Improvements in the Means or Apparatus for Signalling at Sea or in Rivers or other Waters.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in the Means or Apparatus for Signalling at Sea
or in Rivers or other Waters.
I GEORGE STAVERS, of Essex Road, Enfield, in the County of Middlesex, Master
Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
The object of my invention is to provide ships or other vessels with means or
apparatus whereby the captain or officer in chargo can at once signal to another
vessel, approaching from the opposite quarter or otherwise, information as to the
course he intends to steer or is steering and as to whether his engines are going
ahead or astern. The captain of such other vessel can then steer bis own vessel
accordingly; all risk of collision through one captain not knowing the course the
other captain is steering or whether his engines are going ahead or astern is thus
obviated.
For the purpose of my Invention, I place at each side of the vessel a post or
upright. Each of these posts carries four signal arms or semaphores which can be
raised or lowered as required by means of any suitable connections or gearing so
placed as to be under the control of the officer in charge. Two of the signal arms
are on the outside and the other two on the inside of the post.
On the port side the upper arm on the outside of the post signifies when out or
raised the intention to put the helm a-port; when both the outside arms are out
or raised they signify that the helm is a-port. When the upper inside arm (which
may be painted red) is out or raised it signifies that the engines are going ahead;
when the lower inside arm (which may be painted blue) is out or raised it signifies
that the engines are going astern.
On the starboard side the arms when out have the same respective significations
as those on the port side except that they relate to the starboarding of the helm.
The upper inside arm may be painted green and the lower one blue.
The signal arms above described are for signalling by day. For night signalling
I substitute lights having corresponding significations. For example on the port
side one red light signifies the intention to port the helm and two red lights, one
below the other, signify that the helm has been ported. A red light on the inside
in conjunction with an outside red light or lights signifies that the engines are
going ahead and an inside blue light in conjunction with an outside red light or

page_text: lights that they are going astern. On the starboard side the outer arms may be
replaced by green lights; the upper inside arm also by a green light and the lower
inside arm by a blue light.
The arrangement above described may be modified as thought desirable without
departing from my invention which essentially consists in the employment in
conspicuous raised positions, on the port and starboard sides respectively of a
steamer or other vessel, of a set of signal arms or lights under control of the officer
in charge to give information, such as that above referred to, to the officer in charge
of another steamer or vessel.
The lights as now used on board ship are not in any way altered, the lights
employed for the purpose of my invention being additional lights.

page_text: or in Rivers or other Waters.
I GEORGE STAVERS, of Essex Road, Enfield, in the County of Middlesex, Master
Mariner 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide ships or other vessels with means or
apparatus whereby the captain or officer in charge can at once signal to another
vessel approaching from the opposite quarter or otherwise, information as to the
course be is steering. The captain of such other vessel can then steer his own
vessel accordingly; all risk of collision through one captain not knowing the course
the other captain steering is thus obviated.
For the purpose of my invention I place at each side of the vessel a post or
upright. These posts carry signal arms or semaphores which can be raised or
lowered as required by means of any suitable connections or gearing so placed as
to be under the control of the officer in charge. The number of signal arms or
semaphores will depend upon the prescribed or prearranged mode of signalling.
In Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, which are, respectively, a
midship section and a view of the port side of a vessel, fitted with means or
apparatus for signalling according to my invention, I have shown one signal arm
on each post, one arm being considered sufficient.
a is the post on the port side and 6 that on the starboard side. c and d are the
respective signal arms. The arm c on the port side signifies when out or raised (as
shown) that the helm is a-port. The arm d on the starboard side signifies when
out or raised that the helm is a-starboard. The arms are preferably painted
different colors, the port arm being, say, red and the starboard side being, say,.
green. The arms c and d can be worked from the bridge or other part of the
vessel by means of levers and wires, or chains, as is done with similar signals on
railways; or other suitable means for working them may be adopted.
Figures 3 and 4, which are views on a larger scale, I have shown the post a hollow
and the arm c connected with a vertical rod e that passes down within the post at
the lower part of which it would be connected with the gearing for working it.
In
The signal arms above described are for signalling by day. For night signalling
I employ lights preferably a red light on the port side and a green light on the
starboard side. These lights are normally covered or concealed and are uncovered
when required either by moving a slide or by moving the light itself so as to bring
it behind an opening. Figure 3 shows in elevation an arrangement in which the
light itself is turned; Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 11. The
light or lamp f is fitted in the upper part of the hollow post a at the fore side of
which is an opening 9; the lamp is carried on the top of a vertical rod h within
the post and capable of being turned on its axis to the extent of from rd to balf a
circle, more or less, by means of gearing under control of the officer in charge.
Normally the light is not seen through the opening g but by turning it on its axis
it is brought into position to be seen. Figure 4 shows an arrangement in which a

page_text: slide is used to cover and uncover the light; Figure 6 is a plan view of Figure 4.
The light or lamp f is on the top of the post a. is the slide on the end of a
rod k which can be moved up or down, as required, by gearing under control of the
officer in charge.
When convenient and thought desirable the lights may be electric lights; in this
case the conducting wires would lead to the bridge or other part of the vessel and
be connected with a switch or other device by which the circuit could at once be
completed when required to show a light. Normally the electric lights would be
.extinguished.
The arrangements above described may be modified as thought desirable without
departing from my invention which essentially consists in, the employment in
conspicuous raised positions on the port and starboard sides respectively of a
steamer or other vessel, of signal arms or lights under control of the officer in
charge to give information such as that above referred to, to the officer in charge
of another steamer or vessel.
The lights, as now used on board ship, are not in any way altered, the lights
employed for the purpose of my invention being additional lights. 1, 1, Figures 1
and 2, represent the two ordinary regulation lights.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The providing steamers or other vessels with signal arms or lights in conspicuous
raised positions on the port and starboard sides respectively, and under control
of the officer in charge substantially, as set forth, whereby he can signal infor-
mation, such as that-herein referred to, to the officer in charge of another steamer
or vessel.