AN IMPROVED LAMP FOR SIGNALLING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Lewis, of Hull, in the County of
York, Master Mariner, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED LAMP
FOR SIGNALLING."
Sealed the 26th May 1854, and dated the 22nd December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Lewis at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd December 1853.
I, CHARLES LEWIS, of Hull, in the County of York, Master Mariner,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
LAMP FOR SIGNALLING " to be as follows :-
This lamp is specially intended for nautical purposes, but it will be
found useful in all cases where signalling by colored lights is employed.
My lamp is fitted in front with a permanent white bull's eye or lens. It
has double sides, and in the space afforded, between the two plates of
the side, I cause to slide on one side a red, and on the other side a green.
glass. A slot is made through the outer casing on both sides, and the
red or green glass is made to slide forward: by means of a stud con-
nected to the frame-in which. the glass is fitted, which passes through

page_text: the slot. Other colored glasses than green or red may be employed, if
preferred, for any particular signals. For nautical purposes, when the
red and green glasses are in their places. and consequently when the
light would appear white, the signal might be interpreted "I see you."
When the red glass is brought between the light and the white lens, a
red light would be exhibited, which might denote "I am on the port
tack," or,
"I will pass you to port." And when the green glass is
made to take the place of the red one, it might signify "I am on the
starboard tack," or, "I will pass you to starboard." It will be readily
understood that by means of the white, red, and green lights, any
previously understood signal could be readily made.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Lewis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES LEWIS, of Hull, in the County of York, Master Mariner,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Lewis, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Lewis, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Lewis, 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 Ireland, the
(hannel Islands and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
LAMP FOR SIGNALLING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Charles Lewis, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said

page_text: 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 Charles Lewis, do hereby declare
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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
This lamp is specially intended for nautical purposes, but it will be
found useful in all cases where signalling by colored lights is employed.
My lamp is fitted in front with a permanent white bull's eye or lens.
It has double sides, and in the space afforded between the two plates
of the side, I cause to slide on one side a red, and on the other side a
green glass. A slot is made through the outer casing on both sides,
and the red or green glass is made to slide forward by means of a stud
connected to the frame in which the glass is fitted, which passes
through the slot. Other colored glasses than green or red may be
employed, if preferred, for any particular signals. For nautical pur-
poses, when the red and green glasses are in their places, and conse-
quently when the light would appear white, the signal night be
interpreted "I see you.' When the red glass is brought between the
light and the white lens, a red light would be exhibited, which might
denote "I am on the port tack," or, "I will pass you to port." And
when the green glass is made to take the place of the red one, it might
signify "I am on the starboard tack," or, "I will pass you to star-
board." It will be readily understood that by means of the white, red,
and green lights, any previously understood signal could be readily
made.
"
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed represents a side eleva-
tion of a lamp or lantern fitted according to my Invention. Figure ?
is a longitudinal section; and Figure 3 a cruss section of the same.
A, A, is the casing, and B, the wick or light. C is an internal shield
placed in the inside of the casing. D and E are two metallic frames,
containing glass of the colors to be determined upon, for the purpose of

page_text: signalling. In the Drawings, I have shewn the glass D) as red, while
the glass E is green. These glasses are free to slide upon the
guides a, a, between the shield C and the outer casing, when actel
upon by the knobs or handles F, F; a slot is cut in each side of the
casing to admit of the shank part of the handles being passed through,
so as to attach them to the frames of the glasses. A notch is cut in
each end of the groove, and a slight amount of play is given to the
handles, whereby, when the glasses are shifted, the shanks of the
handles fall into the notch, and retain the glass till it is again desired to
shift it, which is effected by first slightly raising the handle free of the
notch, when the glass can be brought either into or out of action. G is
the white lens. Supposing that it is desired to shew the green light,
and the position of the slides to be that represented in the Drawings,
the lamp then shewing a white light, I slightly raise the handle F, and
slide it forward towards the lens G, until the handle is brought to the
opposite end of the slot, when the green glass would then be interposed
between the light and, the white lens, and the handle falls into the
notch, so as to retain the glass until it is desired to shift it back, to
again exhibit the white light, or to bring forward the red glass to shew.
a red light.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim tho
signal lamp or lantern in which a white, red, or green light may-bo
shown at pleasure, in the manner herein-before described and repre-
sented in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Lewis, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, One thousand
..cight hundred and fifty-four.