IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT, DAY, AND FOG SIGNALS, AND THE MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Ward, of the City of Auburn, in
the County of Cayuga, and State of New York, one of the United States
of America, but now temporarily of 59, Packington Street, London, N.,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT, DAY, AND FOG SIGNALS,
AND THE MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME."
Sealed the 20th March 1863, and dated the 2nd October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Ward at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd October 1862.
I, WILLIAM HENRY WARD, of the City of Auburn, in the County of
Cayuga, and State of New York, one of the United States of America, but
now temporarily of 59, Packington Street, London, N., do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT, DAY, AND FOG
SIGNALS, AND THE MEANS FOR EPPECTING THE SAME," to be as follows, and consists
of the use of peculiar substantial constructed lanterns for the night signal
telegraph and steering, the use of flags by day, and guns in fogs.
The lanterns for the night signals or telegraph are constructed with
powerful white lens to give range to the light, a moveable screen envelope to
bide it, and a moveable red light to color it. By the use of three of these
lanterns securely arranged in a vertical line at equal given distances, and
work lines connecting with the screen envelopes and red lenses of each
lantern respectively, the operator can form combinations indicative of the
numerals, and with four the letters of the alphabet are in like manner repre-
sented, whereby signal communications of any length may be maintained;

page_text: and the numerals are likewise indicated with five of these lanterns without the
use of the red lens. These lanterns are likewise adapted for one-hoist signals
(without their work gear), by means of distant lines and spaces, in connection
with the flag halyards, whereby 4 changes are effected by the use of two
lanterns, 24 with three, and 64 with the four.
The lanterns for steering purposes are similar to the ones described, having
an additional green lens in connection with the red, and used in manner
following:-The white light indicating "attention" or "steady" (as required);
the red, "port;" the green, "starboard;" and the screen envelope when brought
into requisition signifies "all right" or "finished."
The flags for day signals are 24 in number, but three of them having a
twofold signification increases their usefulness equal to 27, thereby furnishing
a distinct representative for each letter of the alphabet, including the
character "&." The numerals are likewise represented by hoisting one of
their number as indicative. These flags are composed of but three colors for
the entire series, with an equal division of color in the same flag, made dis-
tinguishable any distance seen, whether extended by the breeze or drooping
in a calm.
For fogs, guns (cannon) are fixed at pre-arranged or given periods of time
to distinguish or personify telegraphic numbers in codes.
Example. Fire one gun, then allow a full period of time to elapse, when
two guns should be fired with not more than half the full period of time
between their discharges, thereby indicating Number "1" in the telegraphic
code, and for Number "2" fire one gun, and pause (for a full period), when.
the guns should be fired, having only half the pause (or period) of time
between their discharges, while the reverse of these gun discharges indicate
Numbers "4" and "8" respectively, and so on for any given telegraphic
number,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Ward in the Great Seal Patent Office on 3
the 2nd April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY WARD, of the City of Auburn, in the County of Cayuga, and State
of New York, one of the United States of America, but (now) temporally
at 24, Union Square, North London, (lately 59, Packington Street, N.,) send 3
greeting,

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Henry Ward, Her special licence that I, the said
William Henry Ward, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Henry Ward, 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, exorcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Groat Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT, DAY, AND FOG SIGNALS, AND THE MEANS FOR
EPPECTING THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Henry Ward, 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 Henry Ward, do hereby declaro
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, in which Figs. 1 and 3 of Plate 1 represent two longi-
tudinal sectioned lanterns, showing the exterior and interior mechanical
devices and arrangements whereby the flame or light (within) is supplied
with a continuous current of fresh air without liability of being suddenly
extinguished, and the facilities for guiding the screen envelopes and trans-
parent colored cylinder lenses when brought into requisition for obscuring or
coloring the light, all of which is more fully described in manner following;
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings (by letters) forming part
of this Specification, in which (e, e,) represont the chimney caps, with hot
air escapement and smoke holes, constructed water and outer blast of wind
proof, removable at pleasure; (f.f.) the domes; (9, 9;): the white flint glass
magnifying lens; (h, h,) tho metal screen envelope, (with corrigated exterior
to add strength and stiffness without weight,) with their guide-rod eyes on
either side; (ii) the corrugated metal cylindrical base, or principal founda-
tion, to which the entire work is affixed, and is open at both ends; (j,j, and
k.) the red and other colored cylinder glass lens; (1, 1, 1, 1) the iron guide

