Improvements in Street and other Lamps, also Partly Applicable to Incandescent Electric Lamps.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Street and other Lamps, also Partly Applicable to
Incandescent Electric Lamps.
I, HECTOR LEAK of Dingle House, Winsford, Cheshire, Surgeon, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in street and other lamps which have for
their object firstly, by means of a novel combination and arrangement of reflecting
surfaces to supplement or increase the light falling at a distance from the lamp so as
to utilise the portious of the light which have hitherto been entirely or partially
wasted by reflecting them to that part of the road or place being lighted where the
direct rays of light are weakest. Secondly my invention relates to improvements in
the corner bars or uprights, supporting the edges of the glass in this class of lamp
whereby additional strength and reflecting surface is obtained as hereinafter described
and Thirdly, my invention refers to improved means for facilitating the lighting of
street lamps.
On the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 represents a sectional view of the lantern portion of a street lamp having
my improvements applied thereto;
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same lamp, (taken at right angles to that
illustrated in Fig. 1).
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the lower part of Fig. 1 and 2, and
Fig. 4 is an inverted sectional plan view of the upper part of Figs. 1 and 2.
In performing my invention employ an upper reflector a and a lower reflector b
(hereinafter called the upper and lower distance reflectors) constructed of polished
sheet metal, earthenware glass or other suitable material. These distance reflectors
are so formed and adjusted as illustrated to receive and reflect as many of the rays of
light as possible say to about midway between two street lamps, the dotted lines e c
and d d representing the rays of light falling at the required distance from the
distance reflectors up and down the street in opposite directions.
It will be obvious that the curve of these reflectors and of those hereinafter
mentioned is but slight and hence that in some cases straight reflectors might be
substituted.
In the case of street lamps in which a gas flame is used the upper distance
reflectors a are cut off a short distance from the chimney flue e where they intersect
with an arched reflector serving to reflect the light falling on them down on to the
lower distance reflectors on the opposite side whilst the other rays are reflected down
and serve to light the space beneath the lamp. In Fig. 3 lettersi i indicate glazed
portions of the bottom of the lantern whilst represents the usual hinged flap or door
used for lighting purposes.
In case of electric light being used as the illuminating agent, no chimney flue
being necessary the upper distance reflectors meet together in the centre as indicated
by the dotted lines g in Fig. 1 whilst the outer portion of the arched reflector is left
intact.
The upper distance reflectors a may be arched or curved from side to side according
to the width of street or place requiring to be lighted.
In the case of corner street lamps where the light is required to be thrown in four
directions or up and down the main and side streets the interior arrangement of the
lamp would be modified by having a double set of upper distance reflectors a and a¹
in the upper part of the lamp as indicated in inverted plan view Fig. 5 and also a
double set of lower distance reflectors 6 and as illustrated in plan view Fig. 6; the

page_text: bottom reflectors being cut away at the corners permitting the light to pass through
windows to light the space beneath the lamp; whilst corner reflectors / (of which
there may be three four five or more according to the number of angles or corners in
the lamp) are used at the top to throw the light downwards. I sometimes however
dispense with these corner reflectors and substitute therefor a downward reflector
going all round (as indicated by thick dotted lines marked in Fig. 1) and in this
manner I supply the light to the floor as indicated by the dotted lines y whilst the
light to and from the upper reflector a passes over this downward reflector. In this
case the upper distance reflector is continued all round and is more or less of annular
or radial construction.
Instead of the lower distance reflectors and an annular or radial reflector might
be used.
In Fig. 1 illustrate a modification (in section) of a lamp similar to that
illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 but in which the upper distance reflectors a are omitted
and the curved reflector (f) (which throws the light on to the lower distance-
reflector on the opposite side) is brought down to meet a downward reflector f¹.
In a lamp of this construction it will be observed that the combined reflectors may
also form the top of the lamp.
The foregoing improvements are applicable to gas, electric or oil lamps.
In Figs. 1 and 2 1 illustrate a metallic bracket or guide plate h fixed to the
bottom of the lantern of the gas lamp with a slot a formed in its face through
which the end of the lever of the gas tap projects. This bracket so situated
serves to guide the staff of the lamp-lighter in first turning on the gas tap and then
opening the lighting window j to ignite the burner, whilst it equally serves as a guide
for his staff in turning off the gas tap. If the lamp is lighted as in some cases
through a hanging side window counter-balanced by a weighted lever a similar
guide bracket might be used to direct the staff of the lamp-lighter first against the
counter balancing lever, so first turning on the gas and next opening the said
window.
My invention also embraces improvements in the corner bars or uprights which
support the edges of the glass in street and other similar lamps, these consist in
making the same of cross section illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 whereby 1 obtain great
strength and rigidity without unduly interfering with the light, the inner surfaces m
and n of which improved bars may be enamelled or otherwise utilised as reflecting
surfaces.
In Fig. 7 I illustrate the edges of the glass supported in grooves formed in the
bars whilst in Fig. 8 they are supported in rebates (which may also be made deeper
in case of requiring to bed the glass in putty) and held in position by an outer
beading a secured by set screws v.
26
As applied to gas oil or other lamps with a blank back or side to be placed
against the wall say for lighting railway platforms, narrow spaces or passages the
light falling on the back could be thrown sideways by reflectors similar to the
bottom reflectors as seen in sectional plan view Fig. 9 in which o o are the bottom
reflectors and Pp the side reflectors carried up to the top reflectors to reflect the
light sideways in both directions as herein before described. These back reflectors
may be used by themselves, or with either a top or bottom reflector or with both.
In Fig. 10 I illustrate a sectional view of my improvements applied to an
incandescent electric light lantern in which the upper and lower distance reflectors a
and (of annular form in one piece as illustrated or consisting of a series of
radial reflectors) surrounding the upper and lower parts of the glass bulb り of
the incandescent electric light whilst the lower part of the said bulb is further
utilised for reflecting the light down through a double concave lens which serves
to diffuse the rays. All the parts being by preference enclosed in a glased outer
casings of conical or other suitable shape and a glazed bottoms being provided to
further diffuse the light and which may be used or not as desired. An are or other
electric light might be substituted for the incandescent lamp y the reflectors being
modified accordingly.

page_text: This improved electric lantern can be rendered applicable for internal illuminating
purposes by altering the curve of the reflectors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1st. The improved combination and application of upper and lower distance
reflectors to street and other similar lamps substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
2nd. In electric lamps the employment of annular or radial upper and lower
reflectors and with or without a double concave lens in the base as and for the
purposes herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
3rd. In the construction of street and other lamps the employment of improved
corner bars or uprights substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
4th. The improved means of and apparatus for facilitating the lighting of street
lamps substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
Delhi 194
T
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.