Improvements in Reflecting Appliances for Use in Miners' Safety Lamps.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 9th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 12th July, 1887.
Improvements in Reflecting Appliances for Use in Miners'
Safety Lamps.
We WILLIAM FAIRCLOUGH of 1 Milton Grove, Wellington Road South, Stockport,
in the County of Chester, Engineer, and WILLIAM WARBURTON of High Lane near
Stockport aforesaid, Colliery Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Our said invention relates to miners safety lamps, and has for its object to increase
the illuminating efficiency of such lamps. In the types of miners' safety lamps most
generally employed the light is surrounded by a glass shield, while the upper part of
the lamp is composed of wire gauze. Between the glass shield and the wire gauze
there exists generally a solid ring which receives the studs, bars or suspenders by
which the parts of the lamp are held together and from which the lamp is hung. This
solid ring has the effect of casting a dark shadow on the roof or part of the working
immediately above the lamp so that it is with great difficulty that this part of the
working can be examined. To obviate this disadvantage we employ one two or more
detachable reflectors which we apply outside of the glass shield and in juxta-position
to the light and arrange at such an angle or at such angles as will throw the rays of
light toward the roof and thoroughly illuminate that part of the working. The reflectors
may consist of silvered glass, burnished or plated metal or of other material having
a suitable reflecting surface and are preferably carried by a removable ring which is
placed at the lower part of the lamp or they may be carried by fixed clips instead of
the ring. Each reflector is hinged to a saddle which clips on the ring or other
attachment and can be moved round to any desired position, while the hinging of the
reflectors enables them to be set to the desired angle for reflecting the light, or to be
folded up close to the glass shield when the lamp is not in use. This method of
mounting the reflector enables them to be quickly and easily removed and replaced.
Ti orth ing of Contember 1886
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reflecting Appliances for Use in Miners'
Safety Lamps.
We WILLIAM FAIRCLOUGH of 1 Milton Grove, Wellington Road South Stockport
in the County of Chester Engineer and WILLIAM WARBURTON of High Lane near
Stockport aforesaid Colliery Manager do hereby declare the nature of this Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying drawings
:―
Our said Invention relates to miners safety lamps and has for its object to increase
the illuminating efficiency of such lamps by the addition of a detachable reflector or
detachable reflectors which are hinged so as to be capable of being turned to any
desired angle so that the roof and other parts of the workings are illuminated.
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood we will now
proceed more particularly to describe the same with reference to the annexed sheet of
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a view of the lower portion of a miners safety lamp to which our improved
reflector is shown attached. Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a
horizontal section of the reflector at the line A. B Fig. 1. In the illustrated type of
lamp the light is surrounded by a glass shield a the upper part of the lamp being
surrounded by wire gauze b. Between the glass shield a and the wire gauze b is a
metallic ring c which receives the studs d which hold the lower parts of the lamp
together and the bars e by which the lamp is suspended. This ring c has generally
the effect of casting a shadow on the roof or other part of the working immediately
above the lamp so that it is only with great difficulty that the roof of the working can
be examined. To obviate this disadvantage and to throw the rays of light upward we
employ the detachable reflector f which we apply outside of the glass shield and in
juxta-position to the light and arrange at such an angle or at such angles as will throw
the rays of light toward the roof and thoroughly illuminate that part of the working.
The reflector shown in the drawings consists of flat pieces of silvered glass g carried
in a tin backing / but the reflecting surface could be made of other known or suitable
materials. The reflector is hinged at i to a clip ; which is formed as shown at Fig. 3,
so that it can be readily clipped upon any two of the studs d as clearly shown in the
drawings. When thus clipped upon the studs d the hinged reflector can be set to any
desired angle and secured when so set by a sliding pink which slides in an eye
formed in the back of the reflector. The lower tail of the pin k is so formed that it is
caused to support the reflector at the desired angle by shifting the position of the pin.
When the reflector is in the position shown in the drawing the light will be reflected
upward at about the angle shown in Fig. 1 by the arrows. If it were depressed to
about the position indicated by the dotted line m the space immediately above the
lamp would be illuminated. If desired the reflector can be turned into the position
shown by the dotted line n Fig. 1 in which position it serves as a back reflector to

page_text: project the rays forward when the bearer is walking through the workings. When
the lamp is not in use the reflector may either be folded up thus or it may be detached
from the lamp altogether.
We do not confine ourselves to the number of reflectors nor to the exact mode of
attaching the reflectors to the lamps so long as such reflectors are hinged or capable
of being turned to varying angles; for example the reflector might be carried by a
removable ring placed at the lower part of the lamp. Although we have referred to
our improvement as more particularly applicable to safety lamps for use in mines it
will be evident that our reflector will improve the illuminating efficiency of similar
lamps used in other situations as for example in the holes of vessels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
In miners safety lamps and other similar lamps the employment of reflectors which
can be readily attached to and detached from the lamp and which are capable of being
turned to any desired angle and maintained in that position so as to throw the rays of
light from the lamp towards the roof or other part of the working or situation in
which the lamp is being used substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1887.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.