AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING, APPLICABLE TO USE IN SHIPS OR ON LAND
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Read, of Deal, in the County of Kent,
Chief Officer in the Coast Guard Service, and John James Nickoll,
of South Hill House, Gravesend, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING, APPLICABLE TO
USE IN SHIPS OR ON LAND."
Sealed the 11th March 1873, and dated the 18th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Read and John
James Nickoll at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 18th September 1872.
WC, GEORGE READ, of Deal, in the County of Kent, Chief Officer
in the Coast Guard Service, and John JameS NICKOLL, of South Hill
House, Gravesend, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR Signalling,
APPLICABLE TO USE IN SHIPS OR ON LAND," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists, firstly, for use at night in employing two or
more lamps fitted with differently coloured glasses or lenses, and pre-
ferably of the kind known as all round lamps (although lamps of other
well-known types may be employed), placed in any conspicuous position,
and connected (if on board ship) with the rudder in such manner that
the motion thereof to one side shall elevate one of the lamps and depress

page_text: the other, the motion of the rudder to the other side elevating that
which was before depressed and depressing that which was before
clevated, while when the rudder is in a lino with the keel the two lamps
shall be nearly or quite on the same level. One of the lamps may
exhibit a red, and the other a green light; thus the course a ship is
steering may be indicated in all directions by the relative positions of
the lamps. For example, red up and green down may indicate a port
course, while green up and red down may indicate a starboard course,
and the lamps level with each other a right-ahead course. The lamps
are by preference adapted to slide on and be guided by suitable stays,
rods, or frames, and may be operated from the rudder, or, if used on
land, from other suitable moving object by any convenient tackle or
mechanism. For use in daylight we employ any suitably shaped and
distinctively painted or marked bodies, as drums, balls, cones, flags,
et cetera, instead of the above-mentioned lamps.
"
Secondly. In order to obviate the uncertainty in the indication of the
present regulation lights on board ship, as to whether a ship is ap-
proaching another "end on" or nearly "end on," we employ a position
lamp so constructed that when a ship is “end on with regard to
another the said position light shall indicate only a white light, or a 1
white light with more or less coloured (red or green) light on either side
thereof, or a red and a green light only on either side of a blank space;
while, if the ship is not "end on " or very nearly so, a white and a
coloured light, or one coloured light only, according to the degree in
which the ship is diverging from the "end on" position, become or
becomes visible.
Or, instead of the position lamp above referred to, we sometimes
employ the ordinary regulation side lights, before which shades are
caused to slide by the motion of the rudder whenever it is moved, so as
to obscure ono or other of the lights, instead of such obscuration being
effected by the movement of the vessel's hull, as heretofore.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Read and John James Nickoll in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th March 1873.

page_text: Guard Service, and JOHN JAMES NICKOLL, of South Hill House,
Gravesend, also in the County of Kent, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said George Read and John James Nickoll,
Her special licence, that we, the said George Read and John James
Nickoll, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said George Read and John James Nickoll, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others
from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING, APPLICABLE TO USE IN SHIPS OR ON LAND,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Read
and John James Nickoll, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Offico within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE,. that we, the said George Read and John James
Nickoll, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists, firstly, for use at night in employing two or
more lamps fitted with differently coloured glasses or lenses, and pre-
ferably of the kind known as all round lamps (although lamps of
other well-known types may be employed) placed in any conspicuous
position, and connected (if on board ship) with the rudder, in such
manner that the motion thereof to one side shall elevate one of the
lamps and depress the other, the motion of the rudder to the other side
clevating that which was before depressed, and depressing that which
was before clevated, while when the rudder is in a line with the keel

