MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR THE STAGES OF THEATRES Com
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel of No 28 Southampton Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of Tuprove.
MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR THE STAGES OF THEATRES Com-
municated to him from abroad by Robert Gwinner, Johanu Kautsky, Carl
Com-
MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR THE STAGES OF THEATRES
municated to him from abroad by Robert Gwinner, Johanu Kautsky, Carl
Dengy and Franz Roth all of Vienna in the Austrian Empire
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th June 1882.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY
FOR THE STAGES OF THEATRES." [A communication to him from abroad by Robert
Gwinuer, Johann Kautsky, Carl Dengg and Franz Roth all of Vienna in the
Austrian Empire.]
According to the present Invention the stage of a theatre is divided into four
sections in a direction parallel with the proscenium each of which sections consists
firstly of three iron bearers for the reception of the scene carriages, at the side of
which is a trap, and then two other bearers for the reception of the trap slides.
Each of the said sections is supported by columns carried by the plungers of
hydraulic cylinders. The said bearers are not fixed to the columns but fit with
sockets thereon.
The arrangements for the traps is as follows:-On the plunger of a hydraulic
cylinder is carried a main trap beam the platform of which is divided into three
parts each of which is supported by a separate hydraulic plunger guided in the
main cylinder. Each part of the platform has also two separate guides, serving to
support the same. When stationary, the several plungers are supported on columns
placed beneath their crossheads.
The scene carriages consist of an iron frame running with wheels on rails on the
before mentioned bearers, and having on its upper side two rollers, one of which is
horizontal and the other vertical, and which run against flanges on the bearers.

page_text: the scene.
These rollers are made of compressed leather paper or other suitable material. At
the side of the carriage is a socket in which is placed the standard for supporting
In each passage there are placed in the scene groove that corresponds
with the front trap, two or more scene carriages. These carriages have in addition
to the parts above described a vertical rail on the outer side serving as guide
to a slide that carries a socket in which is mounted the support for the scene.
The slide and socket together with the support and its scene are raised and
lowered by means of a rope wound round a drum mounted on the carriage frame
and rotated by a capstan wheel.
The stage has in addition to the transverse straps, two longitudinal traps. The
transverse traps open downwards and are secured in the raised position by an arın
on a rocking shaft, connected to the underside of the trap by means of a link.
For shifting the stage slides, a sliding bar is moved by means of a rock shaft and
lever so as to bridge over the space under the trap, while at the same time the rail
on which the slides run and which is supported on an incline on the said bar drops
at one end sufficiently to allow the slide to run along the said bar and on to rails
underneath the fixed part of the stage.
At one longitudinal side of the stage where the weight boxes are generally
placed is an arrangement for moving the hanging scenes, consisting of a tube or
cylinder fixed against the wall and containing a plunger having a cross head
sliding in guides against the wall. A chain is attached at one end to the cylinder
and passes first upward over a pulley on the plunger crosshead then downward
and under a pulley at the bottom of the cylinder and then upward again, being
connected at its upper end to a series of ropes passing over pulleys on the upper
floor or "
'fly loft
of the stage and connected to a hanging beam to which the
scene is attached. At any convenient point water pressure is produced either by
hand power or other suitable means and is conveyed by pipes to the several
hydraulic cylinders above described. A main pipe leads to a central point of the
stage where suitable regulating valves are provided, and from which branch pipes
to the several before mentioned hydraulic cylinders for shifting the scenery, so
that the raising or lowering of the whole of the latter is conveniently controlled by
the valves at the central station.
