IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LEAVES OR SHEETS OF HORN, COMMONLY CALLED LANTERN LEAVES,' AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HORN LANTERNS
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN BURNELL
the younger, of High Street, Whitechapel, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Ninth day of November, in the fifth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Burnell, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John Burnell, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said John Burnell, my exors, admors, 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 IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LEAVES OR SHEETS OF HORN,
COMMONLY CALLED LANTERN LEAVES,' AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HORN
LANTERNS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said
John Burnell, 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
Her 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 had, will more fully and
at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Burnell, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention relates, first, to a mode of preparing or treating leaves or
sheets of horn in order to render them more suitable for transmitting light.
Secondly, my Invention relates to an improvement in the manufacture of
lantern leaves or sheets of horn used for the purposes of transmitting light in
horn lanterns and other glazed surfaces, by causing such lantern leaves of horn
to be colored or dyed. And, third'y, my Invention relates to improvements in
the means employed in joining or connecting lantern leaves of horn, and also
in constructing the pillars or ribs of horn lanterns in order to receive sliding
panes or panels of horn. And in order that my Invention may be most fully
understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means
pursued by me in carrying out my Invention; and first, as to the preparation or
treatment of lantern leaves or sheets which are to be produced as heretofore;
but in place of using them in lanterns in the same state as formerly by simply
polishing the surfaces, I cause them to be varnished on both sides, and I prefer
to employ for that purpose copal varnish, and when the varnished surfaces are
carefully dried the lantern leaves so prepared or treated will be found much
more suitable for transmitting light. I would remark, that although I prefer
copal varnish, yet I do not confine myself thereto; or other transparent
varnishes may be used, care being observed that the varnish used will dry well
and clear on the horn.
The second part of my Invention has for its object to render horn lanterns
more suitable for signals, and making lantern leaves more useful in transmitting
light, by applying colored lantern leaves; and for this purpose, having obtained
lantern leaves as heretofore, and of sizes suitable for glazing lanterns and other
surfaces, I cause them to be dyed or stained of such colors as may be desired;
and I may here remark, that the staining or dyeing of horn forms no part of
my Invention, the same being well known and practised for other purposes,
and therefore it will not be necessary for me to enter into any description
thereof, this part of my Invention relating only to the preparing lantern leaves
used for glazing lanterns and other surfaces by dyeing or staining, in order to
their being used more advantageously in the constructing of horn lanterns and
other surfaces; and the leaves may be treated according to the first part of my
Invention or not, but I prefer that the stained or dyed lantern leaves should be

page_text: varnished; and although I do not confine myself to the use of the second part
of my Invention to the combining it with the construction of lanterns hereafter
explained, as the third part of my Invention for other constructions of lanterns
may be used with stained horn leaves, yet I believe the construction of lantern
hereafter explained to be the best, whether for using the lantern leaves of horn
in the state in which it was formerly employed, or according to the first and
varnished; and although I do not confine myself to the use of the second part
of my Invention to the combining it with the construction of lanterns hereafter
explained, as the third part of my Invention for other constructions of lanterns
may be used with stained horn leaves, yet I believe the construction of lantern
hereafter explained to be the best, whether for using the lantern leaves of horn
in the state in which it was formerly employed, or according to the first and
second parts of my Invention.
of
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a horn lantern, constructed according to the third part
my Invention. Figure 2 is a section thereof. Figure 3 is a plan of a
lantern without the top or cover. Figure 4 is a transverse section. Figure 5
shows panels or panes of lantern leaves, and the modes of fixing the
parts of lantern leaves to form a panel. Figure 6 shows the metal
of which the ribs or pillars of lanterns are made, in order to allow of
the use of sliding panels. Figure 7 shows the bent metal to join or connect
two parts of a panel of lantern leaves. Figure 8 shows the candle holder
which may be varied, or an oil lamp may be used in lanterns, but these parts
form, no part of my Invention. The pillars or ribs a of the lantern shown in
the Drawing are made by forming tin plate or other suitable metal into the
figure shown by the section Figure 6, and the parts b, b, allow of the sliding
of panels of horn in frames, such as is shown in the Drawing, each of the
panels used being bound or framed round with metal, as is shown; by this
arrangement any of the panels may be taken out to clean or be repaired,
and may be returned to its place readily; or by having various panels of
different colors, they may be changed from time to time as circumstances may
require.
I will now describe the means of combining two sheets or leaves of lantern
leaves, which consists of bending the thin metal used into the figure shown
in the section Figure 7, and between the spaces c, c, and then by folding the
metal closer together when two sheets of lantern leaves are introduced, as is
shown in the Drawing. The nature of the other parts being clearly shown, it
will not be necessary to enter into any further description thereof, and I would
state that the details of the parts may be varied. But what I claim is :-
First, the preparing or treating the leaves or sheets of horn by varnishing
the surfaces thereof.
Secondly, I claim the staining or dyeing lantern leaves, or sheets of horn
used for transmitting light.
And, thirdly, I claim the mode of constructing the pillars or ribs of horn
lanterns, so as to allow of the use of sliding panes or panels of lantern leaves,

page_text: when such panels or panes are bound round with metal, as shown; and I also
claim the mode of joining two or more lantern leaves together, as above
described, in making panels or panes for lanterns.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Burnell, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-two