and other Structures by Electricity.
Year: 1885

page_text: and other Structures by Electricity.
I THOMAS TAYLER SMITH of 4 Circus Place, Finsbury in the City of London,
Architect do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF AND MEANS FOR LIGHTING HOUSES AND OTHER STRUCTURES BY
ELECTRICITY," to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a new mode of lighting houses and other structures by
electricity and to means to be used therefor.
The object of my invention is to very greatly reduce the cost of electrical
installations and more particularly to enable State Apartments, Assembly Rooms,
and houses generally to be lighted by electricity in a tasteful manner at a few
hours notice and without injury to the internal decorations from wiring.
To this end my invention consists in the use of a cable, band or rope of any
suitable flexible material and preferably of an ornamental appearance, enclosing
within it suitably insulated electrical conductors and fitted with concealed terminal
sockets at regular or suitable intervals of say a foot, adapted to receive the
terminals of detachable incandescent lamps or incandescent lamp supports.
In lighting a room on this new principle only a single aperture needs to be made
to introduce the electrical illuminating cord, band or cable; the concealed flow and
return wires in which may be put in connection with accumulators or other source
of electricity located on a verandah outside the house, or in any convenient spot
such as a pantry or basement; and the cable may then be led around books at
suitable points and be festooned from side to side, and in straight or oblique lines
so as to form a plain or fanciful pattern, the detachable lamps or lamp supports
being then inserted in the terminal sockets wherever required along the said lines
to give the degree of brilliancy required. By this mode of lighting, the room need
have no preparation by wiring it or otherwise all that is needed in applying the
invention being an inlet for the electric lighting band or cable, and a few hooks,
staples or supports at suitable points for suspending the said cable.
The cord may have tufts or tassels at the points where the several terminals
occur, to indicate their position and conceal the junctions.
The insulated conductors are laid closely together within the cable, and where a
junction is to be made for the attachment of an incandescent or other'electric lamp;
the wires are laid bare for a short distance and a pair of metal terminal plates are
clamped upon the bared portions between two discs of wood or insulating material

page_text: one of which has an opening in it for the insertion of a spring coupling piece
in electrical connection with the lamp or lamps to be attached at that point.
I preferably employ a pair of flow wires and a single return wire of appropriate
area.
If lamps are not required at each prepared point of attachment alternate ones
only may be used. By this invention the utmost facilities are afforded for rapidly
and economically lighting up rooms of any size without disfiguring the walls or
injuring the decorations.
Such an electric lighting cable or band constitutes a new manufacture, and
admits of great variety in its disposal either in simple or more elaborate patterns;
and the detachable character and intermittent position of the lamps or their
supports enables the lamps to be arranged with precision and in exact accord with
the requirements of the place. An ornamental electric lighting band of the character
above indicated is admirably adapted for lighting dinner and supper tables, the
flexible band being passed up through a slit or hole in the table below an epergne
or centre piece, and led around rollers in the base thereof on which any slack may
be wound up. Thus the electric current may be conveyed to fruit and flower
stands at various points distant from the centre piece according to the disposal of
the ornamental band.
Safety fuses and switches may be arranged at convenient spots along the band
or cord the former being mounted in easily detachable cases connected by terminal
pins with spring terminals and preferably split tubular sockets in electrical
connection with the leads.

