IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING SIGNALS AT SEA and on Land
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Banting Rogers, of Robertsbridge, in the
County of Sussex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS AND
APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING SIGNALS AT SEA and on Land.”
Sealed the 3rd February 1875, and dated the 10th September 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Banting Rogers
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th September 1874.
I, JOHN BANTING ROGERS, of Robertsbridge, in the County of Sussex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS
AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING SIGNALS AT SEA AND ON LAND," to be as
follows:
This Invention relates to means and apparatus for effecting signals at
sea and on land, principally by rockets, whose discharge of coloured stars
or devices at the time of explosion can be read and used in conformity

page_text: with any prearranged system of signalling, but preferably with the system
or code known as Sir William Mitchell's, and termed "the commercial
code of signals for all nations."
and fuse, which
The Invention consists in arranging within suitable cases coloured
fires or chemical substances in proportions which on exploding will
exhibit certain signals corresponding to the flags at present used in day-
light, and which themselves represent certain letters of the alphabet or
designs conveying signals according to the code employed, and which
will be read in a similar manner to the flags now used by vessels for
signalling purposes or the semaphores used on shore. These cases like
cartridge cases have a flat base with a percussion cap
can be struck by a striker fitted in a sort of catapult or broad arrow arm,
which also under the action of a spring shoots the cartridge in a given
line and drives it through the air for a distance, when the line of fire or
discharge is taken up and continued under the action of the impelling
fuse with which the cartridge or rocket is charged, the fuse being
arranged or timed not to explode the coloured fires or chemicals, until it
The arm is
has reached the maximum height or distance of its flight.
preferably pivotted upon gimbals whose stem can be dropped into a hole
in the gunwale of a vessel or the rowlock hole of a bolt or in a seat, so
that the delivery end can be directed as desired, the spring being
released by a trigger or draw bolt appliance in any suitable manner.
My Invention is chiefly intended for use by vessels, or it may be from
the shore during the night, in which case vessels could be warned off
dangerous shoals or rocks, and signal messages discharged that assistance
is needed or will be sent.
As a sample of the coloured stars or explosions of my rocket
cartridges, which I propose to adopt in conformity with the flag system
of Sir William Mitchell, I give the following:-

page_text: For an answer "Yes" plain white fire without stars.
"
"
"
دو
No plain blue fire without stars.
Danger plain red fire, loud explosion, and without stars.
Each cartridge rocket would contain the desired charges of signal fires
or burstings, and the exterior would be marked with the contents, a
series of them being kept in a box with the arm within easy reach of
the officer in charge, so that in cases of emergency the lid can be
opened, the arm placed in position, charged and discharged as often as
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Banting Rogers in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BANTING ROGERS, of Robertsbridge, in the County of Sussex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Banting Rogers, Her
special licence, that I, the said John Banting Rogers, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Banting
Rogers, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING SIGNALS AT SEA AND ON
LAND," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Banting Rogers, my executors 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 performed, and cause the same

page_text: 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 Banting Rogers, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 relates to means and apparatus for effecting signals at
sea and on land, principally by cartridges or rockets whose discharge of
coloured stars or devices at the time of explosion can be read, and used
in conformity with any prearranged system of signalling, but preferably
with the system or code known as Sir William Mitchell's, and termed
"the commercial code of signals for all nations."
The Invention consists in arranging within suitable cases coloured
fires or chemical substances in proportions, which on exploding exhibit
certain signals corresponding to the flags at present used in daylight,
and which themselves represent certain letters of the alphabet or designs
conveying the signals according to the code employed, and which can be
read in a similar manner to the flags now used by vessels for signalling
purposes or the semaphores used on shore.
The manner of carrying my Invention into practical effect is
represented in the accompanying Drawings, although I do not confine
myself to the particular construction of apparatus there shown.
Figure 1 is a view of a cartridge case a with an ordinary charge of
rocket fuse b in the central part, and with an explosive charge at the
nozzle or head c. The bottom of the case has a percussion or other
detonating cap d fitted in the base, which can be struck and exploded
by a striker coming into forcible contact therewith. The head or nozzle
c of the cartridge case contains a series of distinct explosive bodies e, e,
which ignite under the action of the charge in the nozzle, and by which
they become spread and form separate bodies of fire in colours, the
number or diversity of colours corresponding to any known code or
system of signalling by flags, but preferably in accordance with the code
of flag signals known as "the commercial code of signals for all
nations," or as "Sir William Mitchell's system."

