Improvements in Devices for Illuminating and Coloring Stage Scenery.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Illuminating and Coloring Stage
Scenery.
A communication from abroad by THE SPECTATORIA COMPANY, a corporation
organised under the laws of the State of Illinois, U.S.A., of 53, 54, and 55,
Auditorium Building, Chicago, U.S.A.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, 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:-
-
This invention relates to devices for illuminating and coloring stage scenery, or
producing scenic effects, and the object is to provide means for the improvement
of scenic illumination upon the stage and the increase of realism in scenic effects.
The invention consists in improved appliances for imitating the shades and tints
of lights which color the landscape, from the darkness of night, through dawn,
sunrise, early morning, noon, afternoon, evening, sunset, twilight, moonlight into
the darkness of midnight again; these appliances permitting the imitation of the
tints of the hours to be produced completely, or in part, as desired, and facilitating
the passage and blending of the various tints each into the other so as to illustrate
the slow progress of the hours throughout the whole day. They also permit the
imitation of clouds moving through the sky, and of cloud shadows moving over
land and water.
The invention will first be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings and then particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this
Specification.
Referring to the drawings which form a part of this Specification;
Figure 1, represents a sectional end view of a device embodying the invention;
Figure 2, is a horizontal section of the same on line II-II of Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 are detail sectional end views of the reflector or "illumiscope"
illustrating the same in different positions;
Figure 5 is a fragmentary end view of the illuminating gallery or frame work
above the proscenium opening of a theatre with the improvements attached ;
Figure 6 is a horizontal section illustrating a double series of coloring drums or
"colorators" geared together so as to move in unison;
Figure 7 is an end view of a modification of the invention;
Figure 8 is an end view of another modification; and
Figure 9 is a front view of a further modification, part being broken away.
In the preferred form of the invention may be employed a rotary drum of any
suitable transparent or semi-transparent material, such as paper, glass, celluloid or
gelatine with the desired coloring effects painted upon or worked into the same-
in such manner as to blend the colors and secure the various tints desired in any
scene, together with an electric lamp or other suitable source of light properly
supported within the drum so that the light may pass through the tinted or
variously colored circumference of the drum when rotated conveying the tint or
combination of tints thereon and causing the same to fall upon. the drop, sky-
foundation, or landscape for the purpose of producing the desired scenic effect.
A drum may also be provided with a covering of any suitable transparent or
semi-transparent substance, upon which the various tints of the hours in their
order of succession, or other scenic effects, may be dyed or painted; or instead of
drums, travelling belts, bands, curtains or slides of suitably colored or tinted
transparent or semi-transparent material, may be interposed between the light and
D

page_text: the sky-foundation, drop-scene or scenic arrangements upon the stage upon which
it is desired to convey the tints or coloring effects.
"
C in the drawings denotes a rotary drum or "colorator" which may consist of
any suitable material; as above described, and is provided with heads c, c', which
are fitted to revolve on trunnions or spindles a, a, journalled in brackets A, A',
which may be secured in any suitable manner to the frame work of the building or
to a shield B, depending therefrom as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 5.
I denotes an "illumiscope or duplex reflector placed within the coloring
drum C, and may be composed of two segments i, i, fitted together so as to move
one within the other. The segment i, is rigidly secured to the end frame-piece or
bracket, which is made fast to the inner end of the trunnion a, and the segment i¹,
is rigidly secured to the opposite trunnion a', in a similar manner, so that the two
segments may rotate with the trunnions independently of each other. The inner
concave faces of these segments are provided with reflecting surfaces, and to the
inner segment may be secured the electric (or other suitable) lamps L, LI, which
may be placed in circuit with a dynamo or other generator by passing the wires 1, 1,
thereof through the hollow trunnions a, a', and connecting them with the circuit
wires in any proper manner.
To provide means for rotating the segments i, i¹, of the illumiscope there are
secured to the outer ends of the trunnions a, a', worm wheels a³, a', which engage
worms d, d', on the ends of shafts D, D', the latter being provided with crank
handles d², d, whereby the segments may be rotated for the purpose of regulating
the opening for the passage of light as indicated by the dotted lines in Figures 3, 4
and 5.
E, denotes a shaft having a crank e at one end and a worm e¹ thereon which
worm may engage a worm gear on the head c of the drum C, whereby the drum
may be rotated about the lamps at any desired rate of speed so as to gradually
change the tints or other effects of illumination in the scene, such effects being
caused by the passage of the light from the lamps through the shade, colors or
forms which may be placed upon or worked into the transparent surface of the
drum. If desired the shaft E may be formed or provided with an extension E¹
forming a rotary support for an auxiliary coloring device or drum C', which may
consist of a series of lamps L' with variably colored globes, or a lamp or lamps
of ordinary construction placed within a coloring drum C³, and a corresponding
auxiliary coloring device C³, with operating shaft E2, may be provided at the
opposite end of the drum C, as indicated by full and dotted lines in Figure 2;
these auxiliary devices being made removable so that they may be dispensed with
when desirable.
