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622,506 · Manning · "Illuminating Window-Glass" · Page 2 Home  > Prism Glass  > Patent Index  > Page 2

622,506: 2 of 4

pass out through said surface, as shown by the dotted line Y'.     Between the adjacent faces of the strips of glass built up upon one another, as hereinbefore described and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, films of air will find their way, and these films of air will cause the rays of light striking the interior surface of each strip at angles less than the critical angle to be reflected internally by such surface of the glass strip. Under ordinary conditions the effect of these intervening films of air will be sufficient to cause the internal reflection of the desired quantity of rays of light; but occasions will arise, due to the arrangement of the panel with respect to the direction of the entering rays of light, where the interposition of a more or less opaque substance between the adjoining surfaces of the strips of glass will become necessary to produce the desired amount of reflection. For this purpose I may use either a more or less opaque cement or strips of metal or other opaque substance interposed between the adjacent surfaces of the composing strips of glass. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 6, wherein the interposed opaque reflecting mediums are indicated by the reference-letter a.     Where opaque strips are used, the cement, if any is used, should preferably be transparent—such as Canada balsam, commonly used for such purposes. The nature of the opaque reflecting mediums used is not essential, and neither is their employment essential, inasmuch as in the vast majority of cases there will be sufficient reflection without the necessity for the interposition of any opaque reflecting mediums.     Instead of laying the strips of glass perfectly flat, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, they may be arranged at more or less of an inclination, as shown in Fig. 4.     Both faces of the finished panel may be polished smooth, or the light-discharging face may be made angular by grinding the edges of the strips upon that face into the desired angular contour, as shown in Figs. 5 and 9, for example.     If desired, a thin plate of ordinary window-glass may be fitted upon either or both faces of the panel, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.     Instead of straight rectangular strips strips cut at various angles or curved strips (shown in Figs. 10 and 11, respectively) may be used where desirable to form an angular or curved panel.     From the foregoing it will be understood that the reflectors, whether they be the surfaces of the strips of glass simply or whether they be interposed opaque reflecting mediums between the adjacent faces of the said strips, should be of a width greater than the distance between the adjacent surfaces of the strips, as well as that the width of such reflecting-surfaces should be greater than the thickness of the individual glass strips, the width of these glass strips being taken in the plane of

the thickness of the panel and the thickness of the said strips being taken in a plane parallel to the faces of the panel.     Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is—     1. In an illuminating structure, a panel formed of a series of transparent blocks arranged one in contact with another, in permanent relation, said panel having opposite light-receiving and light-discharging surfaces, the contacting faces of the blocks lying in planes transverse to the light-receiving and light-discharging surfaces, and forming reflecting-surfaces, substantially as described.     2. In an illuminating structure, a panel formed of a series of transparent blocks of greater width than thickness arranged with their faces of greater width in contact, receiving and discharging light through the faces of their lesser dimension corresponding with their thickness, and reflecting light at their contacting faces by virtue of the films of air between said contacting faces, substantially as described.     3. In an illuminating structure, a panel formed of a series of transparent rectangular blocks of greater width than thickness arranged with the faces corresponding to their width in close proximity, receiving and discharging light through the faces corresponding with their thickness, and reflecting light at their faces corresponding with their width, substantially as described.     4. In an illuminating structure, a panel formed of a series of flat transparent blocks of greater width than thickness, arranged with the faces corresponding to their width in contact, and having the faces corresponding to their thickness exposed upon the opposite faces of the panel, substantially as described.     5. In an illuminating structure, a panel formed of a series of flat transparent blocks of greater width than thickness, arranged with the faces corresponding to their width in contact, and having the faces corresponding to their thickness exposed upon the opposite faces of the panel and ground to a smooth surface upon either side thereof, substantially as described.     6. In an illuminating structure, a panel comprising transparent strips arranged one above the other, said panel receiving and discharging light through opposite faces of said strips, and said panel having light-reflecting surfaces at opposite faces of each of said strips, at an angle to such light-receiving and light-discharging surfaces, said light-reflecting surfaces being of greater width than the distance between the two opposite reflecting-surfaces of a strip, substantially as described.     7. In an illuminating structure, a panel formed of a series of transparent blocks arranged one in contact with another in permanent relation; said panel having opposite light-receiving and light-discharging