Improvements in or relating to Hand Lanterns specially applicable for Signalling.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application; 15th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 15th Deo., 1899-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Hand Lanterns specially applicable
for Signalling.
I, ALFRED EDWARD APPLETON, Trinity Walk, Tewkesbury, in the County of
Gloucester, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to hand lamps or lanterns such as are used on railways
for signalling purposes and the object of the invention is to construct a lamp or
lantern (hereinafter referred to as a lamp) for the purpose named in such a manner
that the differently coloured glasses can be placed before the light of the lamp by
the same hand which holds the lamp thereby leaving free the other hand of the
individual for other purposes which is an important desideratum as in the case of
railway guards who frequently have the other hand full of despatches or letters
and shunters who carry also a rod or bar for uncoupling wagons.
To carry my invention into practice I may employ a hand lamp which as
regards its general features of construction may consist of a circular or tubular
shaped body or casing having the lens fitting in a door hinged to and forming
part of the body.
The chimney of the lamp is conical shaped and on its lower larger end has a
Alange fitting into the upper part of the body.
It is connected to the latter by one or more spring governed bolts or pistons
connected to and passing through the body and through holes in the said flange.
A lip may also be formed on the upper edge of the door to press over the
lower edge of the chimney.
Inside the lamp body there is a rotatable screen or framing carrying differently
coloured glasses and having a preferably truncated cone shaped top through which
the products of combustion ascend into the chimney of the lamp.
Across the opening in the truncated cone top of the rotating screen there are
radial arms fixed and these support a three (or other) sided cam from which there
rises a vertical rod passing upwards through the chimney of the lamp and ter-
minating in a detachable milled edged disc, knob (or equivalent) by which the
rotation of the screen is effected.
The said disc is located immediately under the handle by which the lamp is
carried, so that it can be rotated by the finger and thumb of one hand while the
handle of the lamp is held by the other fingers of the same hand.
In the chimney of the lamp there is a horizontal spring governed bolt or piston
the end of which is maintained (by a spring) pressing against a flat on the cam
surface of the rotatable screen so as to retain the latter in the position to which
it has been turned.
Upon the milled edge nut being partly turned by the finger and thumb of the
individual as hereinbefore mentioned the angle of the cam surface forces the
piston or bolt back and immediately another flat side comes against the end of
the bolt the latter closes up against it and holds it against movement.

page_text: When the said bolt is against a flat on the cam a differently coloured glass is
placed before the light and the number of coloured glasses to be employed deter-
mines the number of flats on the cam of the rotating screen.
Dated this 14th day of March 1899.
Improvements in or relating to Hand Lanterns specially applicable
for Signalling.
I, ALFRED EDWARD APPLETON, Oldbury formerly of Trinity Walk Tewkesbury,
in the County of Gloucester, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to hand lamps or lanterns such as are used on railways
for signalling purposes and the object of the invention is to construct a lamp or
lantern (hereinafter referred to as a lamp) for the purpose named in such a manner
that the differently coloured glasses can be placed before the light of the lamp
by the same hand which holds the lamp, thereby leaving free the other hand
of the individual for other purposes, which is an important desideratum, as in
the case of railway guards who frequently have the other hand full of despatches
or letters and shunters who carry also a rod or bar for uncoupling wagons.
The invention will be fully understood from the following further description
in reference to the accompanying drawing in which,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand signalling lamp constructed in accord-
ance with this invention, and having a portion of the body or casing and chimney
broken away.
Figure 2 is a central vertical section of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a horizontal plan partly in section on the line X X of Figure 2,
but showing the spring controlled locking bolt in contact with one of the angles
of the cam instead of with the flat face thereof as in Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a detail view in section of the spring governed bolt which locks
together the chimney and body casing of the lamp.
Figure 5 is a section taken on a horizontal line through the centre of the
rotating screen.
A represents the body or casing of the lamp which in the present instance is
circular or tubular shaped, having the lens A¹ fitted in the door A which is
hinged to the front part of the body and is fastened in its closed position by a
pin A3 which is free to slide up and down in tubular sockets A+ A³ on the free
edge of the door and into a similar socket A6 on the body.
The chimney B of the lamp is of conical form and has around its bottom edge
a flange B which fits into the upper part of the body.
The chimney and body casing are fastened together by a lip A' formed in the
upper edge of the door and bearing with slight pressure upon the outwardly
turned edge A of the chimney and also by a spring controlled bolt C passing
through both the upper end of the body and the chimney flange B¹.
The bolt is located in a casing C¹ formed on the top of the hooked_arm A³
and is provided with a tongue C by which it can be withdrawn to allow the
chimney to be removed,

page_text: So far the lamp is of the ordinary construction and no claim is made to any-
thing hereinbefore described.
