IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR SIGNALLING FOR RAILWAYS, FOR SHIPS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR SIGNALLING FOR RAILWAYS,
FOR SHIPS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad
hv Henry Harrison Doty of 12 Rue Goillon Pamia Canthomon
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd March 1875.
I, WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-
Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR SIGNALLING FOR RAILWAYS,
FOR SHIPS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
-
:
:
This Invention of improvements in lamps for signalling for railways,
for ships, and for other purposes, relates to lamps for signalling at night

page_text: on railways, ships, ports, harbours, and for other purposes where the
light should be directed on a point or on two different points simul-
taneously, either without changing the colour of the rays, or by changing
them by aid of a series of coloured glasses, according to the code adopted
in different services, and it consists in fitting upon a lamp, burning
preferably hydrocarbon oils, a metallic chimney pierced near the height
of the flame with two openings for the light, one on each face, or opposite,
in one of which I slide change plates of glass, white or coloured,
according to the service required, and in the other either a colored glass
for checking or controlling the signal sent, or a reflector intended to
augment the intensity of the light intended for the signal; nevertheless, if
needed, the second opening may also serve to transmit signals by the aid
of the colored plates of glass before mentioned. This metallic chimney
is pierced at its base with a series of holes which have the effect of
creating a draught of air in the interior useful for brightening and
maintaining the flame. It is adjusted very rapidly and effectively to the
burner or jet by the aid of a special bayonet joint and surmounted by a
special cap which serves to regulate the ascending current of air and to
intercept at the same time all descending currents. In this manner my
new lamp may be employed at most times without a cover without
requiring any protection, whilst for sea and other service in a gale it
should be closed in the ordinary lanterns with bulls' eyes or lenses.
When I use a reflector and still require the back light for the check
or control, I pierce a small hole in the reflector for this ray of light to
pass through, the remainder of the rays being reflected forward with
very little diminution of the total light.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th August 1875.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 3
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue
Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year 3

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Morgan-Brown, Her special
license that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Morgan-
Brown, 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 Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR SIGNALLING FOR RAILWAYS, FOR SHIPS, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES," (a communication to me from abroad by Henry
Harrison Doty, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, Gentleman,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, 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 Morgan-Brown, 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 thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to night signal lamps upon railways, ships*
ports, and for other purposes where the light ought to be directed upon
one point or upon two different points at once, either without modifying
the color of the rays or by modifying them by means of a series of
coloured glasses, according to the conventional systems adopted in the
different services, and it consists in fixing over a lamp, burning pre-
ferably hydrocarbon oils, a metallic chimney pierced about the height of
the flame with two opposite openings, one in each face, in one of which I
slide change plates of glass, white or colored, according to the require-
ments of the service, and in the other either a colored glass for a
checking signal or a reflector destined to augment the intensity of the
light used in the signal; nevertheless, if required, the second opening
may serve also to transmit signals by means of the plates of coloured glass
above mentioned. This metallic chimney is pierced at its base by a

page_text: series of holes which create in the interior a current of air necessary for
the splendor of the light and to keep it in good order. It is very
quickly and efficaciously placed on the burner by the aid of a special
bayonet catch, and it is surmounted by a cap of special construction
which serves to regulate the current of air ascending and to intercept at
the same time all descending currents. In this manner this new lamp.
may always be employed for ordinary service without cover without
requiring any other protection, whilst for the sea and other services in
high winds it should be enclosed in one of the usual bull's eye or lens
lamps.
To better make known the Invention I will describe it in detail
conjointly with the five figures of the plate annexed, of which Figure 1
is a plan of the new lamp in section on the line A, A, Figure 2; Figure
2, a side elevation in section on the line B, B, Figure 1; Figure 3, an
entire plan; Figure 4, a front elevation, all of working size, and Figure
5, a side elevation, half working size, of a common lantern holding the
new signal lamp indicated in dotted lines.
In these figures a represents the lamp proper, and b, b, the burner
arranged to burn the hydrocarbons, even the heavy ones; c is the
metallic chimney resting on the collar or flanch 6¹ of the burner by a
collar or flanch c¹, returned at right angles and retained in place by the
clips d, d. To put them in place the notches e, e, of the flanch c¹ must
coincide with the clips d, d, and the chimney is then turned till the
windows or glasses are parallel with the flame, when a flat wick is used.
It need not be said that this kind of junction may effect itself vertically
for burners with outside vertical collars, and in this case the chimney
does not need the flanch at the base; fare the holes pierced at the base
of the chimney for the admission of a certain quantity of air, and which
can be if required replaced by lightly grooving or channelling either the
flanch c¹ and the base of the chimney up to the height of the shoulder g
of the burner, or in channelling that part of the burner itself as well as
the horizontal collar upon which the chimney rests; `h, i, are the glass
openings, made according to the flame, and of which the position and
size may vary according to circumstances, they are identical, and may
then serve the one for the other for the principal use the lamp is
intended for, and admitting that this shall be h, which serves to transmit
the signals, is the glass (white or colored) maintained in contact with
the chimney by the lateral slides k, k, and the support 7 and m, at the.

page_text: glass i should be either a glass serving as a checking signal, as on a
railway station, or a reflector intercepting the rays in that direction,
and directing them to the other signal of which the intensity is by so
much augmented.
For checking the signal and for other objects a hole of about 12
millimetres diameter is pierced in the centre of the reflector, the rest of
the surface serves to augment the intensity of the light projected in the
other direction. The manipulation of these lamps is thus simplified
without notably affecting the sum of the reflected light in the opposite
direction. It is an advantage to plate the interior of the chimney with
a coat of silver or nickel.
The cap surmounting the chimney is composed of a first inclined
metallic collar n, on which are rivetted three studs o, o, o, which receive
the conical cap p.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would
have it understood that what I claim is, a signal lamp fitted with a
metallic chimney and the moveable plates of glass, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)