Improvements in Night Signalling and in Apparatus Employed therein.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Night Signalling and in Apparatus Employed
therein.
I JOSEPH WALL, of 46, Marsh Lane, Bootle, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT SIGNALLING AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED, THEREIN
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object certain improvements in signalling at night,
hereinafter more particularly described, and in apparatus employed therein, and
consists partly of improvements upon apparatus described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me N° 7391 dated 8 May 1884.
My present Invention consists in displaying, also in obscuring previously,
arranged multiple signals simultaneously thus for instance where there are
arranged three signal lamps and lights, the colours which constitute the signal
to be displayed, are operated previously to displaying, under a shade or shades;
the lamps and lights having been operated and the signal fixed, the shade, or
shades are withdrawn simultaneously, or substantially simultaneously and thus the
three, or two colours as the case may be, which form the signal are simultaneously,
or substantially simultaneously displayed. The signal thus having been displayed
is obscured simultaneously, or substantially simultaneously by causing the shade or
shades to re-obscure the lights; such signalling apparatus in which my Invention
is employed may be that described in the Specification of my former Letters Patent
No 7391 A.D. 1884 above referred to, or other apparatus in which are employed
multiple lights or lamps, namely in which two, three, or more lights are used.
I will now describe a complete apparatus according to my present improvements
and provided with a means of carrying out my Invention. The form and con-
struction of the apparatus, being improvements upon the apparatus described and
illustrated in the Specification of my former Letters Patent N° 7391 A.D. 1884
above referred to, is as follows. A vertical column or standard upon which is
mounted (free to be revolved and set with a hand screw, or equivalent device in
any position upon the same plane) a horizontal head, or frame, the centre and
extremities of which are provided with rings, or recesses each to receive and hold a
lamp, the lamps being spaced sufficiently apart to distinctly display their lights.
The frame may be made telescopic, so that the distance between the lamps can be
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237

page_text: Carried by
adjusted, the lenses of the lamps being on the same side and in line.
the frame and in proximity to each lamp there is an angled arm upon which slides
vertically a shade, this shade is so positioned that in its raised position it obscures
the lens of and the light from the lamp, and in its lowered position displays the
light from the lamp. The shades are worked, namely raised by cords, levers,
rods, or any equivalent device and are lowered by their own gravity, or by
reversing the movement of the raising device. The operating mechanism of the
three shades of the three lamps are connected together or brought into such
proximity to each other that the operator can simultaneously work the shades, and
so simultaneously display, or obscure the lights. Each lamp, as in the Specification
of my former Patent N° 7391 A.D. 1884 is provided with a revolving cylindrical
casing provided in four equal divisions with the following shades, namely a wire
gauze for bright light, red glass for red light, a green glass for green light and a
dark shade for dark. This casing may be revolved by a handle as described in my
former Specification above referred to, or under my present improvements it is
revolved by toothed, or worm gear, or a band, or levers, or rods and springs which
gear, or the casing and the shades may be operated by discs, or barrels having pins
thereon in like manner to the pins on the barrel of a musical box, so that the
operator can, by moving the discs, or barrels move the shades simultaneously and
produce and exhibit any sign instantaneously. The pins on the discs, or barrels
corresponding to the signs of the code being used. The lenses of the lamps may be
dioptric lenses, or they may be lenses for emitting parallel rays of light Each lamp
is provided with a sliding door at the side, through which the lights can be
regulated by a key without removing the lamp. A direction plate of glass, or
other substance on which is printed, or otherwise delineated all the signs used in
signalling also their names is fitted to the back of the centre lamp the light from
the lamp shining through, illuminates this plate, which serves as a guide to the
operator while, signalling.
In operation, the lamps being lighted and obscured by the shades, the revolving
casings of the lamps are set to display the required sign of the code being used
The obscuring shades are then simultaneously removed from the lamps and the
signal is exposed, after which the shades are again caused to simultaneously
obscure the lamps.
-
In the application of my Invention to systems of signalling in which the
lamps are arranged vertically the obscuring shades of the lamps can be worked
simultaneously by a line connected to, and common to, all the shades.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Night Signalling and in Apparatus Employed
therein.
