Figure 40. — Tin torch, 1884, as 

 shown in patent 305377, issued 

 September 16, 1884. 



Figure 41. — Tin torch witli 

 staclcing attachment, 1884, as 

 shown in patent 29941 1, 

 issued May 27, 1884. 



Figure 42. — Double-swinging 

 glass-bowl torch, 1885, as 

 shown in patent 316440, 

 issued April 28, 1885. 



consisting of a long tube case with a handle, used for 

 the purpose of carrying it in a procession. It made a 

 brilliant colored illumination along the line of march, 

 burning blue, red, or green and lasting about fifteen 

 minutes. Carried in the hand at a slight incline, they 

 were claimed to be undoubtedly the best thing for 

 the purpose ever introduced and were "just the thing 

 for lawn illuminations." 



TIN TORCH, 1884 Figure 40 



No example found. 



This torch was patented by John Dunlap and 

 Ewalt Riedel of Pittsi^urgh, Pennsylvania, in 1884, 

 and assigned to John Dunlap." It contains an im- 

 provement in the arrangement and construction of 

 devices for securing the frame of the lamp to the 

 stock. The supporting device is fastened on the bot- 

 tom to a hollow metallic cup having one end closed 

 by the convex piece. The other and open end of the 

 socket fits over the end of the torch pole and is 

 secured by a rivet. A bolt fastens the supporting 

 arms to the cup. No patent model was submitted to 

 the Patent Office for this patent. 



' The original patent request on torches interfered with a 

 claim already met by McPherson (patent 270600), issued 

 January 6, 1883, and Hammer (patent 232265), issued .Septem- 

 ber 15, 1880. 



TIN STACKING TORCH, 1 884 Figure 41 



No example found. 



James A. McPherson of Brunswick, New York, in 

 1884, further improved on his patents of 1877 and 

 1883 (see p. 30), when he developed a torch which 

 could be stacked like military arnis.^ The torch 

 frame consisted of a single piece of wire, bent at one 

 end to support the torch and coiled in the middle. 

 The nail or pin passed through the coiled portion to 

 fasten it to the carrying pole. The other end of the 

 torch frame contained a hook. With this device, three 

 or more of the torches could be stacked when not being 

 carried in the parade. No patent model was sub- 

 mitted with the recjuest for a patent. 



DOUBLE-SWINGING 



Fisure 42 



GLASS-BOWL TORCH, 1 885 



No example found. 



This torch was patented by Charles L. Belts of 



' Claims 1 and 4 of the original patent request were denied 

 in that they infringed upon patents on torches earlier obtained 

 by McPherson (patent 270600), issued January 16, 1883, and 

 Saulson (patent 188332), issued October 17, 1876, also on 

 torches. One new invention claimed by McPherson was the 

 employment of one arm instead of two in the supporting device. 

 Another feature was the room saved in packing, for the old type 

 with the bifurcated arms occupied twice as much space. 



32 



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



