Improvements in or appertaining to the Lighting of Ships' Signal Lamps by Electric Light.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
· PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to the Lighting of Ships' Signal
Lamps by Electric Light.
We CHARLES WALTER Cox, FREDERICK ROBINSON and WILLIAM HENRY
GRITTON, of S, Strand Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Electricians,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the better and safer lighting of ships' side and mast
head or other like lights where a ship has an electric lighting plant fitted on
board, and consequently to lessen the risk of collision through any defects in these
lights.
The usual method of lighting ships' electric signal lamps at present is,-
First, by fixing and burning a single lamp and replacing same, if burnt out or
broken;
Second, by placing two lamps in the lantern and at once switching one in, if the
other breaks;
Third, by burning two lamps at the same time in parallel, so that should one
fail the other will remain alight.
By neither of these methods is there any security attained that the lights shall
be always burning.
In the first case, a look out must always be kept that the lamps are alight.
The second method requires the same attention;
Whilst in the third place, although the risk of failure of the light is lessened, by
burning two lamps in the one lantern, yet, it depends on a watch being always
kept, to ensure a proper degree of safety.
In each instance, a separate set of lamps fitted with oil lights must be carried,
ready for fixing should the light completely fail.
Although these drawbacks exist with the electric light, yet the advantages, as a
system of light, are greatly in its favour over the best existing form of oil lamps,
for, with the oil lamps, as with the electric light, a watch must be constantly kept
that they are burning, and burning brightly; whereas, when the electric lamp is
burning, its light is a fixed quantity.
An incandescent lamp can be fitted of sufficient power to give a great deal
more light than any form of oil lamp at present carried, if a powerful light be
desired.
The best form of oil lamp yet devised is liable to smoke and dirty the glass.
These lamps must at all times be carefully trimmed, for they are liable to be
blown out, and again the flame may be put out by the blow of a heavy sea,
especially if paraffin be used, and to light or put others in their place is far more
difficult than putting in spare electric lamps.
The object of the present invention is to obviate in a great measure most of the
defects attending the use of electric lamps, for maritime or other vessels.
In any suitable part of the ship, for example, the engine, bridge, or chart room,
wheel house, etcetera, an indicating board is fixed, and a pair of leads are brought
from the dynamo or dynamos direct to this indicating board and connected thereto.
Upon this board is fixed an arrangement consisting, when port, starboard and
mast head lamps are fitted, for example, of

page_text: As close to each side light position as possible is permanently fitted and led to
the switch board a single cable containing two wires (lead and return) and fixed to
suitable and marked connections on the board.
In any ordinary ship's side or mast head lamp, a thick, strong porcelain or slate
base is generally fitted to slide easily in or out, and on this base we mount a lamp
having two filaments each of equal candle power and burning in parallel. At the
same time this lamp is connected permanently to an insulated plug fixed at bottom
of the base or tray, and, when the base is put in the lamp, this plug projects
slightly through the bottom for convenience of connection, no earth connection is
made in any place, the connection being by means of a short flexible end from the
permanent cable being placed against the plug and screwed up with a union, making
a tight, strong and waterproof joint. If ever necessary this joint can be made or
unmade quickly even in the dark, by any ordinary seaman, it being impossible to
do it wrong.
Immediately the current is turned on from the dynamo, it goes in series, first
through the electro magnet on the board, then through the small lamp, then
through the signal lamp and back to board and dynamo, thus completing the
circuit. Now it is impossible for this current to pass without the circuit being
complete through the series, and the breaking or non-burning of the lamps is the
only thing that can stop the current provided the dynamo is running, excepting
the breaking of wires, a very remote contingency, nor can the current pass without
doing three things
Firstly. The electro magnet is energised, attracting its armature;
Secondly. The small lamp on the board is lighted;
Thirdly. The double filament lamp in the side or mast head is lighted.
We will suppose the current is switched on to the system; all that is necessary
is to see the three small pilot lamps are alight to be assured the other lamps are
burning also. The object of the electro magnets is to hold back a contact spring,
which, if released, serves to ring the electric gongs.
Should, by any chance, both of the filaments of the signal lamps break, or the
lamps from any cause fail to light, the magnet releases contact spring automatically
and the whole of the gongs start ringing. To ensure the alarm being given, these
gongs are all connected to each magnet, so, to fail to ring, all gongs must be out of
order. At the same instant of course the pilot lamp must go out, and a glance at
the board shews which lamp is not burning.
