IMPROVED SIGNAL LANTERNS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Ward, of the City of Auburn, in
the County of Cayuga, and State of New York, one of the United
States of North America, for the Invention of "IMPROVED SIGNAL
LANTERNS."
Sealed the 22nd May 1860, and dated the 23rd November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Ward at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd November 1859.
I, WILLIAM HENRY WARD, of the City of Auburn, in the County of
Cayuga, and State of New York, one of the United States of North America,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED SIGNAL
LANTERNS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in and the use of "signal lanterns," constructed so
as to show a light at all points of the horizon at the same time, and arranged
in such position to each other as to present separate distinct lights. These
lanterns are each provided with a movable envelope or case containing suitable
red or other colored lenses, and by means of guides and levers, or other
suitable devices, this case is made to envelope the light, thereby changing its
color to that of the lenses. Each lantern is likewise provided with a movable
blind or screen envelope worked, in like manner, independent of the one
containing the colored lenses. By the use of this blind or screen, the light is
hid or screened at pleasure. By using three of these lanterns, combinations

page_text: are formed to designate the mumerals without a change of their position; for
example, exhibit lanterns 1 and 2, showing white lights with 3 colored, would
indicate (4); again, exhibit 1 colored, 2 white, and 3 colored, would indicate
(9); and by the use of one additional lantern all the letters of the alphabet
are indecated; for example, exhibit 1 white by itself, would indicate the
letter (A), and 1 colored by itself would indicate (yes), while 1 colored,
2 white, 3 colored, and 4 white, would indecate the letter (U), and so on for
thirty changes or combinations, without changing the position of the lanterns,
and using but one color of lenses, in manner set forth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Ward in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY WARD, of the City of Auburn, in the County of Cayuga, and State
of New York, one of the United States of North America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Henry Ward, Her special licence that I, the said
William Henry Ward, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Henry Ward, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVED SIGNAL LANTERNS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Henry Ward, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 performed,
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 William Henry Ward, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same.

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, in which Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of a
"signal lantern
on the line of C, D, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 represents a plan of
Fig. 1 on the line of A, B, which said Figs. 1 and 2 represent a moveable
envelope signal lantern that constitutes part of this Invention. Fig. 3 is a
lithograph print on the accompanying Drawing, and represents the positions
in which these or other similar working lanterns are used for making tele-
graphic signals. Fig. 4 is also a lithograph print on the said Drawing, and
represents the changes made by the use of three or four of these or other
working lanterns, whereby the numerals, letters of the alphabet, and other
combinations are indicated at the will and pleasure of the operator, and
constitutes the other part of this Invention, the right of which to secure,
independently of the lantern, by separate Letters Patent, is hereby reserved
by the Patentee, although the said system is hereby protected by Royal
Letters Patent with the lantern of which it now forms a part.
Signal lanterns, as generally constructed and used, show the same light
without practical facilities for effecting a change of signal without a change
of place or position, which process is slow and tedious under favorable cir-
cumstances, and is next to an impossibility to complete a signal, with any
degree of certainty that it will be understood, when made from on board of
ships during rough seas, amid storms and tempests, in times of peril, when
moments are of priceless value to life and property. The lights comprising
this system overcome these difficulties, as the changing, coloring, or screening
of the lights is at the will and pleasure of the operator making the signal,
without a change of place or position, as each lantern is provided with
powerful lenses to give range to the light, a moveable red or other colored
lenses envelope to color it, and a moveable screen envelope to hide it, which
are operated separately or together by means of small halyards attached to
the envelopes, and working over small pullies or other suitable devices.
The great desideratum in telegraphic signals is something simple, practical,
reliable, and visible at all points of the horizon, and so constructed that the
signal can be instantly changed at the pleasure of the operator without a
change of place or position, by which messages and communications on all
subjects and occasions of any length are maintained between ships at sea,
between ships and the shore, that danger may be avoided, distress made
known, assistance rendered, ships directed into port, or instructed to sail to
another, with that clearness and dispatch as will insure confidence of being
understood; and my Invention for effecting the same consists in the con-

