Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Flashing Lights for Photographic, Scenic, Signal, and other Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan.,, 1888
Complete Specification Left. 8th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th Nov., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Flashing Lights for
Photographic, Scenic, Signal, and other Purposes.
We FREDERIC WILLIAM HART of 8 & 9 Kingsland Green in the county of
Middlesex Manufacturer of Scientific Apparatus and WILLIAM BISHOP Gentleman of
52 Lady Margaret Road N.W. London in the county of Middlesex do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING
FLASHING LIGHTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC SCENIC SIGNAL & OTHER PURPOSES in which
Magnesium Lycopdium and other highly combustible powders are employed singly or
in combination for white or coloured flashes:-
The special apparatus consists of a glass or metallic chamber which can be rendered
airtight by a stopper, screw or clamped cover through which there are two or more
inlets to the chamber for the purpose hereinafter discribed. In the chamber there is
placed or fitted a thimble or cone shaped vessel made of glass or metal plain or
graduated to contain the powder intended to produce the flash of light; through a
central opening in the stopper or cover of the outer chamber a tube passes to near the
bottom of the thimbled shaped powder container, the upper portion of this tube is bent
to an easy curve so that its orifice can be directed towards a flame of burning spirit or
gas. Near this central tube we put one or more socket openings for the purpose of
dischargeing powders direct into the said powder container; into the socket or socketts
are fitted reservoirs plain or graduated with taps or plugs in the necks so that on
turning or lifting by hand or automatic machinery a regulated quantity of the material
can be discharged into the thimble shaped container a further inlet tube is provided
for conveying air or oxygen under pressure such tube to have its orifice below the
mouth of the container and also provided with an inlet valve to prevent any return of
air or dust.
The simplest method of produceing air pressure for ejecting the powder through the
flame is by the oath, through a prolongation of the tube; an india rubber ball;

page_text: piston, reservoir of air or oxygen or other well known means of produceing a blast of
air under pressure can he employed.
We are well aware that the principle of produceing a flash of light by blowing powder
through a flame is old and well known but what we claim to be new is the combination
of an air chamber container and external reservoir substantially as herein discribed
and for the purpose set forth and discribed in this specification.
Dated this 9th day of January 1888.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Flashing Lights for
Photographic, Scenic, Signal, and other Purposes.
We FREDERIC WILLIAM HART, of 8 & 9 Kingsland Green London in the county
of Middlesex Manufacturer of Scientific Apparatus and WILLIAM BISHOP Gentleman
of 52 Lady Margaret Road N.W. London in the county of Middlesex do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FLASHING
LIGHTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC, SCENIC AND SIGNAL PURPOSES in which Magnesiumi,
Lycopodium and other highly combustible powders are employed singly or in
combination for white or coloured flashes and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained, in and by the following
statement:-
The apparatus in its simplest form consists of a combination of parts as follows.
Where A Fig. 1. is an air chamber of metal or glass which can be made airtight under
moderate pressure of from 5 to 8 lbs. per square inch by a stopper cover D screwed
or clamped down airtight, in this cover we make three openings, a, b, & c;-a is the
discharge tube bent to an easy curve above the cover, the lower end is continued to
the bottom or near the bottom of a thimble shaped powder container Fig. 2; either
externally or internally, as shewn in Figs. 2 & 3 the top of the container being open to
the chamber A Fig. 2. If it is desired these parts can be made in glass with the
container graduated so as to see the quantity of material therein.-, is an inlet
surmounted by a funnel e, in the neck of which is a plug and spiked stopper as shewn ;
where the air chamber and container is made in metal we use a small spoon to measure
out the powder or an ordinary powder flask with a nozzle tube of suitable size to
measure the quantity of powder desired, the powder being tipped into the funnel the
spiked stopper plug lifted and the powder allowed to fall into the container then the
stopper plug is firmly replaced.

