Improvements in Electrical Night-signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Electrical Night-signalling Apparatus.
I EMIL KABELOWSKY of 18 Chausséestrasse, Berlin in the Empire of Germany,
Councillor of Commerce and Director of the Berliner Maschinenbau Actiengesell-
schaft, vormals L. Schwartzkopff (of Berlin), do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to he performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a system of signalling at sea, wherein differently coloured
electric lamps are brought to view singly or in groups, which lamps, in order to
maintain a constant resistance in the machine, are exchanged for, or replaced by,
compensation lamps of equal power.
This exchanging or replacing of the lamps has hitherto been accompanied with a
momentary extinguishing of the lamps, and an interruption of the electric current,
which is a serious matter in any but very large installations. It is this interruption
that the present invention is principally intended to prevent.
In carrying out my invention, I employ, in connection with differently coloured
lamps for producing the signals which are usually required at sea, a supplementary
resistance (preferably in the form of lamps which can be used for ordinary lighting),
and apparatus by means of which the electric current is automatically switched
onto the supplementary resistance when the signal lamps are being changed or
extinguished.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a cylinder containing apparatus embodying my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a detail afterwards explained.
Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electric contacts.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cylinder; and
Fig. 5 is a diagram of the electric circuits, shewing the dynamo and the electric
lamps.
In an annular bearing h, Fig. 1, is fitted a hollow plug 2, capable of turning
therein. The hollow plug contains a spindle s, capable of an up and down move-
ment in the direction of its axis, which spindle carries, at either end, the parallel
pivot pins a and b.-Two other pivots c and d are in rigid connection with logs

page_text: upon the opposite ends of the hollow plug. The lever e is pivotted upon the pins a
and C, and the lever upon the pins b and d.
It is clear that the lever e, so soon as it is rocked upon the pivot c, effects a raising
and lowering of the pivot a.-This raising or lowering is communicated, through
the spindles, to the pivot b, by which means a rocking of the lever fis occasioned.-
I communicate, therefore, the up and down motion imparted by the hand to the
lever e, in an exactly corresponding manner, by means of the jointed rectangle a bed,
to the lever f-Through the arrangement of the hollow plug z, I am also enabled, in
addition to this rocking, up and down motion, to produce a movement of rotation,
in which the levers e and f, the spindle s, and the plug, partake in common.
Upon the plate x, insulated the one from the other, are arranged, concentrically,
the contact springs g, g. These springs are arranged in groups of 4, and in the
accompanying illustration, there are 8 of these groups.
Between these springs is inserted the lever, which is knife shaped (see Fig. 2).—
The lever e is provided at its end with a nose or projection t, and also with a
handle v. The nose t is capable of taking into the notches p made in the edge of the
cylindrical case u, and the situation of these notches is so fixed, that when the nose t
drops therein, the metal lever simultaneously comes between the corresponding pair
of springs.
I am able, therefore, by pulling up the handle v, to lift the lever out from between
the contact springs g; to make any desired movement of rotation, and then, by
pressing down the handle v, to bring the lever again into another position between
the contacts, and this without the lever f, during the rotary movement, touching the
contacts. The several notches p correspond with the different signals.
The connection of the contacts is as follows (see Fig. 5).
Of the 4 springs selected in the present instance, one serves for the conveyance of
the current. In consequence of this, in each of the selected positions in the example
shown, one of the springs is connected with the circuit wire m, which, again, is in
contact with the + pole of the dynamo or battery.
Of the remaining 3 springs, so many are connected with the wires leading to the
signal lamps, as there are signal lamps required to burn in the corresponding
position; therefore, in this case, a maximum of 3; in other cases, 2, or 1 spring.
The several signal lamps are connected with the wires no q, which, again, are in
connection with the contact springs.
If, say, for example, only 2 of the springs, instead of 3, are employed for the signal,
the third is then connected with a compensation lamp. When only one lamp is
alight, then 2 are connected with the compensation lamp. Finally, in the position of
rest, when no signal lamps are burning, 3 compensation lamps are connected.
In this manner, in every position of the lever f, or of the lever the same number
of lamps are alight, and the condition set forth in the preamble of this description,―
that of a constant machine current,-is fulfilled.
e,
This arrangement has, as already stated, the defect that when the lever fis raised
to the position in which the movement of rotation must be effected, none of the
lamps are alight, and the electric current is therefore interrupted.
This defect is remedied by the following arrangement:-Underneath the plate,
is arranged a third lever y, which is constantly pressed against the lower end of the
spindles, by means of a spring i.
Whilst this lever is in its lowest position, the contact lever flies between the
springs, but, so soon as the lever f is lifted out, the lever y is moved towards the
plate, and rests between the downwardly prolonged contact springs g¹ g¹ (Fig. 1),
which correspond to the position of rest of the lever f, and are in connection with the
three compensation lamps.
As the lever y does not partake of the rotary movement, it will always make
contact with the compensation lamps at the precise moment at which the lever f
leaves the contact springs gg, and extinguishes the signal, so that in every position
of the lever, whether the same is lifted out or pressed down, the like number of lamps
will always be alight.

page_text: The compensation lamps may, if desired, be dispensed with, and their place supplied
by equivalent resistances.
In large installations, in which the extinction of only a few lamps is not appreciable,
the compensation lamps may be dispensed with. In this case, the lever y will no
longer be necessary, and the number of springs may be increased or reduced to the
number required for signalling and conveying the current.
I would add, that in place of conveying the current in the above indicated
manner by means of one of the springs g, this conveyance may be effected by any
other suitable device; for instance, in lieu of using one of the springs g, the contact
lever f may be permanently connected with the pole of the dynamo, or, as represented
in Fig. 1, a concentric ring k may be in connection with the pole, against which ring
the spring on the lever f, bears, when the lever is pressed down.
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 I
claim is :-
1-
1. The arrangement of a lever e capable of rocking and turning upon the hori-
zontal and vertical pivots c and s, one end of the said lever being provided with a
nose or projection t capable of catching into suitable notches in a cylinder cover, and
the pivots or axes c and s of which are so connected, by the intervention of a hollow
plug and a pin s, by means of the pivots a and b, of a lever f, capable of making
contact, that both the upward and downward movement of the pin s, and also the
movement of rotation upon the same, is transferred to the lever f, for the purpose of
switching in and out definitely grouped signal or compensation lamps, without,
during the rotary movement, touching the contacts either by slipping or rolling over
them.
2. In combination with the apparatus referred to in Claim 1, the arrangement of a
lever y capable of up and down rocking motion, but secured firmly in bearings,
which lever Y, after the upward movement of, the pins and the shifting out of the
contact lever during the turning of the signal position lever e, receives a corre-
sponding resistance, for the reason, that after the shifting out of the lever f, the
lever y will be automatically lifted by means of a spring i between the extensions g¹ g¹
of the contacts for the compensation lamps, and when the upper lever e falls into the
notches, it will be again automatically shifted out by means of the descending pin.
1
3. The arrangement of the notches p in such a manner, that the nose t remains
inserted in them until the lever f has completely lifted itself out from between the
contacts, and that not until then can a movement of rotation be effected.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1888.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.