page_text: and houses generally to be lighted by electricity in a tasteful manner at a few
hours notice, and without injury to the internal decorations from wiring.-To this
end my invention consists in the use of a cable, band, or rope of any suitable
flexible material, and preferably of an ornamental appearance, enclosing within it
suitably insulated electrical conductors, and fitted with concealed terminal sockets
at regular or suitable intervals, of say a foot, adapted to receive the terminals of
detachable incandescent lamps or incandescent lamp supports.
In lighting a room on this new principle, only a single aperture need be made to
introduce the electrical illuminating cord, band, or cable, the concealed flow and
return wires in which may be put in connection with accumulators or other source
of electricity, located on a verandah outside the house, or in any convenient spot,
such as a pantry or basement, and the cable may then be led around hooks at
suitable points, and be festooned from side to side, and in straight or oblique lines,
so as to form a plain or fanciful pattern, the detachable lamps or lamp supports
being then inserted in the terminal sockets wherever required, along the said lines,
to give the degree of brilliancy required.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I have illustrated the
same in the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 representing an inverted plan view of the ceiling of an apartment, with a
cable (having a number of terminal sockets therein) applied thereto; and
Fig. 2 representing a side view of the same, with the addition of two detachable
electric lamps fitted in terminal sockets.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of a terminal socket of the cable, on the line x y
of Fig. 4.
Fig. 4 being a cross section of the cable through the terminal socket with the:
terminals of a detachable electric lamp fitted therein.
Figs. 5 and 6 are plán and edge views of a portion of the cable, shewing the
course of the conducting wires within the cable.
The cable A, enclosing within it suitably insulated electrical conducting wires a a,
passes into an apartment at a point near the ceiling, and is looped up upon hooks
in the manner shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
The points o indicate the positions of the terminal sockets (the construction of
which is hereinafter described) at intervals in the cable, into any or all of which,
the terminals of detachable electric lamps may be thrust.
The terminal socket above mentioned consists of a block B, of wood or other
non-conducting material, through slots 6 in which, pass the conducting wires a a.—
The block is bored through in a direction transverse to the direction of the wires a,
so as to leave a small portion of these wires exposed.
A circular block C (of insulating material), containing the terminals of an electric
lamp (which I have shown attached to a flexible cord containing conducting wires),
has upon it a pair of spring metal hooks cc, which can be fitted onto the bared
surfaces of the wires a a within the block B of the terminal socket.-The other
ends of the hooks c c are in electrical connection with wires leading to the electric
lamp in the following manner:-The cord containing these wires is led up into a
hole in the bottom of the block C, and the wires are then parted, one being brought
out through a hole on one side of the block, and attached by a screw to one book c,
the other wire being brought out on the opposite side, and attached to the opposite
hook a
It will thus be seen that an electric current passing along the conducting wires a a,
will illumine a lamp attached to a block having spring hooks in connection with
the said wires a a in the manner shewn, and at the same time it is not necessary,
for the illumination of one lamp, that each terminal socket should be provided with
a lamp, for the circuit is not broken by the removal or absence of a lamp from a
place prepared as a terminal socket.
By this mode of lighting, the room need have no preparation by wiring it or
otherwise, all that is needed in applying the invention being an inlet for the

page_text: electric lighting band or cable, and a few hooks, staples, or supports at suitable
points for suspending the said cable.
The cord may have tufts or tassels at the points where the several terminals
occur, to indicate their position and conceal the junctions.
By this invention, the utmost facilities are afforded for rapidly and econo-
mically lighting up rooms of any size, without disfiguring the walls or injuring the
decorations.
Such an electric lighting cable or band constitutes a new manufacture, and
admits of great variety in its disposal either in simple or more elaborate patterns,
and the detachable character and intermittent position of the lamps or their
supports, enables the lamps to be arranged with precision, and in exact accord with
the requirements of the place.
"
An ornamental electric lighting band of the character above indicated, is
admirably adapted for lighting dinner and supper tables, the flexible band being
passed up through a slit or hole in the table below an epergne or centre piece, and
led around rollers in the base thereof, on which any slack may be wound up.
Thus, the electric current may be conveyed to fruit and flower stands at various
points distant from the centre piece, according to the disposal of the ornamental
band.
Safety fuses and switches may be arranged at convenient spots along the band or
cord, the former being mounted in easily detachable cases connected by terminal
pins with spring terininals, and preferably split tubular sockets, in electrical
connection with the leads.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The mode of and means for illuminating houses and other structures with
electricity, substantially as shewn and described with reference to the drawing.
2. Combining with a cable, band, or rope, containing conducting wires for
electricity, and designed for temporary attachment, terminal sockets, in which such
wires are bared to admit of the connection therewith of the terminals of electric
lamps, as and for the purpose described with reference to the drawing.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1886.