Improvements in and relating to Signalling Lamps.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Signalling Lamps.
We, PETER GRAHAM, of 15 Caledonian Street, Townhead, and ARCHIBALD
GRAHAM of 15 Green Street, Bridgeton, both in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Tinsmiths,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new
or improved mode of
constructing and arrangement and combination of the parts of signalling lamps,
suitable for hand and semaphore signalling on railways, for use on board ship, and
for like signalling purposes, and which will be more simple, better ventilated and
efficient than the signalling lamps heretofore in use.
The improvements consist first in forming or fitting the lamp with a movable top
or head, without any glass or lenses, and hinging same on the one side to the body
of the lamp, and portably securing it on the opposite side by a vertical blade spring
with clasp secured to lamp body and abutting over the lower rim of hinged head.
This head is formed with an outer annular metal collar or shell open below and
above, and an inner central tapered funnel attached to the securing rim below and
open at top. This funnel has a ferrule or flange surrounding it extending from the
lower end for the greater part of its length, while it is surmounted by a domed top
with hinged lid and extending down to near the top of ferrule. By this improved
construction of lamp head, the currents of air entering the annular open space
between the outer collar and inner ferrule surrounding funnel if they passed from
below upwards would induce an upward draught inside the funnel and draw the hot
vitiated air over the top of the funnel and down through the duct between ferrule
and domed top and pass up annular space and escape at top of collar to atmosphere.
While if the cold air currents passed down the annular space from above outer
collar the action would be the same, only in this case of course the vitiated air
would escape from the annular space at lower or lamp end of outer collar.
The body of the lamp would be formed or fitted with an ordinary light colored
glass or lense at the one end and a red colored glass or lense at the other, and be
fitted with a central oil cistern and burner. A circular or segmental open vertical
frame would be fitted inside the lamp to portably receive a segmental holder with a
green or other colored glass. A projecting pin or thumb screw would be attached to
this frame and pass out through an open segmental slot formed in lower body base
part of lamp. When the green or colored lense is desired to cover and signal
through the ordinary colored light aperture, the pin or thumb screw is drawn to
the opposite end of slot and this rotates the lense frame to cover the signalling
aperture, and this can be fixed or locked by the thumb screw or otherwise in this
position if desired.
The oil cistern would consist of an annular vessel with a central tapered filling
chamber surmounted by a funnel or collar leading to burner much as usual. But
an annular close tapered flange would surround the oil funnel, and extend
preferably to form a chamber from top of oil cistern to top of funnel; and an
annular central air space would be left open at top of cistern between it and the
funnel leading into the close annular chamber formed by aforesaid flange; while
an air hole would be formed in and near top of funnel leading into this chamber,
and by this construction a better working oil lamp cistern will be formed.
Dated the 28th December 1892.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Signalling Lamps.
We, PETER GRAHAM, of 15 Caledonian Street, Townhead, and ARCHIBALD
GRAHAM, of 15 Green Street, Bridgeton, both in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Tinsmiths,
do declare the nature of our invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, that is to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved mode of
constructing, and arrangement and combination of the parts of signalling lamps,
suitable for hand and semaphore signalling on railways, for use on board ship, and
for like signalling purposes, and which will be more simple, better ventilated, and
efficient than the signalling lamps heretofore in use.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 a plan view, of a hand signalling
lamp as constructed in accordance with our improvements, while Figure 3 is a
detached sectional elevation to a large scale of the lamp burner and oil supply
cistern and fittings.
Referring to these drawings:-The improvements consist, first, in forming or
fitting the lamp with a movable top or head A, without any glass or lenses, and
hinging same at A" on the one side to the body B of the lamp, and portably
securing it on the opposite side by a vertical blade spring with clasp A¹ secured to
lamp body B and abutting over the lower rim of hinged head A. This head A is
formed with an outer annular metal collar or shell A³ open below and above, and
an inner central tapered funnel a attached to the securing rim at a¹ below and
open at top. This funnel a has a ferrule bead or air deflecting flange a³ surround-
ing it preferably extending from the lower end a¹ of funnel a to below the bottom
end of the domed hood at which is fitted with hinged lid. By this improved
construction of lamp head the currents of air entering the annular open space b
between the outer collar A' and inner ferrule a surrounding funnel a if they passed
from below upwards as indicated by the arrows would induce an upward draught
inside the funnel a and draw the hot vitiated air over the top of the funnel a and
down through the duct between ferrule a and domed top a³, and pass up
annular space 61 and escape at top of collar A² to atmosphere all as indicated by
the arrows. While if the cold air currents passed down the annular space 6' 6 from
above outer collar A' the action would be the same, only in this case of course the
vitiated air would escape from the annular space 6 at lower or lamp end of outer
collar A³.
The body B of the lamp would be formed or fitted with an ordinary light
coloured glass or lense B₁ at the one end, and a red coloured glass or lense B' at
the other, and be fitted with a central oil cistern C and burner c. A circular or
segmental open vertical frame D, would be fitted inside the lamp B to portably
receive a segmental holder with a green or other coloured glass D'. A projecting
pin or thumb screw D³ Figure 2, would be attached to this frame D and pass out
through an open segmental slot D" formed at the lower end of the body base
part B of lamp. When the green or coloured lense D' is desired to cover and
signal through the ordinary coloured light aperture B', the pin or thumb screw D'
is drawn to the opposite end of slot D, and this rotates the lense D¹ to cover the
signalling aperture B¹, and this can be fixed or locked by the thumb screw D' or
otherwise in this position if desired.
As shown particularly in Figure 3, the oil cistern would consist of an annular
vessel C, with a central tapered filling chamber C, surmounted by a funnel or

page_text: wick tube C leading to burner c, much as usual. But the top of oil cistern C,
would be formed of a contracted annular shape C, and a chamber C³ would
surround the wick tube C. Air holes c' would be formed in the different parts,
as shown between the oil cistern C, and burner c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In signalling lamps, the method of ventilating or withdrawing the vitiated
air by currents of air passing through the annular open air deflecting space in
lamp head, substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Second. In signalling lamps, the combination in a lamp head of a central uptake
funnel, a close overhead piece, an outer surrounding shell, a deflecting ferrule or
bead, and annular air passages from central funnel to atmosphere, substantially as
and for the purposes herein described, in reference to and shown in the accom-
panying drawings.
Third. In signalling lamps, the fitting and use of a movable top or head,
without glass or lenses, hinged and, portably secured to body of lamp and having
air induction and air deflecting ventilating appliances, substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. The construction, or arrangement and combination of signalling lamps
with a movable green coloured lense operated by a pin through a segmental slot in
body of lamp, and having ventilating fittings in the hinged top and lower oil cistern
parts, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated the 27th September 1893.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.