IMPROVEMENTS IN REFLECTORS FOR ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Boyle, of 45, Skinner Street, Snow Hill,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFLECTORS
FOR ARTIFICIAL LIGHT."
Sealed the 5th June 1855, and dated the 27th December 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Boyle at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th December
1854.
I, THOMAS BOYLE, of 45, Skinner Street, Snow Hill, in the City of London,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RE-
FLECTORS FOR ARTIFICIAL LIGHT" to be as follows:-
My improved reflectors consist of pieces of sheet or crown glass made
reflective by deposits of silver leaf on the back, and protected from air and
damp by waterproof paint or pigment. This material when properly prepared
possesses the brilliancy of glass itself, and can never tarnish. The surface of
the glass may be either corrugated, figured, or plain. I apply this silvered
glass to the construction of reflectors in moveable pieces of any required
shape or size, and the pieces may be each framed separately or not, according
to circumstances. Thus, for the ordinary street lamps I use four sheets of
reflecting glass, each sheet being framed and made to the shape and size,

page_text: and fitting either over or in place of the four top panes in the present lamps.
Each sheet is fixed in such manner as to admit of its being readily removed
for the purpose of cleaning. The employment of such reflectors in the street
lamps would greatly increase the light, to the convenience of the public, and
effect an important saving in the consumption of gas.
For the ordinary internal gas burners or oil lamps I use a suitably con-
structed wire or metal frame, similar to those generally used for supporting the
paper reflecting shades. The outer circumference of this frame, instead of
being circular in shape, is many-sided, to accommodate any number of pieces
of flat reflecting glass arranged around it. The pieces of glass are cut of a
triangular shape, in order to fit without overlapping around the frame at
the proper angle of reflection, and they may be made to fit quite close to
each other, side by side, or be set apart, so as to leave a space between each
two pieces, through which a portion of the light passes upwards and around
the room, relieving the body of the apartment from the comparative darkness
in which it is placed by the operation of the ordinary reflecting shades, while
concentrating, a strong light on the table or desk underneath the lamp or
burner.
The frame is so made that the pieces of glass may be fastened or unfastened
at pleasure by a simple manipulation, such as turning a screw. or pressing a
spring. Thus the operation of cleaning is facilitated; and if one glass be
broken, the remainder of the reflector being still as good as ever, it only
requires another glass to render it as perfect as before. The exterior surfaces
of the pieces of glass and the wire or metal frame may be painted or orna-
mented in a variety of ways.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Boyle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BOYLE, of 45, Skinner Street, Snow Hill, in the City of London, send a
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, s

page_text: the said Thomas Boyle, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Boyle,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Boyle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFLECTORS FOR ARTIFICIAL
LIGHT," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Boyle,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Boyle, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :—
My improved reflectors consist of pieces of sheet or crown glass made
reflective by deposits of silver leaf on the back, and protected from air and
damp by waterproof paint or pigment. This material when properly prepared
possesses the brilliancy of glass itself, and can never tarnish. The surface of
the glass may be either corrugated, figured, or plain. I apply this silvered
glass to the construction of reflectors in moveable pieces of any required
shape or size, and the pieces may be each framed separately or not, according
to circumstances. Thus, for the ordinary street lamps I use four sheets of
reflecting glass, each sheet being framed and made to the shape and size, and
fitting either over or in place of the four top panes in the present lamps.
Each sheet is fixed in such manner as to admit of its being readily removed
for the purpose of cleaning. The employment of such reflectors in the street
lamps would greatly increase the light, to the convenience of the public, and
effect an important saving in the consumption of gas.
For the ordinary internal gas burners or oil lamps I use a suitably con-
structed wire or metal frame, similar to those generally used for supporting the
paper reflecting shades. The outer circumference of this frame, instead of
being circular in shape, is many-sided, to accommodate any number of pieces
of flat reflecting glass arranged around it. The pieces of glass are cut of a
triangular shape, in order to fit without overlapping around the frame at the
proper angle of reflection, and they may be made to fit quite close to each
other, side by side, or be set apart, so as to leave a space between each two

page_text: pieces, through which a portion of the light passes upwards and around the
room, relieving the body of the apartment from the comparative darkness in
which it is placed by the operation of the ordinary reflecting shades, while con-
centrating a strong light on the table or desk underneath the lamp or burner.
The frame is so made that the pieces of glass may be fastened or unfastened
at pleasure by a simple manipulation, such as turning a screw or pressing a
spring. Thus the operation of cleaning is facilitated; and if one glass be
broken, the remainder of the reflector being still as good as ever, it only
requires another glass to render it as perfect as before. The exterior surfaces
of the pieces of glass and the wire or metal frame may be painted or
ornamented in a variety of ways.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
it
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows an elevation of a street lamp, having reflectors applied
thereto according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan thereof. The pieces
of glass used for the reflectors may be silvered or rendered reflectors by any
convenient means, coating the back with waterproof paint or pigment, to which
I make no claim; my Invention consisting of combining several separate
and independent pieces of glass to act as a reflector, each piece of glass being
so arranged, and connected or combined with the others and with a frame, that
may be separated from them and cleaned (or replaced if broken) separately.
In street lamps I prefer the reflectors to be exterior of the ordinary glass at
top; but this is not essential. a, a, are the four pieces of glass which cover in
the top of the lamp, and they may be each retained in position by any con-
venient means, so long as the arrangement admits of the parts a, a, being taken
out separately to be cleaned. For this purpose, the Drawing shows ledges b, b,
and springs c, for this purpose; but these may be varied. Figure 3 shows a
section, and Figure 4 a plan, of a shade for a lamp or burner, constructed with
several separate pieces of glass a, a, made reflectors by silver, and painted at
back. The frame in this arrangement consists of two rings c, d, with as many
sides as there are pieces of glass. These rings c, d, are connected together by
rods e, c. In the arrangement shown there are four such rods e.
The upper
part of the upper ring d is made cylindrical, and it has a screw thread formed
on the outside to receive a ring f, with a screw formed on the inside, by which,
when the screw ring fis in its place, it will retain the ring 9, and thus clip
the upper ends of the glass reflectors between the ring 9 and the inner ring
d; as shown, whilst the lower ends of the reflectors a, a, will be supported by

page_text: the lip or turned-up edge of the lower ring c; and in case of it being desired
to make the shade of reflectors with a vandyked edge, I cause each reflector or
piece of reflecting glass to be cut at its lower end to the device desired, as is
shewn by dotted lines in Figure 4, and make slits or slots in the turned-up edge
of the ring c, so that parts of the lower ends of the pieces of reflecting glass a
may be protruded through and descend below the ring c. In the arrangements
of frames shewn for receiving several pieces of glass to act as a reflector, the
angle or inclination of the pieces of glass is fixed and determined; but it will
be evident that a frame may be made to expand or contract, so as to vary at
different times the inclination of pieces of glass forming the reflector. In the
arrangement of the frames, and of the pieces of glass a, a, shown, the pieces
of glass come edge to edge; but when it is desired that some part of the light
should pass between the pieces a, a, then a space will be left between the
neighbouring pieces a, a, as shown by red lines at a*; or only part of
the whole surface of a piece of glass a may be made reflecting, leaving the
other parts transparent.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details shown; but what I claim is, the manufacture of
reflectors for artificial light, by combining in suitable frames separate pieces
of glass readily capable of being separated from each other and from the
frames, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Boyle, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
HENRY WILLIAM CARPMAEL.
THOS BOYLE. (L.S.)