IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATING SIGNALS, APPLICABLE TO NAVAL, MILITARY, AND RAILWAY PURPOSES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bainton Turtle, of 93, Minories, in the City
of London, Flag Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MEANS OF COMMUNICATING SIGNALS, APPLICABLE TO NAVAL, MILITARY, AND
RAILWAY PURPOSES."
Sealed the 31st May 1861, and dated the 7th December 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bainton Turtle at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th December 1860.
I, JOHN BAINTON TURTLE, of 93, Minories, in the City of London, Flag
5 Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATING SIGNALS, APPLICABLE TO NAVAL, MILITARY,
AND RAILWAY PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention, with reference to naval and military purposes, has for its
object the communication of signals by working three discs, through the per-
mutations of which they are susceptible, so as to have one specific arrange-
ment of the discs for each letter of the alphabet, and one for a stop to mark
the end of a word or sentence. For this purpose each disc is divided into
sections, which may be worked so as to display a disc of either of two colors
separately, or of the two colors combined; and it is by working the discs so

page_text: as to produce the respective combinations for each letter that words may be
spelt in a manner analogous to the spelling of words by means of the deflections
of a needle in electric telegraphs.
The three discs are suspended in a vertical line one over the other, and
each is acted upon as required by means of a small rope working over a
sheave conveniently fixed, and the discs are not lowered until the message is
completed.
When applied to naval purposes, the set of discs are run up by ropes to
the position in the vessel's rigging required, and the small rope leading to each
disc is easily worked from the deck, the required changes in the discs being
effected by merely working the rope so as to move the sections of the discs
into their necessary positions.
When applied to military purposes, the set of discs and ropes may be
combined with a portable mast or pole so as to admit of the whole apparatus
being set up on the field or wherever required.
And my Invention, with reference to railway purposes, has for its object the
application of one of the discs as a self-acting means of indicating either the
proximity or distance of a train after it has passed the signal post. For this
-purpose-the-train, in passing_the_signal post, is-made to act on the sections so
as to display a disc of a color (say red) indicating danger or proximity of the
train, and at the same time to raise a weight, which on descending. will
gradually work the sections back so as to display a disc of a color (say white)
indicating safety or distance of the train, the intermediate position of the
sections displaying a disc with the two colors on it, and being a "caution'
signal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Bainton Turtle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th June 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BAINTON TURTLE, of 93, Minories, in the City of London, Flag Maker, send 3
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters'
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign, did;
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John 3
Bainton Turtle, Her special license that I, the said John Bainton Turtle, my

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John-
Bainton Turtle, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,.
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATING SIGNALS APPLICABLE TO NAVAL, MILITARY, AND
RAILWAY PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John.
Bainton Turtle, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Bainton Turtle, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per--
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference. being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and.
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
.-
My Invention of "Improvements in the Means of Communicating Signals
applicable to Naval, Military, and Railway Purposes," has for its object, with:
reference to naval and military purposes, the communication of signals by
working three discs through the permutations of which they are susceptible, so.
as to have one specific arrangement of the discs for each letter of the alphabet,
and one for a stop to mark the end of a word or sentence.
For this purpose.
each disc is divided into sections, which may be worked so as to display
a disc of either of two colours separately or of the two colours combined, and
it is by working the sections of the discs, so as to produce the respective com-
binations for each letter, that words may be spelt in a manner analogous
to the spelling of words by means of the deflections of a needle in electric
telegraphs.
The three discs are suspended in a vertical line one over the other, and each
is acted upon as required by means of a small rope working over a sheave con-
veniently fixed, and the discs are not lowered until the message is completed.
When applied to naval purposes, the set of dises are run up by ropes to the
ordinary position for communicating signals, and the small rope leading to each
disc is easily worked from the deck, the required changes in the discs being
effected by merely working the rope so as to move the sections of the discs
into their necessary positions.
When applied.to military purposes, the set of discs and ropes may be com-

