IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANTERNS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE ATTACHMENT OF GLASS VESSELS TO METAL BASES, SUPPORTS, OR STANDS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANTERNS, PART OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE ATTACHMENT OF GLASS VESSELS TO
METAL BASES, SUPPORTS, OR STANDS."-A communication from abroad
by Alonzo French, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th October 1871.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANTERNS, PART OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE ATTACHMENT OF GLASS VESSELS TO

page_text: METAL BASES, SUPPORTS, OR STANDS," a communication to me from abroad
by Olonzo French, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction of what are called
globe lanterns, and also to the attachment of glass globes or vessels to
metal stands or supports.
The lantern consists of four main parts, the glass globe, its wire guard
or frame, the base, and the lamp proper, or reservoir secured to the base.
The frame of the lantern consists of the top or dome handle, guard
wires, and a ring by which the several guard wires are connected
together. The globe may be of the usual shape, and has formed upon
its exterior, slightly above the centre and between its opposite ends, a
screw thread adapted to a screw ring or spirally coiled wire secured to
the guard wires of the frame. The globe thus conveniently suspended
within the frame has no connection whatever with the base and lamp
which are secured together and are rendered entirely detachable from
the frame. The base is of a skeleton structure, and consists of a number
of curved arms connected together at top and bottom by rings, or by a
perforated disc and ring, it being thus constructed so as to enable the
light of the lantern to be thrown downwards through the spaces between
the arms.
The lamp proper or reservoir has a screw thread formed
within or above its base adapted to corresponding threads on the disc,
and is thus secured to the latter in a manner which will be fully
described in connection with the other portions of the Invention.
The skeleton base is firmly secured to the frame of the lantern, but in
such a manner as to be readily and entirely disconnected from the same
when necessary by lugs or hooks formed on two of the arms, and
arranged to be passed over a ring and by a spring hook secured to the
base at a point opposite the lugs or hooks, and also arranged to be
passed over the ring. On pushing in the spring hook so as to disengage
it from the ring the base can be detached from the frame of the lantern
in a manner which will be readily understood without further description.
Any suitable fastening device combined with the hooks may be used
in place of the spring hook.
In attaching a glass vessel to a stand according to this Invention on
the exterior of the lower closed portion of the vessel there is formed a
screw thread, which in the present instance is continuous, but which

page_text: An external screw thread may be formed upon the body at any con-
venient point between the top and bottom of a glass vessel or lamp
reservoir, for example, the said 'screw thread being adapted to a screw
ring arranged to be suspended by wires or otherwise. This plan of
forming the screw thread between the opposite ends instead of at the
base of the glass vessel is also adopted in securing the globe to the
lantern frame before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman, send greeting.
°
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
35th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, tho said John Henry Johnson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANTERNS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE Åttachment of GlASS VESSELS TO Metal Bases,
SUPPORTS, OR STANDS," a communication to me from abroad by Alonzo
French, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors or administrators, 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

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction of what are
called globe lanterns, and also to the attachment of glass globes or
vessels to metal stands or supports.
•
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation of the
improved globe lantern; Figure 2 is a view partly in section of a glass
vessel made in accordance with this Invention for attachment to bases,
stands, and supports; Figure 3 is a view of a sheet metal base for
receiving the glass vessel; Figure 4 is an exterior view of the vessel
and base combined; Figure 5 is a view representing the vessel adapted
to a modified form of base; Figure 6 represents the vessel adapted to
the detachable base of a lamp or lantern; Figure 7 illustrates the vessel
as constituting the reservoir of a lamp, and represents it as applied
to a suspension wire, and Figures 8 and 9 aro modifications of the
Invention.
The lantern represented in Figure 1 consists of four main parts, the
glass globe A, its wire guard or frame B, the base C, and the lamp or
reservoir F secured to the base. The frame B of the lantern consists of
the top or dome d, handle e, guard wires f, and a ring 7, by which the
several guard wires are connected together. The globe A. may be of the
usual shape, and has formed upon its exterior, slightly above the centre
and between its opposite ends, a screw thread ½ adapted to a screw ring
or spirally coiled wire ' secured to the guard wires of the frame. The
globe thus conveniently suspended within the frame has no connection

