Means or Apparatus for Effecting the Simulation of Flames of Fire for Spectacular Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1900-Accepted, 22nd Sept., 190C
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Means or Apparatus for Effecting the Simulation of Flames of Fire for
Spectacular Purposes.
I, IDA MAY FULLER, of Forest City, in the County of Winnebago and State
of Iowa, United States of America, Stage Artist, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is to provide means whereby a simulacrum of a
fierce fire may be produced upon a stage or elewhere without the possibility of
injury to the surroundings, or to any person appearing to be in the midst of the
flames and apparently handling the tongues of fire, or moving in close proximity
thereto. Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the
colouring of the illusory flames may be quickly and conveniently changed at
will during an act, without the colour-changing medium being visible to the
audience, although that portion of the stage at which the display is made is
visible to the whole of the audience.
Another object of the invention is to provide a smoke effect through the
same medium employed to furnish the representation of flames, and furthermore
to provide an illusion representing individual tongues of flame, any one of
which tongues may be separated from its fellows, and when released will auto-
matically return to the upright position and again form a part of the volume of
illusory fire.
According to my invention I employ a gridiron or screen which is applied to
an opening in the stage of any convenient size, streamers or strips of a trans-
lucent or transparent fabric which are attached to the screen and apparatus
placed beneath the stage to direct currents of air on to the streamers and
illuminate the same. The screen is preferably made of coarse gauze wire and
of an open mesh and provided with an uprising marginal flange. The said
strips are preferably tapering and have loops at their lower ends for attachment
to the wires of the gridiron or screen. They are of a colour approximating the
colour of a flame, for example, a dark red colour, a light red, or a salmon colour
or any intermediate shade; and if desired some of the strips may be coloured
differently from the others or be of various shades. These strips are entirely
free above the point to which they are attached, and are capable of waving,
fluttering or curling when subjected to a suitably directed blast of air. This
blast of air is produced through the medium of fans which would generally be
electrically operated, arranged in a single group and inclined towards the centre
of the space surrounded by them. The centre of this space is prac-
tically in vertical alignment with the central portion of the screen,
and the fans are mounted upon a suitable base to which they are
pivotally connected so that the position of the fans may be changed as
may be found necessary. For example, the position of the fans may be changed

page_text: so that the volume of the streamers may be carried to one side or to the other, or
to the front or to the rear, or the fans may be so adjusted that the streamers
will be given a vertical position. The streamers are placed sufficiently close
together to collectively form a column or volume of strips when the strips are
under the influence of the air supply, but the spaces between the said strips are
sufficiently great to permit each individual strip to wave independently in front
of or at the back or side of an adjacent strip.
The illusion of fire is produced by directing rays of light upward through the
screen and upon and through the mass of waving strips. This light would
usually be supplied through the medium of an are light located within a casing
located below the stage and below the screen, the inner face of the casing being
preferably a reflecting surface, and inclined in a manner to direct the light to
the central portion of the screen. Various colours or shades of colour may
be imparted to the light supplied to the strips or streamers, thus indicating the
changes of colour in a leaping flame, and this change of colours is obtained by
passing a frame which contains a transparent suitably coloured pane of glass,
gelatine, or a similar material over the top of the casing.
Guides are provided for the coloured screens, but it is preferable to simply pass
them to and fro over the top of the casing as an operator may then hold a screen
of one colour in one hand and a screen of another colour in the other hand, and
alternately pass them over the light, or carry the two in the path of the light
whenever desired, and in this manner effect changes more rapidly than when
guides are provided.
I produce a smoke effect preferably by either darkly colouring the edges of
sundry of the strips, or attaching to sundry of the main strips a strip of very
dark slate or smoke colour.
The effect of sparks is obtained by introducing small bits of paper, cardboard
or the like, suitably coloured, between the currents of air and the screen or
gridiron, the currents of air carrying these pieces up through the meshes of the
gridiron, the pieces as soon as they are freed from the influence of the air blast
falling to the stage where their smooth surfaces and glittering colour will
continue to sparkle when the light is turned on or changed.
Dated this 24th day of November 1899
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Means or Apparatus for Effecting the Simulation of Flames of Fire for
Spectacular Purposes.
I, IDA MAY FULLER, of Forest City, in the County of Winnebago and State
of Iowa, United States of America, Stage Artist, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the effect of a fierce
fire may be produced upon a stage, or else where without the possibility of
injury to the surroundings or to any person appearing to be in the midst of the
flames and apparently handling the tongues of fire or moving in close proximity
thereto.

