IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS AND ALARUMS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Langford, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, and Joseph Wilder, of Birmingham aforesaid,
Pyrotechnic Artist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS AND
ALARUMS."
Sealed the 29th January 1858, and dated the 8th August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Langford and Joseph
Wilder at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 8th August 1857.
We, JOHN LANGFORD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu;
facturer, and JOSEPH WILDER, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Pyrotechnic Artist,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS
AND ALARUMS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of the improvements in constructing signals and
alarums herein-after described. When we wish to construct a signal to be
used as a hand signal by coast guards and others, we take a tube of metal
closed at one end, and having a wooden handle at the closed end, with which
handle the instrument is held. We fill the tube with the composition herein-
after described, and close the filled tube by a piece of emery paper or other
rough substance. Near the open end of the tube and at the side thereof is
a touch-hole. When it wished to ignite the signal, a lucifer match or a
vesuvian kept in a box formed in the wooden handle may be lighted by the
emery paper and applied to the touch-hole; the composition ignites, and

page_text: produces a brilliant light by its burning. We sometimes fill the tube about
three-fourths full of composition, and the last fourth with gunpowder, in
which case we make the touch-hole at that part of the tube where the
gunpowder and composition are in contact. When ignited there is first
produced a loud report, and afterwards a brilliant light, the instrument acting
both as an alarum and a signal. When used as a ship's signal, we dispense with
the wooden handle, and temporarily support the tube containing the com-
position by a spring clip or screw attached to a long handle. When the ship's
signal is required of large size we prefer to make it as follows:-The com-
position is put into a tubular case, which is dropped into an outer case or
jacket, having a jointed lid at its upper end, and a tube carrying a spring
similar to that of a carriage lamp at its lower end. When used, it is held
horizontal, the lid is opened, and the composition ignited. The spring causes
the signal to advance to the open end of the case as it burns away. Any fused
matter which may fall is caught in the lid of the case. Instead of igniting the
signal by means of a match or fusee, we sometimes place in the end of the
signal a small glass globe containing sulphuric acid, and surround the said
globe with a mixture of chlorate of potash and sulphur. By striking the end
of the signal upon or with any hard body the globe is broken, and the signal
ignited.
The composition we employ is a mixture of saltpetre, sulphur, red orpiment,
and Britannia metal dust. By varying the length of the signal, it may be
made to burn from one to twenty minutes. The signal ignited by sulphuric
acid may be made small, to be carried in the hand, and dropped in cases of
garotting, or attacks by highwaymen or others. When dropped, the signal
ignites and gives an alarm.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Langford and Joseph Wilder in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN 3
LANGFORD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and
JOSEPH WILDER, of Birmingham aforesaid, Pyrotechnic Artist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her 3
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the

page_text: said John Langford and Joseph Wilder, Her special licence that we,
the said John Langford and Joseph Wilder, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Langford and Joseph
Wilder, our 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
SIGNALS AND ALARUMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
John Langford and Joseph Wilder, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 we, the said John Langford and Joseph Wilder, 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 :--
Our Invention consists of the improvements in constructing signals and
alarums, herein-after described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section a signal and alarum constructed
according to our Invention. The said signal and alarum, Figure 1, is adapted
for use as a hand signal and alarum at sea, being especially adapted both for
the naval and mercantile services. A tube of thin sheet metal, such as
Britannia metal, a, closed at one end is attached to a wooden handle 6 by a
screw, as represented. The signal is held by the said handle b when it is used.
We fill the tube a with the composition herein-after described, or we partially
fill the said tube with the said composition. When we wish to construct
a signal only, we fill the tube a with the composition, and when we wish to
construct an alarum and signal combined, that is, light and sound combined,
we fill the tube a with composition up to the line c, and from the said line c to
the top we fill the tube a with a non-destructive detonating shell. The tube
is then closed, either by a piece of emery paper or other rough substance, or
with ordinary paper.
When the tube a is filled to the top with composition,
we make a touch-hole near the top and on the side of the tube, and when the
tube a contains with the composition a detonating shell, as described above,
we make a touch-hole at the side of the tube, and where the shell and cou-

