Improvements in Illuminated Wind Vanes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1888
Specification Accepted, 6th Apr., 1888
Improvements in Illuminated Wind Vanes.
I HENRY BIRKBECK of 34 Southampton Buildings London in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, (a communication to me frem abroad by Lucius Heylin Mattison
of the City, County, and State, of New York, United States of America,) 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 relates to improvements in wind vanes used for showing the
direction of the wind and especially to the wind vanes used on board of vessels.
The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved wind vane which is
illuminated so as to be visible at night.
This invention consists in a wind vane, carrying a series of luminous bodies which
show clearly at night. The invention also consists in the construction and combination
of parts and details as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter and then
pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the illuminated wind
vane.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the underside of the same.
Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the same.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The shaft A which may be made of wood or metal is provided with an aperture in
which a spindle box B of the usual construction is provided, the spindle C projecting
from the top of the mast (or other pole or structure) D passing through said spindle
box. The head F is secured on one end of the shaft and a wing or blade G on the other,
and if desired a wind bag H may be attached to the blade.
Recesses or cavities K are provided in the underside of the shaft and in each
of said cavities a vial L is placed each vial containing water and a piece of phosphorous N.
The vials must be sealed absolutely tight so as to prevent any escape of the water as
otherwise the phosphorous would lose its luminous properties.
The vials are held in the cavities or recesses by means of bands O or by means of
any other suitable devices. One vial is placed in that part of the shaft in front of the
spindle and two in the part behind the spindle. At night the phosphorous in the vial
is luminous and clearly shows the position of the vane.

page_text: As shown the two vials in the rear part of the shaft aro placed closer together so as
to show instantly very distinctly which is the rear part of the vane, whereby
the position of the vane and the direction of the can be seen at a glance in the
darkest night.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
'
1. A wind vane containing luminous bodies substantially as herein shown and
described.
2. The combination with a wind vane of transparent receptacles on the same
and luminous bodies in said receptacles substantially as herein shown and described.
3. The combination with a wind vane having recesses or cavities in its underside
of transparent receptacles in said recesses and luminous bodies in said receptacles
substantially as herein shown and described.
4. A wind vane having one luminous body held on its shaft in front of the spindle
and two luminous bodies held on its shaft behind the spindle substantially as herein
shown and described.