IMPROVEMENTS IN CODE OF SHIPS' NIGHT SIGNALS AND APPARATUS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Warren Fowle, of Boston, in the County of
Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CODE OF SHIPS' NIGHT SIGNALS AND
APPARATUS."
Scaled the 13th June 1879, and dated the 22nd April 1879.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Joseph Warren Fowle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd April 1879.
JOSEPH WARREN FOWLE, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State of
Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CODE OF SHIPS' NIGHT SIGNALS AND APPARATUS."
My Invention relates to improvements in code of ships' night signals and signal
apparatus, and it consists of one or more lanterns for each vessel, which lantern is
provided with a light of any ordinary kind and with movable colored glass slides,
as well as with movable perforated signal plates, each one of the latter having a
perforation of a peculiar and prominent design and outline, so that its shape may
be easily recognized and perceived from other vessels a safe distance to allow thein
to change their courses accordingly. It is of course immaterial what colors or what
marks are used for this purpose in the lanterns, but once agreed upon they should
remain permanent and unchangeable among all maritimo nations. The exact
number of marks on the perforated slides may also vary without departing from
the essence of my Invention, as for sailing vessels; or 16 changes may be found
sufficient, although 32 would give the complete number of points of the compass,
and this latter number would probably be used on steamers. Each peculiar colored
design, as seen on the lantern, should correspond with a particular point on the
compass; thus, for instance, if the vessel was sailing due north it would display a
peculiar colored design from its lantern to indicate to other vessels the direction
in which it was sailing or propelled by steam; and such colored design should
instantly be changed the moment the course of the ship is altered. Thus, for
instance, a red star might be the sign for going north, a red vertical bar for north
by east, a red diamond for north by west, a red square for north north east, a hori-
zontal bar for north north west, a red triangle for north east by north, a red double
triangle or hour-glass shaped figure for north west by north, and a red ball for
north east; and by using blue, yellow, and green glasses in addition to the red,
in combination with the aforesaid eight designs, all the 32 points of the compass
can be indicated. In this manner each vessel will distinctly show by design
DS627

page_text: and color in its lantern or lanterns the exact direction in which it is steering, and
other vessels passing by it will know the course the other one is going, and they
are thus enabled to take a definite course without liability to collisions or accidents.
If a vessel carries more than one lantern, as for instance, port, starboard, and head
lights, all of them must show the same colored design at the same time, as no
difference exists between port and starboard lights with this Invention. The
movable colored glasses and the movable perforated plates may be arranged in the
form of slides and be provided with levers or handles, by which they may be
operated from the outside of the lantern; and each of such levers or handles inay be
provided with a corresponding mark or design, so as to indicate to the operator or
officer in charge what design is showing. I do not wish however to confine myself
to sliding colored glasses and sliding perforated plates, as rotary, or oscillating, or
rocking plates may for this purpose be used to equal advantage. In addition to
the aforesaid lantern with its movable colored glasses and inovable perforated
plates I provide it with a chart plate that is provided with colored glasses and per-
torated plate, having compass point marks made thereon, so as to enable the
operator to alter the colored design in the lantern immediately on command
being given according to the course the vessel is put to.
Similar charts showing designs, colors, and compass points, may for further
security's sake be located between the captain's and officers' cabins, as well as in the
wheel-house. In using sliding colored glasses and sliding perforated plates the
handles or levers by which they are respectively operated may project through the
end of the lantern or through the top thereof without departing from the spirit of
my Invention. On the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 represents a side elevation
of my improved lantern; Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section on the line A, B,
shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 represents a vertical section on the line C, D, shown
also in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 represents an end view of the lantern with its chart and
index; Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, represent the perforated lantern plates,
as will hereinafter be more fully shown and described.
a is the lantern with its lamp b and chimney c, as usual; d, d, d, d, represent
the movable colored glasses arranged to move in guides within the lanterna, as
shown; d, d, d, d', represent the levers or handles by which the said colored
glasses are operated, each of which lever is preferably provided with a joint d", as
shown, so as to enable the levers or handles of such of the glasses not in use for
the time being to be swung down at the side of the lantern, as shown in Figs. 1
and 2; c, e, o, e, represent the movable perforated signal plates movable in guides
within the lantern a, and they are preferably provided with jointed levers e¹, e¹,
e', e, in a similar manner and for a similar purpose as heretofore described in the
description of the colored movable glasses.
The end of each lever e¹ may be provided with a design e" corresponding to the
design on its respective signal plate, so as to aid the operator in quickly setting any
desired sigual and roplacing it with others as the course of the vessel is altered.
The designs in 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, combined with the colored glasses d, d,
d, d, serve to indicate any desired direction in which the vessel is sailing, as for
instance, Fig. 5, red, indicates north; bluc, north-west; yellow, south; and green,
south west; Fig. 6, red, indicates north by east; blue, north east by east; yellow,
south by east; and green, south east by east; Fig. 7, red, indicates north by west;
blue, north west by west; yellow, south by west; and green, south west by west;
Fig. 8, red, north north east; blue, east north east; yellow, south south east;
and green, east south east; Fig. 9, red, indicates north north west; blue, west
north west; yellow, south south west; and green, west south west. Fig. 10, red,
indicates north east by north; blue, cast by north; yellow, south east by south;
and green, east by south; Fig. 11, red, indicates north west by north; blue, west by
north; yellow, south-west by south; and green, west by south; Fig. 12, red, indi-
cates north east; blue, east; yellow, south east; and green, west. Said colors and
symbols are of course only arbitrary, and may be altered; but after once established
by law, treaty, or otherwise, between nations, are to be standard and permanently

page_text: adhered to without any change whatever; f, in Figs. 2 and 4, represent the chart
or index-plate that forms one side of the lantern, as shown. Said index plate or
chart is provided with colored glases ffff, corresponding in colors respec-
tively to the colored glasses d, d, d, d; the said chart is further provided with
perforated designs, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, corresponding in shape and outlines
respectively to the Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, heretofore referred to.
said chart is also provided with perforated compass point letters N., W., S., and E.,
singly and combined to indicate and denote the various points of the compass, as
shown.
The
Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my In-
vention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent, and claim,-
1st. The herein described code of ships' night signals, consisting of separate and
distinct illuminated colored signal designs, so constructed, combined, and arranged,
as to indicate the course of the vessel, as and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. The herein described lantern a, b, c, with its movable colored glasses d, d,
d, d, and movable perforated signal plates e, e, e, e, as and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. In combination with the lantern a, b, c, and its movable colored glasses
d, d, d, d, and movable perforated signal plates e, e, e, e, of the chart f, with its
colored glasses f¹ƒƒƒ, and perforated designs 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, and
compass letters, substantially as set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Warren Fowle, have hereunto set iny
hand and seal, this 31st day of March, A.D., 1879.
מתIAC
17 DAY