AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DIFFUSION OF LIGHT TO BE CALLED THE MYRIAMATIC REAL RAMAD
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to EMILE CHAPPUIS, Fils, of St. Mary Axe,
London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
DIFFUSION OF LIGHT TO BE CALLED THE MYRIAMATIC REAL RAMAD"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Emile Chappuis at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th April 1853.
I, EMILE CHAPPUIS, the younger, of St. Mary Axe, London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE DIFFUSION OF LIGHT, TO BE CALLED THE MYRIASTRATIC
REFLECTOR," to be as follows
My Improvements consist, first, in using a metal frame for holding
the sheet or piece of silvered or other metal employed for reflecting
light; secondly, in using a sheet or piece of corrugated, fluted, ribbed,
or diapered sheet or piece of glass, immediately over the said sheet
or piece of metal; thirdly, in rendering the reflector impervious, or nearly
impervious, to air and water, by using vulcanized india-rubber or other

page_text: similar clastic material as a packing, or in lieu of putty, cement, &c.;
fourthly, in using grooves wherein the metal frame and glasses slide;
the whole being locked by an ordinary lock.
The frame being made of wood to any desired form, a sheet or piece
of silvered or other metal, corrugated, fluted, or ribbed, is affixed to
the metal frame, and inserted in the groove; over this I place a sheet
or piece of glass, corrugated,. fluted, ribbed, diapered, or otherwise
figured, in such a position that the corrugations, flutes, ribs, diapers,
or other figures, shall cross at right angles the corrugations or other
lines in the metal, the object being to produce refractions and disper-
sions of light, resembling the effect produced by facets of a brilliant cut
diamond. Over this sheet of glass, I place another sheet or piece of
plain surfaced glass, sliding in a groove, and I then lock the case.
These reflectors are for throwing daylight into dark places. I reserve
a right to vary the details hereof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Emile Chappuis, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 20th October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I;
EMILE CHAPPUIS, Fils, of Saint Mary Axe, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Emile Chappuis, fils, Her special licence that I,
the said Emile Chappuis, fils, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Emile Chappuis, fils, my executors, ad-
ministrators, 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 "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS

page_text: FOR THE DIFFUSION OF LIGHT, TO BE CALLED THE MYRIASTRATIC REFLECTOR,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Emile Chappuis,
fils, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti-
cularly 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Emile Chappuis, fils, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:
sun.
My Invention consists of improvements in what are called Daylight
Reflectors, or apparatus used for reflecting and diffusing the rays of the
It is well known in the science of optics, that the degree of illu-
minating power possessed by any object or body depends upon the
intensity of exciting power in the luminous body, and the angle at
which the rays of light fall upon the surface; and that certain metallic
bodies reflect light in a high degree. Metallic reflectors have been
employed for reflecting artificial light, and for reflecting and diffusing the
rays of the sun; and my improvements relate to the latter species of
reflector." I have found, that by covering the metallic surface of the
reflector with a sheet or piece of glass, corrugated, fluted, ribbed,
diapered, or figured, the reflective powers are increased, and conse-
quently the light thrown by the apparatus into a dark place is more
intense. The sheet or piece of glass, corrugated, fluted, ribbed, or
figured, should be so placed over the metallic reflector, as to cross the
corrugations or flutes in the metal at right angles. This arrangement
produces an effect somewhat similar to that of the facets of a brilliant
cut diamond, causing a refraction as well as reflection of light.
in order that my Invention may be better understood, I will proceed to
describe the manner in which I construct a reflector on my improved
principle, referring to the drawings hereunto annexed.
But
Figure 1, represents one of my improved reflectors, with the lower
side open, to show the internal arrangement of the corrugated metal
and glass. Fig. 2, is a plan of a portion of the metal reflector. Fig. 3,

page_text: a plan of a portion of the corrugated plate of glass. Figures 4, and 5,
are sections of Figures 2, and 3. Fig. 5, is a section of Figure 4, across
the line A, B. a, is a mahogany or other wooden case, 'one side of
which, b, is made to open, as shewn by Fig. 1; the part c, of this side
fits into the upper part of the case containing the metal and glass, and
is covered or faced with india-rubber, leather, cloth, or other suitable
material, for the purpose of excluding water, and as much as possible
atmospheric air, and preventing their action upon the surface of the
metal and glass plates. A plate of ordinary glass, d, is fitted to the
upper part of the case; this may be fastened, in by putty, in the ordinary
mode of glazing window sashes, or it may slide in a groove cut for the
purpose, in the sides of the case a; and sometimes I dispense with this
sheet of glass. Immediately below the outer glass d; is a groove e,
formed in the sides of the case a; this is made to receive a sheet or
plate of corrugated, ribbed, or diapered glass, f, the lines, or ribs of
which run in a horizontal direction from side to side of the reflector.
The metal plate g; is formed of a thin sheet of silvered copper, placed
upon a plate of zinc, or other suitable metal, to give it sufficient rigidity,
and is fastened to the plate of zine, by turning the edges of the silvered
plate over upon the zinc, or may be nailed or fastened to the wooden
frame. The lines or ribs of the metallic plate run in a vertical direc-
tion, or at right angles, to the lines of the glass plate f. It is immaterial
whether the lines of the plate g, are vertical; they may be horizontal,
and the ribs or lines of the glass plate f, vertical, so as to be at right
angles with each other; but I prefer the former arrangement. A slight
convexity is given to the metal plate y, as shewn in the drawing. The
plate g, rests upon the raised portion h, of the case a. When the plates
f, g, are arranged in their places, the case is locked, and will then be
impervious, or nearly so, to air and moisture, or the case may be other-
wise fastened without a lock.
..
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, which I term
the Myriastratic Reflector, I desire it to be understood that I make
no claim to the use of metal as a reflecting medium. But what I
claim is, the manufacture of a Daylight Reflector, wherein a sheet or
piece of glass is used, having on the surface thereof ribs, corrugations,

page_text: diapers, or other figures, as herein-before described, and shewn by the
annexed drawings. And I claim the peculiar construction of the
frame thereof which renders the reflector impervious to air and water,
as herein-before described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Emile Chappuis, fils, have hereunto
my band and seal, this Twentieth day of October, One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-three.
EMILE CHAPPUIS. (L.S.)