IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF. IGNITING AND INEXTINGUISHABLE SIGNAL LIGHTS FOR SIGNALLING AT SEA OR ON LAKES AND OTHER WATERS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I GEORGE STACEY ALBRIGHT of the firm of Albright and Wilson of Trinity
Street Oldbury in the County of Worcester Phosphorus and Chemical Manufacturers
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF.
IGNITING AND INEXTINGUISHABLE SIGNAL LIGHTS FOR SIGNALLING AT SEA OR ON
LAKES AND OTHER WATERS "to be as follows:―
My invention has reference to the self igniting and inextinguishable signal lights
consisting essentially of a vessel containing calcium phosphide or other phosphide
which on contact with water gives off spontaneously inflammable phosphuretted
hydrogen gas the parts of the said signal lights being so constructed and arranged
that the said signal lights float in the required position when thrown into water.
My improvements have for their object to economize the calcium or other
phosphide by constructing and arranging the signal light in such a way as to make
its action intermittent that is to cause the signal light to give flashes of light or
flames at regular or nearly regular intervals and thus spread the consumption of
the phosphide over a much longer time than in signal lights of the ordinary
construction.
A signal light constructed according to my invention consists of the following
parts:
A vessel constituting the case of the signal light is made buoyant either by the
addition of a wood or other float or by giving the said case a conical figure in which
last arrangement the buoyant cone inverts itself when thrown into water and floats
with its base upwards. The said case is filled or nearly filled with lumps of the
phosphide supported on a perforated false bottom and contains in its axis two
concentric tubes the central one of which has so small a diameter as only to
permit of the escape of gas with the desired rapidity, I will call this tube the gas
exit tube.
The other and larger tube which I will call the water tube is perforated and its
lower end passes out at the bottom of the signal light.
The upper end of the smaller or gas exit tube passes out at the top of the signal
light and constitutes the jet at which the spontaneously inflammable gas burns.
The lower end of the small or gas exit tube terminates a little above the bottom of
[Price Rd.1

page_text: the case.
After the case has been charged with phosphide the gas tube at the top
of the signal and the water tubo at the bottom are closed by discs of sheet lead or
other material which can be readily perforated or torn away.
When the signal light is about to be used the temporarily closed gas exit and
water tubes are opened by piercing or tearing away the covering material and the
signal light is thrown into the water. It floats in a vertical position and water
entering at the lower end of the water tube comes in contact with the phosphide
in the lower part of the case. Decomposition immediately sets in and inflammable
gas is evolved but as the ascent of the water in the water tube has closed the
lower end of the gas exit tube the gas generated has no means of escape it con-
sequently presses on the surface of the water in the signal light and depresses its
level below the bottom of the gas exit tube. The gas can now escape by the said
exit tube and burns on emerging from the signal light but there being no longer
any pressure of gas on the surface of the water in the signal light the water rises
and again coming into contact with the phosphide generates more inflammable gas
which presses on the water in the signal light again lowering its level below the
bottom of the gas exit tube and a second rush of gas takes place up the said exit
tube and a second flash or flame is produced. In this way there is brought about
an alternating rising and falling motion of the water in the signal light and a
corresponding alternating flow and stoppage of inflammable gas and the production
of an intermittent signal.
In order to check the too rapid action of the water on the signal light which
sometimes takes place when it is first thrown into the water especially if the water
bo in a state of violent agitation I fill the bottom of the water tubo with a plug of
fused chloride of calcium or common salt in addition to the temporary closing discs
of lead herein before referred to.
When the signal light thus produced is thrown into water the plug of chlorido
of calcium or common salt dissolving slowly permits the water to enter only slowly
at first. As the action of the signal light goes on the plug described dissolving
permits the free access of water during the latter part of the signal's action.
Dated this twenty-second day of April 1884.
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page_text: I GEORGE STACEY ALBRIGHT of the firm of Albright and Wilson of Trinity.
Street Oldbury in the County of Worcester Phosphorus and Chemical Manufacturers
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN SELF
IGNITING AND INEXTINGUISHABLE SIGNAL LIGHTS FOR SIGNALLING AT SEA OR ON
LAKES AND. OTHER WATERS" and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention has reference to the self igniting and inextinguishable signal lights
consisting essentially of a vessel containing calcium phosphide or other phosphido
which on contact with water. gives off spontaneously inflammable phosphuretted
hydrogen gas the parts of the said signal lights being so constructed and arranged
that the said signal lights float in the required position when thrown into water.
