IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS FOR NAUTICAL PURPOSES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS FOR NAUTICAL PURPOSES."-
A communication from Henry J. Rogers, of Baltimore, Maryland, in the
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st May 1855.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS FOR NAUTICAL
PURPOSES," a communication from Henry J. Rogers, of Baltimore, Maryland,
in the United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, first, to certain improved constructions and arrange-
ments of ships' signal flags, whereby they may be read off with equal
facility, whether the ship be in a dead calm or in a stiff gale; second, to an
improved system of signaling a ship's name, tonnage, and port of entry by a
single flag.
The improvements comprised under the first head consists in indicating

page_text: the numerals 1, 2, 8, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0, by the use of flags of a square
form, and all of the same size. This is effected by arranging the different
colors of the bunting in diagonal lines, or in certain devices which can be
readily distinguished and read off in a dead calm. Each flag represents one
of the numerals before referred to, so that all the telegraphic numbers placed
opposite the letters, words, and phrases of the code or signal book can be
indicated in the usual manner by the combination or successive display of
the flags.
The improvements comprised under the second head of the Invention are
as follows: Instead of figures or numerals, it is proposed to use a series or
combination of the letters of the alphabet to represent with a single flag the
name, tonnage, and original port of entry of each vessel on the list. It is found
preferable to use 20 letters of the alphabet, 6 letters being discarded on account
of their resemblance to other letters, namely; B, D, G, J, Q, and Y. As-the
list is arranged alphabetically in the code or signal book, reference can be
made to each signal with great facility.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS FOR NAUTICAL PURPOSES," a communication from Henry
J. Rogers, of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instru-

page_text: ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates, firstly, to certain improved constructions and
arrangements of ships' signal flags, whereby they may be read off with equal
facility, whether the ship be in a dead calm or in a strong gale; secondly, to
an improved system of signalling a ship's name, tonnage, and port of entry by
one or more flags.
The improvements comprised under the first head of this Invention consist
in indicating the figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0, by the use of ten flags
of a square or rectangular form, and all of the same size. This is effected
by arranging the different colors of the bunting in diagonal lines, or in certain
devices which can be readily distinguished and read off in a dead calm. Each
flag represents one of the figures before referred to, so that all the telegraphic
numbers placed opposite the letters, words, and phrases of the code or signal
book to be used therewith can be indicated in the usual manner by the com-
bination or successive display of the flags.
The improvements comprised under the second head of the Invention are
as follows:-Instead of figures or numerals, it is proposed to use a series or
combination of the letters of the alphabet to represent with one or more flags
the name, tonnage, and original port of entry of each vessel in the list. It
is found preferable to use twenty letters only of the alphabet, six letters being
discarded on account of their resemblance to other letters, namely, B, D, G,
J, Q, and Y. As the list is arranged alphabetically in the code or signal book,
reference can be made to each signal with great facility. It is well known.
that the signal flags heretofore used, although in many respects well adapted
to answer their purpose, are of very little value during a calm, it being
difficult to distinguish one from the other with absolute certainty. This
improved system of signal flags will prevent the possibility of mistake even
in a dead calm, and is free from the objections of twisting the halyards that
apply to geometrical figures, such as cones, balls and cylinders, which have
been used for a similar purpose.

page_text: And in order that the said Invention may be more perfectly understood, I
shall now proceed to describe and refer to the several Figures upon the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto annexed.
The first improvement has for its object the indication of the figures 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, by the use of flags that can be read in a calm as
well as in a storm or breeze. To effect this, ten flags are employed, of a
square form, and all of the same size, as shewn in the Drawings annexed;
Figure 1 representing the flags as seen in a breeze, and Figure 2 the same
flags as seen in a dead calm, the figures which they are intended to indicato
being placed opposite to each flag in the Drawing. It will be observed that
the colors and devices are so arranged diagonally, that when the flags hang
in a vertical position, as shewn in Figure 2, there is no difficulty in dis-
tinguishing the colors and determining their place with reference to each other.
The diagonal system is more especially evident at Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8, in
Figure 1 of the Drawings, the flags-being-extended as seen in a fresh breeze.
Upon reference to the same numbers in Figure 2, which represent the same
flags in a dead calm, it will be evident that the diagonal stripes or lines are.
perfectly distinct, and that there are no practical difficulties to be overcome
in hoisting and displaying the signals, in which respect they possess great
advantages over the cones, cylinders, and other geometrical figures heretoforo
employed for transmitting signals in a calm. It will be obvious, that as each
flag represents its appropriate figure, all the telegraphic numbers placed
opposite the letters, words, and phrases in the code or signal book can be
indicated in the usual manner by the combination or successive display of the
ten flags.
The second part of the Invention, which relates to the combination of the
letters of the alphabet to indicate the name, tonnage, and port of entry of a
vessel by a single flag. By the ordinary mode, numbers are placed in the
signal book or code opposite the name of each vessel, and (as each figure
is represented by a flag) from two to five flags are required to indicate the
vessel's name.
Instead of employing a series of flags to indicate figures or
numerals for indicating a vessel's name, a combination of certain letters of
the alphabet are used, six of which may be omitted, as herein-before men-
tioned. One or more flags may be made to exhibit a different combination
of the letters of the alphabet, and to represent the name, tonnage, and original
port of entry of each vessel given in the code or signal book. The twenty
letters before named may be combined in more than eight thousand positions.
This system will be readily understood from the following example of the form
of code or list :-

page_text: A A,
FORT OF LASTPORT.
Admiral
A C,
A E,
Creole
Eastern City
-
-
648 tons
-
306
"
6160
"
The next combination of this series are A F, A H, &c. to A Z. The
second series is CA, CC, CE, &c. to CZ. The third series is E A,
E C, E E, &c. to E Z. After the series having two letters in one signal
is finished, three letters are employed, thus, A A A, A A C, A A E, &c. to
A A Z. Thus it will be observed that a great number of signals may be
made, each requiring but one flag; and as the list is arranged alphabetically
in the code or signal book, reference can be made to each signal with great
facility. The commander of any vessel that is ignorant of the code or system
can (on return to port) report the letters and color of the signal flag or flags
they may have seen without difficulty and with greater accuracy than can be
attained by the use of numerals or an extended description of of the forms,
colors, and devices upon several distinct flags.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to ine
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the diagonal arrangement of lines, stripes, or symbols of different
colors shewn upon flags of uniform shape and size, and so placed that when
the flag hangs vertically, as in a calm, the relative position of the stripes or
lines is readily perceived and the signal understood.
Second, the alphabetical arrangement of the signals for indicating the name,
port of entry, and tonnage of a vessel in the manner described, in combination
with one or more flags upon which the signal letters are displayed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of November, One thousand
cight hundred and fifty-five.
TARLA