F (Figure 5) denotes a masking border or screen for concealing the machinery
in the fly-gallery and F¹ a similar screen in rear thereof.
G, denotes a sky or landscape drop suspended from the fly-gallery in position to
be lowered when desired, and G' a sky or landscape drop lowered ready to receive
the coloring effects, clouds or shadows thrown upon it by the colorator.
By rotating the segments i, , of the illumiscope the opening for the passage of
light may be enlarged or decreased at will, as indicated by the dotted lines in
Figures 3 and 4, thus controlling the direction, amount, and extension of light that
may be desirable for illuminating purposes.
The illumiscope having been properly adjusted, the light from the lamps will be
reflected and pass through the shade, colors, or forms which may be placed upon or
worked into the transparent or semi-transparent surface of the drum or colorator C,
and the latter may be rotated at any desired rate of speed so as to cause the effects
upon the sky-foundation, landscape or scenic arrangement which is being illuminated
to be gradually changed so as to give the appearance of the various effects produced
by nature throughout the day and night, with the ever varying changes of a cloudy
day or stormy day or night, accompanied by various storm or other effects
indicating either foul or fair weather; the device being specially adapted to
illuminate and color scenic arrangements imitating nature and to increase realism

page_text: in such imitations. By properly adjusting the illumiscope the beams of light may
be centered on any part of the surface, scenery or painting or spread over the
entire surface at will, and the illuminating effect may be increased or diminished in
accordance with the wishes of the operator or the requirements of the occasion or
use to which the invention may be put.
In Figure 6 is shown a double series of colorators C, C³, C, which are con-
nected by bevel-gearing as at H, H', so as to cause the several drums to revolve
simultaneously and at the same rate of speed. The end drums C are geared to a
worm-shaft K, by means of worms k, k, on said shaft engaging worm wheels, M, M,
on the drum shafts or spindles. The worm shaft K is also provided with a
pulley k¹, about which may pass a band or belt leading from an engine or other
driving shaft for actuating the drums. In the arrangement shown, the intermediate
drums C, of the two series, will revolve in an opposite direction to the drums C*, C',
and in this case the several drums should be so colored or painted that the tints,
shades or forms thrown upon the sky foundation or other surface by one drum will
correspond with the tints and shades thrown by the oppositely revolving drums.
This arrangement avoids the necessity of multiplying the gearing, but if desired:
suitable gears may be provided to cause all the drums to rotate in the same
direction.
In the modification shown in Figure 7, the colorator C', may consist of a band
or belt arranged to travel in front of a suitable reflector R, the belt being wound
upon a roller N, from which it passes over a small roller n, to a roller N', which
latter may be provided with a crank handle or pulley for winding the belt thereon,
the upper roller being provided with a weight or retractile spring to hold the belt
or curtain taut and cause the same to be automatically wound upon said roller
after the manner of an ordinary curtain roller when the belt is unwound or released
from the roller N'.
In Figure 8 is shown a colorator consisting of a vertically adjustable frame with.
a suitably colored transparent or semi-transparent cloth or other covering P, which
may be suspended by means of weights W, W, in front of a reflector R¹, and by
raising and lowering this frame the colored curtain or cloth may be moved so as to
gradually change the tints or other effects of illumination upon the scene caused
by the passage of the light through the shade, colors, or forms placed upon the
cloth. In the modification shown in Figure 9, the colorator consists of a rotary
drum composed of variously colored overlapping layers or thin sheets or
sections 9, 7, of paper or other suitable material through which the rays of light
may pass to the surface or painting on which the scenic effect is to be produced so
as to cause the variously colored sections or sheets to pass successively at any
desired rate of speed between the opening of the illumiscope 1' enclosed therein
and the surface to be illuminated, for the purpose of producing the desired tints,.
shades or other effects upon the surface or painting on which the rays of light
may fall.
An illumiscope of the described construction is preferably employed in connection
with the colorator, but the two devices may be used independently and are applic-.
able generally for illuminating purposes in theatres, public halls, or other places of
amusement, and while it is also preferable to employ electric lights for illuminating
purposes, the apparatus may be used in connection with any suitable source of
light, as for instance a gas jet L, as shown in Figure 9.