page_text: bined with a portable mast or pole, so as to admit of the whole apparatus
being set up on the field or wherever required.
And my Invention with reference to railway purposes has for its object the
application of one of the discs as a self-acting means of indicating either the
proximity or the distance of a train after it has passed the signal post. For
this purpose
the train in passing the signal post is made to act on the sections
so as to display a disc of a colour (say red) indicating danger or proximity of
the train, and at the same time to raise a weight, which on descending will
gradually work the sections back, so as to display a disc of a colour (say white)
indicating safety or distance of the train, any intermediate position of the
sections displaying a disc with the two colours on it, and being a "caution
signal, so far as it indicates the length of time that has elapsed since the train
has passed.
"
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the
aid of the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the discs above
referred to, and a Diagram shewing the several arrangements of the discs for
DESCRIPTION OF THE
DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 and 2 are elevations of the disc with the moveable sections thereof 2
in different positions; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the disc; Fig. 4 repre-
sents the three discs on a smaller scale, as suspended to the gaff or spar, to
which signals are usually fixed in a vessel; and Fig. 5 is a diagram shewing
the several arrangements of the discs to form a code. In all these several
Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is a central spindle furnished with a hook at each end, by one of which
the disc itself is suspended, and to the other the disc below it is suspended in
the manner shewn in Fig. 4, the suspending rope A being drawn tightly and
fixed at the lower end to the deck; B, B, are circular plates or collars which
are capable of turning loosely on the spindle A, and on each of these plates are
east or otherwise fixed three sockets C for receiving the ends of the three
curved frames D, D, D, on which is stretched the canvas or other material of
the colours required for conveying signals. It will thus be evident that each
section of the disc thus covered may be turned on the spindle or axis A into
the position required. The motion of the sections of the disc is caused by the
cords E, E, passed through blocks G fixed to a boss on the spindle A, as shewn
in Figs. 1 and 2. These cords are fixed at their two ends to the outer part
of the curved frames D, D, and are passed through the blocks G, whence

page_text: they extend downwards to a sheave in a triple block fixed on the deck. By
this arrangement an endless cord (being a continuation of the cord H) is passed
round the sheave at the deck, so that by pulling it upwards or downwards the
several sections of the disc may be moved as required. This cord is the hal-
yard intended to be worked from the deck, and there is a similar endless cord
or halyard passed round a sheave for each disc. In this manner it will be
understood the several sections of the three discs may be worked by their
respective halyards, so as to present the several combinations shewn in the
Diagram Fig. 5.
In explaining the Diagram I would remark that I do not confine myself to
the combinations of the discs shewn, but they are presented as being the
simplest with which I am acquainted for the purpose. Taking the two colours,
black and white, as the colours shewn by the discs, it will be observed on
reference to the Diagram that for the first nine letters of the alphabet the top
disc of the three will shew black; for the next nine it will show white; and
for the remaining eight and the stop it will shew black and white. Then the
middle disc will shew black for the first three letters, white for the next three,
and black and white for the following three, and so on in succession to the
end of the alphabet, including the stop. And the bottom disc will shew black,
white, and black and white, repeated through the alphabet, including the stop.
It will be evident that this code of signals may be readily committed to
memory.
When the discs are used for military purposes they may be suspended by a
rope in any convenient position, or from a pole fixed in the ground, the mode
of working them being the same as on board of vessels. And it is to be
remarked that the discs will present the same appearance when viewed from
various points, that is to say, the sections of the discs will be moved in each
case so as to shew a circular disc of the particular colour or colours when seen
from three distinct points of view, so that a disc of the particular colour or
colours would practically be seen from all round the pole or other place of
suspension of the discs.
When the signal is applied to railway purposes only one disc is used. This
is fixed on a signal post, and the sections are arranged so that they may be
acted upon by the passing of a train in such a manner as to display a
"danger" signal or a disc of a red colour, and there is a weight connected to
the disc in such a manner that it will become raised by the action of the
train on the mechanism in passing by the signal post, as is usual with
"distance" signals. After the train is passed and the pressure removed from
the mechanism, the weight will gradually descend, and by descending will, in

page_text: a given time, regulated by the mechanism, work back the sections so as to
display a disc of white indicating safety. When both colours are displayed on
the disc the time which has elapsed since the train has passed the signal post
may be estimated by the proportions of the colours shewn by the disc..
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as of
my Invention is, -
First, the use of dises for naval and military purposes constructed in sections,
so as to admit of the latter being worked by ropes in such a manner as to
display discs of various colours arranged according to the letters of the alphabet,
as herein-before described.
And, secondly, the application to railway purposes of one disc combined with
a weight and mechanism similar to that used in "distance" signals, as herein-
before described..
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bainton Turtle, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eiglit hundred and sixty-one.
JOHN BAINTON TURTLE. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
50, Chancery Lane, W.C.
Patent Agent.