A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO SLIDING GAS PENDANTS, LAMPS, LUSTRES, AND CHANDELIERS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MATHERS HALL, of Leeds, in the County of York, Brass Founder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of June, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, did give and grant unto
me, the said William Mathers Hall, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said William Mathers Hall, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Mathers
Hall, my executors, administrators, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO
SLIDING GAS PENDANTS, LAMPS, LUSTRES, AND CHANDELIERS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said William Mathers
Hall, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her
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

page_text: in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Mathers Hall, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Tuvention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say)
--
The first of my improvements in Sliding Gas Pendants, Lamps, Lustres,
and Chandeliers, consist of an improved mode of forming an hydraulic or gas-
tight joint. Instead of employing water (which is liable to rapid evaporation)
to form the joint, as is generally done, I make use of mercury or quicksilver
which is introduced between the tubes of sliding gas pendants, and forms an
hydraulic lute or means of preventing the escape of gas, and is not so liablo
to evaporation as water which is usually employed for this purpose. The
construction and form of the pendant with my improvement adapted thereto
may be varied in several ways, particularly when applied to the alteration of
pendants which have been made according to the plans or methods hitherto
used; but the construction which I prefer, and have found to answer in practice,
is shewn in the accompanying Drawings or Plans hereunto annexed, in which
Figure 1 represents a vertical section taken through the centre of the pendant,
and shewing the arrangement of the internal tubes. A is the inlet tube or
supply pipe in communication with the gas main; and B is an upright tubo
screwed or otherwise connected to the branch or horizontal pipe of the
pendant to the ends of which the gas burners or lamps are attached; C, C,
is a tubo connected with the tube A, and sliding freely over the tube B and
within a third or outer tube D. The tubes B and D are united together at
bottom so as to form an impervious joint, and I find it advisable to braze the
last-mentioned joint so as to render it quite secure and strong. The space
between the tubes B and D is supplied with mercury or quicksilver, so that
when the tubes B and D are separated or drawn out to the utmost length
required, the surface of the mercury may always be higher than the bottom
of the tube C, and will, therefore, prevent the gas from escaping. Tho tubes
B, C, and D, may be made of glass, iron, copper, or other suitablo material,
but prefer iron; I find, however, that copper answers well when protected
from the action of the mercury by a coating of lacquer or copal varnish.
I also find it advisable to place a stufting box at E to prevent the accidental
escape of the mercury by its adhering to the tube C when the pendant is
drawn down; the upper end of the tube C is pierced with lateral holes
and is covered with an inverted cap F. For the purpose of preventing the

page_text: accidental splashing of mercury into the internal tube B, a cup G is screwed
on to the top of the external pipe D, just above the stuffing box; and an
aperture is made at H in the collar of the stuffing box for the purpose of
allowing any mercury which may have been spilt to return into the space
between the tubes B and D, and to prevent the inconvenience which would
arise from the stuffing box E being quite airtight. For ornamental lamps
a tube or casing may be added outside or be made to enclose the tube D,
which may, however, if desired, be made of brass or other ornamental
material.
Another of my improvements consists in the use of a tube of flexible or
extensible material in the construction of sliding gas pendants, so as to form a
continuous flexible tube in connection with the rigid metallic tubes of tho
pendant, so that the moveable part thereof may be raised, lowered, or extended
without its being necessary to use any hydraulic lute. The construction of a
pendant and the arrangement of its parts according to such last-mentioned
improvement may be varied according to taste and circumstances, but I have
shewn in Figure 2 a convenient form and construction which has been found
to answer in practice.
gas
Figure 2 represents a vertical section of the whole pendant connected to
the supply or inlet tube A which communicates with the gas main; B is a
short pipe or tube in communication with the horizontal arms of the gas
burners of the pendant; C, C, is a tube connected at one end to the supply
pipe A, and at the other to a flexible tube P, which is made of vulcanized
india rubber or any other suitable material. The opposite end of the flexible
pipe P is fastened in any suitable manner to the short pipe B; and in order
to prevent the passage for the from becoming contracted when the flexible
pipe P is bent, a string or strings, or a coil of catgut, wire, or other
suitable material should be inserted in the flexible tube P, so that when
the slide is closed the folds may be more regular, and the tube not liable
to be closed being bent into acute angles. And I may observe that a
simple string a little longer than the tabe P will be sufficient to obviate these
difficulties and objections. S is a vase which may be made of an ornamental
form, and is suitably attached to the tube D, which is made to slide freely
over the tube C, the lower part of the pendant and the parts thereto attached
are supported by any of the well-known methods of counterpoising the same,
or according to my other improvements herein-after described. It is pre-
ferable that the vase S should be so attached to the lower part of the pendant
at I and to the tube D that it may be easily removed for the purpose of
inspecting, removing, or renewing the tube P when necessary.

