Improvements in and connected with Signal Lights, Roman Candles, Ships' Rockets, and other Fireworks.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Signal Lights, Roman Candles,
Ships' Rockets, and other Fireworks.
We, GEORGE PINDER, of Edwinstowe, Newark, Nottinghamshire, Firework
Manufacturer, and GEORGE FORD, of Edwinstowe, aforesaid, Firework Manu-
facturer's Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists of the herein-described improved means for igniting, and
for preventing the accidental ignition of, signal lights, Roman candles, ships'
rockets and other fireworks.
We will describe our invention by referring to the accompanying drawings which
illustrate our invention applied to a signal light or flare such as used on ships
or by gamekeepers and others.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a signal light with our invention applied and Fig. 2
represents the same signal light partly in section shewing our invention (which in
this example consists of a reversible cap as hereinafter described) as arranged when
the signal light is not required to be ignited.
Fig. 3 shews the same parts with the cap reversed as hereinafter described ready
for igniting the signal light.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the said reversible cap separately and Fig. 5 is
a front elevation and plan of the same and Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the
cover of the said cap.
Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of the upper part of a signal light illustrating a
modification of our invention in which the said cap is not made to reverse. Fig. 8
is a sectional plan of the same and Fig. 9 shews separately the metal slide forming
the portion of this modification of our invention as hereinafter described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures of the drawing.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, A is the signal
light which may be of any ordinary construction provided at the top with the usual
small lighting hole a' for the ignition of the composition inside the case A this hole
being by preference covered with a piece of paper or other inflammable substance to
prevent the composition coming out of the hole a.
In carrying out our invention we make the top of the signal light A with a
cylindrical open ended reversible cap B of a size to fit on to the top of the signal
light. This cap B has fixed in it somewhere about midway between its ends the
stout disc like cross partition & made of mill-board wood or other stout substance
thus dividing the cap B into two compartments marked respectively 23. To one
side of this partition ', that is in the compartment 62, is fixed one of the frictional
parts c of the igniting composition of the firework this frictional part being by
preference made in the form of a metal loop fixed to the partition b and covered
with one of the frictional parts of the igniting composition made of chlorate of
potash and antimony or other ingredient as is well known, the other frictional
part being made in the form of a small slide or pencil fitting easily in the
loop c² and tipped at one end c³ with a preparation of amorphous phosphorus or
other well known preparation which when drawn through the loop c¹ against
the other frictional part of the igniting composition will cause ignition. Fitting on
PQ1

page_text: to the reversible cap B there is a cover D shewn separately by Fig. 6 for enclosing
the frictional parts c c² of the igniting composition in the chamber 6³.
When the signal light or other firework is packed for transport or storage or at other
times until it is required to be ignited, the reversible cap B is placed on the tubular
firework as shewu in Fig. 2 where it will be seen that the frictional parts c¹ c³ of
the igniting composition are contained in the upper compartment of the reversible
cap and are quite isolated by the partition 6' from the composition of the firework
so that even if the two frictional parts should accidentally come together and ignite,
When it is
the partition will effectually prevent their igniting the firework.
desired to ignite the signal light the cover D is first removed and the cap B is
taken off the signal light A and replaced thereon in the reversed position as shewn
by Fig. 3, that is to say, the cap B is turned upside down so that the frictional
parts of the igniting composition are now in close proximity to the top of the
signal light A; then when the frictional part c³ ³ is by the cord c or by other
means drawn through or across the frictional part c¹ so as to ignite the same and
through the hole in the cap and hole in the cover D, the signal light is
immediately ignited.
Instead of the cap B being made reversible, as in the arrangement of our inven-
tion above described and shewn by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, the said cap B may be
permanently fixed on to the tube A of the firework as shewn in Figs. 7, 8 and 9
the frictional parts c'e² being contained in the upper compartment of the cap as
stated above. In this arrangement of our invention I provide between the cross
partition and the top a' of the firework a thin metal or other slide E which may
be of the form shewn by Fig. 9 and in this case there is a small hole f in the
partition close to the frictional part c¹. Until immediately before the firework
is required to be ignited the slide E is kept in the position shewn by Fig. 7.by any
convenient means as by a strip of canvas pasted on the cap and partly round
the end e¹ of the slide so as to keep the slide in position then if the frictional
parts should accidentally come together and ignite, this slide E being made of
metal will prevent the flame reaching the composition in the firework. When the fire-
work is required to be ignited the slide E has first to be withdrawn as shewn by the
dotted lines in Fig. 7 so then there will be a direct communication from the
frictional part through the holes and a to the composition in the case A.
It will be evident that without departing from the nature of our invention the
frictional parts of the igniting composition may be made of other forms than those
shewn so as to ignite when one of the said frictional parts is drawn across the other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In combination with signal lights Roman candles ships' rockets and other
fireworks the employment of an open ended reversible cap divided into two com-
partments by a cross partition, one of the said compartments containing the two
frictional parts of the igniting composition, the said cap being adapted to fit on to
the ends of such firework either so that the said partition is between the frictional
parts and the composition of the firework when the latter is not required to be
lighted, or so that the said frictional parts are next to the end of the firework when
the latter is required to be ignited, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In combination with signal lights Roman candles ships' rockets and other
fireworks the employment of the open ended reversible_cap B containing the
frictional parts of the igniting composition and the cover D adapted to fit on said
cap all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
and 6 of the accompanying drawings, and for the purposes set forth.
3. In combination with signal lights Roman candles ships' rockets and other
fireworks the open ended cap B fixed to such firework made with stout partition b

page_text: in which is a hole f and containing the two frictional parts of the igniting compo-
sition, and the metal slide E situated between the partition 6' and the composition
of the firework and which when pushed in closes the connection between the
compartment 62 and the composition of the firework and when pulled out allows
of the firework being ignited by the frictional parts in the compartment 6³ the
said compartment & being provided with a cover D all substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 29th day of May 1894.