A New Process or Method of Illuminating the Eyes or other parts of Horses, Dragons, Crocodiles, Ostriches, Fowls or any other Ani- mals, Birds, Reptiles or Figures used on any style of Roundabouts, Gondolas, Switchbacks, Sea-on-Land Shows or any similar Appliances.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec.,
1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Process or Method of Illuminating the Eyes or other parts of
Horses, Dragons, Crocodiles, Ostriches, Fowls or any other Ani-
mals, Birds, Reptiles or Figures used on any style of Roundabouts,
Gondolas, Switchbacks, Sea-on-Land Shows
or any similar
Appliances.
CHARLES JOHN SPOONER, Designer and Carver, Swan Cottage, Burton-on-Trent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has relation to a new way of illuminating the eyes or other
parts of the before mentioned animals birds or reptiles &c. and consists pri-
marly in the employment of a mettalic or other tube with screwed ends &
caps which are fixed in the part to be illuminated this tube has a metallic or
other material lamp holder into which is screwed one or more incandecent
electric, or other kinds of lamps, with their respective attachments.
The ends of the tubes have caps to fit tightly on same with either screw or
other means of attachment into which is fixed glass imitations of eyes or any other
form of glass transparent or semi-transparent or any other material of any
colour whatever. The principal is that when the current of electricity is turned
on or whatever other kind of light is used the parts into which my invention
has been fixed will be instantly illuminated.
February 20th 1899
A New Process or Method of illuminating the Eyes or other parts of
Horses, Dragons, Crocodiles, Ostriches, Fowls or any other Ani-
mals, Birds, Reptiles or Figures used on any style of Roundabouts,
Gondolas, Switchbacks, Sea-on-Land Shows or any similar
Appliances.
I, CHARLES JOHN SPOONER, of Swan Cottage, Bearwood Hill, Burton-on-Trent,
in the County of Derby, Carver and Designer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
arly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates to a method of, or means for, illuminating or lighting-
up the eyes or other transparent parts of certain figures or artificial objects
made or formed in imitation of horses, dragons, crocodiles and other animals
and reptiles or birds for use in connection with roundabouts, merry-go-rounds,
D
077

page_text: swing-boats, switchbacks, gondolas, sea-on-land shows, or any similar apparatus
or appliances employed in entertainments or for amusement.
The eyes of such figures have heretofore been only painted on or indicated
by outwardly applied colors, but according to my invention the same are made
of glass or transparent material and are illuminated by electric or other lamps
arranged within the interior of the head part of the figure and at the back of
the eyes, whereby, when the lamps are lit, a novel and attractive effect is obtained.
According to one form of my invention, a pair of colored glass or other trans-
parent discs to be illuminated are suitably secured to the opposite. ends of a
sleeve, tube or other carrier containing one or more electric or other lamps
and adapted to be removably fitted into the head of the figure, in such a manner
that the two eye pieces come in their proper positions upon the opposite sides
of the head and are illuminated when the current is turned on, or the lamp or
lamps lit.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents the head of a figure, made
in the form of a horse such is generally used in roundabouts, merry-go-rounds
or the like, the eyes of which are made transparent and illuminated interiorly
by a pair of electric lamps in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 represents the eye part of the said head upon an enlarged scale.
Figure 3 shows a cross section of the said head upon the dotted line, showing
how the carrier. or removable tube in which the transparent eye pieces and their
lamps are mounted, is fitted in position. The said carrier tube is represented in
this view partly in elevation and partly in section.
Figure 4 represents an elevation of the carrier tube removed from the head
of the figure, whilst Figure 5 shows the same in complete longitudinal section.
Figure 6 shows the tube partly in section and partly in elevation, with the
lamps still in position but with the-transparent eye-pieces and their retaining
caps removed and with the one eye piece and its cap being shown in section
and the other in elevation.
Figure 7 represents an elevation of one of the eye pieces and its cap, whilst
Figure 8 is a cross section of the illuminating fitting, taken upon the dotted
line, Figure 4.
The same letter of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
is the head of the figure of which the eyes b, are to illuminated. These
eyes are formed by a pair of plain or colored glass or other transparent or semi-
transparent discs 61, which are secured to or against the opposite ends c¹, of a
tubular carrier or sleeve e, by means of caps or rings d, having flanges d, which
overlap the edges of the discs and interiorly screwed parts d², adapted to be wormed
onto the correspondingly threaded ends c², of the sleeve c, and so clamp the
discs. The sleeve is located within a space or hole a¹, made transversely across
the head of the figure, and the caps d, in addition to retaining the glasses, may
also serve as a means for affixing the sleeve and its eye pieces to the head by
their flanges, bearing against the opposite sides of the said head when sereweil
up. Thus, in fixing this form of carrier the eye piece and glass would be fitted
to the one end and then the sleeve placed through the head with its other screwed
end projecting. The second glass would then be placed in position when by
screwing home the other cap, the same would act as a nut for rigidly clamping
the whole of the parts together, but it is to be understood that I do not confine
myself to this particular method of affixing, as any other means can be used for
the purpose as may be found convenient. The removal of the fastening nuts
may, if desired, be prevented by means of small screw pins or other devices.
Located within the interior of the carrier and at the back of the eye pieces to
be illuminated are a pair of ordinary electric lamps e, detachably secured to
lamp holders f, carried by suitable fittings f', and provided with current leads
or cables f, which pass away through a slot or opening 3, in the tube, through
the body of the figure, or away from the head direct, or otherwise. The electric

page_text: lamps may be readily laid open for inspection renewal or the like, without taking
out the carrier, by simply unscrewing the caps and removing the eye pieces.
Instead of using electricity to light up the eye pieces I may employ oil or
other lamps, which may be removed from their carriers for lighting, then re-
placed and the eye pieces fitted in front of them. Or instead of employing two
lamps, electric or otherwise, only a single suitably-mounted lamp may be used
for each pair. Or each individual eye piece with its lamp, may be mounted
in a separate carrier, with independent leads or cables in the case of electricity
being used as the illuminant. Reflectors may also be provided for each lamp
where desired.
The invention may be also applied to the illumination of other parts such as
the jaws or nostrils of the figures hereinbefore referred for giving a grotesque
or novel effect.
Instead of employing separate eye-pieces or the like illuminated interiorly
by lamps, I may arrange that parts of the lamp globes themselves may form the
imitations of eyes or other parts, the same being suitably colored if necessary
in imitation of the parts to be represented, or in accordance with the effect
desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
First In artificial figures or objects used for the various purposes herein
mentioned, the employment within the heads or other parts, of electric or other
lamps, colored or otherwise in representation or imitation of eyes or the like,
the said lamps being fitted within removable carriers or holders, substantially
as herein described.
Secondly: In artificial figures or objects used for the various purposes herein
mentioned, making the eyes or other parts to be illuminated from transparent
or semi-transparent material, such as glass, and illuminating the same by one
or more electric or other lamps, arranged behind the transparent or semi-
tranparent parts, or within the interior of the figure, substantially as described
and set forth.
Thirdly: An attachment for artificial figures and objects used for the pur-
poses herein mentioned, consisting of a carrier or sleeve adapted to be fitted into
the head or other part of the figure, and provided interiorly with one or more
electric or other lamps and at the ends with transparent discs or eye pieces,
with or without screwed-on end caps or flanged rings which both secure the
dises to the carrier and the carrier to the figure, substantially as herein described
and set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of Navaho 1800
CHARLES JOHN SPOONER,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.