IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR IGNITING SIGNAL AND OTHER LIGHTS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Robson, of Woolwich Road, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR IGNITING SIGNAL AND OTHER LIGHTS."
Sealed the 9th March 1853, and dated the 1st October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Robson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st October 1852.
I, THOMAS ROBSON, of Woolwich Road, in the County of Kent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR IGNITING SIGNAL AND OTHER LIGHTS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a handle or apparatus to which the cases-
(in succession) containing the composition for the lights are applied,
and are ignited by letting go a hammer, which discharges detonating
caps or tubes, and thus fires the composition therein.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Robson, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 30th March 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS ROBSON, of Woolwich Road, in the County of Kent, send
greeting.
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 fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Robson, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Robson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Robson, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR IGNITING SIGNAL AND OTHER LIGHTS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Robson, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Thomas Robson, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 (that is to say):
This Invention consists of a handle or apparatus, to which the cases
(in succession) containing the composition for the lights are applied,
and are ignited by letting go a hanımer, which discharges detonating
caps or tubes, and thus_fires, the composition therein. And in order
that my said Invention may be more fully understood and readily

page_text: Figure 1, shows a plan of the instrument. Figure 2, is an under-
side view. Figure 3, shews a longitudinal section; and Figure 4, a
side view of the instrument.
In each of these figures, the hammer is shewn to be drawn back in
a position for igniting the light, which may have been previously intro-
duced into the instrument. a, is a handle, which I prefer to be of the
forms shewn, but the shape may be varied; b, is the socket for
receiving the stem of the light c, on which stem there are projecting
pins d, which enter the slots c', formed in the socket b, on either side.
The lock is arranged to work with a spiral or helical spring, but the
form and arrangement of the parts of the lock may be varied. The
object of the Invention is to combine a lock with a handle suitably
arranged for receiving and igniting signal and other lights, by means of
detonating caps or tubes applied to the lock of the handle, in place of
having the detonating or igniting matter combined with the light itself,
which is objectionable, as lights so arranged are liable to be discharged
or ignited by accidental pressure or impact. ', is a nipple for receiving
a detonating cap, which I prefer using to any other form of detonating
priming; but the lock may, if desired, be arranged for other detonating
priming, as is well understood in respect to pistols and other fire-arms,
and the same will readily be applied to a handle, suitably formed, for
receiving and holding the case of a signal or other light. The
nipple d', is fixed in an axis d, which is moved into the position
shewn by dotted lines, by means of a handle d³, when a cap is to be
placed on the nipple, and is then moved back into a position to be
struck by the sliding hammer c, the nature of which is clearly shewn in
the drawing. e', e', are two handles, fixed to the hammer, and they pass
to the outside through slots in the sides of the tube or case of the
hammer; and it is by means of these handles that the hammer is
drawn back and cocked by the end of the trigger f, at f', taking into
a notch formed in the hammer, and the hammer is released by pressing

page_text: the other end of the trigger towards the handle a; all which will
readily be understood on examining the drawing.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I make no claim to the parts separately; but
what I claim is, the constructing a handle suitable for holding signal
and other lights, in combination with a.suitable lock for igniting such
lights by percussion.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Robson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
THOMAS ROBSON. (L.S.)