IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AN INCREASED EFFECT FROM LIGHTS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AN INCREASED EFFECT FROM
LIGHTS." A communication from abroad by Charles François Le Page
and Cyprien Poisson, both of 33. Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris,
France.
Sealed the 11th January 1862, and dated the 20th July 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
July 1861.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AN INCREASED EFFECT
PROM LIGHTS," communicated to me from abroad by Charles François Le
Page and Cyprien Poisson, both of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, France,
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to obtain an increased effect from lights.
For this purpose, one, two, or more lens, discs, or lenticular bodies, plates, or
appliances are employed acting as "projectors," and placed very near to the
luminous agent or light whose effect they are to augment. They are mostly
[Price 8d.]

page_text: formed of glass or metal, and, preferably, have one convex and one flat
surface, or both flat, or one surface may be smooth while the other surface is
corrugated, indented, undulated, serrated, fluted, or striated, which sort of
surface, to avoid repetition, I call the "uneven" surface; it may be striated
like to Degrand's lighthouse lens, or may be partly serrated and partly fluted.
In one form, for example, the projectors may be like a sort of disc or plate, with
one surface smooth and flat and the other or opposite surface "uneven." In
another form they might be of the plano-convex shape, the convex side
smooth, and the opposite side either smooth or "uneven." The smooth face,
whether plane or convex, is that which is placed towards or nearest to the
light. The projectors are in some cases placed from five to six centimetres,
say, 1965 to 2.358 iuches from the light, and in others from two to three
centimetres, say, 786 to 1.179 inches from the light. According to one mode
of mounting, they may be fitted near the light on arms or brackets attached
to a collar, which is placed on the burner or convenient part of the lamp,
light-holder, or lighting appliance, and is furnished with a screw or adjusting
means by which they may be raised or lowered at pleasure. Round or cylin
drical projectors may be applied to or form part of lamp glasses; thus the
lower part of the glass or chimney may have a corrugated, striated, or
" uneven "outer surface formed with the glass, or a projector with "uneven "
outer surface applied thereon to produce the required effect.
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, MICHAEL
HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent,bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of ler reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michael Henry, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Michael
Henry, 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

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, aud Isle of Man, an Invention for" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AN INCREASED EFFECT PROM LIGHTS," com-
municated to me from abroad by Charles François Le Page and Cyprien
Poisson, both of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, France, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Michael Henry, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 Michael Henry, 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, as communicated to me, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
The object of this Invention is to obtain an increased effect from lights.
For this purpose one, two, or more lens, discs, or lenticular bodies or
appliances are employed, which act as "projectors," and are placed very near
to the luminous agent or light whose effect they are to augment. These pro-
jectors are formed of glass or some transparent material, and, preferably, have
one convex and one flat surface, or both surfaces may be flat, one surface being
smooth while the other surface is corrugated, indented, undulated, serrated,
fluted, or striated, which sort of surface, to avoid repetition, I call throughout
this Specification the " uneven "surface; this "uneven "surface may be striated
like to Degrand's lighthouse lens, or it may be partly serrated and paitly
fluted. In one form, for example, the projectors may be like a sort of disc or
plate with one surface smooth and flat, and the other or opposite surface
uneven," in another form they might be of the plauo-convex shape, the
convex side being smooth and the opposite side either smooth or uneven.
The sinooth face, whether plan or couvex, is that which is placed towards or
nearest to the light. The projectors are in some cases placed with advantage
from five to six centimetres, say, 1965 inches to 2.358 inches (or about 2
inches) from the light, and in others from two to three centimetres (*786 to
1-179 inches) of, say, about of an inch to 1 inch from the light. According
to one mode of mounting them, they may be fitted near the light on arms or
brackets attached to a collar, which is placed on the burner or convenient