page_text: whatever with the base and lamp which are secured together, and are
rendered entirely detachable from the frame. The base is of a skeleton
structure, and consists of a number of curved arms i connected together
at top and bottom by rings, or by a perforated disc and ring j and j', it
being thus constructed so as to enable the light of the lantern to be 5
thrown downwards through the spaces between the arms.
The lamp
proper or reservoir F has a screw thread formed within or above its baso
adapted to corresponding threads on the disc j, and is thus secured to
the latter in a manner which will be fully described in connection with
the other portions of the Invention. The skeleton basc is firmly secured 1
to the frame of the lantern, but in such a manner as to be readily and
entirely disconnected from the same when necessary by lugs or hooks
k, k, formed on two of the arms i, and arranged to be passed over tho
ring g, and by a spring hook k' secured to the base at a point opposite
the hooks k, k, and also arranged to be passed over the ring g. On 1
pushing in the spring hook ' so as to disengage it from the ring g, the
base can be detached from the frame of the lantern in a manner which
will be readily understood without further description.
Any suitable fastening device combined with the hooks k, k, may be
used in place of the spring hook. Instead of connecting the base to 2
the frame by means of the hooks k, k, as above described, it may in
some instances be permanently secured to the said frame by hinges so
as to be thrown downward from the same when access has to be had to
the lamp.
The vessel shown in Figure 2 may be supposed to represent an ink- 2
stand of the simplest form as far as the upper portion of the vessel A is
concerned. On the exterior of the lower closed portion a of the vessel
however there is formed a screw thread which in the present instance is
continuous, but which may be made in sections of a screw thread, the
latter it will be apparent being the equivalent of a continuous thread. g
The vessel thus constructed may obviously constitute the ink container
of an inkstand, and is in a condition for being secured by a screw-like
action to a base, stand, or support of any material in which an internal
thread for receiving the threaded portion of the vessel can be con-
veniently formed. It is preferred however to make the base of sheet 3
zinc or other thin metal or alloy of a character which will admit of
being shaped by what is known as the spinning process, the thread
being formed by the pressure of the metal into the spaces between the

page_text: internal threads of jaw-like dies, or those of screw taps or dies, in a
manner too well known to need a minute description here.
Figure 3, for instance, shows such a base or support struck up from a flat
disc of metal, the central cylindrical recess 6 of this base having a screw
thread formed in.it in the manner described for receiving the threaded
portion of the vessel, so that to secure the latter in its place all that is
necessary is to screw it down into the recess of the base, and in doing this
the metal will yield to any slight irregularities which may occur on the
glass thread, for which reason thin metal is preferred. The vessel thus
united to the base will form a cheap and steady inkstand, or if the vessel
A be viewed as the reservoir or fountain of a lamp, and a burner be
attached to the neck as shewn by dotted lines in Figure 4; and the base
be furnished with a suitable handle, a cheap and suitable hand lamp will ·
be obtained.
•
In Figure 5 the sheet metal base is of a somewhat different form,
which may be adopted when the vessel, as the reservoir or fountain of a
lamp, has to be suspended by wires or otherwise.
In Figure 6 the base represents the detachable bottom of a lantern or
bracket lamp, and in Figure 7 the vessel representing the reservoir of a
lamp is adapted to the spirally coiled end of a suspension wire D.
In some cases an internal screw thread may be formed in a recess y
in the base of the glass vessel, as shown in Figure 8, and this plan may
be adopted in the reservoirs of lamps, so that the latter may be secured
to the threaded tops of stands or pillars. Or this plan may be adopted
when the vessel has to be attached to a sheet metal base m, which how-
ever has a cylindrical threaded projection n in place of the threaded
recess shown in Figure 3.
In the modification represented in Figure 9 an external screw thread
is formed upon the body at any convenient point between the top and
bottom of a glass vessel or lamp reservoir A, the said screw thread being
adapted to a screw ring p arranged to be suspended by wires or other-
wise. This plan of forming the screw thread between the opposite ends
instead of at the base of the glass vessel is also adopted in securing the
globe A (Figure 1) to the lantern frame.
Having now described and particularly' ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider

page_text: to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. A lantern globe having a screw thread formed upon its exterior
by means of which it may be suspended within a guard or frame in the
manner described. .
Secondly. The combination with a lantern or lamp of a skeleton or
openwork base for the purpose specified.
Thirdly. The combination with a lantern frame of a skeleton base
hinged to or arranged for attachment to and detachment from the said
frame, substantially as herein described.
Fourthly. A glass vessel above or within the closed base, or between
the opposite ends of which is formed a screw thread for the purpose
specified.
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.