AN IMPROVED FLASH LIGHT SIGNAL APPARATUS OR NIGHT TELEGRAPH
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FLASH LIGHT SIGNAL APPARATUS
OR NIGHT TELEGRAPH."-A communication from abroad by the
Reverend John Chatfield Nobles, of Elmira, New York, and Moses
Gustin, of Troy, Pennsylvania, Photographer, both of the United
States of America.
caled the 12th May 1874, and dated the 29th November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th November 1873.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FLASH LIGHT SIGNAL
APPARATUS OR NIGHT TELEGRAPH," a communication, to be as follows:-
The objects of my said Invention are the provision of simple and
efficient means for effecting communication between points distant from
but within sight of each other, either on land or at sea by flashes of

page_text: light, and the registering or recording of the signals thereby transmitted.
I effect these objects by combining with a suitable light a shield capable
of being moved, to produce the flashes, and mechanism whereby the
flashes are registered by the operators at the distant points between
which the communications are being sent.
I use an alphabet as in telegraphing for the purpose of communicating
signals, words, and sentences composed of dots and dashes. A flash
given by one of the operators is recorded at the same instant by a dot
imprinted or impressed upon a strip of paper by a pencil or a sharp
pointed instrument by a single movement of the hand or finger. The
flash from the lantern is made simultaneously with the impression on
the strip of paper by the elevation of a cylindrical shade or shield which
surrounds the light, and which falls instantly to obscure it. The mark
or dash is made by a lateral movement of the pencil or other instrument
by the thumb at the time the flash is made or the light exposed. The
dashes require about double the time taken in making the dot, so that
the receiving operator will readily distinguish between the dot and dash
and can make his record correspond. The signal alphabet being com-
posed only of dots and dashes as numerically arranged enables the two
distant stations to correspond with great facility.
2
I construct my improved apparatus with a box or case, which has two
divisions or compartments. In the front division I place the lamp; the
movcable shield or shade and a reflector with a sliding post for raising
the shield to expose the light and produce instantaneous flashes. In the
rear division I arrange the registering mechanism, which is operated by
a lever, whose front end connects with the said sliding post. This lever
has a handle, which is depressed to raise the shield at the time the stylus
or pencil is operated by a spring and a pin extending from the pencil
holder, which is supported upon a sliding frame, and moves laterally to
produce the mark or dash.
The registering mechanism is arranged on a table, which supports also
a paper-strip holder; the latter is moveable, and can be adjusted to
permit the registering of two or more lines of impressions of the stylus
or pencil.
The mechanism for moving the strip of paper and spacing the dots
and dashes consists of a ratchet wheel carried on a shaft or roller, and
covered with india-rubber or its equivalent, and a presser roller on an

page_text: axle arm pivoted to the aforesaid spring, so that it can be lifted from the
roller to permit the insertion or removal of the paper strip. The ratchet
wheel is operated by a spring pawl attached to a lever, which is held up
in position by a spring, and is depressed by a ring lever operating on a
projecting plate. By this means the pawl may be made to move the
ratchet either one or two notches by a single movement of the said
lever, which is pivoted on the handle lever so as to change the position
on the plate for that purpose.
The dot is made into a dash or mark by pressing in a knob to move
the pencil-holder frame when the pencil is brought in contact with the
paper strip at the instant the flash is made.
The ring lever when moved to the left does not lift the pin to operate
the recording mechanism, but gives the flash and moves the paper along
twice the distance, thus leaving blank spaces sufficient for a proper
division of letters, and a repetition of the movement of the handle
lever will leave spaces to any desired extent for dividing words.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
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

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED FLASH LIGHT SIGNAL APPARATUS OR NIGHT TELEGRAPH," a
communication to me from abroad by the Reverend John Chatfield
Nobles, of Elmira, New York, and Moses Gustin, of Troy, Pennsylvania,
Photographer, both of the United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 William Robert Lake, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The objects of my said Invention are the provision of simple and
efficient means for signalling or telegraphing communications by flashes
of light between points distant from but within sight of each other,
either on land or sea, and the registering or recording of the signals as
they are given and received. I effect these objects by combining with a
suitable light a shield capable of being moved to produce the flashes and
mechanism, whereby the flashes are registered by the operators at the
distant points between which the communications are being sent.
An alphabet is used for the purpose of communicating the signs,
words, or sentences forming the signals. This alphabet is preferably
composed of dots and dashes arranged in different combinations. An
alphabet very convenient for my purpose is shewn in the Drawing. A
flash given by one of the operators is recorded at the same instant by a
dot imprinted or impressed upon a strip of paper by a pencil or a sharp
pointed instrument by a single movement of the hand or finger. The
occurrence of the flash from the lantern is made simultaneously with the
impression on the strip of paper by the elevation of the shade surrounding
the light, and the shade falls instantly to obscure the light, and thus
completes the signalling of a single character. The dash is made by a
lateral movement of the stylus or pencil by the thumb at the same time

