Framing Window Prism Lights by Under-cutting the Corners and Depositing Metal therein.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Framing Window Prism Lights by Under-cutting the Corners and
Depositing Metal therein.
I, JOHN MEIGGS EWEN, of No. 1129 The Rookery, Chicago, County of Cook,
State of Illinois, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 prismatic plates or plates comprising a series of prism
lights and to means for framing the same. It is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a view of a series of prism lights gathered together within a frame,
the parts being placed in position ready to be secured together;
Figure 2 is an elevation of a complete prism plate;
Figure 3 is a section therethrough on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.
Like parts are indicated by the same letter in all the figures.
A is a surrounding channel bar frame piece into which a filler frame of wood B
may be let, the latter being made of any desired size or shape so as to cause the
complete device to properly fill the window or aperture. This frame may be put
together by mitering the corners or otherwise, as indicated, the parts being
properly secured together in any desired manner. It is then laid down upon a
suitable table or bed C. The several prism lights are then arranged in the proper
position within the frame and the warps or ribbon-like strips C running in one
direction are laid in position between the prism lights and the ties D or similar
short strips are laid in the opposite directions between the prism lights. Thus
the parts are brought into the relation shown in Figure 1. The corners of the
prism lights are cut off slightly, as indicated at E, and then indented, as indicated
by dotted lines at F. This leaves a little square aperture or opening about the
point of junction of the warps and ties. Of course these warps and ties may be
each made of a long strip, each being cut half way across and the shorter parts
being fitted together, if desired, though in some cases this would not be the best
form. The frame, or as I have called it, net, in the meshes of which so to speak
the prism lights are laid, may be made up in any desired manner from warps
and ties or from short and long strips or otherwise. The indentation in the
surface of the edge of the prism light having been formed, it is evident that if a
substance, such as solder, be deposited or forced into the aperture about the junction
of the warps and ties, it will fill the square opening, unite the warps
and ties and enter the indentations or grooves, thus holding every-
thing in position and making a complete plate by uniting the several parts of the
frame so as to form a sort of grid or net and by uniting to such net the several
sections or prism lights. I prefer to use solder for this purpose and this when used
on the points where the warps and ties engage, the inside edge of the middle
frame, will result in fastening the parts together at that point also. If now,
after the parts have been so united to form the prism plate, it is thought best
to further secure the joints, the entire product may be immersed in an electrolytic
bath and be there treated in any of the well-known ways for the application of

page_text: the electro-glazing process. While this method is applicable to any sort of glass
or tile sections, intended to be united into a plate, it is peculiarly applicable to
prismatic lights and is intended by me particularly for that purpose.
I have illustrated prism lights rectangular in cross-section, but it is evident that
my invention is equally applicable to various shapes of prism lights. The squares
here shown as cut out or formed at the corners of the prism lights may be of any
desired size, but probably ought to be much smaller than indicated in the
proportions of the drawing. Moreover, the solder is shown in an excessive
quantity. It need not extend beyond the surface of the body of the prism light on
either side. When the parts are all laid securely on a table, it will not of course
form in any considerable quantity on the plain sides of the prisms, and if it so
forms there, it can be removed without danger to the plate so as to leave that
surface smooth and plain. By leaving this aperture or cavity between the
corners of the prism lights and about the members of the grid, net or frame, there
is room for the introduction of solder in the indentations, resulting in the formation
of a mass at this point which will hold the parts together without projecting on
either side of the surface of the body of the prism lights. I have shown inden-
tations but of course projections could be employed. The main point is that
this mass of material or solder secures a hold on the prism lights between the two
opposite surfaces of each of such lights.
In Figure 2 I have shown the mass of solder as not even covering the outer edges
of the members of the grid, while in Figure 3 I have shown this mass as covering
such outer edges and extending over onto the surfaces of the prism light bodies.
In some cases, of course there would be some solder on the surfaces of the grid
members, but in most cases this would be very slight.
The mass of material to be deposited at the corners may be placed there in any
desired manner and the indentation may be of any desired shape or thickness,
indeed in some instances a roughening of the surface of the edge where the corner
has been cut off will be sufficient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
-
1. A prism plate comprising a series of prism lights, a net-like frame in the meshes
of which the prism lights lie, said prism lights reduced and indented at the
corners of such meshes, a mass of solder about the corners of the meshes and filling
the space between the same and the lights and in the indentations, and a mass of
electrically deposited metal between the sections of the net and the edges of the
prism lights and over the surface of such solder.
2. A prism plate comprising a series of prism lights and a series of frame
pieces, said prisms reduced at the junction of the frame pieces and indented and
deposited metal about the junction of the frame pieces and in such indentation,
so as to hold the parts together.
3. A prism plate comprising a series of prism lights each cut off and indented
at the corner and a grid or frame with a mass of material at each corner, said
material binding the portions of the grid together and projecting into the inden-
tations of the prism lights to hold them in position.
4. A prism plate consisting of prism sections or lights with reduced corners,
interposed frame pieces and deposited metal at the corners, the whole shaped
and proportoned as described so as to produce the result set out.
Dated this 13th dow of T... 1007
Dated this 19th day
1007
For the Applicant.
W. LLOYD WISE;
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.