My improvements have for their object to economize the calcium or other
phosphide by constructing and arranging the signal light in such a way as to make'
its action intermittent that is to cause the signal light to give flashes of light or
flames at regular or nearly regular intervals and thus spread the consumption of
the phosphide over a much longer time than in signal lights of the ordinary
construction.
A signal light constructed according to my invention consists of the following
|parts :-
A vessel constituting the case of the signal light is made.buoyant either by the
addition of a wood or other float or by giving the said case a conical figure in
which last arrangement the buoyant cone inverts itself when thrown into water
and floats with its base upwards. The said case is filled or nearly filled with lumps
of the phosphide supported on a perforated false bottom and contains in its axis
two concentric tubes the central one of which has so small a diameter as only to
permit of the escape of gas with the desired rapidity. I will call this tube the gas
exit tube.
The other and larger tube which I will call the water tube is perforated and its
lower end passes out at the bottom of the signal light.
The upper end of the smaller or gas exit tube passes out at the top of the signal
light and constitutes the jet at which tho spontaneously inflammable gas burns.
The lower end of the small or gas exit tube terminates a little above the bottom
of the case.. After the case has been charged with phosphide the gas tube at the
top of the signal and the water tube at the bottom are closed by discs of sheet lead
or other material which can be readily perforated or torn away.
When the signal light is about to be used the temporarily closed gas exit and
water tubes are opened by piercing or tearing away the covering material and the
signal light is thrown into the water. It floats in a vertical position and water
entering at the lower end of the water.tube comes in contact with the phosphide
in the lower part of the case. Decomposition immediately sets in and inflammable
gas is evolved but as the ascent of the water in the water tube has closed the lower
end of the gas exit tube the gas generated has no means of escape, it consequently
presses on the surface of the water in the signal light and depresses its level below
the bottom of the gas exit tube. The gas can now escape by the said exit tube
and burns on emerging from the signal light but there being no longer any
pressure of gas on the surface of the water in the signal light the water rises and
"

page_text: again coming into contact with the phosphide generates more inflammable gas
which presses on the water in the signal light, again lowering its level below the
bottom of the gas exit tube and a second rush of gas takes place up the said exit
tube and a second flash or flame is produced.
In this way, there is brought about an alternating rising and falling motion of
the water in the signal light and a corresponding alternating flow and stoppage
of inflammable gas and the production of an intermittent signal.
In order to check the too rapid action of the water on the signal light which
sometimes takes place when it is first thrown into the water, especially if the water
be in a state of violent agitation, I fill the bottom of the water tube with a plug
of fused chloride of calcium or common salt in addition to the temporary closing
disc of lead herein before referred to.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in side elevation and Figure 2
in plan of upper side, a self igniting and inextinguishable signal light constructed
according to my invention, in combination with a wooden float; Figure 3 represents
in vertical section and Figure 4 in cross section the said signal light without the
float drawn of the full size and Figure 5 represents the said signal light, partly
in vertical section and partly in elevation, drawn to the same scale as Figures 3
and 4.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the drawings.
a is the cylindrical case of the signal light made of sheet metal and b, c are the
concentric tubes in the axis of the said case, the larger tube b being the water tube
and the smaller inner tube o the gas exit tube. The gas exit tube c is so small in
diameter as only to permit of the escape of gas with the desired rapidity. The
water tubo bis perforated nearly through its whole length with perforations as
best seen in Figure 5. and the said tube b carries near its lower end the perforated
false bottom d on which is supported the calcium phosphide e (see Figure 3) with
which the caso a is filled or nearly filled. The top and bottom of the case a are
closed by the covers a², a³. The upper end of the gas exit tube c passes out at the
top of the case of the signal light and forms the jet c' at the top of which the
inflammable gas burns and the lower end of the said gas exit tube c terminates
a little below the level of the perforated false bottom das seen in Figure 3. It
will be seen by an examination of the Drawing that the top of the water tube b
is situated within the case a but the bottom of the said tube b projects from the
closed end of the case. The jet end c³ of the gas exit tube c is temporarily closed
by a cap or disc f of sheet lead or other material which can readily be perforated
or torn away and the projecting bottom of the water tubo b is temporarily closed
with a similar disc or cap g; h is the plug of fused common salt placed in the
bottom of the water tube b for the purpose herein before explained.
