IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF FIREWORKS FOR SIGNALS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Talbot Pitman, of the American & European
Patent Offices, No. 67, Gracechurch Street, London, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF FIREWORKS FOR
SIGNALS."
3."-A communication from abroad by Martha J. Coston, of the
City of Washington, D. C., in the United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Talbot Pitman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th April 1859.
I, JOHN TALBOT PITMAN, of the American & European Patent Offices,.
No. 67, Gracechurch Street, London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF FIREWORKS
FOR SIGNALS," a communication from abroad by Martha J. Coston, of the City
of Washington, D. C., in the United States of America, to be as follows:-
I make several pyrotechnic preparations, each giving when in combustion
a different colored flame or fire from the others; these are placed in cases
made by layers of thin paper and tin foil, painted or varnished on the outside;
the last of these projects beyond the paper, so as to form when turned inwards
a waterproof covering to the top of the case. So much of the upper portion
of the case as is destined for the pyrotechnic materials is divided into trans-
verso sections as many as there are colored fires to be used, by interposing a
thin disk of paper, tin foil, or other suitable material between the different

page_text: preparations. Through an orifice in the disk a quick match is inserted to
form a connection between the adjacent combustibles; and through the top-
most disk projects another, which is protected by the tin foil above mentioned.
The remaining portion of the case is filled with some non-combustible substance,
and has a socket on the end to fit on to a holder when the signal is to be made.
In filling the case it is placed in a strong socket, having a short mandril at the
bottom, and subjected to the necessary pressure of the follower or rammer.
The cases are all of the same length.
I propose, but do not limit myself thereby, to employ generally fires colored
white, red, and green, because these can be seen more distinctly under all
circumstances especially in signalizing by night. And by using these singly,
alternately, or in various combinations, a variety of nautical and other
signals can be made, as will be more particularly described in the Final
Specification.
By constructing the cases of the above-mentioned materials, the thin paper
in burning will not obscure the true color of the pyrotechnic flame, while the
tin foil will melt down out of the way as rapidly as the contents are reduced
by combustion. And when the firo is conimunicated from the upper to a
lower section, the combustion in the last will throw off the superincumbent
disk and everything upon it, and thus exhibit a clear, distinct, and palpable
transition from one color to' another.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Talbot Pitman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TALBOT PITMAN, of the American and European Patent Offices, No. 67,
Gracechurch Street, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the
year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Talbot Pitman, Her special licence that I, the said John
Talbot Pitman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Talbot Pitman, or 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

page_text: maké, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF FIREWORKS FOR SIGNALS," a com-
munication from abroad by Martha J. Coston, of the City of Washington, D. C.,
in the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that 1,
the said John Talbot Pitman, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Talbot Pitman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying sigual chart, which forms
a part of this Specification.
The upper series of Drawings on the signal chart embraced by the
bracket A represent the external appearance of the different cases which
contain the pyrotechnic materials for producing the respective fires which
indicate the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, and also the cases which aro
designated by the letters P and A. The series of figures embraced by the
bracket B are sectional representations of the above-mentioned cases, which
sections are colored in such a manner as to represent the proportions of
combustible and non-combustible materials in each of said cases, and also the
particular color of the fire which will be produced by the combustion of each
layer of pyrotechnic composition in each of the cases.
The Drawing C is a representation of a suitable form of a holder for the
'above-mentioned cases at the time the fire is applied to them; the aforesaid
signal cases are of such a length that three different layers w, 1, 9, of
pyrotechnic composition, and a bottom layer f of some non-combustible com-
position can be compressed into each one of them; and then leave an open
socket in the bottom of the same. The signal cases are composed of combined
layers of thin paper and tinfoil, the tinfoil portion of each case projecting a
sufficient distance above the paper portion of the same to form, when bent
inwards, a waterproof covering to the top of said ease. A thin, disk (c) of
paper, or of some other suitable material, which has a short strip (d) of quick
match inserted in an aperture therein, is placed between the respective layers
of pyrotechnic composition in each signal case that is charged with two or
three layers of said composition; and over the layer of pyrotechnic composition