page_text: rods, cased with brass tubing, on which the screen envelopes h, h, slide when
brought into requisition; (m, m,) inner guide rods, on which the colored glass
cylinders slide when brought into requisition; (n, n,) the perforated bottoms
of the lanterns, fitting into the cylindrical base i, i, with their graduated
candle tubes (0, 0,) in their centres, containing the springs (p, p.) that force
up the candles (9, 9,) as they are consumed; (r, r,) represent the pulley
ooxes, in which are small wheels for the connecting cords or chains to pass
over and connect with the outer screen envelope and inner lens, whereby they
are brought into requisition at pleasure respectively; (s, w, x,) represent the
rings attached to the cords or chains that pass over the small pulley wheels
in their boxes r, r; (t and y) represent the hooks on the cylinder envelope h,
Fig. 3, and at the base of the lens g, Fig. 1, to which the rings s, w, and x,
may be hooked during pleasure, whereby the light is obscured or colored
agreeable to the wish of the attendant.
Figs. 2 and 4 represent cross sections of Figs. 1 and 3 respectively, and have
the same reference letters, except in Fig. 2, where the metal cap (u) of the
inner colored lenses j and k are not otherwise referred to.
any
Fig. 1 represents the steering lantern, having a hand bail (v), and is used
by the pilot to indicate instant orders from any desirable and visible part of
the ship to the helmsman, that the helmsman may be enabled to guide the
ship agreeable to the pilot's directions, without the aid of intermediates
whatever, in manner following, viz. :-The white light indicating attention or
steady (as the case may be); the red light indicates "port" the helm; the
green (or other colored) light indicates starboard the helm; the light obscured
signifies all right or finished. The pilot's significations are correspondingly
answered by a corresponding lantern with the helmsman, signifying his
attention.
Fig. 3 represents a signal lantern with its upper and lower bails (z, z,) and
is somewhat longer than the steering lantern, with but one color of inner
cylinder lens.
These lanterns are constructed for use in sets (or series) to signal telegraphic
communications, messages, news, and orders, between ships, ships and the
shore, and wherever the electric is unavailable at night, as shown, reference
being had to (A), Fig. 1, Plate II., where four of them are represented in a
working position, with the operator, who, by means of small work lines that
connect him with the screen envelopes and colored cylinder lenses of each
lantern (separately), is thereby enabled to obscure or change the color of any
one or more of the lights, forming combinations indicative of the numerals,