page_text: part of the lamp, light-holder, or lighting appliance or apparatus, and is
furnished with a screw or other adjusting means by which the projectors may be
raised or lowered at pleasure. Round or cylindrical projectors may be applied
to or form part of lamp glasses; thus the lower part of the glass or chimney
may have a corrugated, striated, or "uneven" outer surface formed with the
glass, or a projector with uneven outer surface applied thereto to produce the
required effect.
I now proceed, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, more
particularly to describe the best means known to me for performing the
Invention.
The term "projector" is used in this Specification to denote discs or lens
(composed of a transparent material) that distribute, project, and disperse or
diffuse the light in a direct manner as opposed to or distinguished from the
term" reflector," which is an appliance that distributes, projects, and disperses
or diffuses light indirectly. The term "flat" is used herein to express a sur-
face which I wish to distinguish from a convex or concave one, but I do not
always intend the term to imply necessarily a surface quite plain or straight,
that is, I sometimes use the word "flat" to imply a surface that would be
flat it it were not corrugated, striated, indented, fluted, or "uneven." Thus,
in the lens shewn in Figure 3, the upper surface, though "uneven," is what
I call "flat," while the under surface is convex. In Fig. 5 the upper surface
is "flat" and "uneven."
The accompanying Drawings illustrate modes in which the said Invention
may be carried into practical effect.
Figure is a sectional elevation of a lamp arranged with two lenticular pro-
jectors a, a, each of which is fixed to its respective arm or bracket b, which
arms or brackets are attached to a collar c, which is fitted with a screw d by
means of which the projectors may be raised and lowered, and their position
thereby adjusted; the lenticular projectors may be fitted to their supporting
arms 6 by any ordinary known means. For carriage lamps, a single projector
on a single supporting arm is sufficient. As before stated, the smooth surface
of the projector is turned towards the light. Figure is a plan, and Figure 5,
transverse section of one modification of a striated, undulated, or corrugated
lenticular projector a, or projector having one "uneven" surface, but the form,
configuration, or section of the corrugations, undulations, or striae may be
varied. Figure 3 is a section of a modification, shewing two forms of undu-
lations on what I call the "flat" surface; Figure 2" is a plan, and Figure 3ª,
transverse section of a convex lens with smooth surface. Figure 4 is a vertical
section of a round projector applied as a lamp, glass, or chimney; the striae,

page_text: undulations, or flutes may be of any number, and either cast with the glass or
not as most desirable. In this chimney an increased effect is obtained from
the light by reason of the close proximity thereto of the projector.
Lenticular projectors hitherto used and applied to lighthouse lanterns have
been placed at a considerable distance apart from the light, and have not been
independent as those used in this Invention. Now, the chief novelty in this
Invention consists in placing the projectors very near to the light, closer thereto
than they have hitherto been fitted. The two essential conditions in fitting
these projectors, according to this Invention are, first, that the projector should
be at a distance of from two to seven (or 7.5) centimetres, or about from
of an inch to 3 inches from the light, and that the surface of the projector
turned towards the light be smooth, while the other surface may be convex
and smooth, as in Figure 3, or flat and "uneven," as in Figures 3 and 5.
In most cases about 2 inches (five to six centimetres or 1.965 to 2.358 inches)
is a satisfactory distance, but for carriage lanterns the projector ought to be
nearer to the light than just stated, and should only be about an inch (two to
three centimetres, or 786 to 1-179 inches) therefrom.
In carrying out the Invention, it is recommended that the surface of the
projector which is turned towards the light should be flat; it may, however,
be convex, and yet afford satisfactory results, for which reason such forms are
shewn in the Drawings. The lens may be placed at the burner or above it,
or at any convenient part of the lamp, burner, or lighting apparatus. When
projectors with an "uneven "surface are used they may be strengthened, and
the corrugations, undulations, striae, or flutes prevented from giving way
when the projectors get heated by furnishing them with an armature,guard,
or framing.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention,and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First, the application to lights of lens and discs composed of transparent
material, and having one surface smooth placed at a distance of 2 to 7.5 cent-
timetres, say, from four-fifths of an inch to three inches from the light, and
intended to act as a projector, the other surface being convex and smooth, or
flat and "uneven.'
"
Second, the employment of lenticular projectors placed at from 2 to 7.5
centimetres, or from of an inch to 3 inches from the light, for the purpose
of increasing the effect and power. of projection.
Third, the mode of mounting and conuecting lenticular projectors herein.
before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, the construction of lamp glasses or chimneys having at the lower

page_text: part a surface formed and acting as a projector, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
S. E. A. NEWSOME,
Patent Office,
84, Fleet Street.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)