IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC CONNECTIONS OF GAS CHANDELIERS, LANTERNS, OR PENDANTS.
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hugh Hughes, of Hatton Garden, in the
County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HYDRAULIC CONNECTIONS OF GAS CHANDELIERS, LANTERNS, OR PENDANTS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hugh Hughes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th October 1857.
I, RICHARD HUGH HUGHES, of Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC CONNECTIONS OF GAS CHANDELIERS, LANTERNS, OR
PENDANTS," to be as follows:-
With such gas connections it often happens that, by the breakage of the
chains or other bands supporting the counterbalance weights, the moveable
part of the pendant falls away from and becomes independent of the fixed part,
by which, not only is injury done to the fittings, but an escape of gas (if the gas
is at the time turned on) at once takes place, which if, as is often the case, it
happens in the night, is sometimes attended with serious consequences, and
one part of these improvements consists in the application of stopping appa-

page_text: ratus to these parts to prevent their separating under such circumstances,
and at the same time to stop the escape of gas.
For this purpose I provide the fixed tube of the hydraulic "pendant" with
a rim, and the outer tube of the moveable part with another rim to act with
that on the fixed tube. And I either form these rims conical or otherwise
ground at the parts capable of coming together, or I apply to one or both of
them leather or other suitable packing, which, when the parts come in contact,
will prevent the escape of the gas.
And to prevent the counterbalance weights detaching themselves altogether
from the pendant, in doing which, they often effect injury to the things they
fall on,
I construct these weights of the form of rings, or with rings attached
to them to embrace loosely the central or hydraulic stems, yet so as to be
readily taken over the same and the ornaments thereon, as required. I am
aware that the supporting weights of such hydraulic connections have had
weights formed to slide on those parts, but then such were made nearly to
fit the hydraulic tube, and were not capable of sliding over their external
ornaments.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Hugh Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
HUGH HUGHES, of Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Hugh Hughes, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Hugh Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Richard Hugh Hughes, my executors, administrators, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC CONNECTIONS OF GAS CHANDELIERS, LANTERNS, OR

page_text: PENDANTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard
Hugh Hughes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 im;
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained. in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
With such gas connections it often happens that, by the breakage of the
chains or other bands supporting the counterbalance weights, the moveable
part of the pendant falls away from and becomes independent of the fixed part,
by which, not only is injury done to the fittings, but an escape of gas (if the gas
is at the time turned on) at once takes place, which if, as is often the case, it
happens in the night, is sometimes attended with serious consequences, and
one part of these improvements consists in the application of stopping appa-
ratus to these parts to prevent their separating under such circumstances, and
at the same time to stop the escape of gas.
For this purpose I provide the fixed tube of the hydraulic "pendant" with
a rim, and the outer tube of the moveable part with another run to act with
that on the fixed tube. And I either form these rims conical or otherwise
ground at the parts capable of coming together, or I apply to one or both of
them leather or other suitable packing, which, when the parts come in contact,.
will prevent the escape of the gas.
:.
And to prevent the counterbalance weights detaching themselves altogether
from the pendant, in doing which they often effect injury to the things they
fall on, I construct these weights of the form of rings; or with rings attached
to them to embrace loosely the central or hydraulic: stems, yet so as to be
readily taken over the same and the ornaments thereon, as required. I am
aware that the supporting weights of such hydraulic connections have had
weights formed to slide on these parts, but then such were made nearly to fit
the hydraulic tube, and were not capable of sliding over their external orna-
ments.
But that the nature of these my improvements, and the means which I adopt:
in carrying them into effect, may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe.
the Drawing annexed

page_text: a is the
Figure 1 shows an external view of parts of a gas pendant, arranged
according to my improvements; Figure 2 is a section of the same.
outer, and b the inner tube of the sliding part of the pendant, and c is the fixed
part, of a character such as ordinarily employed, except that to the inside of
the tube a I apply a ring d, which in case of breakage of the chains or other
supporting meaus to such parts will, in descending, rest upon the ring e,
affixed on the outside of the stationary tube c, as more clearly shown by the
detached view of these parts at Figure 3, where the parts are represented as
having come in contact. I also prefer to form these parts with ground conical
surfaces at the parts to come in contact, or with leather or other suitable
material adapted to form a tight packing to prevent the escape of gas in cases
such as referred to. f, f, are the suspending chains, which pass over the
pulleys 9 in the ordinary manner, but in place of their being attached to
independent weights, which, in case of fracture to the chains, would become
detached, and in falling in all probability injure what they fell on, they are
attached to a ring h, which, in case of breakage of any or all of the chains,
would fall upon the lower part of the pendant and prevent the weights falling
further. In some cases I form the ring h, (or other connecting parts between
the weights,) sufficiently heavy to act as a counterbalance to the sliding parts
of the chandelier without additional weights.
I would, however, state I am aware that weighted rings, commonly called
"centre balance weights," have heretofore been used as counterbalance weights
to gas pendants, and the extent of sliding motion thereby obtained was necessarily
limited, but in such case the weights so employed were of form to fit, or
nearly so, to the tubes, and were not of size sufficient to pass over the water
cup or other ornaments thereon. It is, therefore, an essential peculiarity of
this part of my improvements that when a ring weight is thus employed, in
substitution of several weights, it is sufficiently large to pass over the water
cup or other ornaments on the tubes; and I form such ring, by preference,
open at the upper surface, to receive shot or other weight, as represented in
plan view, Figure 4, and sectional view, Figure 2; but in place of being
circular, as shown, it may be triangular, or of other form, and variously
ornamented.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise detail shown and described, as these may be varied

page_text: without departing from the peculiar character of the improvements; but what
I do claim is,―
First, the application of rings or other such like operating checking
means d and e, to gas pendants for the purpose explained.
Secondly, I claim the so arranging the weights or counterbalance of gas
pendants, or parts in connection therewith, that in case of breakage of the
chains or other such supporting means, such counterbalance may be prevented
from falling from the pendant, in manner substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hugh Hughes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
RICH. HUGH HUGHES. (LS.)
WILLIAM BROOKES, Patent Agent,
73, Chancery Lane, London.