I JOSEPH WALL of 46 Marah Lane, Bootle, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT SIGNALLING AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described.
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention has for its object certain improvements in signalling at night,
hereinafter more particularly described and in apparatus employed therein, and
consists partly of improvements upon apparatus described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me No 7391 dated 8th May 1884.
My present Invention consists in displaying, also in obscuring previously arranged
multiple signals simultaneously, thus for instance where there are arranged three
signal lamps and lights, the colours which constitute the signal to be displayed are
operated previously to displaying, under a shade, or shades; the lamps and lights
having been operated and the signal fixed, the shade or shades are withdrawn
simultaneously, or substantially simultaneously and thus the three, or two colours
as the case may be, which form the signal are simultaneously, or substantially.
simultaneously displaced. The signal thus having been displayed is obscured
simultaneously, or substantially simultaneously by causing the shade, or shades
to re-obscure the lights; such signalling apparatus in which my Invention is
employed may he that described in the Specification of my former Letters Patent
No 7391 A.D. 1884 above referred to, or other apparatus in which are employed
multiple lights, or lamps, namely in which two, three, or more lights are used.
I will now describe a complete apparatus according to my present improvements
and provided with a means of carrying out my Invention. The form and con-
struction of the apparatus being improvements upon the apparatus described and
illustrated in the Specification of my former Letters Patent No 7391 A.D. 1884
above referred to is as follows. A vertical column, or standard upon which is
inounted (free to be revolved and set with a hand screw, or equivalent device in
any position upon the same plane) a horizontal head, or frame, the centre and
extremities of which are provided with rings, or recesses, each to receive and hold
a lamp, the lamps being spaced sufficiently apart to distinctly display their lights.
The frame may be made telescopic, so that the distance between the lamps can be
adjusted, the lenses of the lamps being on the same side and in line. Carried by
the frame and in proximity to each lamp there is an angled arm upon which slides
vertically a shade; this shade is so positioned that in its raised position it obscures
the lens of and the light from the lamp and in its lowered position displays the
light from the lamp. The shades are worked, namely raised by cords, levers, rods,
or any equivalent device and are lowered by their own gravity, or by reversing the
movement of the raising device. The operating mechanism of the three shades of
the three lamps are connected together, or brought into such proximity to each

page_text: other that the operator can simultaneously work the shades and so simultaneously
display, or obscure the lights. Each lamp, as in the Specification of my former
Patent No 7391 A.D. 1884 is provided with a revolving cylindrical casing provided
in four equal divisions with the following shades, namely a wire gauze for bright
light, red glass for red light a green glass for green light and a dark shade for dark.
This casing may be revolved by a handle as described in my former Specification
above referred to, or under my present improvements it is revolved by toothed, or
worm gear or a band, or levers and rods and springs which gear, or the casing and
the shades may be operated by discs, or barrels having pins thereon, in like manner
to the pins on the barrel of a musical box, so that the operator can, by moving the
discs, or barrels move the shades simultaneously and produce and exhibit any sign
. simultaneously. The pins on the discs, or barrels corresponding to the signs of the
code being used. The lenses of the lamps may be dioptric lenses or they may be
lenses for emitting parallel rays of light. Each lamp is provided with a sliding
door at the side through which the lights can be regulated by a key without
removing the lamp. A direction plate of glass, or other substance on which is
printed or otherwise delineated all the signs used in signalling, also their names is
fitted to the back of the centre lamp, the light from the lamp shining through
illuminates this plate, which serves as a guide to the operator while signalling.
In operation the lamps being lighted and obscured by the shades the revolving
casings of the lamps are set to display the required sign of the code being used.
The obscuring shades are then simultaneously removed from the lamps and the
signal is exposed, after which the shades are again caused to simultaneously obscure
the lamps..
In the application of my Invention, to systems of signalling in which the lamps
are arranged vertically; the obscuring shades of the lamp can be worked simul-
taneously by a line connected to, and common to, all the shades.