page_text: The tube is for conveying compressed air to the chamber A, and is outside the
container so that the pressure acts uniformly on the surface of the powder in the
container, to the outer end of c, is affixed by screw or otherwise a double valve
piece g, when india rubber balls as h, or injection bottles are employed for compressing
air for the discharge of the powder. The valves may be employed as in spray bellows
but we have found the seperate fitting most effectual one valve allows the compressed
air to pass
to the air chamber and the other valve allows the ball or bottle to be
replenished externally with air or gas and thus all danger of inflamable or explosive
mixtures of gases is prevented gaining access by drawback from the flame to the
interior of the air chamber; by attaching a tube from an oxygen reservoir to the inlet
valve that gas can be employed instead of cominon air. B, is a spirit lamp of
rectangular or other shaped body with vent tube v, it has two or more double wick
holders 10, w, in line with the discharge tube a, the wick tubes are placed at right angles
to the line of discharge and such a distance apart that when the wicks are protruding
about half an inch and the spirit burning the envelopes of the flames shall just touch
forming one broad flame without uncombined gas; it is here that we obtain the
maximum of temperature without uncombined hydrogen or hydrocarbon and thus the
full effect of the surrounding or ejected oxygen is utilized for the production of intense
ignition when the powder is discharged through this part of the flame. Prior to our
improvements in light flashing apparatus the powder was blown through the body of a
flame over the wicks or through an ordinary gas flame under such circumstances the
powder is necessarily mixed with uncombined vapour very greedy of oxygen and thus
detracting from its union with the light giving flashing powder.-We desire it to be
particularly understood that our arrangement of the igniting flame applies to gas as
well as spirit flames. Having described the simplest form for purposes of explaining
the general principle of construction we proceed to shew by Fig. 3, the method of
discharging regulated quantities of powder by the chambered plug tap with one
opening in it, so that in this case a half turn of the plug by hand or other means the
contents of the chamber is discharged into the container d, below at the same time
closing the funnel or hopper reservoir. We now shew our method of combining the
Flash Lamps for simultaneous flashing either as a close or distributed battery of
flashes see Fig. 4. where y, is the double valve piece attached to an air or gas chamber (
and by the lateral opening with the compression ball h, or other well known means of
compressing air or gas according to power needed. At a, we have the main discharge
tube and at K, our distributor with bafile disk and gauze k, and outlets a' a' a' a' from
which metallic or flexible tubes proceed to the various Lamps, between the reservoir Ü
of air or gas and our multiple distributor K, there is a pinchcock or Stop tap P, to
retain the air or gas till the time of flashing; when 10 to 20 or more lamps are to be
flashed simultaneously we employ a metallic pump to compress the air in the
reservoir C, attaching our distributor K to the tap P, Fig. 5.
The pressure and volume is of course adjusted to number of Lamps and resistance
for which purpose a gauge is employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is.
1st. In ¡Flashing Lamps the combination of a seperate container for a definate
quantity of flashing material with an air chamber and external reservoir or appliance
for supplying compressed air or gas to air chamber to discharge the Flashing material
from container.
2nd. The combination of a plugged or stoppered funnel or hopper with a powder
receptacle for flashing material to be ejected by compressed air or gas.
3rd. The combination of a hopper and chambered tap-plug with a powder receptacle
for flashing material to be ejected by compressed air or gas.
4th. The double wick holder for liquid fuel or double gas burners for producing
a combined flame for igniting the flashing material for the purposes as herein
described.

page_text: 5th. In Flashing Lamps the combination of the double valves with the air compressing
apparatus for the purpose herein described.
54
6th. In Flashing Lamps the combination of the multiple distributor with air or
gas under pressure for producing two or more simultaneous flashes of Light.
7th. In Flashing Lamps the combination of the double wick holders or double gas
flames, plugged or stoppered funnel or hopper and chambered tap, air chamber, seperate
container, double valves and distributor for the purposes and as described with
reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.
Dain th: oil
1000
FREDERIC WILLIAM HART.
WM. BISHOP.