page_text: This construction, arrangement, or manufacture of rocket cartridge
cases containing distinct explosive coloured bodies for the purpose of
signalling as set forth forms an essential feature of my Invention, and
also forms the means by which a system of signalling can be established
and used in conjunction with any known system of flag, semaphore,
alphabet signalling, whether on shore or at sea, as will be understood by
the following tabular form which I give as an example only :-
-
O two
8
"
"
D three
F four
"
"
و,
"
G one blue star.
H two blue stars, and so on.
For an answer "Yes" plain white fire without stars.
"
66
"
دو
"No" plain blue fire without stars.
Danger" plain red fire, loud explosion, and without stars.
Figure 2 represents a signal rocket a, say at its maximum height, to
which it has been sent by its burning fuse b, and at a time when the
explosion of the head or nozzle charge o has taken place, and three
explosive coloured bodies e, e, driven out and fired to represent three
stars in white, to indicate the letter D, according to the foregoing
example. The explosive nozzle charge may be of coloured fire, say red
or blue, which can be used at the explosion in conjunction with white or
other coloured stars, as desired, or alone to indicate the desired signal.
.
I claim as part of my Invention herein set forth the system of
effecting signals from rockets and the employment of rockets, so made
that the explosions and the production of coloured stars or devices
thereby form a code to be used alone, or in conjunction with any pre-
arranged code of signals for the purpose described, but specially I claim
this part of my Invention when used in connection or in conjunction
with the flag system of Sir William Mitchell, known as "the commercial
code of signals for all nations."
It will be observed in the view, Figure 1, that I form a cone-shaped
chamber in the body of the fuse charge at the base end, for the double
purpose of throwing the centre of gravity well forward for an
"end on "
flight of the rocket through the air, and for establishing a gradual

page_text: increase of speed of the rocket from the time the fuse begins to burn
until the fire catches the main body of the fuse charge, when it con-
tinues its flight at an uniform speed under the force of the fuse covering
the sectional area of the case.
The next part of my Invention relates to an apparatus for discharging
signal rockets, say from the rail of a vessel. The apparatus, Figures
3 and 4, is composed of a barrel A. in which a plunger B whose stem C
is encircled by a spring D, can move in and out, firstly, under the
pressure of a lever E acting upon a plug F, and secondly, under the
impulse of the spring D, when the catch hook G is released from the
catch H of the plunger stem C, which can be effected by knocking or
striking the weighted end I of the catch hook. The plunger is guided
by pins J, J, which ride in slots K, K, in the barrel, and supposing a
rocket cartridge to be inserted into the mouth tube L, as in Figure 3,
and the spring contracted so that on the release of the catch hook from
the stem, the action of the spring against the plunger causes it to shoot
up, as in Figure 4, with great force, when it not only shoots the rocket
from the tube L into the air, but the point M of the plunger to fire the
cap or detonator by which a spark is communicated to the rocket charge
to continue the flight of the rocket under its influence.
The apparatus is shown with gudgeons N, N, so that it can be rested
in the forks P, P, of a crutch Q, Figures 5 and 6, the stem R of which
can be dropped into a hole in a ship's rail, a seat of a boat, or other
article for supporting the barrel and for directing the rocket where
desired. A post or rail would be convenient when the signal rockets are
fired from the shore.
The plug F I have shown attached by a cord R¹ to the lever arm S to
keep it with the barrel, and so that when the plunger has to be pushed
down, the plug has only to be inserted, and the end of the lever E
brought to bear upon it, when a pressure on the handle T forces it down
for the catch hook to take into the catch of the plunger stem, and hold
it at that position.
I claim in this part of my Invention the construction and arrange-
ment of parts constituting an apparatus for shooting signal rockets, and

page_text: charges when employed for signalling or equivalent purposes, sub-
stantially as set forth and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Banting Rogers, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
JOHN BANTING ROGERS. (L.S.)