I use with the signal light a wooden float i represented in Figures 1 and 2. For
the purpose of attaching. the signal light to the float i, a hole of somewhat
greater diameter than the case a is mado in the float and the case a of the signal
light is furnished at opposite sides with metal wings L, and the upper face of the
float is provided with clips m, m under which the said wings, can be engaged.
After the case a of the signal light has been passed through the holo k in the
float i with the jet c uppermost, the said case a is turned until its wings 1, 1 engage
with the clips m, m as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. The signal light is
thereby firmly fixed to the wooden float i. By means of a chain or rope passed
through the staple n on the underside of the float i the combined signal light and
float may be fastened at the desired place. The float is then placed in the water
the sheet lead or other caps or discs f, g of the tubes c and b having been previously
perforated or torn away. The signal light floats in a vertical position and water
entering at the lower end of the water tube b comes in contact with the phosphide e
in the lower part of the case a. Decomposition immediately sets in and inflam-
mable gas is evolved but as the ascent of the water in the water tube 6 has closed

page_text: the lower end of the gas exit tube c the gas generated has no means of escape, it
consequently presses on the surface of the water in the signal light and depresses
its level below the bottom of the gas exit tubo c. The gas can now escape by the
said exit tube c and burns on emerging from the jet c³ of the signal light but there
being no longer any pressure of gas on the surface of the water in the signal light
the water rises and again coming into contact with the phosphide generates more
inflammable gas which presses on the water in the signal light, again lowering its
level below the bottom of the gas exit tube c and a second rush of gas takes place
up the said exit tube and a second flash or flanie is produced. In this way, there
is brought about an alternating rising and falling motion of the water in the signal
light and a corresponding alternating flow and stoppage of inflammable gas and
the production of an intermittent signal.
When the signal light provided with the plug of common salt h Figure 3 is
thrown into water the said plug dissolving slowly permits the water to enter only
slowly at first. As the action of the signal light goes on the plug described
dissolving permits the free access of water during the latter part of the signal's
action. Thus, by the use of the said plug a slow access of water is permitted when
there is a large amount of calcium phosphide undecomposed, while a freer access
of water is permitted as the amount of undocomposed calcium phosphide
diminishes.
Figure 6 represents partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, a signal
light constructed according to my invention which is made buoyant by means of
a conical case p of metal éxternal to tho signal case a. The case a of the signal
is fixed to the external conical or buoyant case p by means of the flange a³ (seo
Figure 7) on the top of the said signal case a being soldered to the top of the
conical case p, springs q, q on the sides of the lower part of the signal case a
bearing against the conical case p and keeping the signal case firmly in its place in
the buoyant case p. The buoyant conical case p when the signal is thrown into
water floats with its base upwards as represented in the drawing.
The signal light partly enclosed in the buoyant or conical caso P is constructed
as herein before described and corresponding parts are marked with the same letters
of reference. The signal light Figure 6 is fixed in tho required position after it
has been thrown into the water by means of a rope or chain passed through the
ring r on the side of the buoyant case p.
The water tube in the signal light herein before described may be omitted and
the water admitted to the calcium phosphide in the case a by openings in the
bottom of the said case.
This modification is represented in vertical section in Figure and plan of
underside in Figure 9.
The closing cap g in this modification is provided with holes t, t which are
temporarily covered by discs of sheet lead or other material which can readily bo
perforated or torn away (which discs are perforated or torn away before the signal
is thrown into the water) and the grating or perforated disc d for supporting the
calcium phosphide is connected with the gas exit tube c.
The action of this modification is the same as that of the signal light first
described.
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
The construction and arrangements of the parts of self igniting and inex-
tinguishable signal lights for signalling at sea or on lakes and other waters herein
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, whereby the
action of the said signal lights is made intermittent; that is to say, so constructing
and arranging the parts of the said signal lights that water entering the signal
light and by the action of which on calcium phosphide or other phosphide produces
a spontaneously inflammable gas is made to perform a rising and falling motion,

page_text: the said water closing the gas exit tube and temporarily extinguishing the signal
light in its rising motion and unclosing the gas exit tube as it descends thereby
permitting the escape of spontaneously inflammable gas and the production of
a temporary flame substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this Seventeenth day of October 1884.