IMPROVEMENTS IN LANTERNS USED ON PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION USED ON BOARD SHIP TO SIGNAL TO THE STEERSMAN
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Guy Proger, of 13, Trinity Street, Cardiff, and
David Davies, of Stuart Street, Bute Docks, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LANTERNS USED ON
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Guy Proger and
David Davies at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 24th January 1859.
We, JOHN GUY PROGER, of 13, Trinity Street, Cardiff, and DAVID DAVIES,
of Stuart Street, Bute Docks, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LANTERNS USED
ON BOARD SHIP TO SIGNAL TO THE STEERSMAN," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lanterns used on board
ship to signal to the steersman. For this purpose the lantern is made with.a
single lens on the side towards the steersman, and it is fixed or placed in any
position from which it is desired to signal to the steersman. At night the
lantern is lighted, and the lens is suitable to throw a stream of light towards
the steersman. In the daytime the top cover is removed, and. a plate of
glass is placed over the lantern, by which sufficient light will be passed through
the lens to enable the steersman to see the signal intended to be conveyed to
him by the lantern.

page_text: The lautern is by preference of a cylindrical form, and is provided with a
screen, by which the light interior of the lantern will be prevented passing
through the lens, so long as no signal is required to be given, and will in fact
be a dark lantern. The dark part of the screen has on one side of it a portion
of green glass, and on the other side a portion of red glass, so that on moving
the screen either the red. or green glass is introduced between the light and
the lens, so that a stream of green or red light will be thrown towards the
steersman, according as it is' desired that he shall steer to the "starboard" or
"port," one colored light being arranged to indicate the one-direction, the
other color the other direction, and it is arranged that such colors should be
shown only partially or fully according to the requirement for the time. The
screen is moved by a suitable handle exterior of the lantern, and is retained
in the position in which for the time it is left..
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor by the said John Guy Proger and
David Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN GUY
PROGER, of 13, Trinity Street, Cardiff, and DAVID DAVIES, of Stuart Street,
Bute Docks, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
ITer reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said John Guy Proger and David Davies, Her special licence
that we, the said John Guy Proger and David Davies, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Guy
Proger and David Davies, our 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LANTERNS USED ON BOARD SHIP TO SIGNAL TO THE
STEERSMAN," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John
Guy Proger and David Davies, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: 5
was to be
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
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 John Guy Proger, on behalf of
myself and the said. David Davies, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that
is to say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in lanterns used on board
.ship to signal to the steersman. For this purpose the lantern is made with a
single lens on the side towards the steersmian, and it is fixed or placed in any
position from which it is desired to signal to the steersman.
At night
the lantern is lighted, and the lens is suitable to throw a stream of light
towards the steersman. In the daytime the top cover is removed, and
a plate of glass is placed over the lantern, by which sufficient light will
be passed through the lens to enable the steersman to see the signal
intended to be conveyed to him by the lantern. The lantern is by pre-
ference of a cylindrical form, and is provided with a screen by which the
light interior of the lantern will be prevented passing through the lens, so
long as no signal is required to be given, and will in fact be a dark lantern.
The dark part of the screen has on one side of it a portion of green glass, and
on the other side a portion of red glass, so that on moving the screen either
the red or green glass is introduced between the light and the lens, so that a
stream of green or red light will be thrown towards the steersman, according as
it is desired that he shall steer to the "starboard" or "port," are colored
light being arranged to indicate the one direction, the other color the other
direction, and it is arranged that such colors should be shown only partially or
fully according to the requirement for the time. The screen is moved by a
suitable handle exterior of the lantern, and is retained in the position in which
for the time it is left.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section, Figure 2 a horizontal section, Figure 3
is a vertical section when used by day, the nature of the other detail views are
written on the Drawings. In each of these Figures the same letters are used
o indicate the same parts. a, a, is the external case having a lens & in front.

page_text: The lantern is arranged with two sockets c, c, at the sides to fit on to two pins
on the bridge or other part of. the vessel where the lantern is to be used.
Within the lantern is a moveable frame or screen d, the middle portion d'
being closed or opaque; on one side is a red glass, and on the other side of
the middle is a green glass, or other different colored screens may be used.
This screen is capable of being moved by means of the lever handle e towards
the left hand or towards the right hand, according as it is desired, in order
that the one or other color may be shown more or less through the lens. The
lever handle is, when in a central position, locked or held in a notch, the lever
handle being pressed upwards by a spring. The screen d is guided in its
movement, and works within an interior casing at the back of the lantern.
In the arrangement shown there is a green glass screen interposed between
the lamp and the lens for "starboard," and a red glass screen interposed to
Intermediate of these
indicate "port," but these colors may be varied.
two colored transparent screens, there is an opaque screen which shuts off the
light from the lens. f is an ordinary lamp having a reflector at back; g is
the cover or top which is used at night. When the lantern is to be used by
-daylight the cover g is removed, an inclined reflector f¹ is introduced, and the
top of the lantern is covered by the disc or plate of glass h.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we make no claim to
any of the parts separately; but what we claim is the combination herein
described..
In witness whereof, I, the said John Guy Proger, have hereunto set
my band and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JOHN GUY PROGER. (L.S.)