Improvements in Signal Lamps for Ships, Lighthouses, Railways or for other Purposes where the Light is to be Seen from a Long Distance.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Signal Lamps for Ships, Lighthouses, Railways,
or for other Purposes where the Light is to be Seen from a
Long Distance.
We ALFRED JOHN LOFTUS F.R.G.S. of Bangkok in the Kingdom of Siam and
ARTHUR GORTON ANGIER of 79 Gracechurch Street in the City of London Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to provide a lamp which can be seen from a much
greater distance than is possible with lamps as ordinarily made.
According to our Invention instead of using a solid transparent material through
which the rays of light penetrate we construct the lamp with two or more glasses or
transparent media holding between them a liquid through which the rays from the light
in the lamp pass and by which they are so concentrated that they penetrate to or can
be observed from a very long distance. The glasses or the like or the liquid or both
can be coloured as desired.
1
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Signal Lamps for Ships, Lighthouses, Railways,
or for other Purposes where the Light is to be Seen from a
Long Distance.
We ALFRED JOHN-LOFTUS F.R.G.S. of Bangkok in the Kingdom of Siam and
ARTHUR GORTON ANGIER of 79, Gracechurch Street in the City of London Gentleman
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:
The object of our invention is to provide a lamp which can be seen from a much
greater distance than is possible with lamps as ordinarily made.
According to our invention instead of using a solid transparent material through
which the rays of the lamp penetrate we construct the lamp with two or more
glasses or transparent media holding between them a liquid through which the rays
from the light in the lamp pass and by which they are so concentrated that they
penetrate to or can be observed from a very long distance.
The glass or the like material or the liquid or both can be coloured as desired.
And in order that our invention may be easily understood and readily carried into
practice we will proceed to describe the accompanying drawings of a ships side light
which we have illustrated for the sake of example showing our improvements applied
thereto.
Figure 1 is a front exterior view of a ships side light or lamp and figure 2 is a side
view of same in elevation partly in section to show our improvements.
ab are the separate glasses or transparent media mounted in any suitable manner
in the frame of the lamp c and forming the space d filled with water or other
transparent liquid as shown.
The burner (not shown) is so adjusted in the lamp c with regard to the thickness
of the glasses and the depth of liquid between them as to properly focus the rays of
light and so as to show the maximum amount of light.
with valve e¹ to relieve
e is a small filling pipe communicating with the space
any pressure should the water become heated by the burner. A small draw off cock
may also be provided if desired at the bottom of the space d.
For the purposes of a ship's side light the glass a would usually be coloured either
red or green.
It is obvious that in all the various applications of our present invention the
relative distances apart of the two or more glasses or other media and the relative
distance of the light or burners from the same can easily be obtained for himself by any
practical lamp maker according to the circumstances and requirements of each case.
Any suitable chemical or chemicals may if desired be mixed with the water to
prevent the same clouding or losing its clearness.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The application of water or other suitable transparent liquid between two or
more glasses or other transparent media to concentrate and increase the illuminating
power of lamps for ship's lighthouses railways and other long distance purposes
substantially as set forth.
2. The improved construction of lamps for ships lighthouses railways and other
long distance purposes by forming them with double glasses or other solid transparent
media having a space between same filled with water or other transparent liquid
substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.