Directly a spare lamp is put in, the gong ceases ringing and as before the lamp
lights up.
By this simple method both orally and visually it is possible to see, in whatever
part of the ship the board may be fixed, exactly the position of affairs in the
outside lamps.
Should only one of the filaments break down, the gong does not ring, but the
pilot lamp burns only dull red, shewing that, although the outside lamps are still
lighted, their normal candle power is reduced. A fresh one can be put in at once
or at any time desired.
By the employment of accumulators it is claimed that the invention offers an
almost infallible system of lighting.
The stoppage of the dynamo from any cause has no effect on the light and the
number of hours that the cells will light the lamps for is only determined by the
prime cost. In case of their use everything remains as before, beyond switching
dynamo on at night.
The recent improvements in storage cells gives every confidence in their use and
it is now well known if properly proportioned to their work and given proper
treatment they are thoroughly reliable.
When used in this system they are placed in a shunt circuit of their own with
dynamo, an automatic charging and resistance switch ensures their receiving
sufficient charge to keep them in order whenever the dynamo is running, and as

page_text: they can only be discharged through the constant resistance of the lamps their
life is assured.
Dated this 20th day of May 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to the Lighting of Ships' Signal
Lamps by Electric Light.
We, CHARLES WALTER Cox, FREDERICK ROBINSON and WILLIAM HENRY
GRITTON of 8, Strand Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Electricians,
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:-
This invention relates to indicating apparatus to be used in connection with
electrically illuminated ships' side and mast-head or other like lights, for the
purpose of ensuring a better, safer and more constant lighting of the same with a
consequent lessening of the risk of collision arising through defects in the lights or
their connections.
With the methods usually employed at the present time for illuminating ships'
signal lamps by the electric light, a watch has always to be kept to see that the
lamps are constantly burning and the proper degree of safety thus ensured. This
drawback is the more to be regretted as the electric system of lighting ships' lamps
possesses many important advantages not to be obtained even with the best forms
of oil lamps at present in use.
The object of the present invention is to obviate the necessity of thus constantly
keeping a watch, by providing an indicating apparatus, whereby the officer in
charge, the helmsman, or other person on duty in the ship, while performing his
ordinary duties, can see at a glance how the lamps are burning, and, whereby he
instantly receives both a visible and audible signal whenever a lamp or its
connections fail.
The invention may be described by reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which
Figure 1 is an exterior view of the case of the indicating apparatus, and the
signal lamps thereto attached.
Figure 2 is a diagram, on a larger scale, of the apparatus showing its various
electrical devices and connections.
Figure 3 is a plan on a still larger scale, of the automatic switch device employed
in the apparatus, and
ני
32
Figure 4 is a section on Z Z, Figure 3.
A A' A' are the
"inast-head" and "starboard lamps enclosed
respectively in lanterns or cases a a³ a².
port,"
Bis the board or base supporting the indicating apparatus which may be placed
on the bridge, or in the engine room, chart room, wheel house or other suitable
part of the ship. The board B is enclosed by, and forms the back of, a case B'
having a removable front B2.
CC are a pair of leads, which come direct from the dynamo or other suitable
source of electric energy to terminals C C³ on the indicating board, and are
controlled by a main switch (not shown). D D' D are three small cables cach
formed of two wires d (lead and return) which are lead from terminals d² d³ on
the board to their respective signal lamps A. A' A. The terminals d² d³ of each
lamp are connected respectively to the main leads CC by independent circuit
wires E E', so that each lamp has a distinct circuit of its own derived directly
from the main leads. F F F are three switches controlling respectively the
circuits of the three lamps A A¹ A².

page_text: GG G² are three small indicating lamps placed one in each lamp circuit Edd E
within the case B' and behind a glazed window B³ in the front of the case, the
said window being preferably of corresponding colour to that of the signal lamp in
whose circuit the small lamp behind it is placed.
H H H are three pairs of electro-magnets placed in series with their respective
lamps A A A and forming parts of automatic switches as hereinafter described.
JJJ are three electric gongs of any suitable construction. They are by
preference arranged in parallel as shown and controlled by a switch J³. The gongs,
of which any suitable number may be thus employed, may be arranged opposite
apertures B in the front B2 of the case, so as to be more readily audible. The
gongs are all connected in a shunt with each of the signal lamp circuits as herein-
after described.