page_text: the flash is made or the light exposed, thus making the dashes in about
double the time in which the dot is made, so that the receiving operator
will readily distinguish between the dot and dash and make his record to
correspond thereto. This signal alphabet being composed only of dots
and dashes numerically arranged enables the two stations to correspond
with great facility.
apparatus.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the recording mechanism detached and
drawn to an enlarged scale.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
The box or case A which forms the lantern contains in the front
division the lamp B, the shade or moveable shield C and reflector C¹
with the guide rods D for guiding the shield when it is raised to expose
the light and produce instantaneous flashes. In the rear division of the
case A the registering mechanism is arranged. This mechanism is
operated by a lever E, the front end of which extends to the guide
rods D, and lies under the shield C. The lever E is provided with a
ring handle e, in which the finger is placed to depress it to raise the
shield C; at the same time the stylus or pencil h is operated by the
action of the lever, whose arm E' strikes the lifting pin c, which moves.
the pencil holder H; the latter is supported upon a sliding frame I, and
is moved inward to produce the dashes by pressing the thumb-piece I',
which is provided with a spring 12 to throw it back. The table G, on
which the registering mechanism is arranged as above described, supports
also the paper-strip holder L, which is made moveable, and can be
adjusted in and out to admit of registering two or more lines of
impressions of the stylus or pencil.
The mechanism for feeding or moving the strip of paper and spacing
the dots and dashes consists of a ratchet wheel fon a shaft or roller i,
whose surface is covered with india-rubber or other suitable material,
and a presser roller m on an axle arm n, which is pivoted to the spring o,
so that it can be lifted off the roller i to permit the insertion or removal

page_text: of the paper strip. The ratchet wheel fis operated by a spring pawl F
attached to the lever R, which is held up in position by the spring "
and is depressed by the ring lever E acting on a projecting lip or
flange 8.
In order that the pawl F may be made to move the ratchet f, either
one or two notches, at pleasure by a single movement of the lever E the
part E¹ of the said lever is pivotted on the other part at E², and may be
adjusted to act on the flange s, either at the part 1 or the part 2 of the
same.
The part E¹ of the lever E when the ring e is moved to the part 2
does not lift the pin c to operate the recording mechanism, but gives
the flash and moves the paper along twice the distance, thus leaving
blank spaces sufficient for a proper division of letters, and a repetition of
the movement of the lever E will leave spaces to any desired extent for
dividing words.
I have shown an alphabet, the letters of which are formed of dots and
dashes. This alphabet is printed or marked on a glass slide, which fits
in the case A, as shown, so that the operator always has it before him.
The said apparatus may be provided with a number of slides with
different alphabets for use for different purposes, or where secrecy is
desirable.
This improved apparatus is especially adapted for the universal code
of signals now used at sea, that is to say, in signalling at night by.
means of the said apparatus flashes of light are substituted for the flags
used by day.
The method of operating with my combined flash light signal
apparatus and registering device may be understood by the following
example: Let the two operators be called X and Y.
The characters are made in the following manner :-X in sending a
message to Y gives a flash, and may or may not record the same by
making a dot by the means above described. Y responds instantly by
giving a like flash, and in doing so may record the same upon the paper.
The message being recorded by the receiver of the signals as he gives
the responsive flashes will obviate the necessity for taking any note of
the signals until the whole message has been received. The message
may then be read from the strip of paper on which it has been recorded.
by the pencil or stylus as above described.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. An apparatus for signalling by flashes of light, and which will
record or register the signals, or will give the signals without recording
or registering them as may be desired by the operator.
Second. The mechanism for producing the simultaneous action of the
shield for emitting the flashes and the registering or recording instru-
ment constructed and operating as herein set forth.
Third. The mechanism for feeding or moving the paper upon which
the signals are registered or recorded, constructed and operating as
herein set forth.
Fourth. The pencil-holder adjustable inwardly or across the width of
the paper in combination with the device for effecting this adjustment,
as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The lever which operates the signalling and recording
mechanism provided with a pivotted piece or arm, which may be
adjusted to actuate or to avoid actuating the registering mechanism for
the purpose specified.
Sixth. A flash light signal or night telegraph apparatus provided with
the lamp, the shield for emitting the flashes, the recording or registering
mechanism, and the paper feed mechanism in combination with a lever
or handle controlled by an operator and in combination with the other
parts of the apparatus herein described and substantially as shewn in the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Witness,
JAMES EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)