J
.J
The flying apparatus consists of a carriage running on rails on the transverse
beams of the upper floor or "fly loft" from which carriage two columns or rods
hung on the axes of the carriage wheels descend a certain distance and are
connected at their lower ends to a crosshead. A rope is connected to each end
of the carriage and passing over guide rollers is kept stretched by a weight
suspended therefrom. Another rope is connected to each end of the crosshead
below and passing thence over guide pulleys on each side of the stage, is wound
round the barrel of a winch, so that by turning this in one direction or the other
the flying crosshead is caused to move in a curved line in one direction or the
other across the stage. A third rope passes from the said winch barrel over pulleys
on the flying carriage and passing thence downwards has the flying box attached
to it. By the arrangement of the severul ropes as described there may be
obtained firstly a horizontal line of flight, secondly a curved line and thirdly a
vertical line.
At the back of the stage is provided a canvas screen painted to represent sky
and forming a "horizon "which screen is suspended from an iron rail on the upper
staging or "fly loft."
The fire curtain, which may be of suitable known construction is actuated by a
hydraulic cylinder fixed to the middle of the curtain and sliding up and down on a
piston the rod of which is fixed to the wall of the stage. The piston rod is hollow
and its upper end is connected firstly to a pressure supply by which the cylinder
and with it the fire curtain is held in a raised position and secondly to a series of
branch escape pipes leading to various parts of the theatre, where they are
provided with valves by opening which the water under pressure escapes allowing

page_text: the cylinder and curtain to descend by their own weight. As the cylinder descends
it comes in contact with the lever of a cock which it thus closes to a certain
extent, thereby restricting the escape of the water and preventing the curtain from
descending too rapidly towards the end. The fire curtain is connected to a tlap
closing an opening in the roof, so that on the descent of the curtain on the
occurrence of a fire the flap is opened so as to allow the gases to escape.
According to another improvement the foot lights are dispensed with, by the
provision at the sides of the stage-opening grooves or recesses in which are a series
of lights, by preference electric lamps, arranged one above the other. In some
cases there is provided in addition to these an electric lamp on each side of the
prompter's box.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th December 1882.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY
FOR THE STAGES OF THEATRES" A communication to me from abroad by Robert
Gwinner, Johann Kautsky, Carl Dengg and Franz Roth all of Vienna in the
Austrian Empire.
According to the present Invention the stage of a theatre is divided into four
sections in a direction parallel with the proscenium cach of which sections
consists firstly of three iron bearers for the reception of the scene carriages, at the
side of which is a trap, and then two other bearers for the reception of the trap
slides. Each of the said sections is supported by columns carried by the plungers
of hydraulic cylinders. The said bearers are not fixed to the columus but fit with
sockets thereon.
The arrangements for the traps are as follows:-On the plunger of a hydraulic
cylinder is carried a main trap beam the platform of which is divided into three
parts each of which is supported by a separate hydraulic plunger guided in the
inain cylinder. Each part of the platform has also two separate guides serving to
support the same. When stationary, the several plungers are supported on columns
placed beneath their crossheads.
The scene carriages consist of an iron frame running with wheels on rails on the
beforementioned bearers, and having on its upper side two rollers, one of which is
horizontal and the other vertical, and which run against flanges on the bearers.
These rollers are made of compressed leather, paper, or other suitable material.
At the side of the carriage is a socket in which is placed the standard for
supporting the scene. In each passage there are placed in the scene groove that
corresponds with the front trap, two or more scene carriages. These carriages
have in addition to the parts above described a vertical rail on the outer side
serving as guide to a slide that carries a socket in which is mounted the support
for the scene.
The slide and socket together with its support and its scene are
raised and lowered by means of a rope wound round a drum mounted on the
carriage frame and rotated by a capstan wheel.
The stage has in addition to the transverse traps two longitudinal traps. The
transverse traps open downwards, and are secured in the raised position by an arm
on a rocking shaft, connected to the underside of the trap by means of a link.
For shifting the stage slides, a sliding bar is moved by means of a rock shaft
and lever so as to bridge over the space under the trap, while at the same time the
rail on which the slides run and which is supported on an incline on the said bar
drops at one end sufficiently to allow the slide to run along the said bar and on to
rails underneath the fixed part of the stage.
