Figure 34. — Tin torch, 

 shown in patent 270600, 

 January 16, 1883. 



issued 



Figure 35. — Pine-cone torch, 1884, 

 as shown in patent 15206, issued 

 August 5, 1884. 



Figure 36. — Combined torch and 

 battle ax, 1884, as shown in 

 patent 309370, issued December 

 16, 1884. 



TIN TORCH, 1880 Figure 32 



No example found. 



A second torch was patented by Hermenegilde 

 Prefontaine in 1880, securing the lamp at diametri- 

 cally opposite points above its center of gravity to the 

 end part of the two arms of a frame. In its middle, 

 the fraine has a socket, through which a pin pivots 

 and secures the frame to the handle. The object of this 

 invention is to keep the lamp and the bifurcated frame 

 always in a vertical position by having their weight 

 serve as a counterbalance. Through the end of the 

 arms of the supporting device are pivot perforations. 



The supporting frame, slightly offset, is made of 

 wrought or sheet metal, the lower portion being 

 reinforced by a V-shaped metal strap. The pin 

 around which the torch pivots passes through the 

 frame and strap and is fastened into the head of the 

 staff. The patentee claims this to be an improvement 

 over the method devised l)y Moritz Saulson in patent 

 183332, dated October 17, 1876, and assigned to 

 Minnie Saulson (fig. 23). Similar to this improve- 

 ment, Prefontaine devised a second improvement on the 

 same patent in which the V-shaped reinforcing strap 

 is replaced by a U-shaped single piece of metal bent at 

 the top and bottom to gi%'e it lips, but open on one 

 side and the ends. The pin passes through perfora- 

 tions in the lower portion of the metal strap and 

 through the lips into the staff. No patent models 

 were submitted to the Patent Office on these inventions. 



TIN TORCH, 1880 Figure 33 



No example found. 



This torch is approximately the saine as the one 

 illustrated in figure 32 with the exception of the shape 

 of the bowl, and is from the same patent drawing. 



TIN TORCH, 1883 Figure 34 



No example found. 



An improvement on the torch previously patented 

 in 1877 by James A. McPherson was made in 1883 

 when Henry McPherson of Troy, New York, devised 

 and assigned to James A. McPherson a change in the 

 supporting device. Mr. McPherson's in\'ention con- 

 sisted of an offset support, the lower portion of folded 

 metal (see fig. 34), which permitted it to be rotated 

 around the pole.^ 



PINE-CONE TORCH, 1 884 Figure 35 



No example found. 



The pine-tree state of Maine held many rallies for 

 their favorite son, James G. Blaine, and a torch 

 showing a pine cone was patented in 1884 by F. C. 

 Goodwin of Chelsea, Massachusetts. 



* The original patent claim was rejected in that it interfered 

 with one earlier patented by Prefontaine (patent 228476). 

 issued June 8, 1880, on torches. 



30 



BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



