Improvements in Signalling Lamps for Military and other purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Signalling Lamps for Military and other purposes.
I, FRANK ARNOLD GREENE, of 22, Martin's Lane, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
These improvements have for object to render signalling lamps for military
and other purposes simpler stronger and more durable in construction, more
certain and effective in application and use, and easier to take apart and repair.
The lower edge of the shutter I make concave so that the aperture formed
between it and the circular hole in the diaphragm will when the shutter is
being raised assume a somewhat elliptical or lozenge shaped form at first and,
finally merges into a circle. The shutter is made of thin sheet metal and is
fixed to the shutter lever by means of a plate with two upstanding tubular
sockets which pass nearly through the lever and are fixed thereto by two screws
that are tapped into the socket from the outer side of the lever. On the lever I
provide a cloth or other damper medium for breaking the force of the blow
and preventing vibration when the lever strikes against an upper and a lower
rubber pad, these pads being by preference round plugs placed each in a cylin-
drical recess in a bracket and held therein by a pin passing transversely through
it and the bracket. The shutter lever is fixed on a fulcrum spindle which works
in a bearing at each end so that the lever and shutter work in a perfectly steady
manner in a vertical plane, the said bearings being provided with a cap piece
on each side of the lever said caps being fixed by screws, so that on removing
the latter and the caps, the lever can be taken out when the shutter has been
taken off after removal of the aforesaid two shutter screws. This arrangement
also gives facility for setting up the bearings for wear.
In order to keep the lens free from dew from the lamp when lighted I provide
a small vent or hole just over the bullseye lens. The cone reflector is held by a
screw at or near the top to prevent it from dropping back and getting in the
way of the shutter.
To use
To facilitate the sighting I provide a tube which is passed through the body
of the lamp or by preference through a lower rim continuation of same.
this I first look through the centre of it for sighting the lamp on a distant
light and then I take accurate sight by looking along one side of the tube while
adjusting the lamp to the exact alignment. Instead of forming the lower part
of the lamp body with air inlet holes just over the bottom I provide the bottom
with air holes and these are thus shielded against the wind by the aforesaid
lower rim continuation.
In order to adapt the lamp to the use of acetylene gas I employ a bracket
containing the acetylene burner and a short piece of pipe for connecting to
the generator. This bracket is fixed to the table of a tripod stand by a screw
and thumb nut at one end, the bracket being formed with a slot for the screw

page_text: .
to pass through and provided at the other end with a lip to grip the edge of the
table.
Dated this Thirty-first day of March 1898.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
I, FRANK ARNOLD GREENE, of 22, Martin's Lane, in the City of London,
Engineer, 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:-
These improvements have for object to render signalling lamps for military
and other purposes simpler, stronger, and more durable, more certain and
effective in application and use and easier to take apart and repair.
The improvements refer to the shape of the shutter and the means for securing
it to the shutter lever and parts connected therewith, to the cone reflector, to
the means for sighting, to the means for supplying air to the lamp and to means
for adapting the lamp for the use of acetylene gas.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front elevation of a military signalling
lamp constructed according to this invention and shewn with the door open.
Fig. 2 is a plan view with the hinged cap turned down. Fig. 2 a full size
plan section of the shutter and its means of attachment to the lever.. Fig. 3 is
a side view and Figs. 33" and 3° are side views of different lens mountings
for the door. Fig. 4 is a plan and Fig. 5 a vertical section of a tripod table
with bracket for holding a burner and a pipe connection to the acetylene
generator.
The lower edge of the shutter A Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is made concave as shewn
at A¹, so that the aperture formed between that edge and the circular hole U1
in the diaphragm U will when the shutter A is being raised assume a somewhat
elliptical or lozenge shaped form at first and finally merge into a circle, thus
rendering the signal more clearly discernible in the early part of the operation
than by the ordinary circular form of shutter whereby a crescent shaped aperture
is formed. The shutter is made of thin sheet metal and is as more clearly shewn
in Fig. 2 fixed to the shutter lever B by two upstanding sockets C which pass
nearly through the lever B and are fixed thereto by two screws C that are tapped
into the sockets from the outer side of the lever. On the lever I provide a cloth
or other damper medium, say for instance a piece of leather or other cord 1)
wound round it for breaking the force of the blow and preventing vibration
when the lever strikes against an upper or a lower rubber pad E E, these pads
being by preference round plugs placed each in a cylindrical recess in a bracket F
and held therein by a pin G passing transversely through the pad E and the
bracket F. The shutter lever B is fixed on a fulcrum spindle H which works
in a bearing at each end so that the lever Band shuttle A work in a perfectly
steady manner in a vertical plane, the said bearings being provided with a
cap piece I on each side of the lever, said caps being fixed by screws, so that
on removing the latter and the caps, the lever B can be taken out when the
shutter A has been taken off after removal of the aforesaid two shutter screws C.
This arrangement also gives facility for setting up the bearings for wear. In
order to keep the lens free from dew from the lamp when lighted I provide a
small vent or hole K just over the bullseye or other lens. The cone reflector L

page_text: s held by a screw M at or near the top. to prevent it from dropping back and
getting in the way of the shutter. Fig. 3 shews the ordinary bullseye lens adapted
to screw into the socket on the lamp front. Fig. 3" is a screw fitting for adapting
the ordinary lime light condenser shewn in Fig. 3 to be applied to the lamp.
To facilitate the sighting I provide a tube N plain throughout and open at
both ends which is passed through the body of the lamp or by preference through
To use this tube I first look through the
a lower rim continuation O of same.
centre of it for sighting the lamp on a distant light, and then I take accurate
sight by looking along one side of the tube while adjusting the lamp to the
exact alignment. Instead of as heretofore forming the lower part of the lamp body
with air inlet holes just over the bottom I provide the bottom O₁ with air holes (
and these are thus shielded against the wind by the aforesaid lower rim continua-
tion O.
In order to adapt the lamp to the use of acetylene gas I employ a bracket P
Figs. 4 and 5 containing the acetylene burner Qand a short piece of pipe Q
for connecting to the generator. This bracket or plate P is fixed to the table of
a tripod stand R by a screw and thumb nut S at one end, the plate P being
formed with a slot P¹ for the screw to pass through and provided at the other
The screws T on the
end with a lip P2 which grips the edge of the table R.
tripod are provided with cross pegs T for preventing them from being drawn
wholly out and thus, it may be mislaid or lost.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The form of shutter described and shewn for the purpose set forth.
2. The shutter lever mounted in bearings on each side and provided with damper
in combination with rubber pad above and below substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
3. The open sighting tube applied to the lamp body or lower continuation of
same substantially as set forth.
4. The means described and shewn for, supplying air to the lamp while pre-
venting the injurious influence of the wind.
5. The bracket described and shewn for fixing to a tripod the burner and
pipe connection to an acetylene generator.
6. The construction of military signalling lamp described and shewn.
Dated this Twenty-third day of December 1898.
JENSEN & SUN,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.