IMPROVEMENTS "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS. OR MEANS OF PRODUCING INSTANTANEOUS LIGHT
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BOYNTON, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Portable Inkstand
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighteenth day of January, in the fourth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Boynton, Ilis especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Boynton, my exors, adññiors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Boynton, my exors, adiñiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS. OR
MEANS OF PRODUCING INSTANTANEOUS LIGHT;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said James Boynton, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto bad, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Boynton, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer
tained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the

page_text: Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say: -
In ordinary apparatus or means of producing instantaneous light by dipping
a match into acid, it is well known that when the cover or stopper of the
bottle or vessel containing the acid is left off for any length of time, the effec-
tive property of the acid is quickly destroyed by the action of the atmosphere,
and from the well-known destructive properties of the acid on most substances
it is desirable to use a substance as a stopper or cover which is not preju-
dicially acted on by the acid. Now my Invention is intended to obviate both
these objections to the ordinary apparatus or means for producing instantaneous
light wherein acid is used, and my improvements consist,―
First, in the application of quicksilver as a covering to the acid, for the
purposes of excluding the action of the atmosphere from destroying the
effective properties of the acid at the time of the bottle or other vessel being
left unstopped or uncovered.
Secondly, in the application of tale as a covering or stopper to the bottle or
vessel containing acid used for the purpose of producing instantaneous light.
But in order that my Invention may be most fully described and ascer-
tained, I will describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents an apparatus for producing instantaneous light, a being
a box shown in section, and the cover. This box is intended to contain a
supply of the ordinary matches. On the top of the cover is inserted the
bottle c containing the acid. Into the mouth of this bottle c is inserted and
cemented the tube d for the purpose of preventing the quicksilver from
flowing out in the event of the apparatus being turned over. e represents the
quicksilver which lies on the top of the asbestus which contains the acid. By
this it will be evident that the atmosphere will not be able to come in contact
with the acid, by which means its properties will be preserved for a very con-
siderable length of time, even though the cover or stopper be left off the
bottle or vessel. In using this apparatus the match is to be dipped quickly
through the quicksilver, and hastily withdrawn, the quicksilver flowing back
and again covering the acid as the match is removed, and thus preventing the
atmosphere acting on the acid.
Figure 2 represents my second improvement, in which Figure the same
letters of reference indicate similar parts. It will not, therefore, be necessary
to again describe them, but I will confine myself to describing in the present
Figure the application of tale as a cover or stopper to the bottle. Figure 3

page_text: is a disc of tale which is affixed at that part of the top of the cover b which
comes in contact with the mouth of the bottle or vessel containing the acid,
the bottle being constantly pressed upwards by the spring h. Figure 4 repre-
sents a disc of foil or thin metal which is placed on the tale. g is a piece of
cork which forms an elastic back to the tale cover or stopper. In Figure 2
the blue line represents the tale, and the yellow line the metal.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would observe that I lay no claim to any of
the parts in their separate condition; and I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the design or shape of the boxes shown and described,
as it will be evident that they may be formed into a great variety of devices.
At the same time, as they constitute no part of my Invention, no further
description will be necessary; and I would have it understood that I do hereby
confine my claim of Invention,-
First, to the application of quicksilver as a covering to the acid for the
purpose of excluding the action of the atmosphere from destroying the
effective properties of the acid when used for the purpose of producing
instantaneous light.
Secondly, the application of tale as a cover or stopper to bottles or vessels
containing acid when used for the purpose of producing instantaneous light, as
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Boynton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.