At one longitudinal side of the stage where the weight boxes are generally
placed is an arrangement for moving the hanging scenes, consisting of a tube or
cylinder fixed against the wall and containing a plunger having a crosshead sliding
in guides against the wall. A chain is attached at one end to the cylinder and
passes first upward over a pulley on the plunger crosshead then downward and
under a pulley at the bottom of the cylinder and then upward again, being
connected at its upper end to a series of ropes passing over pullies on the upper
floor or fly loft of the stage and connected to a hanging beam to which the scene

page_text: is attached. At any convenient point water pressure is produced either by hand
power or other suitable means and is conveyed by pipes to the several hydraulic
cylinders above described. A main pipe leads to a central point of the stage
where suitable regulating valves are provided and from which branch pipes lead
to the several before mentioned hydraulic cylinders for shifting the scenery, so
that the raising or lowering of the whole of the latter is conveniently controlled
by the valves at the central station.
The flying apparatus consists of a carriage running on rails on the transverso
beams of the upper floor or "fly loft" from which carriage two columns or rods
hung on the axes of the carriage wheels descend a certain distance and are
connected at their lower ends to a crosshead. A rope is connected to each end of
the carriage and passing over guide rollers is kept stretched by a weight suspended
therefrom. Another rope is connected to cach end of the crosshead below and
passing thence over guide pulleys on each side of the stage, is wound round the
barrel of a winch, so that by turning this in one direction or the other the flying
crosshead is caused to move in a curved line in one direction or the other across
the stage. A third rope passes from the said winch barrel over pullies on the
flying carriage and passing thence downwards has the flying box attached to it.
By the arrangement of the several ropes as described there may be obtained
firstly a horizontal line of flight, secondly a curved line, and thirdly a vertical
line.
At the back of the stage is provided a canvas screen painted to represent sky
and forming a "horizon which screen is suspended from an iron rail on the upper
staging or "y loft."
The fire curtain which may be of suitable known construction is actuated by a
hydraulic cylinder fixed to the middle of the curtain and sliding up and down on
a piston the rod of which is fixed to the wall of the stage. The piston rod is
hollow and its upper end is connected firstly to a pressure supply by which the
cylinder and with it the fire curtain is held in a raised position and secondly to a
series of branch escape pipes leading to various parts of the theatre, where they
are provided with valves by opening which the water under pressure escapes,
allowing the cylinder and curtain to descend by their own weight. As the cylinder
descends it comes in contact with the lever of a cock, which it thus closes to a
certain extent, thereby restricting the escape of the water and preventing the
curtain from descending too rapidly towards the end. The fire curtain is con-
nected to a flap closing an opening in the roof, so that on the descent of the curtain
on the occurrence of a fire the flap is opened so as to allow the gases to escape.
According to another improvement the footlights are dispensed with, by the
provision at the sides of the stage opening, grooves or recesses in which are a series
of lights, by preference electric lamps, arranged one above the other. In some
cases there is provided in addition to these an electric lamp on each side of the
prompter's box.
Fig 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a longitudinal section and Fig 2
a transverse section of a stage provided with hydraulic apparatus and appliances
according to this Invention; Fig 3 is a vertical section, Fig 4 a front view
Fig 5 a plan and Fig an end view shewing to an enlarged scale the over head
carriage and rails on which it travels.
