IMPROVEMENTS IN READING LAMPS FOR USE IN RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES, WHICH LAMPS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER USES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Watt, of 5, Byrne Terrace, Gladstone Road,
New Wimbledon, in the County of Surrey, Electro-Metallurgist, for tho
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN READING LAMPS FOR USE IN RAILWAY AND
OTHER CARRIAGES, WHICH LAMPS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER USES."
Sealed the 13th June 1878, and dated the 19th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Watt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th December 1877.
ALEXANDER WATT, of No. 5, Byrne Terrace, Gladstone Road, New Wimbledon, in
the County of Surrey, Electro-Metallurgist. IMPROVEMENTS IN READING LAMPS
FOR USE IN RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES, WHICH LAMPS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO OTHER USES."
The object of the Invention is to provide a small compact and convenient lamp,
adapted particularly for use as a reading lamp in railway and other carriages, but
which is also useful for other purposes.
In carrying out my Invention the sides, back, top, and bottom of the lamp are
cut or stamped in one piece from sheet brass, German silver, or other suitable metal,
bent into the forms desired, and nickel or silver plated, japanned, or otherwise
ornamented.
The top is bent forwards and upwards from the back, so as to act as a shield to
prevent the direct upward motion of the vapour and products of combustion and
the heat therefrom to the user; and the bottom is perforated to receive the spring
socket for the candle, and so that such socket may slide therein.
The front is provided with a door turning on one side by hinge joint, and capable
of fixture by spring or other suitable catch to the other side. This door is formed
with a hole through it immediately opposite the flame of the contained candle, and
opposite this hole in the interior of the lamp is applied a reflector, the relations of
the hole and the reflector being such as to confine the rays of light obtained as much
as possible to the immediate point desired.

page_text: The hole in the door may be provided with a corresponding lens or piece of plain
or other glass.
The back of the lamp is provided with a hook or other fastening by which the
lamp may be suspended from the button or button-hole of a coat or other garment,
and thus leave the hands free. A lamp thus arranged is specially adapted for use
in travelling by limiting the light produced to the object sought to be illuminated
without giving unnecessary annoyance to fellow travellers, whilst it avoids the
necessity for the user being compelled either to hold it in his hand or to attach it
to the lining of the carriage. Such a lamp is also adapted for other uses.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Watt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th June
1878.
ALEXANDER WATT, of 5, Byrne Terrace, Gladstone Road, New Wimbledon, in the
County of Surrey, Electro-Metallurgist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN READING LAMPS FOR
USE IN RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES, WHICH LAMPS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
OTHER USES."
This Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of reading lamps for
use in railway and other carriages, which lamps are also applicable to other uses
where a circumscribed concentrated light is required.
I am aware that there are several contrivances of various forms and dimensions
which are intended as reading lamps for use by persons travelling by railway, but
I believe that these lamps, without exception, possess defects in their construction
which render them unsuitable and inconvenient for railway reading.
Amongst these defects may be mentioned the following:-
Firstly. The illuminating power of the lamp is diffused over a larger space than
is necessary for reading purposes, and consequently it becomes a source of annoyance
when lighted to other persons in the same carriage or compartment.
Secondly. The reflector generally adopted is of such form that it throws shadows
of the candle-holder upon the book or newspaper, thus rendering the object to be
read indistinct and confused.
Thirdly. The lamps are costly, and therefor not available to the general public.
I believe that the lamp herein-after described will overcome the above-named
defects, and that according to this Invention a lamp may be produced possessing
considerable advantages over all other lamps used for railway reading purposes.
The construction of the improved reading lamp will be readily understood by
the following description and accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings,
wherein,-
Fig. 1 represents a back view of plate for forming the body of the lamp.
Fig. 2, front view of plate for forming the door of the lamp.
Fig. 3, side view of door with "bull's-eye" or plano-convex lens fixed therein.
Fig. 4, front view of lamp complete with door open.
Fig. 5, side view of lamp complete with door closed ready for use.

