IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED WHEN LIGHTING BY GAS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bichard Hugh Hughes, of Hatton Garden, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED WHEN LIGHTING BY GAS."
Sealed the 20th May 1859, and dated the 24th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hugh Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th November 1858.
I, RICHARD HUGH HUGHES, of Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare tlie nature of the said Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED WHEN LIGHTING BY GAS," to be as
follows:-
The improvements have for their object, first, the prevention of accident
upon the escape of gas through the hydraulic orsuch like joints of gas burners,
by adapting thereto a whistle or other indicating meaus to indicate such
escape; also the application of spring or elastic cushions to sliding or
hydraulic connections of gas fittings to check momentum when too rapid.
motion has been given to the parts in 'sliding them; also to the application
of hinge pieces to the under side of pendant burners, for the purpose of
017

page_text: supporting the glass or glasses; also to forming globular or other formed
glasses capable for the most part of enclosing the light with a turned over
edge or projection or projections at the upper part, adapted to receive hooked
or such like suspended supports, and to the application of such like hooked
or other suspended supports for that purpose.
For use with some class of burners, where ventilation is required from the
under side, I form such glasses open at the lower part, and formed to receive
a separate piece, leaving openings adapted to admit and conduct the required
amount of air to the burner or burners within the glass, or the lower part
may be simply perforated for the required admission of the air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Hugh Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
HUGH HUGHES, of Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, Lier special licence that I, the said
Richard Hugh Hughes, iny executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, my executors, administrators,
and assigus, 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 MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED WHEN LIGHTING
BY GAS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Hugh
Hughes, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements have for their object, first, the prevention of accident
upon the escape of gas through the hydraulic or such like joints of gas
burners, by adapting thereto a whistle or other indicating means to indicate
such escape; secondly, the improvements relate to the application of spring
or elastic cushions to sliding or hydraulic connections of gas fittings, to check
momentum wheu too rapid motion has been given to the parts in sliding
them; thirdly, the improvements relate to the application of hinge pieces to
the under side of pendant burners, for the purpose of supporting the glass or
glasses; fourthly, the improvements relate to forming globular or other formed
glasses capable for the most part of enclosing the light with a turned over
edge or projection or projections at the upper part, adapted to receive hooked
or such like suspended supports, and to the application of such like hooked
or other suspended supports for that purpose.
For use with some class of burners, where ventilation is required from the
under side, I form such glasses open at the lower part, and formed to receive
a separate piece, leaving openings adapted to admit and conduct the required
amount of air to the burner or burners within the glass, or the lower part may
be simply perforated for the required admission of the air.
But that the nature of these improvements, and the means I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the Tuning anna
Figure 1 shews a gas pendant of the sliding or hydraulic kind, with parts
of my improvements applied thereto, a being the stationary supply tube, and
6 the external sliding tube, supported by weights c, from chains d, d, passing
over the pulleys e, e.
In carrying out the first part of my improvements, I apply a whistle h or
other suitable indicating means to the cover to the upper part of the tube b,
as more clearly shown by Figure 2, and I form such cover otherwise to fit
tightly on the tube in such manner that when escape of gas takes place from
want of water or other fluid, such escape will, by vibration or otherwise, cause
an indication sufficient to attract attention apart from that produced simply
by the smell of the gas. i is a coiled spring; but other elastic means may be

page_text: employed to act as a cushion to check momentum when too rapid motion has
been given to the parts in sliding the chandelier or other lights or light
suspended by hydraulic or such like joints.
The third part of the improvements is shown by the separate view, Figure 3.
z is an ordinary argand burner, except that the pipe z¹, for supplying gas
thereto, passes down within the chimney or glass, and the supports y of the
glass or glasses, in place of being rigid, are connected by hinge joints y¹, which
admit of the parts y turning upwards to pass the chimney or other glass over
the burner upwards, but which are formed with stops y², to prevent the
parts y turning downwards beyond that which will give support to the chimney
or other glass.
ji, Figures 1 and 4, are glasses with turned over edges j¹, adapted to be
suspended by the hooks, as shewn. These edges are shown continued all
round them, but they may be only in parts, and the number of supporting
hooks may be varied. Three hooks / are shown to each glass i, one to each
of them being formed with a joint l', to give facility in applying and removing
the suspended glasses; but I do not confine myself to these particulars.
Figures 4 and 5 show parts separately, and Figure 6 shows,an arrangement
adapted to when several burners are included in one glass globe, dish, or other
cover. If ventilation be required at the lower part of such glasses, I apply
within such opening 2 a separate piece /, which, whilst it is capable of being
introduced through the upper part of the globe, it cannot pass through the
opening in the bottom thereof; such pieces are, by being ground or otherwise
adapted to conceal the light at that part; and this piece is supported at
intervals by pins or legs l, or other open work adapted to admit air to the
burner in regulated quantities; or, in place of such piece l, I sometimes
simply perforate the lower part of the glass with numerous holes, and I also
sometimes apply such piece /externally in place of internally of the globes or
other formed glasses.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the means
which I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details shewn and described, as
these may be varied; but what I do claim is,-
First, the application of a whistle or other suitable indicating means to
'hydraulic or such like joints of gas burners, adapted to direct attention by the
escape of gas therefrom.
Secondly, I claim the application of spring or elastic cushions to hydraulic
thon eliding one fittings.

page_text: Thirdly, Iclaim the application of hinge pieces to the under side of pendant
gas burners, as described.
Fourthly, I claim the mode of forming globular or other glasses of gas
lights in combination with the means of suspending them.
And also I clain the mode of concealing the light in globular or other
formed glasses, and admitting air thereto, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, have. hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
0
RICHP. HUGH HUGHES. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
73, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.