LANTERN PATENT INFORMATION

THE PROJECT:
This is an another ongoing W.T. Kirkman project, and as such, is by no means complete.  This page is intended for the enjoyment, and further enlightenment, of those interested in the numerous developments made in the field of Tubular Lantern construction, and the inventors to whom we are indebted.  The idea for this page came after a certain addition to the private collection of  W.T. Kirkman;  An actual one-of-a-kind patent model for a method of construction for tubular lanterns by John H. Irwin, inventor of the Hot Blast principle, and father to the tubular principle.  The patent model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office on August 24, 1869, and was granted Patent #99,442 on February 1, 1870.  While John H. Irwin never saw this lantern style produced in his lifetime, it is the basis for the Warren McArthur design patent of 1914, which eventually became the Joseph Sinel Art Deco "Streamline" style of the 1930's.   (It is believed that more Dietz Streamline Style Monarch Lanterns were produced between 1936 and 1956 than any other single lantern model.)  

By clicking on the highlighted text below, you will open a window going directly to the United States Patent Office files, or to picture files in the W.T. Kirkman archive.  If a particular patent date is not highlighted, then it has not been located in the U.S.P.O. files yet. (The United States Patent Office files before 1975 are not indexed, and must be looked up one by one, making the task of locating each patent difficult at best.)  Several hours have been spent compiling the information contained herein, however, no guarantee is made or implied as to the accuracy or completeness.  Should you have "first hand" information that should be included here, including additional information, and information to the contrary, you are welcomed to e-mail it to us.  

Special thanks goes to author Linda Black for her assistance in this ongoing project,
and also to Phil Embury for sharing the results of his countless hours of research.
 
Additional thanks to The International Guild of Lamp Researchers. 

This information has been compiled and is published for the benefit of collectors and dealers alike, you may print a copy of this list for your own use, you may also post links to this page, but by using this site, you signify your assent to our "Conditions of Use."

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Do not confuse the "M" or "S" production dates with a patent date when looking at a Dietz Lantern.  These dates first started being used in 1915 and appear below the various patent dates, and identify where and when the lantern was made.  "M" denotes Dietz New York City Factory #1, while "S" denotes Dietz Syracuse Factory #2, which is followed by the month and year of production.  
(i.e. "S-6-41" stands for Syracuse Factory, June of 1941.)   

PLEASE NOTE:
If your browser does not  retrieve the images from the U.S. Patent Office files properly, go to http://www.alternatiff.com/install/ for a plug-in that will solve the problem.