Improvements in Lamps and Lenticular Apparatus for the Purpose of Increasing the Illuminating Power of Lighthouses.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps and Lenticular Apparatus for the Purpose
of Increasing the Illuminating Power of Lighthouses.
1, John Richardson Wigham, Lighthouse Engineer, of 33 Capel Street
Dublin do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present invention consists in improving the illuminating power of lighthouses
by the application to them of the apparatus hereinafter described. I encase light-
house burners, either what are called Argand burners with concentric rings or wicks,
or groups of fish tail burners, ring burners Argand burners and the other burners
described in my Letters Patent No. 945, 1865-2871, 1866-3771, 1869-1015,
1872 and 1160, 1879, in cylindrical or polygonal annealed glass frames or glass
globes or frames partly of glass and partly of iron copper or other metal, and in
this description I do not include what are generally known as chimney glasses. I
surmount these frames or globes with regenerating apparatus constructed upon any
of the well known plans or in a form which I have specially devised for trans-
mitting hot air automatically heated by the products of the combustion of the
burners, into the above mentioned frames, so as to feed the combustion with pure
air heated to a high temperature which gives to the light great intensity and
steadiness, and, when gas is used, I add to this intensity and steadiness still greater
illuminating power by placing in each of the above mentioned casings a hollow
disc of copper or other metal being a good conductor of heat, so that it will become
intensely heated by the hot air which feeds the flame of the lamp, and internally
subdivided so as to cause the gas which passes through it also to become intensely
hot, and I place below the casing a receiver made of copper or other suitable
metal in which I place solid naphthaline or other hydrocarbon, with a peculiar
arrangement of feeding screws and a central tube by which cold gas can be applied
at pleasure or automatically to the surface of the naphthaline or other hydro-
carbon, the naphthaline or other hydrocarbon being vaporised for the purpose of
increasing the illuminating power of the lamp, either by the hot gas above men-
tioned or by an external application of heat which I have arranged for the
purpose.
The improved lenticular apparatus I have designated the trilateral and quadri-
lateral construction of lenses in which, instead of the disposition of lenses heretofore
used in lighthouses which is in the form of six or eight sided figures, the burner is
placed in the common focus of three or four lenses of peculiar construction forming
an equilateral triangle or a square, as the case may be, whereby the illuminating
power of the light is greatly increased.
Dated this 6th day of February 1891.
JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamps and Lenticular Apparatus for the Purpose
of Increasing the Illuminating Power of Lighthouses.
1, JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM, Lighthouse Engineer, of 33 Capel Street
Dublin do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My present invention consists in improving the illuminating power of lighthouses

page_text: by the application to them of the apparatus hereinafter described. I encase
lighthouse burners, either what are called Argand burners with concentric rings
or wicks, or groups of fish tail burners, ring burners, Argand burners and the
other burners described in my Letters Patent No. 945, 1865-2871, 1866-
3771, 1869-1015, 1872 and 1160, 1879, in cylindrical or polygonal annealed
glass frames or glass globes or frames partly of glass and partly of iron, copper
or other metal, and in this description I do not include what are generally known
as chimney glasses. I surmount these frames or globes with regenerating apparatus
constructed upon any of the well known plans for transmitting hot air, auto-
matically heated by the products of the combustion of the burners, into the
above mentioned frames, so as to feed the combustion with pure air heated to a
high temperature which gives to the light great intensity and steadiness, and I
place below the casing a receiver A made of copper or other suitable metal in
which place solid naphthaline or other hydrocarbon. The gas enters the
apparatus by the pipe J. and through the cock P¹ and the pipe G. D. is led
to a double chamber of copper or other metal of conical or other shape, C.
divided internally so as to compel the gas to travel round it to become thoroughly
heated by the flaine and products of combustion. From the chamber C this heated
gas is conveyed by the pipe F. E. through central pipe O. to the surface of the
naphthaline, from which it is conveyed by three-way cocks M. to the burner.
These cocks also communicate with a narrow chamber K. placed immediately
above chamber A and filled with ordinary gas fed into it by the pipe H through
the cock P, so that by means of the above mentioned three-way cocks naphthalised
gas or ordinary gas or a mixture of both in such proportion as may be required
can be admitted to the burner. The naphthaline or other hydrocarbon is vapourised
for the purpose of increasing the illuminating power of the burner, either by the
hot gas above mentioned or by an external application of heat which have
arranged for the purpose, shown by the letters I and I in the drawing No. 1, and I
use the flame thus increased in illuminating power either with or without the casing
above described which casing is approximately shown on the drawing No. 1. by
dotted lines & on drawing No. 2 by letters Z. Z. Z. Z.
In the drawings herewith, No. 1. & No. 1^, A is the receiver for solid
naphthaline or other hydrocarbon, B, flue to carry off products of combustion,
C. double copper cone divided internally so as to compel the gas entering it by
the pipe D. G. to travel round it to be evenly heated, E. F., pipe to convey
heated gas from chamber C. to receiver A., H pipe for allowing ordinary gas to
enter the chamber K, I, pipe for external application of heat the jets of which
pointing inward do not show, J. general inlet pipe, L, cone of copper or nickel or
other material placed surrounding the burner for the purpose of equalising the
supply of air thereto, M. five three-way cocks by which naphthalised gas or
ordinary gas or both can be admitted at pleasure to the burner. N, feeding screw,
O, central tube by which heated gas is admitted to the receiver and when necessary
a certain proportion of cold gas by means of the central cock P, which cock,
however, is.under ordinary circumstances, kept closed, the other cocks P¹ and Pi
being open.
The improved lenticular apparatus for the above described or other burners I
have designated the trilateral and quadrilateral construction of lenses, in which,
instead of the disposition of lenses heretofore used in lighthouses, which is in the
form of six or eight sided figures, the burner is placed in the common focus of
three or four lenses of peculiar construction both as to their spherical shape and
as to the manner of their arrangement, as shown on the accompanying plan
(drawing No. 2), forming an equilateral triangle or a square as the case may be,
whereby the illuminating power of the light is greatly increased. These lenses
may be used in biform, triform or quadriform as is the case with ordinary lenses
in the lighthouses in Ireland where I have erected them. Elevation of triform
apparatus is shown on drawing No. 3.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is
1. The encasing of lighthouse burners by cylindrical or polygonal annealed
glass frames, or glass globes, or frames partly of glass and partly of iron, copper
or other metal for the purpose of containing heated air for maintaining combustion
in the manner described.
2. The application of solid naphthaline or other hydrocarbon as described.
3. The use of this application of naphthaline or other hydrocarbon either with
or without the encasing above described.
4. The use and application of lenticular apparatus of the peculiar construction
described.
Dated this 4th day of November 1891.
JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM.