IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING ELECTRIC LIGHTING
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Verity in the employment of the firm of B. Verity
and Sons, of No. 31 King Street Covent Garden in the County of Middlesex.
Art Metal Workers and Gas Engineers, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Verity at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st July 1882.
JOHN VERITY in the employment of the firm of B. Verity and Sons of
No 31 King Street Covent Garden in the County of Middlesex, Art Metal Workers
and Gas Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING
ELECTRIC LIGHTING."
My invention relates to means for facilitating the suspension, mounting, or
supporting of apparatus employed in lighting apartments and other places by the
Electric light.
In carrying out my invention I employ as the suspending or supporting ineans
parts relatively formed in their nature somewhat answering to the well known
cup and ball joint the one member of the combination affixed to the surface where
the lighting apparatus is supported being the supporter of the whole whilst the
other member is attached to and supports the lighting apparatus such as an
Electrolier.
The part attached to the supporting surface may partly surround or clip and
support the part attached to the lighting apparatus or this arrangement may be
reversed.
One portion or portions of the "cup" member of the combined parts is formed
of wood vulcanite, or other suitable insulating material and it is connected to the
metal portions thereof by screws or other means of connection adapted therefor.
Applied to this insulating piece are metal pieces to which are again connected the
conducting wire or wires for the electric current and from these pieces through the
insulating material pass wires, electrically connecting the conducting wires with

page_text: other plates, rings, or contact pieces so disposed as to be kept always in electrical
contact, by spring parts, with other contact pieces attached to the "ball" or part
"ball" member of the,supporting joint.
Where the lighting by the apparatus is effected through Electricity conveyed
with the use of a single wire the electrical connection between two parts
respectively applied to the suspender and to the suspended portions of the
apparatus, may be effected by means of a pliant or elastic coil of wire or other
suitable spring part from the one-embracing or being embraced by a circular or
other contact piece from or applied to the other so that whatever may be the
swing or movement of the joint the electrical connection may remain intact.
Where more than one wire is employed, for instance positive and negative wires,
the one wire or set of wires may be electrically connected by means such as just
described whilst the other may be connected by other properly insulated and
corresponding parts disposed around the wire or wires first described and the form
of the spring wires, clips, or clasping connections and contact pieces modified to
the requirements of the form of the joint and other circumstances.
The conducting wires and other of the parts are properly coated and insulated
where requisite.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Verity in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th January
1883.
JOHN VERITY in the employment of the firm of B. Verity and Sons of
N° 31 King Street Covent Garden in the County of Middlesex Art Metal Workers
and Gas Engineers." IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING
ELECTRIC LIGHTING."
My Invention relates to means for facilitating the suspension mounting or
supporting of apparatus employed in lighting apartments and other places by the
electric light.
In carrying out my invention I employ as the suspending or supporting means
parts relatively formed in their nature somewhat answering to the well known
cup and ball joint the one member of the combination affixed to the surface
where the lighting apparatus is supported being the supporter of the whole
whilst the other member is attached to and supports the lighting apparatus such
as an Electrolier.
The part attached to the supporting surface may partly surround or clip and
support the part attached to the lighting apparatus or this arrangement may be
reversed.
One portion or portions of the "cup" member of the combined parts is formed
of wood vulcanite or other suitable insulating material and it is connected to the
metal portions thereof by screws or other means of connection adapted therefor.
Applied to this insulating piece are metal pieces to which again are connected the
conducting wire or wires for the electric current and from these pieces through
the insulating material pass wires electrically connecting the conducting wires
with other plates rings or contact pieces so disposed as to be kept always in
electrical contact by spring parts with other contact pieces attached to the "ball"
or part "ball" member of the supporting joint.
Where the lighting by the apparatus is effected through electricity conveyed
with the use of a single wire the electrical connection between two parts
respectively applied to the suspender and to the suspended portions of the
apparatus may be effected by means of a pliant or elastic coil of wire or other.
suitable spring part from the one embracing or being embraced by a circular or
other contact piece from or applied to the other, so that whatever may be the
swing or moveinent of the joint the electrical connection may remain intact.
Where more than one wire is employed for instance positive and negative wires
the one wire or set of wires may be electrically connected by means such as just
described whilst the other may be connected by other properly insulated and
corresponding parts disposed around the wire or wires first described and the form
of the spring wires, clips or clasping connections and contact pieces modified to the
requirements of the form of the joint and other circumstances.
The conducting wires and other of the parts are properly coated and insulated
where requisite.
But that the invention may be the more fully understood I will by reference to
the accompanying Drawings proceed to describe the same more in detail by
arrangements of parts adapted to the purpose.