page_text: in the upper end of each and all of the said cases, a disk is placed which has
a quick match (e) passing up through an aperture therein, that is protected by
the above-mentioned upwardly projecting tinfoil portion of each case. A
strong protecting socket of suitable size, which has a short mandril at the
bottom of the same, should receive each signal case during the operation of
charging the same beneath a follower which must be operated by means
of powerful leverage. The paper portions of the aforesaid signal cases should
be protected against the action of moisture by the application thereto of paint
or varnish. The socket at the bottom of each signal case enables it to be
easily placed upon the holder C, by which the said case can be held in any
desired position at the time of firing the contents of the same. The signal
cases being composed of thin paper and tinfoil, no one of said cases contains
a sufficient quantity of paper to produce any perceptible discoloration of the
atmosphere about the same while the said case and its contents are being
consumed. The tinfoil portion of said signal cases will melt down out of the
way as rapidly as the contents of said cases are reduced by combustion. In
making use of these signal cases the case to be fired should be first placed
upon a suitable holder, and then after removing the covering from the quick
match e of said case, the lighted match rope may be applied thereto at the
proper moment. The instant that the fire reaches the pyrotechnic composition
in a case, the combustion of said composition will throw off the disk and tin-
foil covering from the same, and allow it to burn freely. In those cases which
are charged with two and with three separated layers of composition the fire
will communicate from an upper to a lower layer thereof by means of the
match (d), which descends through the separating disk (c), and the instant
that the said lower stratum of composition is fired, the aforesaid disk (c) and
everything above it will be thrown off, thereby producing a clear, distinct,
and palpable transition from the fire produced by an upper stratum of
composition in a case to that which succeeds it, and so on to the fire produced
by the last stratum of composition in a case.
Having satisfied myself by repeated experiments that red, white, and green
fires can be more distinctly seen in hazy weather, and also at long distances
in clear weather, than any other colors that can be produced from pyrotechnic
compositions, those colors have been adopted in the aforesaid system of night
signalizing. But the Inventor does not intend to limit herself to the use of
these particular colors in carrying out her system of communicating signals
at night.
:
The pyrotechnic materials are arranged in the several signal cases in such
a manner that the first color of a sigual fire will direct the attention of the

page_text: observer to a particular portion of the signal chart for the signification of said
fire, either by itself, or when taken in connection with the fire or fires which
may instantly succeed the same.
The first numerals 1, 2, 3, are expressed as follows, viz.:-No. 1 by a single
white fire; No. 2 by a white fire shifting to a red fire; No: 8 by a white fire
shifting to a green fire. The three succeeding numerals 4, 5, 6, are expressed
in the following manner, viz.:-No. 4 by a single red fire; No. 5 by a red
fire shifting to a white fire; No. 6 by a red fire shifting to a green fire. The
three succeeding numerals 7, 8, 9, are expressed as follows, viz. :-No. 7 by a
single green fire; No. 8 by a green fire shifting to a white fire; No. 9 by a
green fire shifting to a red fire. The character 0 is expressed by a white fire
shifting first to a red fire and then to a green fire.
A white fire shifting first to a red fire and then again to a white fire, produced
by burning the case which is marked P, indicates that the vessel, or person
exbibiting said signal, desires to communicate by means of the aforesaid signals,
with some other vessel or person; and a red fire shifting first to a white fire
and then again to a red fire, produced by burning the case marked A, is the
answer to the aforesaid signal, expressing a readiness to answer signal by signal.
The features of novelty in the aforesaid Invention, which it is desired to
secure by Letters Patent, are the following, viz.,―
First, the signalizing of any numeral, combination of numerals, or any
character or combination of characters by a methodical exhibition of different
pyrotechnic fires, substantially like that which is herein represented and
described.
Second, enclosing the necessary charges of pyrotechnic composition for
producing signal fires within cases, whose sides are composed of thin paper and
tin foil, substantially as herein set forth.
Third, separating the respective layers of composition in the signal cases by
means of thin partitions, substantially as herein set forth.
Fourth, charging the signal cases with such proportions of combustible and
non-combustible materials as will enable the cases to be all made of the same
length, and also to allow a socket to be formed in the lower end of each of
said cases, substantially as herein set forth.
Fifth, so proportioning the paper and tin foil portions of the signal cases
that a sufficient portion of the tin foil will project above the stiff sides of cach
of said cases, to form, when bent inwards, a metallic covering for the top of
the same, substantially as herein set forth.
Sixth, the particular arrangement of the materials in the signal cascs for

page_text: producing the alternations of the different signal fires, substantially as herein
et forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Talbot Pitman, have hereunto sot
my band and seal, on this Seventh day of October, A.D. One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-nine.