Figs 7 and S are longitudinal sections and Figs 9, 10 and 11 are transverse
sections shewing the construction and operation of the stage traps. Figs 12 and 13
are vertical sections of the hydraulic cylinders and Fig 14 is a plan to a reduced
scale of the traps. The hydraulic cylinders B CD in Figs 1 and 2 effect the
movements of the stage floor, G work scenes and N work the curtain. These
cylinders are supplied from an accumulator or reservoir with water under pressure
of several atmospheres, and the necessary cocks or valves for their supply and
discharge are all arranged at some convenient point where all the actions can be
controlled. The stage floor A Figs 1 and 2 is divided into a number of sections

page_text: a, b, c, d, each of which consists of three or more iron bearers e, f, g, for the
reception of the scene carriages, and of a transverse trap h, and of two other
bearers for the reception of the trap slides, which run in grooves
or on wheels on these bearers, as shewn at Figs 2, 7 and 8. Each of the sections
is carried by several columns m nv, carried by the plungers of the hydraulic
presses B and C by means of the heads p. The connections between the bearers e
giand and the columns m, n, o, are however not fixtures, the bearers being
provided with cup shaped sockets into which the columns fit, the object of this
mode of connection being to enable the floor to have a rocking motion imparted to
The floor has in addition to the transverse slot h, two longitudinal slots P, Q,
so that by a suitable regulation of the water supply to the presses B and C a
rocking motion can be imparted to the floor.
it.
Figs 7 and 8 shew the arrangement for shifting the trap slides. A A are bearers
having angle irons on which the wheels of the slides run. If now all the slides are to
be shifted laterally, the shaft B Fig 7 is turned about 180° whereby the slide D is
drawn forward by means of the rod C. The slide D then bears upon the rail under
the fixed part of the floor and serves as a rail upon which the wheels of the trap
slides pass over the gap E. As the slide D is at the same time made to sink
somewhat the trap slides can pass freely underneath the fixed part of the floor.
For effecting the descent and ascent of the traps by means of hydraulic
apparatus, the large trap bearer E Fig 2 is carried by the plunger of a hydraulic
cylinder, the platform of the bearer being formed of three parts grand s each of
which is carried by one of the plungers tuv of the hydraulic cylinders B C
and D, (shewn cularged at Figs 12, 13 and 14) so that cach part of the platform
of the trap can be actuated independently of the other parts. Each of these parts
has furthermore two guides wa, which serve to support it when it is to be made
practicable.
All the presses, when at rest, are supported by columns y y¹¹. On the
one longitudinal side of the theatre, where the weight boxes are generally arranged,
is provided the machinery for actuating the fly scenes hanging from the fly loft.
A pipe or cylinder G Fig 2 is fixed against the wall and contains a piston or
plunger H having at its upper end the crosshead J which works in a guide on the
wall and carries a pulley K. A chain or rope attached at one end to the cylinder G
is passed over the pulley K and under another pulley M at the bottom of the
cylinder, from which it is led up over a pulley N on the pulley floor, and from
that point it branches into three or more ropes passing over pullies O, R, S, and
to which the beam T for the fly scenes is attached. Thus by admission of water
pressure to the cylinder G the beam T is raised and by allowing the water to
escape again it is lowered. The movement of the sheet metal fire curtain is also
effected by means of hydraulic apparatus; for this purpose a hydraulic cylinder IV
Fig 1 is employed whose, piston rod V has a longitudinal passage; if the curtain
is to be raised, water pressure is admitted through the hollow piston rod V into
the cylinder IV whereby the latter is raised together with the curtain. For
lowering the latter the water is merely discharged from IV, this being for safety
sake so arranged that it can be effected from several points of the theatre by
turning cocks or valves, such as on the stage and outside the same at one or more
accessible places. In order to prevent too violent a descent of the curtain it is
caused in descending to turn a cock by which the discharge of water from IV
is reduced and the descent of the piston checked. It will be seen that no workman
is required in the immediate vicinity of the curtain for lowering the same. The
curtain is also caused in its descent to effect the opening of an aperture in the
roof through which the gases and smoke escape when a fire occurs.
