IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERINGS AND LIGHTS FOR VAULTS AND OTHER STRUCTURES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lanc, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERINGS AND
LIGHTS FOR VAULTS AND OTHER STRUCTURES."-A communication from
abroad by John Thomas Foley, John Winfred Crump, Frank
Merrifield Condit, and George Arthur Frink, all of the City and
State of New York. United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th December 1874.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COVERINGS AND LIGHTS FOR VAULTS AND OTHER STRUCTURES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to what are known as vault lights and platform
lights to the coverings of subterranean structures generally, to sky

page_text: lights, and to lights placed in floors, and is applicable to other structuros
in which circular plugs of glass are inserted into a setting or frame of
iron, wood, concrete, or other material. It consists, firstly, in a novel
method of securing the glass plugs in the frame or setting; and,
secondly, in a novel construction of the glass plugs for the efficient
diffusion of the light.
In carrying out this Invention a frame of metal, wood, concrete, or
other suitable material is used, having a series of circular holes bovilled
at their upper edges. These holes are intended to receive glass plugs,
which are constructed in the following manner :-The top surface is a
convex lons with a chamfered shoulder underneath the head corre
sponding with the bevilled or flaring part of the holes. The lower end
of the plug is conical in form, and either grooved to form segments, or
corrugated concentrically. In either case the light collected by the
convex lens of the top of the plug is diffused below with great power
and efficiency. In the body of the glass plug and on opposite sides
thereof are formed two bayonet joint grooves, which gradually decrcaso
in depth to their termination. In each hole are two studs or pins sct
directly opposite cach other and intended to enter the grooves. Tho
glass plug when dropped into its hole is turned by means of a suitable
key or wrench fitting two notches formed in the circumference thereof,
and it is caused to bind on the lower shoulders and also on the bottoms
of the grooves. In addition thereto the shoulder of the glass plug is
drawn down on the bevilled part of the holes by reason of the inclined
grooves, and is effectually tightened and securely fastened in place. The
glass plugs are inserted from the top, and are rendered watertight by
means of white lead or other suitable packing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Nowton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lano, in tho
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in tho 3

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, 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 COVERINGS AND LIGHTS FOR VAULTS AND
OTHER STRUCTURES," being a communication to me from abroad by John
Thomas Foley, John Winfred Crump, Frank Merrifield Condit, and
George Arthur Frink, all of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):-
This Invention relates to what are known as vault lights and platform
lights to the coverings of subterranean structures generally, to sky
lights, and to lights placed in floors, and is applicable to other structures,
as, for example, to the decks of ships. It consists, firstly, in a novel
method of securing the glass plugs in a frame or setting; and,
secondly, in a novel construction of the glass plugs for the efficient
diffusion of light.
Fig. 1 in the Drawing is a perspective view of the frame of a vault
light, shewing one of the glass plugs in position, and Figures 2 and 3

page_text: A represents a frame, such as is used for vault lights, platform lights,
or other similar articles, which frame may be made of metal, wood,
concrete, or other suitable material, and formed with a series of circular
holes B, B, having their upper edges bevilled or flaring, as shown par-
ticularly at a, a, in Fig. 2. C, C, represent the glass plugs constructed
in the following manner:-The top surface is a convex lens, with a
chamfered shoulder underneath the head, corresponding with the
bevilled or flaring part a of the holes B. The lower end of the plug O
is conical in form, and either grooved to form segments, as shown at d
in Fig. 2, or corrugated concentrically, as shown at d', in Figures 2
and 3. In cither case the light collected by the convex lens of the top
of the plug is diffused below with great power and efficiency. In the
body of the glass plug C and on opposite sides thereof are formed two
vertical grooves f,, from the upper end of each of which a groove h
extends in a slightly inclined position around nearly one-half of the cir-
cumference of tho plug. Each groove gradually decreases in depth
from the grooves to its termination, where it reaches the surface of the
plug. In cach holo B are two studs or pins i, i, directly opposite cach
other. The glass plug is dropped into the hole, the vertical grooves S
passing over the pins i, and the plug is then turned by means of a
suitable key or wrench fitting two half holes or notches v, v, formed in
the edges of the upper surface of the plug. When thus turned the
studs i, i, enter the inclined grooves h, h, and bind on the lower
shoulders x, x, of said grooves and also on the bottoms of said grooves by
reason of their decreasing depth. In addition thereto the shoulder 6 is
drawn down on the bevilled part a by reason of the grooves being
slightly inclined. By these means the glass plug is effectually tightened
and securely fastened in place. The glass plugs are inserted from the
top, and are rendered water-tight by means of white lead or other
suitable packing laid between the bevilled countersink a and tho
chamfered shoulder b. For ventilation and other purposes they can bo
conveniently taken out and replaced at pleasure. They will seldom noed
repair, as the glass plugs cannot accidentally become loose from their
places, thereby saving the very great annoyance and expense heretofore
often experienced. On the top surface of the frame A are a number of
projections m, which extend somewhat higher than the glass plugs, so as
to protect and prevent direct travel upon the plugs, and also afford a safe
foothold for pedestrians.
It will be obvious that the Invention max'ho annlied to other kinds of

page_text: lights, and to coverings of various structures in the same way as its
application to vault lights is represented in the Drawing and herein-above
described.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in Coverings and Lights for Vaults and other Structures," as communi-
cated to me by my foreign correspondents, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim the glass plugs C, C, con-
structed and fitted to frames A, substantially as and for the purposes
hercin set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five