page_text: Another of my improvements consists in the use of a tube of elastic material in
the construction of sliding gas pendants, so that such tube may serve as a spring
for supporting or partly supporting or counterpoising the moveable part of the
pendant, and also as a continuous extensible tubo for the duc supply of gas
when the pendant is drawn down. The construction and arrangement
of the different parts of a pendant made according to the present improve-
ments may be varied to suit circumstances or the taste of the manufacturer,
as has already been observed with regard to the other improvements; but
the construction I prefer is shewn in Figure 8, which represents a vertical
section of the pendant. A is the supply pipe or inlet tube communicat-
ing the gas main; and B is a tube connected to the horizontal pipe which
carries at each end the gas burners of the pendant; C is a tube con-
nected to a tube or supply pipe A, and T, T, is a small tube forming a
coninuation of C; P, P, is an elastic tube made of vulcanized india rubber
or other suitable material tied or otherwise firmly secured to the tubes B
and C at Q and R, so as to form air or gastight joints; U, Ú, is a tubo partly
inclosing the flexible tube, and having a shoulder upon which a plunger or
plug of stuffing is formed and made to work with a moderate degree of
friction within the external tube D, D. The elastic tube P, P, is made of such
size and strength as by its clasticity to sustain tho weight of the pendant or
thereabouts, but as this cannot be very accurately proportioned, and may vary
according to temperature, the piston or plug at V by its friction sustains a part
of the weight or resists the tension of the elastic tube, as the case may be.
If the pendant be very heavy, a friction or stuffing box may also be added
at T, or weights and pulleys may be used in aid of the elasticity of the tube
according to the well-known methods or according to my improvement herein-
after described. I will also observe that the small inner tube T is useful in
preventing the elastic tubo from collapsing upon itself, but it is not absolutely
necessary; and that if a plunger or stuffing box be used, suitable apertures
must be made in the tubes D, D, and U, U, to prevent the inconvenience
which would arise from such plunger or stuffing box working airtight. The
tube D is attached to the bottom of the pendant in such manner that the parts
may be readily detached for the purpose of inspecting or repairing the clastic
tube or any of the internal parts. Elastic materials similar to caoutchouc
might be used as a spring for supporting or partly supporting the weight of
sliding gas pendants, without being at the same time used as an airtight
tube, in various ways which I have not thought necessary to describe, as I
consider the construction herein-before described preferable; but any gasfitter
or manufacturer acquainted with the construction of pendant burners will bo

page_text: at no loss to carry out the principle of the above improvement so as to suit
different circumstances and cases.
Another part of my improvements consists in suspending or counterpoising
the moveable parts of sliding gas pendants by means of two or more pulleys,
so that the mechanical power of the weight or weights or other counterpoise
may be doubled or further increased.
My mode of carrying out this improvement is shewn in Figure 4, which
represents an elevation or external view of a gas pendant suspended upon my
improved plan. The gas pendant may be constructed according to the
methods now well known, or according to one of my improvements herein-
before-mentioned, the present improvement only relating to the method of
suspending or counterpoising the same. To the upper part of the external
tube D are attached two short arms carrying the pulleys W, and to the
hollow rod or tube C is attached a horizontal arm X, at the extremitics of
which pullies Y, Y, are mounted; the cords or chains Z, Z, Z, are attached
to the arm X at G, and pass under the pullies W, which are connected to the
sliding part of the pendant, and over the fixed pullies Y, Y, and carry at their
opposite ends the weights J, as shewn in the Figure.
Although I have only shewn and described one series of weights and
pullies, it will be easily understood that two, three, four, or moro similar
series of weights and pullies may be used if required; and it will also be
perceived that the mechanical power of the weights will be doubled, but I
have found that by means of the additional friction of the pullies less than
half the power ordinarily requisite to counterpoise the pendant will be
sufficient.
The last of my improvements consist in making use of the weights or parts
of the weights for counterpoising sliding gas pendants as a shade above the
burner or burners thereof; this will be readily understood by reference to
Figure 5, in which O, O, represents shades suspended over the gas burners,
and attached to and forming part of the counterbalancing weights J, J.
The other parts of this plan are referred to by the like letters as are used in
describing the last improvement, and, therefore, no further explanation will
be necessary except to say that the shades O, O, may be made of glass, china,
metal, or other suitable material, and may be adapted either to the ordinary
sliding gas pendants having balance weights, or in combination with my other
improvement herein-before described.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in sliding gas pen-
dants, lamps, lustres, and chandeliers, and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I would observe that although I have to avoid confusion shown

page_text: and described all my improvements separately, yet it will be evident to any
intelligent manufacturer that certain of them inay be used in combination
with each other, and also that others may be used in connection with the
old constructions of gas pendants; I therefore wish to reserve to myself the
right to use any of them separately or in combination. I would also observe
that although I have in all cases described those modes of carrying out my
improvements which I have found fully to answer in practice, and therefore
prefer, yet I do not by any means intend to confine myself rigidly to the plans,
construction, or arrangement of parts herein-before shewn and described, as I
am perfectly aware that they will admit of great modification and alteration
without departing from the naturo and object of my Invention as above
set forth. But what I claim as the improvements secured to me under the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent arc,-
Firstly, the use of mercury or quicksilver as an hydraulic lute in sliding gas
pendants in place of water, as is usually employed.
Secondly, I claim the use of a tube of flexible or extensible materials in
the construction of sliding gas pendants so as to form a continuous tube
in connection with the metallic tubes of the pendant, so that the moveable
parts thereof may be raised, lowered, or extended without the necessity of
using any hydraulic luto.
Thirdly, I claim the use of a tube of elastic material in the construction
of sliding gas pendants so that such tube may serve as a spring for supporting
or partly supporting or counterpoising the moveablo part of tho pendant, and
also as a continuous extensible tube for the due supply of gas. And I also
claim the use of india rubber or caoutchouc or similar vegetable substances
or preparations thereof, as springs for supporting or partly supporting the
moveable parts of gas pendants, although such last material may not be in
the form of tubes or to be used for the passage of gas.
Fourthly, I claim the use of a series of two or more pulleys for increasing
the sustaining power of the counterpoise of sliding gas pendants, as shown
in Figure 4.
Fifthly, I claim employing the shades which are usually suspended over
the flame as weights or parts of the weight for counterpoising sliding gas
pendants.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Mathers Hall, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of December, in the year of
Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
WILLIAM MATHERS (L.S.) HALL.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fifteenth day of
December, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Mathers
Hall came before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
ovided
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of December, in the year above
written.