AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING THE LIGHTS USED IN LIGHTHOUSES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis John Bolton, of Bolton Row, Mayfair, in
the County of Middlesex, Captain in Her Majesty's 12th Regiment of
Foot, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR
DISPLAYING THE LIGHTS USED IN LIGHTHOUSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis John Bolton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th May 1862.
I, FRANCIS JOHN BOLTON, of Bolton Row, Mayfair, in the County of
Middlesex, Captain in Her Majesty's 12th Regiment of Foot, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND
APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING THE LIGHTS USED IN LIGHTHOUSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of an improved mode of and apparatus for displaying the
lights used in lighthouses consists in adapting or applying to the lamps or
burners of lighthouses any convenient contrivance whereby the light may be
alternately obscured and displayed at such intervals and for such different
periods of time as by a pre-arranged system of signals will indicate a code
number or the name of the lighthouse, so that the latter may be instantly
identified. These signals are to be repeated continually at regular intervals,
so that the mariner when at sea will (upon coming suddenly upon the light) bo-
able at once to know what is the code number or name of the lighthouse,

page_text: and may therefore ascertain bis exact locality without risk of making a
mistake. The obscuration of the light may be effected by rising and falling
shutters, discs, or other analogous contrivances, actuated by clockwork or
other mechanism, or by means of an opaque cylinder perforated in a suitable
manner to give the required flashes as it passes in front of the light, or as it
rises and falls at the desired intervals. The systems of flashes of long and
short duration being pre-arranged to represent numerals or letters, the par-
ticular code number or name of each light will distinguish it from any other
light. If every lighthouse along a coast be provided with such a system of
periodical signals, every lighthouse may be at once known, the number or
indication being continually repeated at stated intervals, so that should the
mariner be uncertain as to the accuracy of his first observation, he will be
able to verify his observation within a very short time, and thus prevent any
chance of error if the most ordinary care be used.
By means of my improved system one light of suitable intensity will be
sufficient to give the necessary indications and signals to enable an observer
to identify the lighthouse, and therefore the ordinary arrangements of coloured
lights, revolving lights, flash lights, and a plurality of lights will be rendered
unnecessary, and the appliances for working the lights will be simplified, and
a more convenient, uniform, and efficient system of signals as applied to light-
houses will be established.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis John Bolton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
JOHN BOLTON, of Bolton Row, Mayfair, in the County of Middlesex, Captain
in Her Majesty's 12th Regiment of Foot, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand cight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Francis John Bolton, Her special license that I, the said Francis John
Bolton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Francis John Bolton, 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,

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING THE LIGHTS USED IN LIGHT-
HOUSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis John
Bolton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti-
cularly 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 Francis John Bolton, do hereby.
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of "An Improved Mode of and Apparatus for Displaying the
Lights used in Lighthouses," consists in adapting or applying to the lamps or
burners of lighthouses any convenient contrivance whereby the light may be
alternately obscured and displayed at such intervals and for such different.
periods of time as, by a pre-arranged system of signals, will indicate a code-
number or the name of the lighthouse, so that the latter may be instantly,
identified. These signals are to be repeated continually at regular intervals,
so that the mariner when at sea will (upon coming suddenly upon the light).
be able at once to know what is the code number or name of the lighthouse,
and may therefore ascertain his exact locality without risk of making a
mistake. The obscuration of the light may be effected by rising and falling
shutters, dises, or other analogous contrivances, actuated by clockwork or
other mechanism, or by means of an opaque cylinder perforated in a suitable
manner to give the required flashes as it passes in front of the light; or as it
rises and falls at the desired intervals. The system of flashes of long and
short duration being pre-arranged to represent numerals or letters, the par-
ticular code number or name of each light will distinguish it from any other
lights. If all the lighthouses along a coast be provided with such a system
of periodical siguals, any lighthouse that a mariner at sea may see at a
distance will be at once known. The signals indicating the number or name
of the lighthouse will also be continually repeated at stated intervals, so that,
should the mariner be uncertain as to the accuracy of his first observation,
he will be able to verify his observation within a very short time, and thus
prevent any chance of error if the most ordinary care be used.
By means of my improved system of displaying the lights in lighthouses,