For the purpose of the present invention there is fitted within the body or
casing a rotatable tubular screen or framing D provided with three openings D¹
D' D³ in each of which a differently coloured glass may be fitted.
For signalling on railways two differently coloured glasses are used as will be
understood, one of these openings is therefore fitted with a red glass, the other
with a green glass and the third or remaining opening may be fitted with a
plain glass or the latter omitted so that the ordinary light of the lamp would show.
The rotatable screen has preferably a truncated cone shaped top D' through
which the products of combustion pass into the chimney of the-lamp and across
the opening in the said truncated cone top there are fixed three radial arms E¹
EE carrying centrally a three sided block or cam E, from which there rises a
vertical rod F passing upwards througli the chimney of the lamp and terminating
in a three winged knob or disc G, which may be substituted by a milled edge
knob, disc or equivalent when desired and by which the rotation of the screen is
effected.
The knob G is detachably connected to the rod F by a pin G¹ passing through
the boss of the former and through the rod as shown in Figure 2.
A bar H perforated centrally to allow the rod F to pass through it, is soldered
or otherwise fixed at each end inside and to the chimney of the lamp and carries
on its undersurface a casing J in which is contained the spring governed bolt J'
the head J of which is norinally pressed forward against one of the flats or faces
on the cam E.
The screen actuating device consisting of the three winged knob is located
under the handle K by which the lamp is carried so that it can be rotated by the
thumb and forefinger of the hand which holds the lamp.
The action of the lamp is as follows:-
Upon the individual, partly rotating the knob G by either his forefinger or his
thumb pressing against one of the wings thereon, the screen D is also partly
rotated through the medium of the rod F and the simultaneous rotation of the
cam forces the spring governed bolt J into its casing where it remains until
one of the angles of the cam has passed out of contact with the bolt when the
latter under the influence of its spring is pushed forward and abuts against the
succeeding flat face of the cam by which time the screen will have made one
third of a revolution and one of its coloured glasses will have been interposed
between the lamp flame and the ordinary lens A¹ of the lamp.
The spring bolt J¹ when bearing against a flat on the cam E will hold the
rotating screen in position with one of its coloured glasses before the lamp flame
until it is actually again rotated by the individual pressing his finger or thumb
against one of the wings on the knob G.
The number of faces on the cam is regulated by the number of different glasses
to be employed in the screen and the relative positions of the bolt J¹ and the
cam E are such that when the said bolt is abutting against a flat on the cam, one
of the glasses in the screen is at the back of the lens, ie interposed between the
latter and the flame of the lamp.
The invention is not limited to the precise details of construction herein before
described as various alterations may be made without departing from the spirit
of the invention.
For example the three arms E E E may be dispensed with and the cam E
fitted in the apex of the conical roof of the rotatable screen D in which case
openings would be made in the said roof to allow the products of combustion to
ascend into the chimney of the lamp.
Further, although the cam E is most suitable for its purpose yet this might be
substituted by a dise or equivalent with recesses in its circumferential edge to
receive the end of the spring controlled bolt J¹ said recesses being equivalent in
number to the number of coloured glasses in the screen.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The combination with a hand lamp of a rotatable screen fitted with differently
coloured glasses, means for rotating the said screen and means to hold the screen
in position with one of its coloured glasses interposed between the lamp flame
and the lens.
2. The combination with a hand lamp of a rotatable screen fitted with differently
coloured glasses, means for rotating the said screen and a spring controlled bolt
adapted to bear against the said screen and maintain it in position with one of
its coloured glasses interposed between the lens and the flame of the lamp.
8. The combination with a hand lamp of a rotatable screen carrying differently
coloured glasses, a rod passing to the exterior of the lamp and fitted with a winged
knob or equivalent by which the said screen can be rotated, and means for holding
the screen in the position to which it has been rotated.
4. The combination with a hand lamp of a rotatable screen fitted with differently
coloured glasses, a rod passing to the outside of the lamp and fitted with a winged
knob or equivalent by which the screen can be rotated, a cam or equivalent on the
said screen and a spring controlled bolt arranged to bear against the said cam
for the purpose described.
5. The combination with a hand lamp of a rotatable screen, fitted with differently
coloured glasses, a cam, disc or the like fitted to the said screen, a spring con-
trolled bolt adapted to bear against the cam, disc or the like in the manner and
for the purpose described.
6. A hand lamp provided with a rotatable screen fitted with glasses of different
colours, and furnished with mechanism for rotating the said screen and maintain-
ing the latter in the position to which it has been rotated constructed, arranged
and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and
illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of December 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.