The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (December 1902)

35 THE OPTICAL Clearly then all [had to do was to adopt some means of knowing when there was just suflicient. [ther to thoroughly saturate the oxygen without excess, and also to avoid having too little. [ putin new cotton wool and put the Saturator together and then weighed it. ‘Chis gave me the minimuin weivht. Next J tiled it very full-—ilowed it to stand atime so that the cotton wool shonld be thoroughly soaked, and then ee on the pressure of oxygen “and hlew out all excess of Ether until the gas was quite dry as it issued from the nipple. I mes w ‘eighed the appar atus again and recorded on the ] cotton of it its full w eight when properly charged. Sinee then TL have had no difliculty unless | neglect. to observe this precaution. Up to the close of last winler scason my record is five hundred and twenty exhibitions. ‘lwo lundred and seventy With the Saturator and no difficulty. AC first my practiGe was to get the lantern ready first and see that the light would act, but for the last two or three seasons f do not trouble as Dinake a practice of Alling the Saturator hy weight and lind it always satisfactory L think the makers should adopt the practice of engraving prominently oa cach Saturator the full weight when ¢ charge lo They tellus that the charge is a certain unount, but the difficulty to the user is toascertain how much isin the Saturator when he begins filling, and the suggestion as to the length of time it had heen used on the “last occasion JS very misleading, as sometimes a aser may require a strong light and at another Gime only a much less light w ith “corresponding coustnption of Ether. Another difficulty T bad was with ny regulator on the gas eylinder. Studying eeonomy £ at first had the cheaper form of screw down valve reeulator but found the pressure so varying that | was commellod to adopt an automatic one, and chose Beard’s. This remeved the whole of that difliculty, and {now go forth happy in the full confidence of Knowing that my apparatus will not fail me. ‘My andiences in this connection are of course not large. and L donot require more than about an $ or 9-fb. ise, so for economy Luse a small sized Saturator, Jut t also have one of very large capacity which gives a Iniiant pieture of any possible size required. “Phis is as suceessful as the other, and though only an amateur T have been complimented by lecturers for whom have shewn slides on the brillinnee of the Heht. fi your note you mention the word “dane Uf this refers to visk of injury to either exhibitor or audience from, say an explosion, | can only give an opinion, as T have never found any danger bo exist. Judging from their construction and manner of working | should say that no danger whatever is possible. The makers leave no vacant spaces for the accumulation of explosive mixtures in the interior, and the smell amount in the mixing chamber can escape through the nipple. I have liad a large overtlow of Ether in full fiame With no harm follow! ing. Lonce bought a second-hand one which reyuired repair—teok it to picees and when testing it fonnd that it leaked at a joint when under pressure. To prove this Lapplied alight re peatedly and hlew it out—no barm followed. ‘This test is conclusive that itis safer than any other form of light, for it is always recognised that a light should not be employed to detect an escape of inflummable gas from any apparatus, My experience corresponds with yours, Sir, that Ether Saturators are good things, and far more convenient aud effective than any other light for frequent use, especially where ceonomy of time in) preparation tor a lecture or exhilition is a consideration, and there is no smell, noise or dirt in their use, STEPHEN BEKson, MLRLCLY.S,. MAGIC filled the saturitor LANTERN JOURNAL. Mr. EpiroR—DEAR SIR, If my experience of ‘Saturator is of any use to you, you are ywite welcome to it. Yours truly—Gg0. Poour. A few years since, having purchased a C eat ak and finding sowe films did not show up so well as L considered they should do--with Acetylene—I aren ina Lime-light) out!ts, viz:—eylinder for oxygen and a Willway & Sons’ pendant Saturator, with all the latest Improvements, which T thought would be safest—being kept oa the lantern. At last, after a few private rehearsals, T had to appear in public asx a Lime-light operator, at a RTS. Lecture. T had filled saturator with ether at home, and having fitted all up at the room, progceded to light, when | fonnd it answered admit: ubly. L then turned off and waited arrival of lecturer, who at last caine and began finding fanlt—screen was too sinall (a Sft. silver one which nearly reached the eciling) and Jantern was toc near screen! [ told him L was using a fowr-inch front lense, and the picture would {ill the screen. So everything proceeded and went very well with a beantiful Hght, and not somuch asa pop. The lecturer congratulated ime at the end. Thad one mishap some time afterwards, at whieh the saturator stood the test well. 1 was merely trying a few fresh pictures, and had only put in a small ynantity of ether, intending to keep in light but a short time, but, being interested, I Went on, Ww vhen things did not seem to he golug swoothly, { put ont Hight and emptied in some lore ether, and was about to proceed again, when, on putting the mateh to jet—bang ! an explosion ensued. LT immediately shut off osygen and began to examine things. 1 found the iudia-rubber tubing, which led from saturator to hydrogen side of jet, wax blown to ribbons, but no other part whatever was injured, The ether being all consuined, the oxygen got in the wrong channels. t have always since. It works splendidly and without the least trouble. Lalways pour back all ether from saturator into can after an exhibition, and blow out with cycle inflator. pea to Correspondents. GW f/f. writes:—T have au Aladin Acetylene lamp for Nie it wants repairing, can you tell me where L can get it done, or where Ll can purchase another, 1 have asked wy dewer, but he does not know the make. Ansuer Send it to Wm. T vlar, +1, High Street, Aston, he is the maker and will no donht do what ix nect uy. This lainp was withdrawn from sale x some two years ago, in favour of the ‘Dreadnought,’ which is much superior. Your dealer is not very much up-to-date, or he would know the make, it was advertised cnough. Patent Intelligence. Compiled expressly for this Journal by Messrs. Wo DP. Thompson & Co., Chartered. Patent Agents, 322, Ligh Nalborn, London, W.C., and at Liverpool, to whom all enguiries should be addressed. No. Recent PATENT [NTELLIGENCE. 22,423 Tuprovements in cinematographs and like ap> paratus for the projection of — kinetosopic pictures. =P. JE. Meyer, Liverpool Street, London, Oct. 15th, 1902 (Complete. ) 22,808 Optical lantern for use with Nermst lamps. M. Solomon and E.G. Sheppard. Oet. 20th, 1902. 309) Apparatus for using the Nerust light in optical or magic lanterns, fF. Selomon and bk. G. Sheppard. OQet. 2uth, 1902.