The beforegoing being the nature object and purposes of my Invention, I will
now proceed to describe inore in detail how the same may be carried out into
practical effect, reference being had to the annexed sheet of Drawings making part
of this Specification and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, like
letters and figures being used to denote the same, or corresponding parts throughout
the various views.

page_text: lamps F G H can be adjusted. The lenses I,J K are all on the same side of the
lamps and in line. Carried by the frame B and in,proximity to each lamp there is;
an angled arm à upon which slides a bar b. This bar b is provided with three
shades ijk. These shades are of such size and so positioned that, when moved by
the bar b in front of the lenses I J K of, the lamps F G, H, they simultaneously:
obscure the lenses and thereby the light from the lamps and when pushed back or,
withdrawn into the position shown at Figure 1, the lights of the lamps F: G H are
simultaneously displayed. Each of the lamps F G H as described in the Specifi-:
cation of my former Patent N° 7391/84 is provided with a revolving cylindrical,
shade d (see Figures 4 and 5) provided in four equal divisions with the following
shades, namely a wire gauze for bright light, a red glass for red light; a green glass
for green light and a dark shade for dark. This shade d is in the case of each lamp
revolved by the handle e or it may be revolved by toothed, or worm wheeled gear,
or a band and rods and springs which gear may be operated by discs, or barrels
having pins thereon -in like manner to the pins on the barrel of a musical box, so
that the operator can move the shades d simultaneously and exhibit any sign
instantaneously. The pins on the discs, or barrels being set to correspond with the
signs of the code being used. Each lamp is provided with a small door f through
which the light can be regulated without removing the lamp. The centre lamp G
is provided at the back with an illuminated direction plate g on which is printed
all signs used in signalling with their names, as for example the code shown ab
Figure 6. The upper portion of the shade d of the lamp G is so cut away at d¹
see Figure 3 as to cause the light from the lamp to shine through and illuminate
the plate g which serves as a guide to the operator while signalling.
In operation the lamps F G H being lighted, and obscured by the shades ijk,
the revolving casings d are set to display the required sign of the code being used,
the obscuring shades i j k are then simultaneously removed by sliding back the
bar b by the handle b¹ and the signal is exposed, after which the shades i j k are
again caused to simultaneously obscure the lamps. The arrow, or device top of the
handle e of each lamp represents the outline of a vessels bow and stern so that the
operator readily knows how to produce the different coloured lights from each lens
thus to show green through lens he places the starboard side of the handle e
towards the lens; to show red he places the port side of the handle towards the
lens; to show bright the point or stem of the handle towards the lens; to show
dark the back, or stern of the handle towards the lens.
If desired the frame B may be mounted upon gimbals on the standard A similar
to the mounting of a compass so as to counteract the rolling and pitching motion
of the ship and so present a steady focus of light towards the horizon.
The apparatus being a revolving one, the men on the respective vessels can keep
the focus of all the lights upon each other while signalling, no matter how their
vessels may change positions.
In the code table shown at Figure 6 the plain circles represent bright, the circles
sectioned down from left to right represent green and the circles sectioned down
from right to left represent red.
Although I have more particularly described my Invention in relation to its use
on board ship, it will be evident that it can be used for signalling on land, for
lighthouse and other purposes.
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
First. The combination with a night signalling apparatus of the type herein
described of mechanism whereby the lights can be simultaneously displayed, or
obscured; as and for the purposes set forth.
Second. The use in connection with night signalling apparatus of the type herein
described of a shade, or shades, whereby lights can be simultaneously displayed, or
observed as and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: Third. With night signalling apparatus of the type herein described, the com-
bination of the shades (ijk) arranged and operated; as and for the purposes
set forth.
+
Fourth. The combination of a code plate, or sheet, such as that employed in night
signalling apparatus of the type herein described with a light, or lamp whereby the
code is illuminated; as and for the purposes set forth.
.
Fifth. In night signalling apparatus of the type herein described the improve-
ments herein set forth which consist essentially in displaying or obscuring the night
signals simultaneously; for the purposes set forth.