page_text: hanging from it. Figure 2 represents an external view of the same Figures 3. 4. 5.
6 and 7 represent parts separately. In each of the figures the same letters apply.
The part a is formed to be screwed onto a suitably tapped nipple b or other
projection from the ceiling or other part from which the lighting apparatus is to be
suspended. The nipple b or whatever projection may be used is formed to admit of
the passage through it of, the wire or wires for keeping up the circulation of the
electric current. The part a, is as shown formed of several parts a. a¹ a². but this
arrangement may be varied. c is the part for supporting the main stem of the
electrolier or series of lights and which on that account is required to be capable to
d represents
some extent of a swinging motion as indicated by the dotted lines c¹.
by other dotted lines a portion of the main stem of the electrolier or series of
lights.
The part c, of the part c. is capable of rocking or of turning in various directions
in the part a. the parts c². and a². being formned to act together somewhat as the
parts of an ordinary ball and socket joint.
The part c². acts as a support to the piece of wood vulcanite or other suitable
insulating material e and these parts c², and e, are connected together by screws pins
. or other means of connection adapted therefor.
represents a piece of wood vulcanite or other suitable insulating material
applied in the part a.
The
The piece of wood or other suitable insulating material e, is provided with a
metal plate g which is in metallic contact with the wire g', for the passage of a
current of electricity to or from the electrolier and this plate g is also in metallic
. contact with the helix or coil g2 by which electrical communication may be
maintained with the metallic lining f. carried by the piece of wood vulcanite or
other suitable insulating material f. This metallic lining fl. is also in metallic
contact by the connection f2. with the plate of metal f3 which is again in metallic
.contact with the conducting wire f. h represents a metal ring carried by the piece
of wood or other suitable insulating material e. which metallic ring is in metallic
connection with the wire h¹. and the ring also supports the spring clips h².
upper ends of these spring clips h2. are intended to bear upon and thereby embrace
the metallic ring or band i. applied to the exterior of the piece of wood or other
suitable insulating material f. and this band is in metallic contact by the pieces
of metal . with the other wire . By this arrangement of parts it will be seen
that in whatever direction the pendant portion, c. d. of the electrolier may be
swinging or turning one wire below is maintained in electric connection with a
wire above by means of the coil or helix of wire g² acting on the metallic lining f¹
to the part whilst the contact is kept up from the other wire below to a wire
above through the clips 2-Figures 3 and 4 shew a plan and side view of the
piece of wood vulcanite or other insulating material e. and parts attached thereto
and Figures 5. 6 and 7 represent a side view an upper and an underside view of
the piece of wood vulcanite or other insulating material fand parts connected
thereto.
In Figure 8 I have shewn a modified form of the piece of wood or other
insulating material ƒ by which spring surfaces h² may bear against the metallic
surface f. in metallic connection with the wire f. whilst the inner and upper
portion of a helix g². will bear against the external metallic surface f³. in metallic
connection with the wire i³.
Figure 9 represents a modification of the above adapted to obtain the like results
but in place of the spring clips h², I employ a second helixj to bear against the
ring or annular plate j¹ in metallic connection with the wire i. and the helix g'
bears against the plate m in metallic connection with the wire f. The parts of
the insulating pieces e. and f. are somewhat varied in consequence but the operation
is substantially the same and corresponding parts are lettered with the same letters
of reference as in the previous Figures.
In this Figure 9 the upper end or surface of the helix g². bears by its elastic
pressure against the metallic surface m for the desired electrical communication

page_text: between the wires f' and g¹, but it will readily be understood that in this as in
other of the arrangements the disposition and forms of the parts in contact may
be greatly varied as for instance the end of the helix g. may terminate in a
spherical or other surface and bear against a correspondingly hollow or other
suitable surface for the desired metallic contact and in some cases it may be found
an advantage to apply a short piece of cylindrical or other insulating material
between the parts of the helixes 92. and j. so as to prevent the possibility of the
surface of one of them coming in contact with the other thereby to interfere with
the currents conveyed by them. Figure 10 represents an external view of
Figure 9.
Figure 11 shews an arrangement of parts adapted to the one wire system in
which the return or other current for the completion of the circuit is obtained by
metallic parts of or in connection with the earth or what is understood as by the
earth.
In this case as in the other illustrations e and frepresent the two insulating
pieces, ga portion of one wire in metallic connection with the plate 9 which by
the helix g is in metallic contact with the plate n and through that plate n with
the wire as shewn. When employing the one wire system the circuit may be
rendered complete by the current being allowed to pass by the metallic fittings to
the metallic suspending means and thence by metallic pipes or rods to other
conducting pipes or metallic parts to the earth, thereby to complete the circuit.
I would also remark that although in the illustrations given the arrangements
are only shewn applied to one set of lights or lights obtained from single circuits,
it will be evident that the invention is equally applicable to when several sets or
series of lights are desired to be used, each set or series being supplied by a
separate circuit or otherwise and capable of being used together or separately.
Having thus described my invention and ineans which I have found to
answer for the object desired I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the arrangements of parts shewn and described as the same may be
varied without departing from my Invention But what I do claim is the arranging
or combining parts of apparatus for facilitating electric lighting whereby electroliers
or suspended electric light may be capable of swinging or turning from their
supporting means substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said John Verity have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twentyninth day of January in the year One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
JOHN VERITY (LS.)