IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF WORKING ELECTRIC SIGNALS FOR GUNNERY PRACTICE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Newton Gisborne, of No. 3, Adelaide
Place; London Bridge, in the City of London, Engineer and Elec.
trician, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF WORKING
Sealed the 28th March 1865, and dated the 1st October 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic Newton Gisborne.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st October 1864..
I, FREDERIC NEWTON GISBORNE, of No. 3, Adelaide Place, London Bridge,
in the City of London, Engineer and Electrician, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF WORKING
ELECTRIC SIGNALS FOR GUNNERY PRACTICE," to be as follows:-
In connection with the electric shutter movements, horizontal and vertical,.
as described in Letters Patent No. 210, and bearing date the Twenty-third
day of January, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, granted to
me for "Improvements in the Means of Communicating Signals on Board
Ship, and of Indicating the Position of the Rudder," in some cases I make
the armature of a shutter or pointer of steel, magnetized, and by using
reversed currents I can in the first instance raise a shutter or deflect a pointer
by using the current which magnetizes the electro-magnet with contrary poles
to the ends of the armature placed opposite to them. The shutter or pointer
is thus held in position after the galvanic current leaves the electro-magnets..

page_text: pointer back to its normal position. To effect that result I sometimes use
galvanic electricity, sometimes magnets, and sometimes a combination of the
two, and sometimes I use a step by step electro-magnetic movement to carry
a pointer or move a series of shutters in rotation.
I wish it to be understood that the object of my Invention is to enable the
person in command of a ship to transmit from his position above deck orders
to the officer or person in charge of her guns in the battery below as to firing,
loading, or otherwise.
In my Patents No. 210, dated the Twenty-third day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three and No. 3208, dated the Nineteenth
day of December, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, I show both
electric and mechanical methods for communicating signals. from the captain
to the helmsman and engineer, and other purposes, and my Invention herein
described, is-for the adaptation thereof, as stated for gunnery practice; and in
further explanation I state that in connection with my said Patent No: 210
I also make the armature of the shutter or pointer of steel, magnetized, and
by using reversed currents. I can raise the shutter by using the current which
magnetizes the electro-magnet with contrary poles to the ends of the arma-
ture placed opposite to them, and the shutter is thus held in position after the
galvanic current leaves the electro-magnets by the permanent magnetism in
the steel armatures, while a feeble reverse current which changes the polarity
of the electro-magnet repels the shutter to its normal position, and in con-
nection with my said Patent No. 3208, I cause a series of shutters or polygon
wheel, cylinder; or disc to revolve by a step by step movement occasioned by
the action of an electro-magnet or magnets acting on a toothed, wheel and for
such purpose I use either galvanic or magneto electricity, and I do not claim
either the reverse currents, or step by step movement in themselves, but
simply in combination with the other parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederic Newton Gisborne in the Great Seal-Patent Office on
the 1st April 1865. ...
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
NEWTON GISBORNE, of No. 3, Adelaide Place, London Bridge; in the City of s
London, Engineer and Electrician, send greeting.
.:.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Frederic Newton Gisborne, Her special licence that I, the said
Frederic Newton Gisborne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Frederic Newton Gisborne, my 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF WORKING ELECTRIC SIGNALS FOR
GUNNERY PRACTICE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Frederic Newton Gisborne, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 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 Frederick Newton Gisborne, 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, and by the Sheet of Drawings, and the figures
and letters thereon, which form part of this my Specification.
In connection with the electric shutter movements, horizontal and vertical;
as described in Letters Patent No. 210, and bearing date the Twenty-third
day of January, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, granted to
me for "Improvements in the Means of Communicating Signals on Board
Ship, and of Indicating the Position of the Rudder," in some cases I make
the armature of a shutter or pointer of steel magnetized, and by using
reversed currents I can in the first instance raise a shutter or deflect a
pointer by using the current which magnetizes the electro-magnet with
contrary poles to the ends of the armature placed opposite to them. The
shutter or pointer is thus held in position after the galvanic current leaves
the electro-magnets by the permanent magnetism in the steel armature,
while a reversed curient which changes the polarity of the electro-magnet
repels the shutters or pointer back to its normal position. To effect that
result I sometimes use galvanic electricity, sometimes magneto, and son.e-
times a combination of the two, and sometimes I use a step by step electro-