When the electric lamps are used as shown in Figures 1 and 2, they may be
fastened upon the trunnions connected with the drum C, as indicated in dotted
lines, and supported by the brackets A, A', so as to revolve with the drum, in
which case the illumiscope must be separated from the lamp supports, and given
an independent support, or it may be dispensed with altogether so as to simplify
the device, but thereby the illuminating power will be greatly decreased as well as.
the faculty of controlling the amount of space in or upon the scene upon which the
illuminating rays may fall.
The colorator and illumiscope can be placed above the scenes, in front of each,

page_text: or at the side as may be desired, and may be worked by hand or machinery; the
hand operating shafts shown in Figure 1, being dispensed with in the latter case
and suitable gearing provided, as for instance pulleys on the worm shafts connecting
by belts and pulleys with the driven shaft of an engine.
It will be understood of course that various modifications may be made without
departing from the spirit of the invention, and hence the invention is not limited
to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown and described herein.
Instead of arranging the series of colorators C, C, C, in the manner described
with reference to Figure 6, they may be placed in a straight line, in which case,
the gearing connecting the drum shafts with the main driving shaft need not be
bevelled, but any or the common forms of gearing may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
First An apparatus for producing scenic effects, comprising a variously colored
sheet or drum consisting of a substance through which light may pass, means for
causing the passage of rays of light therethrough onto the surface or object to be
illuminated, and mechanism for causing the variously colored portions of such
substance to pass successively in proximity to the light, substantially as
described.
Second: An apparatus for producing scenic effects, comprising a variously
colored sheet or drum composed of a transparent substance, means for causing the
passage of light therethrough onto the surface or scene to be illuminated, and
mechanism for causing the variously colored portions of such substance to pass
successively in proximity to the light, substantially as described.
Third: An apparatus for producing scenic effects, comprising a variously
colored sheet or drum composed of a transparent substance, a reflector arranged in
proximity thereto so as to cause the rays of light to pass through such substance
onto the surface or scene to be illuminated, and means for causing the variously
colored portions of such substance to pass successively in front of the reflector,
substantially as described.
Fourth An apparatus for producing scenic effects, comprising a variously
colored sheet or drum composed of a transparent substance, a duplex reflector or
"illumiscope" arranged in proximity to such substance so as to cause the rays of
light to pass therethrough onto the surface or scene to be illuminated, means for
passing the variously colored portions of such substance in front of such reflector,
and mechanism for adjusting the reflector so as to control the direction, amount,
and extension of light that may be thrown upon such surface, substantially as
described.
Fifth In an apparatus for producing scenic effects, the combination of the
colorator, the illumiscope, and ineans substantially as described for causing the
variously colored portions of the colorator to pass successively the opening in
the illumiscope for the passage of light, substantially as described.
Sixth An apparatus for producing scenic effects, comprising a rotary drum
having upon its periphery a variously colored substance which will permit the
passage of light therethrough, a lamp fitted within the drum, and means for
rotating the drum so as to cause the light from the lamp to pass successively
through the variously colored portions of such substance to the surface on which
the rays of light may fall, substantially as described.
Seventh An apparatus for producing scenic effects, comprising a rotary drum
having on its periphery a variously colored substance which will permit the
passage of light therethrough, a reflector fitted within the drum, and means for
rotating the latter so as to cause the light to pass successively through the variously
colored portions of such substance to the surface on which the rays of light may
fall, substantially as described.
Eighth An apparatus for producing scenic effects, comprising a rotary drum

page_text: whose peripheral surface is composed of variously colored transparent material,
an adjustable segmental reflector or illumiscope rotably fitted within the drum,
means for rotating the latter, and mechanism for adjusting the illumiscope so as to
control the amount and extension of light which may pass through such transparent
material to the surface to be illuminated, substantially as described.
Ninth-In an apparatus for producing scenic effects, the illumiscope consisting
of the independent rotable segments having concave reflecting surfaces and means
for independently rotating the segments, substantially as described.
Tenth An apparatus for producing scenic effects, comprising a series of rotary
drums having peripheral surfaces composed of variously colored transparent
material, lamps fixed within said drums, and means for simultaneously rotating the
latter so as to cause the light from the lamps to pass successively through the
variously colored portions of the transparent material to the surface or scene to be
illuminated, substantially as described.
-
Eleventh In an apparatus for producing scenic effects the combination with the
rotable colorator, of the auxiliary rotable colorator and means for rotating both
colorators, substantially as described.
Twelfth In combination with the rotable colorator and mechanism for rotating
the same, the auxiliary removable colorator and means for rotating the latter
simultaneously with the former, substantially as described.
Thirteenth-In an apparatus for producing scenic effects, the combination with
the rotable colorator, the illumiscope placed therein, means for adjusting the latter
so as to control the amount and extension of light which may pass through said
colorator, the auxiliary colorators, and mechanism for simultaneously rotating the
several colorators, substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of January 1893.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham.