US901354A - Scenic effect. - Google Patents

Description

DE WITT H. LEAS.

SCENIC EFFECT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1908.

901,354. Patented Oct. 20, 1908. I

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DE WITT H. LEAS, OF DELAWARE, OHIO.

SCENIC EFFECT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Application filed January 8, 1908. Serial No. 409,799.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DE WITT H. LEAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Delaware, in the county of Delaware and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scenic Effects, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of scenic effects of that class which are adapted for use in secret societies, theatrical productions etc., and the objects of my invention are to provide a mechanism embodying automatic means for producing the effect on the eye of the observer o'f the flight of a ball or body of fire descending through space and to produce certain improvements in details of construction and arrangement of parts which will aid in completing the illusion and which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my improved device, Fig. 2 is a front view thereof, Fig. 3 is a plan view, Fig. 4 is an enlarged central section of the fire ball or body, and, Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner of connecting the supporting wire with an inflammable cord section.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a casing or housing 1, the forward side of which is open as shown. This casing or housing which may be formed of wood or other suitable material, is provided with a lining 2 of metal or other non-inflammable material. At the base of the housing 1 in rear and at one side thereof, I provide a channel-like extension 3 which is designed to support the desired number of electric batteries 4 and likewise to support a suitable spark coil 5. In the floor of the housing 1, I provide a depression or opening in which is seated a pan body 6, the latter having its upper surface flush with the floor of the housing and perforated as indicated at 7.

8 represents a metal pin or bolt which passes through the upper portion of the rear wall of the housing 1 and the inner end of which has secured thereto one end of a wire 9, the latter being of considerable length and when not under tension being in the nature of a spring coil such as is illustrated in'dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The wire 9 passes loosely through a central tube 10 of a metallic body 10 which may be of any desired outline, but which preferably is of a substantially ball form. In the drawing, this body is shown with a flattened rear or upper side portion and has the greater portion of its surface covered with an absorbent though non -inflammable material such as asbestos fiber which is indicated at 11. As shown in the drawing, the outer end of the wire 9 is connected with a comparatively short section of cord 12, the latter being connected with a post, pin or other suitable fixed body 13 located at a considerable distance below and in front of the housing. In making the connection between the wire 9 and cord section 12, I preferably produce a hook-like termination 9 in said wire, into engagement with which said cord is looped, the rearwardly turned end of the hook being cased in one end of a sleeve 13 which surrounds the wire adjacent to the outer end of the cord. When the wire is thus stretched between the post 13 and the inner end of the bolt 8, it presents as shown in full lines, a substantially straight line of wire.

The body 10 is normally supported on the wire in the upper and inner end portion of the housing, through the medium of a cord 14, the central portion of which engages a notched lug 10 at the front of the body 10 and the ends of which are secured to the side walls of the housing.

Supported from the upper side of the housing, is a fuel tank or reservoir 15 from the lower portion of which an outlet conduit 16 leads to a chamber 17, from the bottom of which lead through the upper side of the housing and its lining immediately over the suspended body 10, the desired number of discharge nozzles 18. As shown, the conduit 16 is intercepted by a suitable rotary valve 19. With the handle of this valve which is shown at 19 may be connected one end of an operating cord 20 which passing through an eyepiece 21 proj ecting from the tank 15, extends downward over one side of the housing 1.

As shown in the drawing, the battery cells 1 are connected in the usual manner, and one pole of one of the outer cells, is connected through the medium of a wire 22 with one of the contact points of a circuit closing button or switch 23. The remaining contact point of this button or switch, is through a wire 24 connected with one post of the spark coil 5. The opposing post of this sparkcoil is connected through the wire 25, with the proper pole of the other outer battery cell. This wire 25 has leading therefrom a wire 26, which connects with the bolt 28. From a post at the forward end of the spark coil leads a wire 27, the

remaining end of which is connected with a, metallic plug or pin 28 which passes through one side of the housing 1 and which on the normally supported in the upper portion inner side of said housing has pivotally con nected therewith a swinging metallic arm 29, the inner end of which 1s adapted to be,

means for supplying an inflammable subswung into close proximity with the body 10.

The manner of utilizing my invention to produce the effect set forth in the opening paragraph of this specification, is as follows: Assuming that the parts are in the positions indicated in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, and that the tank or reservoir 15 is filled with alcohol or other similar inflammable fluid, the valve 19 is moved to the open position by pulling downward on the cord 20, thus permitting the fluid to descend through the nozzles 18 on to the material which covers the body 10. IVhen this covering is sufliciently saturated, the closing of the electric circuit through the batteries and spark coil, which is accomplished by operating the button or switch 23, results through the connections heretofore described in electrically charging the bolt 8, wire 9 and the metallic body 10 and in also charging the swinging arm 29, thereby causing an electric spark to form between the end of said arm 29 and the metallic body 10. The formation of this spark results in the alcohol with which the covering of the body 10 is saturated, being ignited and the flame thus produced operates to burn through the cord 1 1, thereby releasing the body 10 and permitting the latter to slide rapidly downward onthe wire over the sleeve 13 and on to the cord section 12 until it contacts with the post or other body 5 13.. It is obvious that the flame from said body, will ignite and burn through the cord 12, thus permitting the wire '9 to contract into its normal coiled form, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. l.

It will be understood that when the above described operation is carried out in a darkened or semi-darkened room, the effect on the eye of the observer will be that of a ball of fire descending through space from above.

It is obvious that the flame on the fire carrying body 10 may be utilized when the body has completed its downward movement, in igniting conveniently placed inflammable material such as material for producing colored fire lights etc., thus adding to the'scenic effect produced.

It .will be understood that the pan-like body 6 in the bottom of the housing is de signed to catch and hold liquid drippings from the body 10.

WVhat I claim, is:

1. In a mechanism of the character de- Scribed, the combination with a wire having its ends secured at points one above the other, of a body slidably'mounted on said wire and thereof, a covering for said body comprising an absorbent and non-inflammable material,

stance to said covering, means for igniting said substance, and means for releasing said body from its normal positionwhereby it is permitted to slide downward on the wire.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a wire having its ends secured at points one above the other, a body slida'bly mounted .on said wire and having a covering of absorbent non-inflammable material, means for supplying an inflammable substance to said covering, a support for said ball composed of inflammable material, and means for igniting the said inflammable substance.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination .with a normally coiled wire, means for supporting said wire in a straight line between upper and lower fastening points and a section of inflammable cord interposed in said line, of a body adapted to receive an inflammable substance mounted to slide on said wire, means for supplying an inflammable substance to said body, an inflammable cord normally holding said body on the upper portion of the wire, and means for igniting said inflammable substance.

4-. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a wire having its ends secured at points one above the other, means for supporting said wire in a straight line between upper and lower fastening points and a section of inflammable cord interposed in said line, of a fuel receiving body, said body mounted to slide on'said wire, readily destructible means for normally supporting said body in the upper portion of said wire, means for supplying an inflammable fluid to said body, and means for creating an electric spark adjacent to said body.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DE IVITT H. LEAS.

\Vitnesses C. C. SHEPHERD, L. CARL S'roUcHroN.

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