Improvements in Self-igniting and Inextinguishable Signal Lights for Marine and other Purposes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Self-igniting and Inextinguishable Signal
Lights for Marine and other Purposes.
I NATHANIEL JOHN HOLMES of Pembroke Lodge, Lewisham, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The manner in which I carry out these my improvements consists in the
employment of a cylindrical or other shaped vessel divided into two compart-
ments A and B, shown in section at Fig. 1. and elevation Fig. 2, and separated
from each other by a small chamber D. The lower chamber B has a tube C open
at both ends passing through its top and bottom lids, to which it is securely
soldered. The upper lid has an opening F. The tube C has attached to it, and
opening into it, two small tubes, the one bb attached near the bottom end on the
outside of the tube C; the other d d towards the top of the tube O and placed
within the tube. The tube a a passes through the chamber A by air tight joints,
and descends into the tube C about three quarters of an inch or so below the
opening of the tube b b. The tube d d descends to be on a level with the bottoin
of the tube a a. The bottom of the tube C and the top of the tube a are her-
metically sealed by metal strips e, by which means the interior arrangement of the
chambers B and D are kept airtight.
Having now described the general arrangement of parts which may be more
or less varied in their disposition the one in relation to the other so long as the
principle governing the action of the signal light is maintained, the functions of
the several parts will be explained.
The chamber A forms a float to provide the necessary buoyancy to the signal
so that the whole of the chamber B and its internal arrangements are below the
line of flotation. Into the chamber B is placed the Phosphide of Calcium, which
is thus shut off from contact with the water except such an amount as at first
enters through the “ igniter” tube b b upon the first immersion of the signal into
the water. Before however any water can enter by the igniter tube bb, the
tubes a a and d d are closed by their extremities being below the internal level
of the water entering b b, consequently upon the formation of phosphuretted
hydrogen gas there is no escape, the gas can only find an exit through the
opening F into the chamber D, and depressing the water level in the tube C
cuts off the supply by b b until the level is again raised by the discharge of a
portion of the gas up the egress tube a a, by which means the water once more

page_text: flows down the tube b b. By this arrangement the supply of water is automatic
with the escape of gas through a a. The action of the igniter bb is only temporary
as the decomposed phosphite falling down to the bottom of the chamber B soon
shuts off the admission of water by closing the tube. Upon the gas being generated
and the action of the tube a a set up, the feed of water is automatically kept up
by the "injector" dd, which raises a certain amount of water at each pulsation,
equivalent to the depth of its immersion below the internal level. This pump
action continues so long as the disengaged gas causes spasmodic displacements in
the internal level of the water in the tube C. By this arrangement the admission
of water to the calcium in the chamber B is gradual, and maintained in proportion
to the expenditure by decomposition, the gas pressure regulating automatically
the injection of water in small quantities into the calcium chamber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
Such a disposition of the water ingress tube into the chamber containing .the
phosphide of calcium and the gas egress tube, that before any water can enter or
evolution of gas take place, a water pressure is formed closing the egress tube and
all escape of gas cut off except by the proper outlet.
And I claim such an arrangement of parts regulating the ingress water level
whereby after the water has once entered the chamber containing the Phosphide
of Calcium, it is cut off by the pressure of the gas evolved, and only again per-
mitted to enter on the gas pressure becoming reduced to the minimum necessary
to raise the level of the water above that of the top of the ingress tube.
And I claim the arrangement of parts whereby the intermittant action of the
gas pressure is utilized for the injection of small quantities of water at automatic
intervals into the Phosphide of Calcium chamber.