page_text: °
position come into contact, that is, at the place marked d in Figure 1. When
it is wished to ignite the signal and alarum, Figure 1, a match is taken from
the receptacle e in the handle b, and the said match being struck upon the
emery paper with which the tube a is closed, and ignited, is applied to the
touch-hole d. The shell in the space f produces an explosion, and the com-
position in g takes fire, and produces a vivid light by its burning. Or the
match may be stuck in the touch-hole, as represented at h in Figure 1, and
ignited by friction. We sometimes attach the tube containing the composition
or detonating shell and composition to the handle by means of a bayonet joint;
as shown in Figure 2.
We sometimes construct our lights, signals, or alarum and signal combined,
so that it or they can be ignited without a match, as represented in vertical
section in Figure 3. In this modification of our Invention, we place a small
tube across the instrument, at the junction of the detonating shell and
composition. A strip of metal k on the top of the rod 7 passes through a slot
in the tube i. The top of the strip k is tipped with a composition which will
ignite by friction. By unscrewing the bottom m of the handle, and drawing
down the rod l, the composition on k is ignited by being drawn through the
slot in the tube i, and sets fire to the signal.
Figure 4 represents in elevation, and Figure 5 in vertical section, a large
ship's light and signal made according to our Invention. The composition is
put into a tubular Britannia metal case n, which said case n is introduced into
the outer case or jacket o at the bottom of the said case o. After the tube n
has been introduced into the case or jacket o, the spring tube p is fixed on the
bottom of the said case or jacket by the bayonet joint q.
The tube p contains
a spring r, similar to that of a carriage lamp. The tube n holding the
composition is pressed up against the turned-in edge o³ of the case or jacket o,
by the said spring r. During the burning of the signal light, which is held
ordinarily in a horizontal position, the metal of which the case n holding the
composition is made melts, and the fused metal is caught in the lid o² of the
jacket or case o, the said lid o² having the position indicated in Figure 5. The
exact position of the lid o² can be adjusted by means of the slide s, by which it
is attached to the jacket o. As fast as the composition in n burns, and the
metal of which n is made melts, the case n is pushed up to its bearing against
the top edge o³ of the jacket o by the spring r.
Instead of igniting signals made according to our Invention by means of a
match, we sometimes ignite them by the means illustrated in section, in
Figure 6.
A detonating shell is placed in the part t of the tube u, and
composition in the part v; the tube w contains a match made of gunpowder

page_text: and cotton, well known as quick match. At a is placed a mixture of chlorate
of potash and sulphur, and in the said mixture a small hollow globe or bottle
y, filled with strong sulphuric acid or oil of vitriol. By striking the end of
the signal with any hard body, or by dropping it so that the mixture at x shall
strike the ground, the globe y will be broken, and the oil of vitriol coming in
contact with the mixture at a will ignite it. The ignition will be com-
municated through the match in w to the detonating shell in t, which will blow
off the cap z, and explode with a loud report, and the composition in v will
take fire, and burn with a brilliant light. The signal, Figure 6, may be made
small, to be carried in the hand, and dropped in cases of garotting or attacks
by highwaymen or others. When dropped it ignites, and both gives an alarm
and shows a brilliant light. The composition at a is defended from accidental
ignition when the signal is not likely to be wanted by a cap 1. This alarum
may be used also as a protector of property from the machinations of poachers,
trespassers, orchard or garden thieves, and is for these purposes used by being
placed on the ground.
Figure 7 represents in section a signal to be fired from a cannon or mortar.
It is composed of two hemispheres, 2, 3, of wood, fitted together at the line 4,
and having a cylindrical chamber, in which a case 5 containing composition is
placed. The upper part of the case is filled with priming. The fuse 6 com-
municates with the priming, and composition. When fired from a cannon or
mortar the fuse 6 is ignited, and sets fire to the priming and composition.
The hemispheres 2, 3, are blown asunder, and the composition burns and
illuminates the place in which it has fallen.
Figure 8 represents in section a signal to be fired from a musket or other
fire-arm. It consists of a case 7 containing a detonating shell, and inserted in
the tube 8. The part 9 of the tube 8 is filled with composition, and closed by
a hard prime 10. The signal is then covered with paper, as represented,
presenting in appearance the form of an ordinary cartridge, and used as such.
Figure 9 represents in plan and section a signal and alarum for railways.
The small flat chamber 11 contains a mixture of anti-corrosive powder, or
other composition which will ignite when crushed under the wheel of a
locomotive engine or railway carriage. The ignition is communicated through
the tube 12 to the composition in the chamber 13, which igniting, shows a
brilliant light. The chamber 11 is placed on the rail, and held by the strip
of metal 14 and the bent tube 12, as will be understood by reference to the
section, Figure 9.
Any of the aforesaid signals may be made to burn any required duration of
time, and cannot be acted upon by wind or rain, or atmospheric influences, or

page_text: climate. The composition herein-before referred to when describing the
various signals, is made of saltpetre, sulphur, red orpiment, and Britannia metal,
or tin dust. The said composition burns with a brilliant light. The cases
used are composed of Britannia metal in lieu of paper, which adds to the
brilliancy and effectiveness of the lights and signals.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not
limit ourselves to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the
same may be varied without departing from the nature of our Invention; but
we claim as our Invention the various methods of constructing signals and
alarums herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing,
or any mere modification or combination thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Langford and Joseph Wilder, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
FORD. (L.S.)
JOSEPH WILDER. (L.S.)