page_text: magnetic movement to carry a pointer or cylinder, or move a series of shutters
in rotation.
I wish it to be understood that the object of my Invention is to enable the
person in command of a ship to transmit orders from his position above deck to
the officer or person in charge of her guns in the battery below, after firing,
loading, or-otherwise,-or-to-the.engineer..
In my Patents No. 210, dated the Twenty-third day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and No. 3208, dated' the Nineteenth
day of December, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, I shew both
electric and mechanical methods for communicating signals from the captain
to the helmsman and engineer, and other purposes, and my Invention herein
described is for the adaptation thereof, as stated for gunnery practice; and
in further explanation I state that in connection with my said Patent No. 210
I also make the armature of the shutter or pointer of. steel, magnetized, and
by using reversed currents I can raise the shutter by using the current which
magnetizes the electro-magnet with contrary poles to the ends of the arma-
ture placed opposite to them, and the shutter is thus held in position after the
galvanic current leaves the electro-magnets by the permanent magnetism in
the steel armatures, while a feeble reverse current which changes the polarity
of the electro-magnet repels the shutter to its normal position; and in connec-
tion with my said Patent No. 3208, I cause a series of shutters or polygon
wheel, cylinder, or disc, to revolve by a step by step movement occasioned by
the action of an electro-magnet or magnets acting on a toothed wheel, and
for such purpose I use either galvanic or magneto electricity, and I do not
"claim either the reverse currents or step by step movement in themselves but
simply in combination with the other parts.
Fig. I. is the captain's communicator. A being the handle; B the pointer,
under the face C; D the dial face, upon which the orders are painted or
marked; E the revolving wheel, which makes side contact with the segments
of the circle F; G being-a ratchet pin, for preventing any backward move-
ment of the pointer; H a circuit break knob, and J an electro-magnetic
bell.
Fig. II. is a vertical section of the communicator, shewing the circle in
seginents and the revolving wheel E. The smaller segments K, K, K, are
connected up as one contact, as are likewise the larger ones; L, L, L, the
battery wire being attached to the wheel.
Fig. III., is an end view of the indicator; A, A, being the electro-magnet;
B, the armature; C, a small roller at the end thereof; D, the revolving
octagon; E, an escapement lever; F, a ratchet wheel, and G, a spiral spring;

page_text: armature.
Fig. IV. is a front view of the indicator, upon which the several orders
"commence firing," "shot passing over," &c. &c., are painted or marked; or
if used as an engine room signal as per drawing, "ahead full speed," and other
appropriate orders are painted or marked.
The action is as follows:-One battery pole being attached to the smaller
segments K, K, K, of the communicator's contact circle, the other to earth,
and the line wire to the revolving wheel, a single current is allowed to pass
per each K segment that the wheel passes over. This current magnetizes
the electro-magnet A, A, of the indicator, attracting the armature B towards
it. The roller C then acts like a short lever upon the excentric escapement
lever E which flies up, and by the ratchet wheel F causes the octagon D to
revolve half a tooth. The pointer, when at an order, causes the wheel which
moves in unison with it to rest upon the larger segments L, L, L, of the
communicator's circle, which breaks the current and releases the armature B
of the indicator, this allows the spring G to depress the escapement lever E
which then by mechanical force completes the remaining half tooth of space
and thus revolves the octagon one-eighth of its circumference. For each
current one side of a polygon may be exposed to view. The ratchet pin G
of the communicator is simply to prevent back or false currents, it being
evident that the communicator's contact wheel must rotate in unison with the
octagon in order to transmit correct orders. The moveable-pin shaft J assists
the rapid movement of the octagon D by pressing against it at each stroke of
the bell, which being in same current as the electro-magnet A, A, acts in
unison with it.
Fig. V. represents a dial face, upon which are two of the small shutters
S, S, fully explained in my Patent No. 210, above mentioned.
Figs VI. and VII., being contact boxes to shew the lay of a gun, or as per
Drawing the movements of an engine shaft. a, b, being two levers, jointed
so that either one or the other may make contact upon the springs c, d,
according to the directive movement of the body acting upon them;
E represents such shaft or body; F being the contact piece thereupon.
It is obvious that the octagon above described may be made to revolve by
two magnets in lieu of one magnet and a spring, also that contact may be
made from a pin or excentric piece attached to gun or shaft.
Having described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is or may be performed, I wish is to be understood that what I

page_text: claim as my. Invention is, the combination and arrangement substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness. whereof, I, the said Frederic Newton Gisborne, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
F. N. GISBORNE (LS)