Improvements in connection with Ships' Binnacle, Side, and Indicator Lamps.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Ships' Binnacle, Side, and
Indicator Lamps.
We, THOMAS WILLIAM WATSON and ARTHUR HENRY WATSON both of
4 Pall Mall London S.W. Electrical Engineers do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:
Improvements in connection with ships binnacle side & indicator lamps whereby
they will light in combination with a suitably constructed secondary battery and
charging apparatus from the ships electric lighting plant in such manner that
should the said plant stop from any cause they will continue to light independently
of same & of each other without interruption of the illumination. The lanips
having their own reserve of electricity to continue the light for a given time.
The arrangement being substantially as follows an electro magnet is placed in
the circuit in series with an incandescent lamp & secondary battery, on a current
of electricity passing the electro magnet becomes excited, attracts or draws up
the armature and makes a contact, which contact allows the current to pass
through the charging arrangement and secondary battery and also closes the
circuit & automatically causes the incandescent lamp to light. Should the
lighting plant stop the electro magnet ceases to be excited and allows the armature
to fall away and breaks the main circuit the falling away of the armature being
accelerated by means of a spring in falling this armature makes a second contact
which closes the independent circuit from the secondary battery and automatically
causes the incandescent lamp of same to light from the reserve of electricity
contained in the battery.
The charging arrangement consists of the electro magnet above described in
conjunction with a resistance of German silver carbon or other suitable material
constructed so as to allow the required amount of electricity to pass into the
secondary battery and be automatically stopped as described above.
Dated this 24th day of June 1890
THOS. W. WATSON.
ARTHUR H. WATSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Ships' Binnacle, Side, and
Indicator Lamps.
THOMAS WILLIAM WATSON ARTHUR HENRY WATSON Electrical Engineers
both of 4 Pall Mall London do hereby declare the nature of this invention
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 improvements in connection with the use of.
incandescent electric lamps in the red & green lanterns commonly called side lights
used on ships also the mast head, binnacle, indicator and other lights used in
connection with the working & navigation of ships.
These lights owing to their exposure to the elements are liable to frequent
derangement & at the same time it is essential for the safe navigation of the ships
that the lights shall be constant for the purpose of attaining this end we arrange
either inside each of these lanterns or lights or in some other convenient position a
secondary battery & in each of the said lanterns or lights we arrange incandescent
lamps in duplicate. One of these incandescent lamps is connected to the main
supply of electricity on the ship, and the other is connected to the secondary battery

page_text: previously referred to: It thus follows that one incandescent lamp will be caused
to light by the electricity from the dynamo or main supply and the other be caused
to light by the electricity from the secondary battery cach free and independent
from the other, but, at a convenient position we leave a small break in the circuit
of the secondary battery & lamp so that it does not continue to light, & at the
same position on the main circuit we place an electro magnet with an oscillating
armature. While the current of the main supply of electricity is passing through
the electro magnet the armature will be attracted & held forcibly in contact with
the magnet, but on the current stopping from any cause the armature will fall away
from it & be free to move in any direction, to guide this movement we place a
small spring acting in one direction which has the effect of moving the armature
until it is stopped by contact with the break in the circuit of the secondary battery
previously mentioned this break it closes or bridges over by the contact of its own
metallic substance whereupon the circuit being completed, the lamp of secondary
battery lights. On the current of electricity being restored from the main supply
the electro magnet develops its energy and attracts the armature to itself again
whereupon the incandescent lamp of the main supply lights, and the circuit of the
secondary battery being broken by the return of the armature to the main circuit
its lamp ceases to give light and remains thus until the process is repeated on another
occasion.
The secondary battery for recharging purposes may be arranged in series with
the incandescent lamp of the main supply & the electro magnet and so always kept
fully charged ready for use or may be recharged intermittently as required by using
a suitable resistance of German silver or other material.
In some cases we use 4 or more incandescent lamps instead of 2 as previously
described for the purposes of greater security against accidental breakage.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
CLAIMS.
1--The placing of two or more incandescent lamps inside the said ships side
lights, binnacles &c. in the manner described so that the breaking or failure of one
will cause the other to light.
2-The arranging of a secondary battery & incandescent lamp in connection with
the main supply of electricity in the manner described so that the failure of the
main supply will cause the incandescent lamp of the secondary battery to light from
the electricity contained therein.
3-The arrangement in the main circuit of electricity of an electro magnet &
armature as described so that on the stoppage of the current of electricity through
the magnet its armature will automatically take up such another position as will
complete the circuit of the secondary battery & its incandescent lamp.
4 The placing inside each side light, binnacle &c. an incandescent lamp supplied
independently from a secondary battery or other source of supply of electricity
but not lighting until some failure connected with the main supply brings it into
operation.
Dated this 25th day March 1801
THOS. WM. WATSON.
ARTHUR HENRY WATSON.