary for
a second person to assist more espicially by holding each such hook in position whilst
the first person actually performs the said operation.
To avoid this I provide that the hooks or their equivalent rings only shall be
preferably fixed loosely to the rods or bars which bars shall be rigid rather than
flexible & which shall depend outwards but not loosely from the common support so
that each such hook or eye shall hang in position just above that corresponding upon
the Lantern body itself.
But it is not necessary that this particular arrangement of hook & eye joints shall
be adopted although I consider it to be the best since other nature of joints such for
example as the bayonet joint of a rifle or its equivalent as met with in fastening the
jam or other preserve pot covers down or again a very neat equivalent is by using
wire lattice work in lieu of the rigid bars, the loops of which wirework would serve
for receiving the hooks corresponding thereto upon the body but what is absolutely &
essentially necessary is that the bars or their equivalents in question no matter what
number to which the Lantern body is attached shall be rigid in themselves & shall be
so spread outwards from their common support that their fastenings of whatever nature
they be shall be opposite those corresponding & provided upon the lantern body itself.
It is a matter of no consequence as to what shape this Lantern body shall be.
Dated this 28th day of October 1886.

page_text: Improvements in Gas Hall Lanterns.
I, ROBERT HALL BEST of the Firm of Best & Lloyd Chandelier Manufacturers
Cambray Works Handsworth near Birmingham 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:-
My Invention provides more particularly the means of securing & suspending the
glass envelope or glazed frame, whereby it may be attached & detached more con-
veniently & safely chiefly for the purpose of cleaning without the assistance of a
second party.
Hitherto these envelopes have been suspended by several hooks attached to their
respective chains or other flexible rods depending loosely from one common centre
of support, & as a consequence there has been an undue amount of trouble & risk of
breakage attending the said operation, to avoid which it has been necessary for
a second person to assist more especially by holding each such hook in position.
I provide in lieu thereof that rings or their equivalents shall be connected loosely
to a rigid frame above spreading radially outwards from a common centre of support,
whether such frame be of ornamental wirework, rods, tubes or plate, so that these
rings shall hang therefrom in positions opposite & corresponding to their respective
hooks beneath or their equivalents, forming thereby automatic & adjustable
dropper fasteners by reason of gravity, which hooks are fixed rigidly to & around
the envelope itself, & which together with their corresponding rings face in directions
relatively speaking such that by slightly turning the envelope about its axis these
said hooks & rings or drop fasteners shall engage each other at one & the same
operation; i.e. as a simple illustration, with hooks pointing tangentially in one & the
same circular path relatively to the axis of the lamp, & with rings corresponding
normally to same.
I do not bind myself to this particular arrangement as described although 1
consider it to be the best, I may for example provide a band of sheet metal with open
ended slot-holes cut therein, ornamental or otherwise, in lieu of hooks after the
nature of a bayonet joint to a rifle.
Projecting studs or brackets facing tangentially as & serving in lieu of hooks may
be fixed around the envelope as before.
The hooks or their equivalents as fixed to the envelope, & the rings or their
equivalents depending from above may be reversed if desired; i.e. the hooks may
depend from above, whilst the rings may be fixed rigidly to & around the envelope.
Again, instead of the hooks facing in a circular path as before described, they
may face radially inwards & engage & hang from slanting rigid loops above,
requiring merely that the envelope is lifted a little higher before turning it about its
axis.

page_text: Or I may provide that such hooks may face radially inwards or outwards, & engage
& hang from loosely depending rings; requiring thereby that each hook shall be
secured separately.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation, & Fig. 2 in plan, a lantern constructed
according to my said Invention & as at first described.
Figures 3 & 4 represent similar views of the modifications pertaining to the
nature of the bayonet joint.
Figures 5 & 6 those of the modification where hooks face radially inwards &
engage slanting but rigid loops.
Figures 7 & 8 those of the modification where hooks face radially inwards or
outwards, outwards in this case-& which engage loosely depending rings separately,
rather than in one & the same operation.
In each such view, & as nearly as possible, like letters correspond to like parts or
their equivalents; & are as follows
The rings or their equivalents marked A, depending from the rigid top frame B,
secured to a common support C, whether loose or rigid are engaged by hooks or their
equivalents D, fixed to & around the envelope E itself.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
& in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
First, In gas hall lanterns having detachable glazed frames, the combination of a
rigid spreading or canopial top fraine with either rings or their equivalents, or else
hooks or their equivalents, depending loosely by reason of gravity therefrom,
engaging respectively either corresponding hooks or their equivalents, or else rings
or their equivalents, fixed around the glazed frame or envelope substantially as
herein before described & illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, The combination as in the preceeding claiming clause, but substituting that
modification as pertaining to the nature of the bayonet joint, substantially as herein-
before described & illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third, In gas hall lanterns with detachable envelopes, means of utalizing the
gravitating weight of loosely depending or automatic drop fasteners, in combination
with a rigid spreading or canopial top frame, substantially as hereinbefore described &
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, The arrangement & combination of parts constituting the several con-
structions of the gas hall lantern herein before described & illustrated respectively by
Figures 1 & 2, Figures 3 & 4, Figures 5 & 6, & Fig. 7 & 8 of the accompanying
Drawings.
D
1
1
T. H. WARD,
Agent for Applicant.