page_text: struction of a working signal lantern, and a system adapted to the use of said
or other working lanterns.
The lantern that forms part of this Invention is represented in the accom-
panying Drawing forming part of this Specification, by reference to which
Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation on the line of C, D, of Fig. 2, and is
more fully described as follows, in which (a, a, a, a,) represent eye-headed
- screw bolts that serve to hold the lantern together, also as guide rods on which
the colored lenses and screen envelopes slide, the eyes of which answer as
feet and receivers for the upper and lower bail hooks for hoisting the lanterns.
(b, b,) hollow tubes (on either side of the lantern outside the said guide con-
necting bolts) for the stay lines (v) to pass through; (c, c,) the transparent
or flint glass lenses; (d), the bottom plate; (e, e, e), supporters connecting
the bottom plate and flint glass lenses c, c; (f), the dome, secured to the top
of the glass lenses c, c, and bottom plate d, by means of the bolts a, a, a, a,
and hollow tubes b, b; (g), the inner smoke, heat, and windguard cone;
(h), concave windguard and heat protector, secured to the cap of the perforated
cylinder that serves as a windguard and chimney on top of the dome; (i, i,)
the perforated cylinder through which the heat and smoke pass into the
cylindrical air chamber j, j, and finally escapes through the wind and water
protected opening k, k; (l), the hoisting bail, secured by hooks into the eyes
of the inside bolts a, a; (m, m,) inuer reflecting cone; (n, n, n) are openings
in the reflecting cone to receive candle or other tubes for conveying light into
the lantern; (o, o,) cold air chamber; (p), perforated bottom of the cold air
chamber, through which perforations the cold air passes into the air chamber
0, 0, from thence into the lantern through air holes in the base and top of
the cone m, m, in such way as to supply the lantern and burners in the
lantern with necessary cold air without flaring the lights; (7, 9,) are circular
wire or other hook fastenings for securing the candle (or other burning) tubes
in their proper places; (r, r, r, r,) bright reflecting bands around the base
and top of the transparent glass cylinder lenses c, c; (s, s, s, s,) thimbles or
hollow guides that are attached to the moveable colored lenses and screen
envelopes in such way as to allow the guide rod bolts a, a, a, a, to pass
through the said thimbles, and keep in place the said moveable envelopes
when using them or brought into requisition; (t, t, t, t, t, t,) the red or other
colored lenses envelope, with flint glass backing for magnifying its colors;
(u, u,) the screen or metal envelope; (v), the stay lines; (w), the pulley
over which the cord or halyard a passes, for hoisting or lowering the colored
lenses envelope at pleasure; (3), the pulley, over which the cord passes, for

page_text: hoisting the metal or screen envelope to hide or screen the light at pleasure,
in the same way that the colored lenses envelope would color the light when
brought into requisition for that purpose. The reference letters in Fig. 2
point out the same specific parts as in Fig. 1, and will require no further
details by examining the two Figures together.
The other part of this Invention consists in an arranged system for using
these or other working envelope signal lanterns to indicate the numerals,
letters of the alphabet, and other combinations, in which A, B, Fig. 3, repre-
sents three lanterns arranged in a working position, of such distance from each
other as will make the lights appear separate and distinct, with small halyard
cords or lines coming down to the operator, who, by means of said lines or
cords, can at pleasure color or screen either or all the lights, by which means
the numerals are indicated, as shown at E, F, Fig. 4, likewise other com-
binations answering for "Yes," "No," and " repeat." The letters of the
alphabet and other combinations are in like manner indicated by the use
of four working envelope signal lanterns, as shewn at C, D, Fig. 3, and
G, H, Fig. 4.
Having thus fully described the nature of my Invention, what I claim
therein as new, and desire to secure by Royal Letters Patent, is,-
First, the working arrangement, mechanism, and devices for effecting a
change of colored light or lights, and to hide or totally screen them from sight
at pleasure, respectively, as described.
Second, the system for using these or other working envelope signal
lanterns (whether said envelopes be interior or exterior of the transparent
flint or white lenses) to indicate the numerals, letters of the alphabet, or
other combinations for maintaining signal telegraph communications between
distant points, on sea or land, within seeing distance, as described, for the
purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Ward, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
W. H. WARD. (L.S.)