page_text: The body of the lamp is cut or stamped out of thin sheet metal, such as brass,
German silver, plated metal, tinned iron, or other suitable material in one piece, as
shown in Fig. 1, which at once forms the top a, sides b, bottom c, hinges d, and
catch e for the fastening of the door, shown in Fig. 2, the bottom c having a
circular hole to admit the candle-holder herein-after referred to. The bottom c is
also bent forward at the dotted lines c¹ at a right angle, so as to form with the sides
and back when folded and attached as herein-after described a tray or "save-all"
for any overflow of wax or other material with which the candle may have been
made, should such wax overflow, which however is very improbable. The bottom
is then again bent forward at the dotted line c², also at a right angle.
The projecting parts & are to be bent over a suitable wire to form two ears of a
hinge joint to correspond with the ears f of the door, Figs. 2 and 4. The two
sides b are next to be bent at the dotted lines b¹, and to be attached to the edge of
bottom c by soldering.
When the two sides are brought together by suitable pressure they can be exactly
fitted to the curved outline of the bottom up to the bend at c³.
The door, Fig. 2, is furnished with a projecting piece e¹, which is to be turned or bent
backward to form a spring catch or fastening with the corresponding projections e,
Fig. 1, this latter being also turned or bent backward to form a retaining lump or
projection. In the door there is a circular hole at its centre for the passage of the
luminous rays, and this may be advantageously domed from the inside, that is
swaged or stamped up so that a plano-convex lens or "bull's-eye" g may be placed
in it, and fixed in position by a ring h, Figs. 3 and 4, soldered at the back of the
door or by any convenient fastening.
Several small holes i at the bottom of the door are provided to allow of the free
passage of air.
The tongue k, Fig. 1a, must be bent at the dotted lines k¹, so as to form a hook,
the shorter end of which is to be soldered to the back of the lamp. The object of
this is to enable the user to suspend the lamp by the hook to the button-hole ofa
coat, or otherwise, so that his hands may be free whilst reading.
In order to keep the lamp in convenient position whilst suspended from the
button-hole a piece of band spring 7, see Fig. 5 (say about five inches long and half
an inch wide), bent in an elliptical form and rounded at each end, is applied as
follows: A thin strip of brass or other metal about half an inch wide is folded
over the band spring and pressed down upon it to form a slide m, through which
the spring may pass freely but not loosely. This metal slide m is to be soldered
to the back of the lamp near the bottom, so that the spring by being moved to the
right or left inay keep the lamp in any desired position. This spring piece will
also tend to check the swaying of the lamp to and fro when the train or vehicle
is in rapid motion, or from being suddenly disturbed or shaken by movement of
the user.
The lamp is furnished with a highly polished concave reflector n, Fig. 4, about
one inch and a quarter in diameter, and which may be advantageously nickel plated.
The reflector is to be fixed inside the back of the lamp, opposite the lens or "bull's-
eye" in the door.
An important feature in these lamps is the candle. This may be made of wax,
stearine, or other suitable material, but I prefer either of the substances named.
The size of the wick however is of great importance, and for several reasons:-
Firstly. The wick should be very thin, so that the flame produced by it may not
impart too much heat to the lamp; a wick not much thicker than is used for
ordinary night lights" is well suited to this purpose.
";
Secondly. By employing a thin wick the candle burns for a considerably longer
time. The wick however should be so prepared as to be self-consuming.
The candle holder consists of a tube about four inches long with movable cap
and a spiral spring of brass or steel (made of thin wire about of an inch in
diameter) to hold the candle to the cap as it consumes.
A piece of tubing o, Fig. 4, about half an inch deep, is to be inserted in the

page_text: hole (Fig. 1) and soldered there, the lower edge of said tube o being flush with
the bottom of the lamp. Through this tube the candle-holder is to pass, so that it
may slide up and down freely without being too loose.
The candle-holder is to have a small flange, collar, or rim p, Fig. 4, at a suitable
point, so as to bring the brighest part of the flame of the candle opposite to the
centre of the reflector and "bull's-eye."
The improved lamp may be made of thin brass, nickel plated and polished or
silver plated, of German silver, plated metal, tinned iron, japanned or otherwise
ornamented, or of any other suitable metal.
The Drawings represent the size which I believe to be most convenient.
The advantages which I consider my Invention presents are:-
First. The production of a small, light, useful, compact, economical and handy
lamp for railway travelling and other purposes.
Second. A lamp which can be manufactured at a moderate cost, so as to place it
within the reach of all classes.
Third. A lamp candle in a lamp constructed as above described with a very fine
wick, which, while yielding amply sufficient light will not render the lamp too hot
to be bearable if placed or worn in the button-hole of a coat, or otherwise attached
to the garments of the user, and at the same time will enable a small candle to burn
for a very considerable time.
Fourth. By the application of a small orifice for the passage of the luminous
rays, the light becomes circumscribed, so that it may be concentrated on the page
or paragraph being read, forming in fact a disc of light sufficient to enable a person
to read in comfort without inconvenience or annoyance to other persons, as is the
case with the ordinary railway reading lamps.
Amongst the other purposes besides reading to which this improved lamp may be
applied, I may mention its use for ladies whilst sewing, it being particularly
advantageous if the sewer be short sighted, as the light may be directed immediately
upon the work.
Having thus described the nature and object of this Invention, and the method
by which it may be carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I
do not confine myself to any particular size, shape, or configuration of lamp made
as above described, nor to the material in which it may be made; nor do I claim
any originality in the construction of the tube for holding the candle, nor in the
candle itself (which may be made upon any well-known principle); but what I claim
is the means, as above set forth, in combination, by which as I believe for the first
time a small, light, compact, useful, convenient, and economical "railway reading
lamp" is produced, and which may also be used in other carriages and for other
useful purposes, all substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Watt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
In the presence of
WALTER A. BARLOW,
6, St. Paul's,
London,
E.C.
ALEXANDER WATT. (L.S.)