Improvements in Means for Illuminating Objects for Photographic and other Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 9th May. 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Illuminating Objects for Photographic
and other Purposes.
I, YORK SCHWARTZ, of 60 Cellerstrasse, Hanover, in the Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Chemist, 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 means employed for illuminating objects for photographic
purposes.
Objects to be photographed are as is known, oftentimes illuminated .e. suddenly
or momentarily lit up by aid of an easily inflammable and quickly combustible
mixture that contains magnesium, aluminium, or an equivalent substance. This
mixture is generally employed in the form of a conical heap, the free surface of
which is very small in comparison to the volume of the material, and the intensity
of the light emitted does not correspond to the quantity of the material used,
especially as the light produced by the inner portion of the mixture is greatly
absorbed or neutralized by the flame resulting from the combustion of the outer
part. To obviate this drawback the mixture has already been used not in the form
of conical heaps, but in that of longish heaps or "trains," but then the generation
of the light is distributed over or through a longer period of time, which again is
very disadvantageous for the photographing of some kinds of objects.
I now propose to mix the lighting-material with an easily inflammable and quickly
combustible cementing medium, for instance with a solution of pyroxiline in ether
and alcohol, and to bring this mixture into the shape of a foil of suitable size.
After the foil has become dry, it may be hung up by means of a wire and then
lighted. The surface of the foil is considerable, in proportion to its volume and
there is practically no absorption of light during the combustion. The material
burns with a very great quickness and the full intensity of the light is at once
attained. I am therefore enabled to use less material than has heretofore been
required in order to obtain a certain definite volume of light.
Instead of mixing the lighting material directly with a solution of the cementing
medium I may mix it first with the dry cementing medium, and then add the
dissolvent for the latter to that mixture, or I may form foils of the cementing
medium, and enclose a layer of the lighting material between two of said foils, or
provide one such foil on either side with a layer of said lighting material. In fact,
a great many variations may take place with regard to the manner of combining
the lighting-material with the cementing medium, and I wish to be understood, that
I do strictly confine myself to the examples mentioned.
Other advantages afforded by my novel method reside in the facilitation of, first,
the handling of the material, and second, the proportioning or adjusting of the
quantity that is requisite or sufficient for one photographic or like operation, and I
wish it further to be understood, that I do not confine myself to employing my
novel method solely for such lighting materials as are used for photographing
purposes, as the same is equally applicable for pyrotechnic purposes, such for
instance as in production of the so-called Bengal lights, especially where the latter
are employed for signalling purposes.
The size and shape of the lighting foils may greatly vary, and is, as a matter of
course, dependent on the volume of light required and the purpose for which the
light is to be used.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. As a new article of manufacture a foil consisting of an easily inflammable
and quickly combustible lighting material, and of a cementing medium for creating
cohesion between the particles of the same substantially and for the purpose as
described.
Secondly. In a combustible composition for illuminating purposes; the com-
bination with an easily inflammable and quickly combustible lighting material,
of a cementing medium for the particles of the same, said composition being made
up into a form or forms most suitable for rapid combustion substantially and for the
purpose as described.
Dated this 12th dow of March 1898
YORK SCHWARTZ,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.