IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL LAMPS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Clark, of 83, High Street, Southampton, 'in
the County of Hants,. for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL
LAMPS."
Sealed.the 8th May.1857, and dated the 28th January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, .on .the.
28th January 1857.
I, ARTHUR CLARK, of 83, High Street, Southampton, in the 'County of
Hants, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIGNAL LAMPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention is more particularly applicable to those descriptions of signal
lamps which are used on board ship for signalling to the helmsman at night.
For this purpose it is necessary that the signal lamp should show a white,
green, or red light, as may be required. Now, this Invention consists in doing
this with a single lamp, by surrounding "the same with a rotating six-sided
lantern, each of the sides of which is glazed with glass of one or other of thesò
colours, and it is arranged that the opposite sides of the lantern be-glazed
with glass of the same color. Surrounding the revolving lantern'is an exterior
case, in which are two glass bulls-eyes opposite to each other, one of which
when the lantern is in use directs the light to the helmsman, and the other to
the man on the 'look-out. Thus, the 'captain is able, by turning the revolving
lantern by means of a handle, to show a light of either color to the helmsman,
who is thus directed in the inanagement of the helm, and the signal given to
the lielmsnian is also visible to the man on the look-out:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
CLARK, of 83, High Street, Southampton, in the County of Hants, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent. Majesty, Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day. of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Arthur Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Arthur Clark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, froni time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel:
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL LAMPS;"
upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said Arthur Clark, my
exécutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-.
This Invention is. more particularly applicable to those descriptions of signal
lamps which are used on board ship for signalling to the helmsman at night..
For this purpose it is necessary that the signal lamp should show a white,
green, or red light, as may be required. Now, this Invention consists in doing"
this with a single lamp, by surrounding the same with a rotating six-sided
lantern, each of the sides of which is glazed with glass of one or other of these.
colours, and it is arranged that the opposite sides of the lantern be glazed with.
glass of the same colour. Surrounding the revolving lantern is an exterior
case, in which are two glass bulls-eyes opposite to each other, one of which,
when the lantern is in use directs the light to the helmsman, and the other to
the man on the look-out. Thus, the captain is able, by turning the revolving

page_text: lantern by means of a handle, to show a light of either colour to the helmsman,
who is thus directed in the management of the helm, and the signal given to
the helmsman is also visible to the man on the look-out.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a signal lamp arranged according to my
Invention; and Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken through
the line 1, 1, of Figure 1. a, a, is the exterior case of the lamp, in which are
fixed the two bulls-eyes b, b. On the top of the case a is a handle c, mounted
on the axis d, to which the frame e is attached; this frame has on its under
side a socket f, which fits over a metal ring on the bottom of the case a, so as
to form a centre or pivot for the frame e to turn on, but it is prevented from
making more than half a revolution about its axis by the stops g, g. Carried
by the frame e is a six-sided lantern, two of the sides of which are glazed with
white glass, two with red glass, and two with green glass, the sides opposite to
each other being glazed with glass of the same color. h, h, is the bottom of
this lantern, which drops into the dished-form bottom of the frame e; i, i, is
the lower part of the side of lantern, and is of metal; it is connected to the
top j, and by the split metal tubes k, which also serve to hold the glasses e'.
In the interior of the lantern is the lamp m, having on its bottom a socket n,
which fits over a metal ring fixed to the bottom of the lantern. In order to
admit the lamp m, two sides of the lantern are made to open by turning on
hinges o, o. p is a handle, hinged at 9 to one of the sides. Thus it will bo
seen that by turning the handle e either of the sides of the six-sided lanterni
can be brought opposite the bulls-eyes on the outer case, so as to show either
a white, red, or green light to the helmsman, and also to the man on the
look-out in the fore part of the ship.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of JJuly, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
RICH JORDAN, Sol",
Southampton.
ARTHUR CLARK. (L.S.)