Improvements in and connected with Lamps for Use in Signalling and for other purposes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 21st July, 1894-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Lamps for Use in Signalling
and for other purposes.
I, ARTHUR WILLIAM ELLIS, of 4 Margaretta Terrace, Chelsea, in the County
of London, Chemical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :—
This invention relates to improvements, more particularly, in hand signal lamps
and has for its object the provision of means whereby signals can be more promptly
and reliably made under circumstances of danger, difficulty, or excitement than by
means of the lamps hitherto employed.
I construct the lamp in such a manner that the desired interchange or
succession of changes in the color of the light is effected by the momentary use
of the thumb or fingers of the hand holding or operating the lamp, without
releasing the grip, thus leaving the other hand free for such purposes as the necessity
of the case may require to be performed simultaneously with the act of signalling,
such for example as signalling on board ship in an elevated or dangerous position
where one hand may be required by the signalman to secure himself, or in the case
of railway servants when attending to points, coupling trucks, closing carriage
doors &c. In these cases not only would the free use of one hand be of great
advantage but the almost instantaneous ease with which a desired signal could be
given with a lamp constructed according to my improvements might avert serious
accident or disaster.
In carrying my invention into effect, I communicate motion to the cylinder, frame,
or other appliance containing the colored glasses or their equivalents, preferably, by
means of a rod or rods having screw threads cut thereon and working in female
threads in such a manner that moderate pressure will cause the cylinder to revolve,
or change its position to the required distance. In cases where only one rod is
employed, such rod may be permanently attached to the cylinder, frame, or
other appliance hereinbefore mentioned, or I may gear the rod or rods to the
cylinder, frame, or other appliance by means of toothed wheels, an endless chain,
or by other suitable contrivances. may apply pressure to the rod or rods either
directly or by means of pushes or levers or in some other suitable manner.
In some cases I cause the change of colors to be effected by means of a rack and
pinion movement or by the use of a spring.
My improvements are applicable to railway band signal lamps, hand signal
lamps for use on board ship, dark lanterns in use by the police and others, and to
other description of lamps and lanterns in which an almost instantaneous flash is
necessary or desirable.
Dated this 21st day of October 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Lamps for Use in Signalling
and for other purposes.
I ARTHUR WILLIAM ELLIS of 5 Oakley Crescent, Chelsea in the County of
London, Chemical Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements more especially in hand signal lamps and

page_text: stem of the lamp stand c 1 which is held in position by means of the pin ḍ and
slot e).
To the washer D, I secure, by means of the nut f, and lock nut f1, the rod or
spindle E, having a right-handed screw thread F, cut by preference at its upper
part, and a left-handed screw thread F 1, cut immediately below, or at a convenient
distance below the said right handed thread. To these screw threads I fit corre-
sponding nuts G, G 1, in such a manner that moderate pressure of the fingers of
the hand holding the lamp, will raise the nut and at the same time cause the
cylinder to revolve in the required direction. The nuts for use with the arrange-
ments illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 11 and 24 must be so constructed and of such
weight that they will drop freely from the position to which they may have been
raised, immediately the pressure of the fingers is withdrawn. In order that the
nuts may not be raised beyond the required distance I provide the rod or spindle E
with the stops g, g', and I also attach to the said spindle a disc H, having the
notches or stops h, 1, 2 cut in its circumference.
These stops are so placed and arranged that upon the pressure of the fingers
being released from the nut the said stop shall drop over the pin i and thus lock
the cylinder. The disc H, is also provided with a fourth stop or notch h3 for
the purposes hereinafter described. To the handle of the lamp J, I fit a cross
bar I having a central hole through which the rod or spindle F, passes, and upon
which the cylinder C, is preferably suspended by means of the disc H. I also
provide the said cross bar with a stop pin i, and the slot j (see Figures 7 & 8).
