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Sunburst Prism Light Co.
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Sunburst Prism
"SUNBURST" PRISM
(Patented)

Location: New York

  • "Office and Factory, Scholes and Waterbury Streets, Brooklyn, NY" · 1908
  • "Universal Iron Foundry, 283-287 Scholes St., Brooklyn" · 1909
  • "New York Office, 78-80 Broad Street" · 1910
  • "office and factory at 61 DeKalb av., Brooklyn" · 1912
  • "154 Nassau St., New York" · 1912
  • "No. 243 South 10th Street, Philadelphia" · 1912

Timeline:

  • 1909 · "Sunburst Prism Light Co. Incorporates" in Delaware
  • 1910 · Annual Financial Report [Delaware]
  • 1910 · Sweet's Catalogue of Building Construction
  • 1912 · "[WANTED] EXPERIENCED salesman in vault lights, for New York and vicinity. Apply Sunburst Prism Company, 243 South 10th st., Philadelphia" —The New York Herald, January 28, 1912
  • 1912 · "THE SUN-BURST PRISM COMPANY, manufacturers of prismatic light systems for vaults, sidewalks, doors, skylights, etc., recently opened an office and factory at 61 DeKalb av., Brooklyn." —Real estate record and builders' guide, v.89 #2301, April 20, 1912
  • 1912 · "The Sun-Burst Prism Co., 154 Nassau St., New York, is contemplating opening a shop to take care of the increased business in and about New York. This concern manufactures the only system of vault lights and skylights having 100% underneath surface in glass. Philip Schwickart is the inventor of the system and is also the New York manager. This is the system specified for the Woolworth Building, New York." —Engineering News, v.67, Mar 7, 1912
  • 1913 · Corporate charter repealed · "...corporations which for two years preceding such report have failed to pay the taxes assessed against them and due them under the laws of this state [Delaware]..."

History:

  • "Sunburst Prism Light Co. Incorporates — The Sunburst Prism Light Co. was incorporated last week with $250,000 capital, all of which is in common stock, to succeed the Universal Iron Foundry Co., which has been doing a large business at Seholes and Waterbury sts, Williamsburgh, for many years. The officers will be elected within the week. The newly incorporated company will purchase the Universal Iron Foundry's plant and property, consisting of a plot 75×100 ft., on which stand three wooden and one brick factories and will devote the whole to the manufacture of a new vault light invented and perfected by Philip Schwickert [sic], one of the incorporators of the new company.
    This is a system of vault lights with mirror reflectors. The company also makes skylights which are burglar proof. Tests of the new system enabled a photograph to be taken of a printed placard placed 40 ft. from a skylight 15×45 ins., on an exposure of 1 to 8, daylighted street. In other words the exposure in the attic was only eight times the time of exposure allowed for the same work on a sun lighted avenue. In the developed picture the 24-point type was clearly readable without the use of magnifying glass. In the cellar, where one of the vault lights have been installed, a nonpariel or newspaper type could be read at a distance of 50 ft. with no other light penetrating the otherwise dark cellar. The company already reports several large orders from its Boston office." —Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide: v.84, no.2155, July 3, 1909

Patents:

Identifier Mon DD Year Inventor(s) Patent Title
US D23,348 June 12 1894 Schwickart, P. Design for a Lens for Vault-Lights
US 889,724 June 2 1908 Schwickart, P. Building Light
US 894,708 July 28 1908 Schwickart, P. Building Light
US 922,964 May 25 1909 Schwickart, P. Lens for Building Lights
US 1,037,668 Sep 3 1912 Schwickart, P. Building Light and Ventilator
US 1,146,660 July 13 1915 Schwickart, P. Ventilating and Lighting Construction

Paper:

Sunburst Prism Light Co ad in American Architect, Oct 22, 1912
"Sunburst Prisms"

"Sunburst Prisms" are described and the many methods of their application illustrated in a pamphlet issue by the Sunburst Prism Co., No. 243 South 10th Street, Philadelphia.
Particular reference is made in this pamphlet to the use of these prisms in vaults, pavements, subways, skylights, ceilings and ship decks.
The introduction of prisms whose angles have been scientifically calculated to deflect light at desired angles has made it possible to avail of certain parts of buildings heretofore considered as little better than waste spaces. What is considered to be the proper construction and application of prisms is described in this pamphlet and shown by photographs of actual installations.
The catalogue may be had on request.
American Architect and Architecture, Volume 102 · 1912