page_text: one light of suitable intensity will be sufficient to give the necessary indications
and signals to enable an observer to identify the lighthouse, and therefore the
ordinary arrangements of colored lights, revolving lights, flash lights, and a
plurality of lights will be rendered unnecessary, and the appliances for working
the lights will be simplified, and a more convenient, uniform, and efficient
system of signals as applied to lighthouses will be established.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn two different arrangements of
apparatus whereby the object of my Invention may be effected.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a vertical sectional view of the upper part of a light-
house, with one form of my Invention adapted thereto. The lamp or light
is placed at A, and the rays therefrom are thrown upwards on to the surface
of a polished conical or other suitable reflector B, which reflects them in a
horizontal direction through the glass window D, D. The pointed end of the
reflector D is inserted in the upper end of a moveable tube or shutter C,
which is made to travel round horizontally at an uniform speed. In the sides
of this rotating tube are made a series of openings of different widths, as
indicated at Figs. 2 and 3, the former of which is a sectional plan view, and
the latter a side elevation thereof. This tube or shutter C is supported on
antifriction rollers c, and carries a ring of teeth or circular rack d; into this
rack gears a toothed pinion e at the upper end of the jointed vertical rod f,
which is actuated by the toothed gearing and clockwork F below. The
clockwork, which is driven by a weighted cord g, is provided with a suitable
escapement and balance wheel or pendulum, so as to cause the clockwork to
act continuously and with regularity. The numerals may be supposed to be
represented as follows:-Numerals 1 to 5 by short flashes in uniform and
rapid succession, amounting in number to the numeral required; the long
flash, of threefold duration, giving the numeral 6; 2 long flashes gives 7;.
3 ditto, 8; 4 ditto, 9; and 5 ditto, 0.
The operation of the apparatus will be as follows:-The moveable tube or
shutter with openings C receiving an uniform and continuous motion from the
clockwork, the light from the reflector B will show through the openings, and
be visible for a longer or shorter period according to the width of the slit or
opening in the rotating shutter C. Now, supposing the numeral 2 being
represented by two short flashes in rapid succession produced by two narrow
openings in the moveable shutter, and the number 4 is similarly produced by
four like narrow openings, and two longer flashes, produced by wider openings,
representing 7, thus we have the number 247, which may indicate the name
or be the code number of any given lighthouse. In order to avoid any
chance of error, I propose after the signals for the code number are com-

page_text: pleted that a continuous light of some duration should be shewn, as repre-
sented at Fig. 2, after which the code signals will be again repeated. It will
be seen that if some precaution of the kind be not taken there will be the
liability of the 4 or the 7 being taken as the commencing number, thereby
making the code number 724 or 472, instead of 247.
Fig. 4, Sheet II., represents another form of apparatus for producing the
long and short flashes of light to indicate numbers. In this instance the
ordinary description of light apparatus and lenses are employed, A being
the lamp; B, B, reflecting surfaces; C, C', the moveable tubular shutter,
which in this instance is divided into two parts, one of which is made to rise
up and the other to fall, so as to meet halfway, and thereby cover or obscure
the light when required, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. D, D, are
the lenses, which are of the ordinary kind, and are mounted in a metal
frame in the usual manner. The lower half C of the moveable tubular
shutter is supported at the upper end of a rod c, which is jointed at its lower
end to the outer extremity of the lever d. The other half C of the moveable
tubular shutter is suspended from a cord or chain b, which pssses round
carrying pullies a, a, and is connected by its opposite end to the outer extre-
mity of the lever d. The two levers d and d' are mounted on studs on the
standards or framing e, e, and are provided with bowls or antifriction rollers,
which rest on the periphery of a cam, chime, barrel, or cylinder f, f. The
inner ends of the levers d, d', are weighted, so as to keep the bowls in contact
with the surface of the cylinder or barrel f, which is provided with projecting
pieces or protuberances of greater or lesser breadth according to the length of
time they may be required to act on the levers d and d¹. In the Drawing I
have shewn the barrel provided with two narrow protuberances in close
proximity, then a space, then four narrow protuberances in quick succession,
and, after a space, come two wide protuberances. This combination will
produce two short flashes and a space, then four short flashes and a space,
and, finally, two long flashes, thereby indicating 247, as in the former
instance. The long raised part f* of the barrel will keep the outer ends of
the levers d, d', depressed for some seconds, thereby producing a continuous
light of some duration, as in the former instance.
Although I have shewn two different arrangements of apparatus for effecting
the object of my Invention, I do not mean or intend to confine myself thereto,
as other equivalent contrivances may be employed to effect the desired end,
which is temporarily to obscure or cut off the light for long and short periods
of time in any desired order of succession, so that by a combination of long
and short flashes of light the name or code number of any lightship or light-

page_text: house may be at once known, as the essentials for carrying out this arrange-
ment are already in existence, every known light or lighthouse being assigned
a number in the Admiralty, Marryat's, or other code; I therefore claim as
new, and of my Invention, producing signals with the lights of lighthouses by
causing the said lights to be displayed in flashes of long and short duration,
and thereby indicating the code number or name of the light, lightship, or
lighthouse by any pre-arranged system of signals produced by such long and
short flashes of light.
I also claim the arrangements of apparatus herein set forth, or any equi-
valent contrivance, whereby the temporary observation of the light may be
effected for the purpose above mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis John Bolton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
FRED. WALKDEN,
66, Chancery Lane.
F. J. BOLTON. (L.S.)