For the purpose of receiving the upper end of the spindle E (which I slightly
reduce in diameter so as to form a shoulder 9) I attach to the under side of
the lamp handle J, a small plate K, having a central hole, and I leave a small
space between the said shoulder and the said plate in order to permit a slight rise
of the spindle and cylinder when pressure is first applied to one of the nuts. In
cases where the nuts are required to drop by their own weight I prefer to make
the upper rim, by which they are raised, circular, or in such a manner that the
weight is equally distributed but for the sake of distinction I may make the right
handed nut circular in its entire depth and the left handed nut polygonal in shape
or vice versa, but if it be borne in mind that by raising the upper or right handed
nut the cylinder is caused to turn to the right and by raising the lower or left
handed out the cylinder is moved in the contrary direction no such distinction should
be necessary.
As a means of keeping the lower part of the cylinder C in a central position, and
in lieu of the socket c and washer D 1, I sometimes fix to the said cylinder the
small horizontal wheels m 4 m 5 and m 6 see Fig. 4.
The action of the arrangement hereinbefore described is as follows:-
Assuming the cylinder C, in Figs. 1 to 4 to be locked by the pin i, in the position
indicating clear, if the nut G be raised the cylinder will at first be slightly raised
also, until the stop h, is clear of the pin i, when the said cylinder will commence to
turn towards the right, by continuing the pressure until the nut reaches the stop 9,
the cylinder will revolve one third of a revolution thus bringing the red glass M
and the stop 2 to the front of the lamp where it will be locked by the pin i.
Upon releasing the grip of the fingers the said nut will descend to its original
position. If it be now desired to change the color from red to green, the nut G,
must again be raised to its extreme limit as before, when the stop h 1 will become
locked by the pin i. If on the contrary with the lamp at red, it is desired to
exhibit a white light the nut G 1 must be raised which will turn the cylinder to
the left when the stop / will again become locked in its original position.
In cases where it is necessary or desirable, the lock nut, may be passed into the
stop 3 of the disc H and in that position may be screwed down; in this case the
cylinder E will become permanently locked to the lid or cover of the lamp which
may then be used in the usual manner.
Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 illustrate a modification of the arrangement shewn in
Figures 1 to 3.

page_text: In this case I provide the nuts G, G 1 with pins or projections n, n, n 1 n 1 which
I cause to slide in the vertical slots o, o, o 1, o 1, provided in the guide tube N
which I secure in some suitable manner to the handle of the lamp. These slots
limit the working distance of the nuts and also prevent the turning of the same.
In this arrangement if the right handed nut G be quickly raised, by means of the
projections n, n, to its extreme limit as shown in Figure 7 the cylinder would
turn to the right and indicate red, and would be locked in that position by the
stop h 2.
Now if the nut G 1 be gently raised the cylinder would turn towards the left
until the pin i, became locked in in the stop h when the lamp would indicate white,
again if the nut G 1 be still furthur raised to its extreme limit the pin i, would
become locked in the stop h1 when the green color would be displayed.
In Figures 11, 12 and 13 I have shewn an arrangement similar in principle to
the one illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 with the exception that in this case the nuts
are raised by means of the pushes P and P1 connected to the levers O, O 1, by
the pins S, S 1. That is to say when it is desired to raise the nut G the push P is
depressed by the thumb of the hand holding the lamp, if on the contrary it is
desired to raise the nut G 1, the push P1 is depressed in like manner. To secure
steadiness I pass these pushes through holes provided in the handle of the lamp
and thence through the guide r. I support and provide a fulcrum for the levers
by means of the pins t, and t 1 which pass through and are secured to the
upright u, and to the ends of the said levers I attach the weights Q and Q 1 in
order that when the pressure of the thumb is removed, the said levers will drop and
thus permit the nuts to fall into their normal position.
Figures 14, 15 and 16 represent a modification of the arrangement illustrated in
Figures 7 to 10, the ends of the levers being arranged to fit over the pins or
projections n n 1 of the nuts G, G1 by which means the turning of the said nuts is
prevented.
