REVO C14410/T 80w/125w

MBF 'Bell-Top' lantern
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REVO C14410/T 80w/125w MBF lantern. Also known by collectors as the REVO Bell-Top because of the canopy's resemblance to a bell, this quaint little lantern was designed by REVO for use with both tungsten (60w-200w) and mercury lamps (80w/125w). It was available as either a top-entry or side-entry lantern, with or without an outer bowl. Made from cast-aluminium these simple and well-constructed lanterns were built to last; today's survivors being in excess of 40 years old. The lantern was popular with many local authorities and Parish councils throughout the UK in the 50's and 60's, and odd examples of this delightful little lantern can still be found in rural and suburban areas to this day. Although known as the 'Bell-Top' by collectors, there is actually no official REVO-name for this lantern - it was only ever referred to by its C144xx part number in the REVO catalogue.

The examples in the collection came from Wolverhampton some time ago. Wolverhampton Corporation was a big customer of REVO and purchased many 100's of these lanterns in the late 1950's and early 1960's for use on minor roads and side streets to replace ageing tungsten lanterns. A few 80w MBF examples still existed in Wolverhampton in May 2006, but the last known original type glass bowled example was removed from the Penn area of the City in March 2006.

 

REVO C14410/T 'Bell-Top' showing original glass bowl and glass refractor ring inside.

Access to the lamp is achieved by releasing the 'toggle-action' side catch and allowing the bowl to swing clear of the lamp and refractor ring; this was a big improvement on the wing-nut fasteners found on previous designs that were prone to seizure. Unlike its rivals, the Bell Top had REVO’s patented twist-lock refractor ring that insured a good secure fit against the reflector plate, and didn’t require springs and clips to hold it into place like its contemporary rivals. This fixing method also guaranteed that the refractor ring always fitted back into its correct focal position every time. With the lamp and refractor ring removed, a knurled nut on the enamel reflector plate can be un-screwed and the reflector plate can then be hinged down; this allows access to the lantern’s lampholder and focusing mechanism. The focusing mechanism is manually adjusted to get the optimum light distribution from the lamp.

The glass bowl would have originally had a rubber gasket around the rim to seal the lantern’s interior from water and particle ingress, but even this would have been a poor second to the integrity achieved in modern day luminaries.

 

An in-service REVO Bell-Top with retro-fitted plastic bowl and minus refractor-ring is pictured in Wolverhampton in the Winter of 2005.  

Lit at night is the same REVO Bell-Top as in the second picture.

The remains of a side-entry mounted Bell-Top; this long disused example was seen on a wall bracket in Staffordshire.

 

 

REVO 'Bell Top' Range:

  • C14403/T Top-entry lantern for 60w-200w tungsten lamps: open reflector type, no bowl
  • C14403/S Side-entry lantern for 60w-200w tungsten lamps: open reflector, no bowl
  • C14404/T Top-entry lantern for 80w/125w mercury vapour lamps: open reflector, no bowl
  • C14404/S Side-entry lantern for 80w/125w mercury vapour lamps: open reflector, no bowl
  • C14407/T Top-entry lantern for 60w-200w tungsten lamps: lamp enclosed in prismatic glass bowl
  • C14407/S Side-entry lantern for 60w-200w tungsten lamps: lamp enclosed in prismatic glass bowl
  • C14408/T Top-entry lantern for 80w/125w mercury vapour lamps: lamp enclosed in prismatic glass bowl
  • C14408/S Side-entry lantern for 80w/125w mercury vapour lamps: lamp enclosed in prismatic glass bowl
  • C14409/T Top-entry lantern for 60w-200w tungsten lamps: lamp enclosed in clear glass bowl with refractor ring
  • C14409/S Side-entry lantern for 60w-200w tungsten lamps: lamp enclosed in clear glass bowl with refractor ring
  • C14410/T Top-entry lantern for 80w/125w mercury vapour lamps: lamp enclosed in clear glass bowl with refractor ring
  • C14410/S Side-entry lantern for 80w/125w mercury vapour lamps: lamp enclosed in clear glass bowl with refractor ring. 

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Copyright(c) 2005 Claire Pendrous. All rights reserved.

Please note that all pictures are by Claire Pendrous, or are part of the Claire Pendrous photographic collection unless otherwise stated; none of these images can be copied without obtaining prior permission.