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Patents: 187 of 530	UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JACOB JACOBS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. ILLUMINATING-TILE.	Jacob Jacobs 9 of 57
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,424, dated April 6, 1886. Application filed November 13, 1883. Serial No. 111,688. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:     Be it known that I, JACOB JACOBS, of New York city, in the county of New York, and in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminating-Tiles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which--     Figure 1 is a perspective view from the lower side of one of the plain lenses employed by me. Fig. 2 is a plan view from above of a portion of the metal tile in which the same is set, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of said tile fully glazed and combined with another similar tile.     Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.     My invention is intended to obviate certain defects which sometimes exist in illuminating-tiles, and to lessen the liability to injury caused by shipment of the same; and it consists, principally, in an illuminating-tile provided with elongated light openings, in combination with lenses which are correspondingly elongated, and within their peripheries are each provided with a circumferential groove that corresponds to and is adapted to embrace the flange which forms the bottom of the lens-recess, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.     It consists, further, in an illuminating-tile provided upon or within its edge with a rib or a groove which may be caused to fit within or over the corresponding groove or rib of a contiguous tile, in combination with cement placed between such engaging edges, and with bolts which pass through the lower portions of each tile and through the supporting-frame, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.     In the annexed drawings, A represents my improved tile, which consists of a metal plate having its upper face recessed, and provided within such recess with a series of light-openings, a, that have any desired relative arrangement and are each surrounded by a curb, a', that extends, preferably, about one-half the distance between the bottom of said recess and the upper surface of said tile.     Each light-opening a is somewhat elongated,

and within the same is fitted a glass lens, B, that is correspondingly shaped and has such size as to enable its lower end to be easily passed into the same. Near its lower end each of said lenses is provided with a circumferential groove, b, which has such vertical dimensions as to enable it to contain the flange a' that forms the edge of said light-opening, and has such depth as to permit said lens, after insertion within said opening, to be turned until its longest diameter is in a line with the shortest diameter of the latter, in which position said lens is securely locked by the engagement of said groove with said flange.     Before placing the lens B in position, its groove b is filled with plastic cement, which, by the turning of said lens within its opening, is caused to closely fill the space between the flange a² and groove b, the surplus material being pressed outward and removed. After all of said lenses are in position the spaces between their peripheries are filled with said plastic cement C, and the upper surface of the same, while soft, covered with powdered flint, in order to afford a firm foot-hold.     Lenses thus secured within a tile are not liable to be loosened while the latter is being transported to or placed in position, while the joints formed by the plastic material possess far greater durability and are more certain to be water-tight than are those produced by any of the usual methods.     In order that tight joints may be secured between the edges of contiguous tiles, I provide each tile A at such point with a rib, a³, or groove a4, which extends horizontally along its edge, and when said tile is in place, passes into or over the corresponding groove a4 or rib a³ of the adjacent tile. Plastic cement C is placed between the edges of said tiles before or after the same are combined, so as to closely fill the space and produce a tight joint at such point.     The tiles A are each firmly secured to the supporting-frame D by means of bolts B, which pass through said parts, as shown in Fig. 3. Said bolts are preferably placed in position within said tile before the spaces around the lenses are filled with cement C, but may, if desired, be inserted at any time by leaving suitable openings and afterward filling the same with cement, so as to cover the bolt-head.