In this case I employ preferably three pushes P, P1, and P2, the central
push P 2 being arranged to slide in the tube R which I permanently secure to the
handle of the lamp in some suitable manner.
In this arrangement if the push P is pressed down to its extreme limit as shown
in Figures 14 and 16 the lamp will indicate red, if the push P1 is so pressed
the green light will be displayed and if the the push P 2 be pressed as far as it
will go, that is to say till it meets the ascending push P 1 the color indicated by
the lamp will be white.
Figures 17, 18 and 19 illustrate an arrangement in which motion is communicated
from the nuts G and G 1 to the spindle by means of the toothed wheels m, m 1 m 2
and m 3.
In this case the push P is provided with a left handed screw thread and the
push P1 with a right handed thread the nuts G & G 1 having corresponding
threads.
To exhibit a desired color the same order in manipulating the pushes is required
as is the case in the arrangement illustrated in Figures 14 to 16.
In Figures 20 to 23 I have represented a method of rotating the cylinder by
means of a rack and pinion movement. In carrying this part of my invention into
effect I provide the spindle E with the bevel wheel S which I gear to a corre-
sponding bevel wheel S 1 attached to the horizontal spindle E 1. To this spindle
I fix the stop disc H 1 and to the extreme end of the said spindle I attach
the pinion T, which is geared to the racks V, V 1, cut upon the pushes P, P 1.
In this case I fit the stop disc H 1 vertically and provide the same with the
stops h h 1 h 2.
When it is desired to change the color of the lamp the end of this spring
crank W, is raised preferably by the forefinger and the push corresponding to the
color desired is pressed down. The spring crank is then released when it will enter
one of the slots h, h1 or h2 and thus lock the lamp in the desired position.
Figures 24 to 27 illustrate a modification of the arrangement shewn in

page_text: Figures 11 to 13. In this case I dispense with the use of pushes and levers and.
so arrange the levers that the nuts are raised when an upward pressure of the
fingers is applied to the said levers. This form of lever can with advantage.
be substituted for the levers employed in the arrangement illustrated in
Figures 14 to 16.
I sometimes in the case of small lamps such as those in use by the police.
communicate motion to the cylinder by means of the rack and pinion movement
hereinbefore described, but in this case I place the racks and pinion horizontally.
I fit, at or near the top of, and direct to the spindle carrying the said cylinder
a small pinion which I gear to the pushes in which the racks are cut. These
racks are fitted in some suitable manner to guides attached to the cover of the
lamp and can be operated upon by the thumb of the hand carrying the lamp.
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 1
claim is :
I. A hand signal lamp provided with my improvements, consisting of the
revolving cylinder C, the right and left handed screw threads F, and F 1, the
right and left handed nuts G and G 1; the stop disc H, the pin i, and lock nut l, as
described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 4.
II. A hand signal lamp having the cylinder C, the screw threads F, F 1, the
nuts G, G 1, the disc H, the pin i, the lock nut 1, and the guide tube N, arranged
as and for the purposes described and illustrated in Figures 4 to 10.
III. The combination with the lamp A, the cylinder C, the screw threads F, F 1,.
the nuts G, G 1 and the disc H, of the levers Ŏ, 01 and the pushes P, P1, P2
arranged substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 4, 11 to 16 and in.
Figures 24 to 27.
IV. The combination with the lamp A, the cylinder C, the spindle E, and the
nuts G, G 1, of the pushes P, P1, P2, and the toothed wheels m, m 1, m 2 and m 3,.
arranged as described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 17 to 19.
V. A hand signal lamp provided with a rack and pinion movement for the
purpose of rotating the cylinder C arranged substantially as described and
illustrated in Figures 20 to 23.
VI. The improvements in hand signal lamps by which the cylinder C, is
operated by the thumb or fingers of the hand holding the lamp, arranged
substantially as and for the purposes described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated thin 01st dow of July 1001
ARTHUR W. ELLIS.