IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRES POR SUPPORTING SWINGING MIRRORS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS, PATENT to James Soutter, senior, Toy Merchant and Manu-
facturer, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRES POR SUPPORTING SWINGING
MIRRORS"
Sealed the 20th July 1866, and dated the 25th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Soutter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
January 1866.
I, JAMES SOUTTER, senior, Toy Merchant aud Manufacturer, of Edinburgh,
in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRES FOR SUPPORTING SWINGING
MIRRORS," to be as follows, that is to say :--
This Invention relatesto the constructingofcentres for supporting swinging
mirrors in an improved and simplified manner, and so as to dispense with
external adjustment without liability to wear loose.
In carrying out the Invention there is fitted into the side of the standardor
supporting frame a plate bored to receive and fit upon the centre pin, which
is held by a plate fixed to the mirror frame. The centre pin is conical or
has a head formed on it, and it is entered into the standard plate from the
inside before that plate is fixed in the standard or supporting frame. The
projecting part of the pin is entered through a hole in the mirror plate, and

page_text: strong blade or other spring is then fixed inside this plate in such a way as
by acting on notches or shoulders on the pin to draw the pin strongly inwards.
The mirror is then placed in position within the standards or supporting frame,
and the mirror plate is fixed in its place by screws. The spring produces
sufficient friction to hold the mirror in any position in which it may be set
by drawing the pin tight in the standard plate, and by at the same time
drawing that plate closely in contact with the mirror plate. No ordinary wear
of the rubbing surfaces will lessen the pressure of the spring, and the joint
will thus not wear loose nor require readjustment by external thumbscrews
or otherwise. The parts described as fixed to the standard and mirror frame
respectively may obviously be transposed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Soutter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SOUTTER, senior, Toy Merchant and Manufacturer, of Edinburgh, in the
County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Soutter, senior, Her special licence that I, the said
James Soutter, senior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Soutter, senior,iny 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 law-
fully 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRES FOR SUPPORTING SWINGING MIRRORS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Soutter, senior,myexecutors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly 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 mouths next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Soutter, senior, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the constructing of centres for supporting
swinging mirrors in an improved and simplified manner, and so as to dispense
with external adjustment without liability to wear loose.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing my
Improved centres.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a swinging mirror fitted with my improved
centres, the centres and adjacent parts being shown in section, and the
modification at one side differing slightly from that at the other side.
Figures 2 to 7, represent 'separate parts and are herein-after specially
referred to.
In carrying out mysaid Invention there is fitted into the side of the standard
or supporting frame piece I a plate or casting 2, shown in face view in
Figure 2, and which is bored out to receive and fit upon the centre pin 3,
shown in side and end view in Figure 4. This centre pin 3 is held by a plate 5
shown in face view in Figure 3, and which is fixed to the mirror fraine 4.
The centre pin 3 is conical or has ahead formed on it, and it is entered into
the standard plate 2 from the inside before that plate is fixed in the supporting
frame or standard 1. The projecting part of the centre pin 3 is entered
through a hole in the mirror plate 5; the hole and corresponding part of the
pin being square to prevent the pin from turning, or the pin may be prevented
from turning in any other simple way. A strong blade or other spring 6 is
fixed to the inside of the mirror plate 5, so as to draw the centre pin 3
inwards, either acting on notches or shoulders formed on the pin, or as
shown on a nut 7 screwed on the end of the pin 3. In the modification
represented at the left-hand side of the Drawing a blade spring 6 is shown
as used for acting on the centre pin 3, whilst in the modification represented
at the right-hand side a spiral spring is shown.
Figures 5 and 6 are face views of the plates or castings 5 and 2 used with
the spiral spring, whilst in Figure 7 a modification of the centre pin 3 is shown
in side and end viewwith the middle part made flaton one side only to prevent
turning, instead of being square. When the standard plates 2, with the centre
pins 3 inserted in them and connected to the mirror plates 5, are fixed in their

page_text: places the mirror is placed in position within the standards or supporting frame,
and the mirror plates 5 are fixed in their places by screws. The springs 6
produce sufficient friction to hold the mirror in any position in which it may
be set by drawing the centre pins 3 tight in their sockets in the standard
plates 2, and by at the same time drawing those plates closely in contact with
the mirror plates 5. No ordinary wear of the rubbing surfaces will lessen the
pressure of the springs, and the joint will thus not easily wear loose nor
require readjustment by external thumbscrews or otherwise. The parts
described asfixed to the standard and mirror frame respectively may obviously
be transposed.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the constructing and
arranging of centres for supporting swinging mirrors, substantially as herein
described and delineated, so that the frictional resistance to turning is main-
tained by springs, notwithstanding wear of the contact surfaces.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Soutter, senior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JAMES SOUTTER, SENIOR. (L.S.)