Improvements in Electric Hand Signalling Lamps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Hand Signalling Lamps.
THOMAS WILLIAM WATSON & ARTHUR HENRY WATSON Electricians 4 Pall
Mall London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An electric hand signalling lamp or lantern containing a small secondary battery
(or primary if desired) so arranged with contacts as to flash out at will white or
coloured light for signalling purposes and for transmitting messages at night by the
sequence of the flashes utilizing for the purpose the Morse alphabet or other
code.
.
D: 20th day of July 1889
THOMAS WILLIAM WATSON.
ARTHUR HENRY WATSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Hand Signalling Lamps.
We, THOMAS WILLIAM WATSON and ARTHUR HENRY WATSON of 4 Pall Mall
London, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The invention has for its object an electric hand signalling lamp or lantern con-
taining a small secondary battery (or primary battery if desired) so arranged with
contacts as to be capable of flashing out at the will of the operator either white or
colored lights for signalling purposes and for transmitting messages at night by the
sequence of the flashes utilizing for the purpose the Morse alphabet or other suitable
code.
In carrying our invention into effect we employ an electric battery either a
primary one of any convenient and suitable description or preferably a secondary
battery such for instance as that used for portable lights or those called Miners
Lamps.
This battery is suitably fitted within or attached to the body of the signalling lamp
and we arrange on one or more faces of it one, two, three or more incandescent
lamps of different color, these lamps being in connection with an equivalent number
of switches operated by a series of press buttons or knobs placed in such a position on
another face of the signalling lamp as to be readily fingered by one hand of the
operator while the lamp is held or directed by the other.
These press buttons or knobs are of such a character as to hold the switches so as
to allow the electric current to pass from the battery to the incandescent lamp or
lamps only so long as they are pressed, it follows that the periods of light can be
varied so as to be equivalent to, or in imitation of the dot, dash, long dash &c.
(.,
-) signs used in the Morse alphabet code, and the signs can be operated
on either incandescent lamp separately, or in any combination of them as may suit
the purposes of the operators.
'
It is also proposed where smallness of space is a consideration to use one incan-
descent lamp only, but to have a frame or frames carrying red, green or other
colored glasses to oscillate in front of this lamp, which frame or frames would be
moved from one position to another either by means of the electric current from the
battery controlled by one or more press buttons in a manner similar to that of the
incandescent lamp or lamps or by leverage or other mechanical means as will be
readily understood.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :
1. A portable electric signalling lamp comprising a primary or secondary battery,
one or more incandescent lamps and an equivalent number of press buttons or
knobs and switches substantially as herein described and for the purpose stated.
2. A portable electric signalling lamp such as that referred to in the first claim in
combination with various colored glasses capable of movement in front of the incan-
descent lamp or lamps and operated either electrically or otherwise substantially as
herein described and for the purpose stated.
"
THOMAS WILLIAM WATSON.
ARTHUR HENRY WATSON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.