page_text: Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the colouring of
the illusory flames may be quickly and conveniently changed at will during an
act without the color-changing medium being visible from any portion of the
auditorium, including the galleries, although the portion of the stage at which
the display is made may be visible to all of the audience.
Another object of the invention is to provide a smoke effect through the same
medium employed to furnish the representation of flames, and, furthermore, to
provide an illusion representing individual tongues of flames, any one of which
tongues may be separated from its fellows and when released will automatically
return to an upright position and again form a part of the volume of illusory fire.
The invention consists in the novel construction of the several parts, as will be
hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a' stage, parts being broken away, illustrat-
ing the application of the appliance. Figure 2 is a vertical section through that
portion of the stage at which the illusory fire is produced, showing the streamers
employed in upright position, also illustrating a portion of the apparatus em-
ployed for illuminating the streamers and maintaining them upright. Figure 3
is a plan view of that portion of the stage at which the illusory fire is produced,
the streamers being removed: and Figure 4 is a detail view illustrating the
manner in which the streamers are attached to their supports.
A represents the stage-floor, and B a platform or floor beneath the stage, a
suitable space intervening between the two. The stage A is provided with an
opening, at which opening a gridiron or screen 10 is secured, serving as a partial
cover for said opening. This gridiron or screen is preferably made of wire, the
wire and meshes being coarse, and preferably a shield in the shape of a
vertical flange 11 is placed at the front and sides of the opening in the stage-
floor at which the gridiron or screen 10 is located.
Strips 12 of a translucent or a transparent fabric are employed, the said
strips being preferably tapering, although they may be given any desired shape,
and these strips have loops 13 formed at their lower ends, which loops receive
the wires of the gridiron or screen 10 as shown in Figure 2. These strips 12 are
of a color approximating the color of a flame-as, for example, they may be of
a dark-red color, a light red, or a salmon color, or may be of any intermediate
shade and, if desired some of the strips may be colored differently from the
others or be of various shades. These strips are entirely free above the point
to which they are attached and are capable of waving, fluttering, or curling
when subjected to a suitably-directed blast of air. This blast of air is produced
through the medium of fans 13" of any desired character: but the fans usually
employed are electrically operated. The fans are shown as three in number
although a greater or a less number may be employed. These fans are arranged
in a single group, and their axes are inclined toward each other. The centre
of this space is practically in vertical alignment with the central portion of the
gridiron or screen 10, to which the streamers or strips 12 are secured. The fans
are mounted upon a suitable base 15 being pivotally connected with the base,
so that the position of the fans may be changed as may be found necessary to
direct the streamers 12 in a proper direction. For example, the position of the
fans may be changed so that the volume of the streamers may be carried to one
side or the other or to the front or to the rear, or the fans may be so adjusted that
the streamers will be given a vertical position. .
In the drawings the electric fans are shown as supplied with electricity
through the medium of suitably-connected wires 14, leading from any source of
electric supply. I desire it to be understood that the streamers 12 are placed
sufficiently close together to collectively form a column or volume of strips when
the strips are under the influence of the air-supply: but the spaces between the

page_text: said strips are sufficiently great to permit each individual strip to wave inde-
pendently in front of or at the back or side of an adjacent strip.
The illusion of fire is produced by directing rays of light upward through the
screen or gridiron and upon and through the mass of waving strips 12. This
light is usually supplied through the medium of an arc light, the connections 16
whereof only are shown in the drawings, and this lamp is located within a
casing 17, placed below the stage and below the gridiron or screen 10, the said
casing, whose inner face is preferably a reflecting surface, being inclined in a
manner to direct the light to the central portion of the screen or gridiron 10.
Various colors or shades of color may be imparted to the light supplied to
the strips or streamers, thus indicating the changes of colors in a leaping
flame, and this change of colors is obtained by passing a frame 18 over the
top of the casing 17 of a light, which frame contains a transparent suitably
colored pane 19 of glass, gelatine, or a similar material.
While guides are provided for the colored screens 18, I prefer to operate
these screens by hand, simply passing them to and fro over the top of the
casing 17 of the light. Under this arrangement an operator may hold a screen
of one color in one hand, and a screen of another color in the other hand and
alternately pass them over the light or carry the two in the path of the light
whenever desired, and in this manner changes may be more rapidly made than
when guides are provided for these color-screens.
I produce a smoke effect preferably to either darkly coloring the edges of
sundry of the strips 12, as shown at 12" in Figure 4, or by attaching to the
longitudinal edges of sundry of the main strips 12 a strip of very dark smoke or
slate color, and usually these additional strips are applied to the outermost
strips 12 of the series, as is likewise the additional coloring when employed.
The effect of sparks is obtained by introducing small bits of paper, cardboard,
or the like 20, suitably colored, between the currents of air and the screen or
gridiron, whereupon the said currents of air will carry these small pieces of
colored material up through the meshes of the gridiron, and as soon as they
are freed from the influence of the air-blast the said pieces will fall to the
stage, where their smooth surfaces and glittering color will continue to sparkle
when the light is turned on or changed on the screen or gridiron. The whole
effect described is preferably produced when the room or apartment is darkened
to a greater or a less degree.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:—
1. In stage appliances, an open-work base, streamers attached to said base, and
means for directing currents of air to the base and for illuminating streamers
through the base.
2. In stage appliances, a foraminated structure, streamers connected thereto,
fans beneath the foraminated structure, arranged to concentrate air-currents
thereon, and an illuminating device the delivery whereof is directed to the
aforesaid foraminated structure.
3. In stage appliances, a foraminated structure, streamers connected at one
end to the said structure, fans grouped beneath, the foraminated structure, having
their axes inclined in direction of each other and the centre of said structure,
supports on which the fans are adjustably mounted, a reflector inclined in
direction of the central portion of the foraminated structure, and a light within
the said reflector.
4. In stage appliances, a foraminated structure, streamers connected at one
end to the said structure, fans grouped beneath the foraminated
structure, said fans being in circular arrangement and having their
axes inclined in direction of each other and the centre of said structure,
supports upon which the fans are adjustably mounted, a reflector inclined in

page_text: direction of the central portion of the foraminated structure, a light within the
said reflector, and colored screens adapted to be passed over the said reflector,
enabling the light directed to the streamers to be changed in color or shade
at the will of the operator.
100
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.