Improvements in Lamps for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps for Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, RICHARD RAINSFORD, of 27, Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me from abroad by Thomas Evans Whitworth, of 60, High Street, Cleveland,
Ohio, U.S.A., Inventor) to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a lamp for cycles by which it can
be readily ascertained, by foot passengers, whether the vehicle is in motion or not.
By this invention, a lamp is provided which can be readily attached to a
bracket projecting from the axle of the vehicle wheel. The lamp casing has the
usual reflector and "bull's eye," and above or below it, or above and below it a
series of apertures. A screen composed of glass of various colours is adapted to
be rotated in front of the apertures, when the vehicle is in motion, by means of
a spur or like wheel pivoted on a projection on the outer casing, and meshing
The spur wheel is rotated,
with teeth on a disc carrying the coloured screen.
intermittently, by a projection secured to one of the spokes of the vehicle.
Tinted this 23rd day of February 1898.
Improvements in Lamps for Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, RICHARD RAINSFORD, of 27, Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me from abroad by Thomas Evans Whitworth, of 60, High Street, Cleveland,
Ohio, U.S.A., Inventor) 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 lamps for cycles and other vehicles, and it has for its
object the provision of a lamp whereby it can be readily determined by pedes-
trians, drivers, and others, whether the cycle or vehicle is in motion or not.
Reference being had to the drawing hereunto attached, the figure shews a
vertical section through a lamp constructed in accordance with my invention.

page_text: The invention comprises the bracket 1 secured to the axle 2 of the wheel 3 by
a nut 4, and adapted to support the lamp which is conveniently secured thereto
by a thumb-nut 5.
The lamp comprises the oil reservoir 6 into which is screwed the burner 7,
which, it will be observed, can be readily removed for re-filling without detach-
ing the burner from the body of the lamp.
The base 8 has an internally screw-threaded aperture 9 engaging over screw-
threads 10 on the burner. A flange 11 on the base serves for attachment thereto
of the lamp casing 12, and an annular seat 13 accommodates the ring 14 having
peripheral teeth 15 and an upwardly projecting flange 16; the teeth being
adapted to be engaged through the slot 17 by similar teeth 18 on the wheel 19,
supported on the pin 20 secured in the bracket 21 depending from the base, and
having teeth 22 which are engaged intermittently by the stud 23 projecting from
a spoke 24 of the vehicle wheel.
The ring 14 supports a framework within its flange 16 consisting of vertically
arranged bars 25 recessed at their upper and lower ends to receive the edges of
pieces of glass 26 of various colours. The upper ends of the bars are retained
by the flange 27 on the under side of a ring 28 having a cross piece 29. This
ring is held in position by a screw 30, passed through a cross piece 31 in the
upper part of the casing 12, and entering the cross piece 29.
If preferred, glass or other lamp chimneys made up of various pieces of
coloured glass, or having half or more divisions of its circumference stained
various colours, may be substituted for the frame described; the flange 16 being
preferably made deeper to retain it in position.
The lamp casing is provided with the usual lens 32 and reflector 33 (indicated
by broken lines) arranged midway between the coloured screens so that the light
projected in front of the vehicle is not interfered with. If preferred, however,
the coloured screen may extend in front of the lens when illumination of the
road is not required. In this case, however, the apertures 34 in the upper and
lower part, or in the upper or lower part, of the casing may be dispensed with.
In operation, the projection on the vehicle wheel intermittently strikes the
teeth 22 of the wheel 19; the movement being transmitted by the teeth 18 to
the teeth 15, ring 14, and the coloured screen supported thereby. Rays of
changing hues are projected through the apertures 34 when the vehicle proceeds.
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―
1. A lamp for cycles and other vehicles having apertures in its casing above
or below, or above and below the lens for the projection therethrough of changing
coloured rays of light substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth.
2. A lamp for cycles and other vehicles comprising a casing having a lamp
chimney or screen of various colours rotatably supported within the casing and
provided with means for revolving the same, substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore set forth.
3. A lamp for cycles and other vehicles having a casing containing a multi-
coloured chimney or screen adapted to be intermittently revolved by means of a
tappet on the cycle or vehicle wheel, substantially as and for the purposes here-
inbefore set forth..
4. A lamp for cycles and other vehicles comprising a base, a burner centrally
secured in the base a reservoir detachably secured to the burner, means such as
a bracket and thumb-screw for attachment of the reservoir or lamp to the axle
of a cycle or vehicle wheel, a ring rotatably mounted on the base, a multi-coloured
screen supported upon said ring, peripheral teeth on said ring, a toothed-wheel
rotatably mounted on the base in engagement with said peripheral teeth, and a
tappet arranged on the cycle or vehicle wheel adapted to transmit motion to the
movable parts aforedescribed, and the lamp casing having apertures through

page_text: which the light rays transmitted through the coloured screen can be seen, all
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
Doted this 19. Ja..
T
1
1000