page_text: answers, and letters of the alphabet, as shown in tables (D,) (E, E,) and (F, F),
by means of which the operator can maintain continuous or other signal
telegraphic communications of any length on any subject with distinct clearness
and despatch; and by a like reference to (B), Fig. 1, Plate 11, where five
lanterns are correspondingly arranged for indicating the numerals without the
aid of colored lights, as shewn in table (G, G,). The one-hoist signals are
consecutively numbered, commencing with (1), and continue increasing as
lanterns are added, always making use of all the changes effected, as shown at
(H, H,) Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, Plate 11, as the number of lanterns increase.
These signals are intended as if arranged on deck to go up fixed ones during
pleasure to any desirable part of the ship where best seen, but they may and
can be effected with the four lanterns as used for telegraphic purposes from
1 to 42 inclusive, and by the five lanterns (arranged for indicating the numerals
by white lights, provided said lanterns are furnished with inner colored lens,)
from 1 to 122 inclusive, exclusive of the combinations indicative of "the
answers."
In each case the distinct significations are exhausted, and any
change or transposition of them or of the numeral or alphabetical indications,
whether effected by these or other lanterns or devices, will be considered and
treated as an infringements of the rights herein secured by virtue of the Patent
of which this Specification forms its part, and notice to that effect is hereby
given.
The flags for day signals are 24 in number, three of which have a two-fold
signification, that increases their significations equal to 27, and thereby
furnishes a distinct representative for each letter of the alphabet, including the
character &. The colors in these flags are divided and arranged in such
manner as to make them distinguishable any distance seen, whether extended
by the breeze or drooping in a calm, and each division of color bas an equal
area of space in the same flag, and not more than three colors for the entire
series, or more than two divisions of color in any one flag, that present strong
contrasts with each other, the clouds, sails, and a clear horizon.
These flags are arranged in sets for signal purposes, and are made applicable
to different codes in use by hoisting with them some additional distinguishing
flag for that purpose, without which they represent the letters of the alphabet,
including the character &, as shown at (A, A,) Fig. III., Plate 11, but by
hoisting one of them separately their signification may be changed to any.
pre-arranged system, as is shewn at (B, B,) Fig. III., Plate II., where 16 of
their number are arranged as applicable to "Marryatt's" code of signals, by
displaying with the signal the "Union-jack" at some conspicuous position, as

page_text: indicative. of said code to which the signal refers; (C, C,) represent 18 of
them (13 of the latter) as arranged for the "commercial code," whose
reference is that of letters, and requires no distinguishing flag as indicative
thereof; and (D, D,) represent the numeral ones as adapted for "Reynold's"
code by hoisting the French national flag as indicative.
The flags indicative of the vowel letters (of the alphabet) have their colors
divided longitudinally, which by reversing them gives them the two-fold
signification berein-before referred to.
The fog signals are indicated by. firing guns at stated or given intervals of
time, as set forth in "e "of the Provisional Specification, agreeable to
the accompanying table shown at Fig. IV., Plate 11, and by adding an
additional column correspondingly arranged, the number of signals will be
increased to nearly 1,700. To preventmis takes in time, no two (i) appear
without a division. To attract listening attention, a preparation signal of two
or more guns should be fired in quick succession to give warning that attention
may be given to note the time.
The author of this Invention does not claim the origin of lanterns for signal
purposes, or of lanterns supplied with the means for obscuring or coloring the
light at pleasure, but he does not claim the construction of the kind and style of
improved lantern as described and set forth in the foregoing Specification and
accompanying Drawings; neither is it claimed that flags are new, as they have
been constructed and made of almost every possible size, form, shape, and
color, but not in sets that embrace only three colors for an entire series of
signal flags whose colors are made distinguishable in all positions seen; in like
manner guns have been discharged (fired) at almost every possible moment of
time, without constituting any defined practical system of signals like the one
set forth and described.
Having thus fully described the nature of this Invention, what is claimed as
new, and hereby secured by Royal Letters Patent, is,-
First, the described steering lantern, in combination with its use, as set
forth.
Second, the described signal lantern or lanterns, in combination with their
use, for the purposes set forth.
Third, the signal flags when constructed and used in sets for signal purposes,
as described and set forth.
Fourth, the firing of guns at intervals to indicate significations by the
described pre-arranged system, whereby signal communications can be main-
tained by permutations effected thereby, agreeablo to the accompanying table

page_text: or its equivalent, any change or transposition of which (the significations) will
be treated as an infringement of the rights and privileges secured by virtue of
this Patent.
Fifth, the described and illustrated systems of night signals, as set forth,
either separately or otherwise, whether effected by the foregoing described or
other work lanterns or lights, having a change of significations in parts or
whole, or otherwise, for the purpose of evading the rights and privileges herein
secured.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Ward, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight bundred and sixty-three.
W. II. WARD. (L.S.)