page_text: the two lamps shall be nearly or quite on the same level. One of the
lamps may exhibit a red and the other a green light; thus the course
a ship is steering may be indicated in all directions by the relative
position of the lamps. For example, red up and green down may
indicate a port course, while green up and red down may indicate a 5
starboard course, and the lamps level with each other a right-ahead
course. The lamps may be adapted to slide on and be guided by
suitable stays, rods, or frames, and may be operated from the rudder, or,
if used on land, from other suitable moving object by any convenient
tackle or mechanism. For use by daylight we employ any suitably 1
shaped & distinctively painted or marked bodies, as drums, balls, cones,
flags, &c., instead of the above-mentioned lamps.
Secondly. In order to obviate the uncertainty in the indication. of
the present regulation lights on board ship, as to whether a ship is
approaching another "end on," or nearly "end on," we employ a position 1
lamp so constructed that when a ship is "end on" with regard to
another, the said position lamp shall indicate only a white or a white
light with more or less coloured (red or green) light on either side
thereof, or a red and green light only on either side of a blank space;
while if the ship is not end on, or very nearly so, a white and a coloured 2
light, or one coloured light only, according to the degree in which the
ship is diverging from the end on position become or becomes visible.
Figure 1 illustrates an arrangement of our Invention which we have
found convenient and effective for use at night.
A is an endless line connected to and receiving motion from the 2
steering gear in any convenient manner, such, for example, as that
described in the Specification of a Patent granted to us, and bearing
date the 4th day of Dec. 1872, No. 3268. The said endless line A is
maintained in a suitable state of tension by being passed over a block or
pulley B, which being connected to the line C passing over a block or :
pulley D attached to the mast is capable of being raised or lowered by
means of the said line C, the lower end of which is secured to a fixed
point so as to maintain the endless line A in a proper state of tension.
Connected to any suitable part of the endless line A are blocks or
pullies E, E. The lamps F, F', which we prefer as before stated to be
of the "all round" description, are hoisted up and suspended to the lines A
by means of the lanyards G, G', rove through the blocks E, E'; onc end
of each of these lanyards is fastened to the top of its corresponding lamp

page_text: for the purpose of carrying its weight and hauling it up, and the other
end to the bottom for the purpose of steadying it and hauling it down;
when the lamps are hoisted to their proper places the bites of the lan-
yards G, G', are secured by suitable clects to the endless line A, thus the
lamps are secured there and partake of its motion. It will now be
readily understood that the lamps being adjusted when the helm is
amidships so as to stand at the same level, as shewn in full lines in
the Figure, any motion of the helm to the starboard or port will raise one
lamp and depress the other, thus the motion of the helm to the starboard
will raise the lamp F (which may be green in colour) and depress F
(which may be red in colour), as shown in black dotted lines, while the
motion of the helm to port will raise the red lamp F" and depress the
green lamp F, as shown in red dotted lines. When using these signals
in daylight distinctly painted or marked bodies, such as those shown in
Figures 2 and 3, or any other suitable object, may be employed instead
of the lamps F, F¹. If preferred the lamps or other signalling objects
may slide on and be guided by guide lines, rods, or frames, similarly to
those shown in connection with the arrangement of signalling apparatus
described and illustrated in the Specification of our before-mentioned
Patent, No. 3268, as shown in Fig. 4 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Instead of attaching the signal lamps or other signalling objects to the
endless line A, they may be attached to the ends of the semaphore arm
described and shown in the Specification of our before-mentioned Patent,
No. 3268, and they may be exhibited in any convenient or suitable
position on the ship according to the purpose for which they may be
used.
We have described our Invention as applied to ships, but it is obvious
that our method of signalling may be employed in any other position
requiring similar effects.
C
The position lamp we propose to employ is shown in Figures 4 and 5;
Fig. 4 showing it triced up on the guide lines just below the steering signal
lamp, and Fig. 5 a sectional plan of the same. His a colourless glass
forming the front of the lamp and through which a white light will be
visible; I are coloured glasses, say red and green respectively; K, K',
5 are shades or shields which may be used if required in order to assist in
preventing the blending of the white and coloured rays of light which
may appear to an observer and whom the ship is approaching nearly,
but not quite, "end on" or past whom she may be going partly but not
2

page_text: quite wholly "broadside on." L is the burner. If now this lamp be
fixed in a ship so that the white light faces direct ahead, an observer
secing the ship approaching "end on" or nearly so, will perceive a
white light only; if approaching him at an angle he will see a white
and a coloured light, or a coloured light only, and he will thus be
enabled to determine the directions in which the vessel is moving in a
quicker and more certain manner than by the present regulation lights.
The lamp may be arranged with the sides somewhat splayed, as shown
at Fig. 6. We then prefer the colourless glass H to be replaced by an
opaque screen; an observer will then see two coloured lights separated 1
by a dark space if the ship is "end on," or within certain limits of being
so, according to the "splay" of the lamp sides, and a coloured lamp only
if the ship is approaching or passing at an angle beyond those limits.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to or may be performed, we wish it to be understood 1
that what we claim as our Invention is,―
First. The use of signal lamps arranged, applied, and operated sub-
stantially in the manners described and illustrated, and for the purposes
herein set forth.
Second. The application and use of a position lamp constructed, 2
arranged, and applied substantially as described and shown, and for the
purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John James Nickoll, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-thrcc.
2
JOHN JAMES NICKOLL. (L.S.)
Witness,
EDWARD HARVEY BIRD NICKOLL,
South Hill House,
Gravesend, Kent.
South Hill House,
Gravesend, Kent.