Artificial fire-works : $b improved to the modern practice, from the minutest to the highest branchesJones, Robert
History
Artificial fire-works : $b improved to the modern practice, from the minutest to the highest branches
Jones, Robert
Fireworks -- Early works to 1800
A plan of this is shewn by fig. 49. Let D be a deal table three feet
six inches diameter; this table must be fixed horizontally on the top
of a post; on the top of this post must be a perpendicular iron
spindle, which must come through the center of the table; then let A,
B, C, be three spokes joined to a triangular flat piece of wood, in
the middle of which make a hole to fit easily over the spindle; let E,
F, G, be pieces of wood, four or five inches in length each, and two
inches square, fixed on the under sides of the spokes; in these pieces
make holes lengthwise to receive the thin part of the blocks of the
wheels, which when in, are prevented from coming out by a small iron
pin being run through the end of each; K, L, M, are three vertical
octagon wheels, eighteen inches diameter each; the blocks of these
wheels must be long enough for three or four inches to rest on the
table, round which part drive a number of sharp points of wire, which
must not project out of the blocks more than one sixteenth of an inch;
the use of these points is, that when the blocks run round, they will
stick in the table, and help the wheels forward; if the naves be made
of strong wood, one inch will be enough for the diameter of the thin
part, which should be made to turn easy in the holes in the pieces E,
F, G. On the front of the wheels, make four or five circles of strong
wire, or flat hoops, and tie on them as many illuminations as they
will hold at two inches from one another; instead of circles, you may
make spiral lines cloathed with illuminations at the same distance
from one another, as those on the hoops: when illuminations are fixed
on a spiral line in the front of a wheel, they must be placed a little
on the slant, the contrary way that the wheel runs: the cases for
these wheels may be filled with any coloured charge, but must burn
only one at a time.
The wheels being thus prepared, you must have a globe, crown, or
spiral wheel, to put on the spindle in the middle of the table; this
spindle should be just long enough to raise the wheel of the globe,
crown, or spiral wheel, so high that its fire may play over the three
vertical wheels; by this means, their fires will not be confused, nor
will the wheels receive any damage from the fire of each other; in
cloathing this work, let the leaders be so managed, that all the
wheels may light together, and the illuminations after two cases of
each wheel are burnt.
Of the Illuminated Chandelier.
Illuminated works are much admired by the Italians, and indeed are a
great addition to a collection of works; for in a grand exhibition an
illuminated piece should be fired after every two, or three wheels, or
fixed pieces of common and brilliant fires, and likewise illuminated
works may be made cheap, quick, and easy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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