For working the side scenes two different kinds of scene carriages are provided,
of which one kind, that run on the bearers e and f only have a horizontal motion,
while the other kind, running on the bearers g, have both a horizontal and a vertical
motion. The scene carriages of the first kind are constructed as shewn at Figs. 3

page_text: and 5. The iron frame B runs with three rollers a be formed of pressed leather,
paper or other suitable material, upon a rail d, which is fixed to the floor beam c
as shewn, while two other rollers h and i are provided at the top of the frame, of
which takes a bearing against the top of the beam e, while is arranged
horizontally, so as to take a lateral bearing, thus affording great stability to the
carriage. At one end of the carriage is a socket in which is inserted the
standard for supporting the scene. The second kind of scene carriage is generally
similar to the first kind and its construction will be readily understood from the
Figs 4, 5 and 6. In order to admit of a vertical motion of the scenes, the socket k
is not fixed to the framing B but is carried by a slide E capable of moving up and
down on the vertical rail 1 on the framing, thereby raising or lowering the support
for the scene, through the flaps h. For raising and lowering the socket la capstan
wheel F is employed having a drum on which a rope Z attached at one end to the
slide E is wound or unwound. The drum has a ratchet wheel and pawl for holding
the slide E and the scene which it supports securely in whatever position it is
moved into. The before mentioned flaps are caused to open downwards, by means
of the mechanism shewn at Fig 9. A shaft H has fixed on it the arms I connected
by links K with the flap L, so that when in the position shewn at Fig 9 the flap
is supported by the said arms and links, and when I is turned with its arins I into
the position shewn at Fig 11 it draws the flap downwards.
For the flying apparatus the beam U of the pulley floor carries at each section
one or more carriages capable of travelling over the entire width of the stage, and
running on wheels W X. Two columns Y Z pivotted to the axes of the
wheels, are connected at bottom by the bridge piece I. For moing the flying
apparatus the following ropes are provided. A rope is connected at both ends to
the carriage at a a¹ and passes over the pullies B, e¹ and N and is loaded with
a weight Q, for keeping it stretched. A second rope is connected at both ends to
the bridge and passes over the pullies ' N and is coiled at the middle of its
length round the barrel of the windlass II so that by turning this in one direction
or the other, the rope is caused to impart a curvilinear motion to the flying bridge.
A third rope is coiled on the barrel of the windlass 1 I and on passing from this
it is divided into two ropes which are led over the pullies WX of the flying
carriage and down either through the columns Y Z or outside thereof, and being
led between the rollers 1, 2, 3, 4, they are connected to the flying box. By this
arrangement the flying box can receive a horizontal motion from the rope a a¹, a
curvilinear motion from the rope ß ß', and a vertical motion from the rope of the
windlass II, which compound inotion has not been heretofore accomplished.
It may also be mentioned that the longitudinal flaps P and Q of the stage floor
form an essential improvement for decorative purposes, as by means thereof and of
the transverse flaps, closed rooms can be raised up to the floor from below, which
has not been done heretofore.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to ine by my foreign correspondent, I
claim :-
First. The use for working the stage floor and traps of hydraulic cylinders such
as B CD with double pistons or plungers, substantially as herein (lescribed.
Second. The use of two longitudinal flaps P and Q Fig 1, in the stage floor, for
allowing a rocking motion to be imparted to the latter.
Third. The construction of the scene carriages running on rail D and provided
with slide E, substantially as herein described with reference to Figs 3, 4, 5 and 6
of the Drawings.
Fourth. Supporting the stage floor bearers ef gik upon the columns m n o
of the hydraulic apparatus by means of cup shaped bearings, so as to allow of the
rocking motion of the floor, substantially as herein described.
Fifth. Actuating the fire curtain by means of a hydraulic cylinder IV with
perforated piston rod V, substantially as herein described.

page_text: Sixth. The mechanism for working the hanging scenes consisting of the combi-
nation of the hydraulic cylinder G with the pullies K and M and chain or rope L,
arranged and operating substantially as herein described.
Seventh. The herein described flying apparatus operating in combination with
the columns Y and Z substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Charles Denton Abel have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Nineteenth day of December in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
CHAS. D. ABEL (L.S.)