IMPROVEMENTS IN ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES, BEACONS, HARBOUR LIGHTS, AND LIGHTSHIPS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Richardson Wigham, of Albany House,
Monkstown, in the County of Dublin, Ireland, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES, BEACONS, HARBOUR
LIGHTS, AND LIGHTSHIPS."
Sealed the 20th September 1872, and dated the 5th April 1872..
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Richardson
Wigham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th April 1872.
I, JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM, of Albany House, Monkstown, in
the County of Dublin, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES, BEACONS,
HARBOUR LIGHTS, AND LIGHTSHIPS," to be as follows:-
Hitherto when glass reflecting or glass refracting dioptric apparatus
(such as annular lenses, refracting belts, &c.) have been used in the
) illumination of lighthouses only, one focal lamp, burner, or source of
artificial light has been used in each lantern as the main central radiant

page_text: focus from which the light is transmitted through the dioptric apparatus
direct to the mariner.
My present Invention consists in the employment in each lantern
for such apparatus as aforesaid, of two or more such main focal lamps,
burners, or other sources of artificial light as above described, whereby
greatly increased light may be transmitted to the mariner. For this
purpose I place two or more burners or sources of light vertically (or
nearly so) one over the other, and I arrange air flues or passages to
and from the respective lamps or burners in such a manner as to enable
the flames of each of them to burn properly and also to carry off the
products of their combustion, and I introduce when occasion requires
it a double air tube somewhat similar to that used in the construction
of the gas burner called "sun burner," by means of which I assist the
formation of currents of pure air to the burner or burners so as more
perfectly to support proper combustion, and I avail myself of the
spaces in the aforesaid refracting or reflecting apparatus which are not
traversed by the rays of light to the lenses or refracting belts, &c.,
as the case may be, for the purpose of placing within those spaces
the air flues and passages as above described, for conducting the air
to and from the said lamps or burners, as also the pipes or other
appliances for conducting illuminating gas oil or other illuminating
agent to the same, so that such flues, passages, pipes, &c, shall not
obstruct the rays of light transmitted through the refracting or reflecting
apparatus..
In employing such lights arranged as described, one light only may
be exibited in clear weather, while two or more may be exhibited in
foggy weather, and each light or all the lights may be alternately
extinguished (or reduced to the smallest possible extent) and re-exhibited
as frequently as may be required for signalling or distinctive purposes,
such extinction and re-exhibition being effected by means of mechanical
contrivances such as those described in the Specification to former
Letters Patent granted to me on the 18th March 1871, No. 729, for
producing intermittent gas flames where annular lenses are employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Richardson Wigham in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RICHARDSON WIGHAM, of Albany House, Monkstown, in the County.
of Dublin, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Richardson Wigham, Her
special licence that I, the said John Richardson Wigham, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John.
Richardson Wigham, 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, 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 ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES,
BEACONS, HARBOUR LIGHTS, AND LIGHTSHIPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Richardson Wigham, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 John Richardson Wigham, 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, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawing and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Hitherto when glass reflecting or glass refracting dioptric apparatus

page_text: 1
The accompanying Drawing represents diagrammatically three of a
series of lights arranged as above described vertically one over the
other. A, A, A, are the burners supplied with gas or other combustible
fluid by the pipes B, B, which may serve also for supporting the
apparatus on a centre stand C as shewn in the Figure. D, D, D, are
the chimneys by which the products of combustion from the burners.
escape. E, E, are double hot air casings surrounding the burners; and
F, F, are flues which pass through these casings for the admission of
pure air to the burners.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim,--
First. The arrangement substantially as herein described, of two or
more burners or sets of burners one above the other, so as to form the
source of light for dioptric lighthouse or beacon apparatus.
Second. The arrangement and construction, substantially as herein
described, of the chimneys and flues of such burners, so that the
upper burners are supplied with currents of air induced or increased by
those below.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Richardson Wigham, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of October
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM. (L.S.)