IMPROVEMENTS IN ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES AND OTHER PLACES."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Richardson Wigham, of Capel Street, in the City
and County of Dublin, Ireland, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES AND OTHER PLACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Richardson Wigham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th February 1882.
JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM of Capel Street in the City and County of Dublin,
Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES AND OTHER PLACES."
Hitherto when reflecting apparatus or dioptric apparatus, such as refracting
belts, annular lenses etc., have been used in the illumination of lighthouses or other
places where signal lights are used, the lamps, burners, or sources of illumination
have been placed in the focus or foci of such reflectors, lenticular or dioptric
apparatus as aforesaid and the light from the illuminant has been directed to the
horizon or some point short of it, and in revolving lights the beams of light have
followed each other in a horizontal plane in the direction above described.
My present invention has for its object to direct the beams or rays of light from
lighthouse lamps, burners and apparatus into the sky for the purpose of illuminating
haze, mist, or clouds which may be floating in the atmosphere at a higher level
than the lantern of the lighthouse, or directing similar beams towards the sea at
the base of the lighthouse or upon certain objects in that direction requiring
illumination, this being effected without interfering with the regular exhibition as
heretofore, of the light which may be required to the horizon, so that it may be
possible for a mariner in certain states of the atmosphere when fogs or other
obstructions may prevent his seeing the direct light of the lighthouse to ascertain
its position by the effect of the aforesaid upward beams or rays of light upon the
upper air, or to derive benefit from the downward beam in case of his approach to
the lighthouse.
To effect my object I arrange the lamps, burners, or sources of illumination
inside the lenticular or dioptric apparatus, so that they may be moveable and

page_text: capable of being lowered or raised out of the usual focal plane as may be required.
By this means I throw strong beams of light to the sky and to the sea and I effect
this lowering or raising of the lamp, burner or source of illumination by means of
mechanical contrivances such as are well-known and easily applicable for the
purpose, but I prefer to use water, mercurial or other fluid-joints or stuffing boxes
and telescope chimneys in the case of gas or oil, and clock-work machinery driven
by a weight or a gas-engine for actuating the springs weights or screws by which
the lamps, burners or sources of illumination would be raised or lowered. By
using the above described method of altering the position of the lamps, burners or
sources of illumination I am also enabled to produce intermittent lights and group
flashing lights in almost every variety and with such periods of light and darkness
as may be convenient.

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
16th August 1882.
JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM of Capel Street in the City and County of Dublin
Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ILLUMINATING LIGHTHOUSES AND OTHER PLACES."
Hitherto when reflecting apparatus or dioptric apparatus such as refracting
belts, annular lenses &c. have been used in the illumination of lighthouses or other
places where signal lights are used, the lamps, burners or sources of illumination
have been fixed in the focus or foci of such reflectors, lenticular or dioptric
apparatus as aforesaid, and the light from the illuminant has been directed to the
horizon or some point short of it, and in revolving lights the beams of light have
followed each other in a horizontal plane in the direction above described.
My present Invention has for its object to direct the beams or rays of light from
lighthouse lamps, burners and apparatus into the sky for the purpose of illumi-
nating haze, mist, or clouds which may be floating in the atmosphere at a higher
level than the lantern of the lighthouse, or directing similar beams towards the sea
at the base of the lighthouse or upon certain objects in that direction requiring
illumination this being effected without interfering with the regular exhibition as
heretofore, of the light which may be required to the horizon, so that it may be
possible for a mariner in certain states of the atmosphere when fogs or other
obstructions may prevent his seeing the direct light of the lighthouse, to ascertain
its position by the effect of the aforesaid upward beams or rays of light upon the
upper air or to derive benefit from the downward beam in case of his approach to
the lighthouse.
To effect my object I arrange the lamps, burners, or source of illumination inside
the lenticular or dioptric apparatus, so that they may be moveable and capable of
being lowered or raised out of the usual focal plane as may be required, or if it be
more convenient I raise and lower the lenticular apparatus or portions of it. By
means of this lowering or raising of the lights or apparatus I throw strong beams
of light to the sky or to the sea and I effect this lowering or raising of the lamp,
burner or source of illumination or lenticular apparatus by means of mechanical
contrivances such as are well known and easily applicable for the purpose, but I
prefer to use water, mercurial or other fluid-joints or stuffing boxes or flexible tubes
and telescope chimneys in the case of gas or oil, and clockwork machinery driven
by a weight, or a gas or other motor engine for actuating the springs or weights or
screws by which the lamps, burners or sources of illumination would be raised or
lowered. By using the above described method of altering the position of the
lamps, burners, or sources of illumination or lenticular apparatus I am also enabled
to produce intermittent lights and group flashing lights in almost every variety
and with such periods of light and darkness as may be convenient.
When the lights or dioptric apparatus cannot be conveniently moved, separate
burners available for throwing light on the sky or on the sea may be placed above
or below the ordinary burners, these separate burners being lighted when the
weather is such as to require their use. In this manner existing lights, whether
stationary, revolving occulting or oscillating may be supplemented by the
additional burners required.
The accompanying drawing illustrates one arrangement of apparatus as an
example of how my invention can be carried out in practice to produce a beam
oscillating upwards and downwards. In this case the dioptric glasses or lenses AA
aro stationary, and the set of lamps or burners B is balanced by counterweights

page_text: and arranged to slide up and down within the dioptrics, having at the top a
telescopic chimney C and having, when required, a liquid seal Ď at the bottom.
For the purpose of raising and lowering the light it may have as shewn a screwed
stem E on which a bevil pinion F forms a nut. This pinion is alternately engaged
on opposite sides of it by two bevil segments G G fixed on a shaft H which may
be caused to rotate continuously or intermittently by clockwork K or other con-
venient motor. The pinion F is thus caused to turn in the one direction by one of
the segments G and in the opposite direction by the other segment, causing the
lights alternately to move upwards and downwards, resting during intervals
determined by the spaces between the segments. When gas or oil is employed to
produce the light, the supply pipes may be flexible or telescopic, and when electric
lights are employed parts of the conductors are made flexible to allow for the
movement of the lights.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim in respect of Lighthouse or signal lights:
The herein described method of directing beams of light towards the sky or
obliquely towards the earth or sea by moving the burners or the reflectors or
dioptric lenses relatively to one another, so as to vary the focal direction.
In witness whereof I the said John Richardson Wigham have hereunto set
my hand and scal this Fifteenth day of August in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.