Each pair of electro-magnets H H H (shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4) is
provided with a common armature h which is mounted on an arm h', oscillating
about an axis 2. The arm 4 is extended beyond the axis 2, as at h³, and then
bent at right angles, as seen in Figure 4, being furnished at its extremity with an
insulated contact piece or pieces are a pair of insulated contact pieces
located one at each side of and in proximity to the contact piece. The contacts °
are all connected by wires with the wire K forming part of the gong circuit,
while each contact he is connected in shunt by a wire with the wire E of the
adjacent lamp circuit. is an adjustable pin against which the armature arm / rests
when not attracted by its magnets. 10 is a light adjustable spring tending to draw
the armature off the magnet poles and bring its arm and contact against
the pin and contacts a respectively. Any suitable form of automatic
switch, other than that above described, may be employed to switch the current
from the lamp circuit on to the gong circuit, whenever the former circuit is
broken.
The current flows from the dynamo or other suitable source of electric energy
through each lamp circuit, in each case passing in series through the electro-
magnets on the indicating board, then through the small indicating lamp, then
through the signal lamp and finally back to the board and dynamo. The lamp
circuits being complete and the current passing, the electro-magnets attract their
armatures and break contact at hhh, the small indicating lamps are lighted
and the signal lamps are also lighted. It is impossible for the current to pass
through any given circuit unless the latter be complete through its series of electro-
magnets, indicating lamp and signal lamp, and the circuit will be instantly broken
by the breaking or non-burning of its signal lamp.
When the current is switched on to the system, it is only necessary to see that
the three small indicating lamps are alight to be assured that the signal lamps are
burning also. If one of the latter should break or burn out, the electro-magnets
on its circuit are de-energized and the spring 10 withdraws the armature from the
magnet poles and closes the contacts. The current then passes by the
shunt wires h³, contacts and wire on to the gong circuit K, upon which,
the gongs, being arranged in parallel, all start ringing, and continue to ring until
the defective lamp is replaced, or the gong circuit broken by operating the switch.³.
By connecting the gongs in parallel one with the other and to each magnet as
described, it is impossible for the audible signal to fail on the breaking of a lamp
circuit, unless all the gongs be out of order at the same time. As soon as a lamp
circuit is broken, as above described, the indicating lamp on such circuit is
extinguished and a glance at the indicating case is all that is needed to discover
which signal lamp is not burning. The indicating lamp lights up again as soon as
the defective lamp has been replaced. If from any cause the illuminating power of
one of the signal lamps should be considerably reduced, this is shown at the
indicating board by its sinall lamp burning a dull red colour, and a warning is thus
given of the approaching failure of the signal lamp.
It will be obvious that the breaking of one of the indicating lamps will also put
out the signal lamps. To make this contingency very unlikely, the resistance of

page_text: small indicating lamps is so proportioned to the resistance of the signal lamp that
they take rather more current to brightly illuminate them than the signal lamps do.
By this method, the small lamps are never very brightly incandescent, and thus a
long life is assured them.
It is thus possible, with an apparatus such as above described, to ascertain at any
time, in whatever part of the ship the apparatus may be fixed, the exact condition
of the signal lamps outside. If desired, two or more indicating apparatus may be ·
fixed in different parts of the vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In connection with an electrically illuminated ship's signal lamp, a small
indicating lamp, arranged in series with the signal lamp and located at some part
of the ship in which it may readily be seen by the officer in charge or other person
on duty, substantially as described.
2. In connection with an electrically illuminated ship's signal lamp, an electric
gong located within hearing of the officer in charge or other person on duty, and
so connected to the lamp circuit that it is sounded whenever the said circuit is
broken by the burning out or breaking of the lamp or its connections, substantially
as described.
3. In connection with an electrically illuminated ship's signal lamp, an indicating
apparatus comprising an electro-magnet and a small indicating lamp arranged in
series in the signal lamp circuit, an electric gong connected in shunt with said
circuit, and an automatic switch, of which said inagnet forms part, adapted to
complete the gong circuit whenever the electro-magnet is de-energized by the
breaking of the lamp circuit, whereby the condition of the signal lamp can always
be seen at a glance, and a visible and audible signal is instantly given when said
lamp fails, substantially as described.
4. The indicating apparatus, to be used in connection with electrically illuminated
ship's signal lamps, taken as a whole and combined and arranged substantially as
described and illustrated and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 17th day of February 1892
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.