Improvements in or connected with Ships' Rockets, Signal Lights, Roman Candles, and other Fireworks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Ships' Rockets, Signal Lights,
Roman Candles, and other Fireworks.
I, GEORGE PINDER, of Edwinstowe, Newark, Nottinghamshire, Firework
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to ships' rockets, signal lights, Roman candles and
other fireworks which have one portion of the igniting composition, or frictional
parts (usually chlorate of potass and antimony or other ingredient) attached to the
composition of the signal light or rocket and protected by a cap of cardboard,
tinfoil or other material and when the signal light or rocket is required to be lighted
a preparation of amorphous phosphorus is drawn across the igniting composition
the friction causing ignition.
By my invention I entirely remove danger of accidental firing of the ships'
rocket signal light Roman candle or other firework as the two frictional parts of
the igniting composition are entirely separate from the composition in the case and
also from each other.
In carrying out this invention the two frictional parts of the igniting composition
are respectively contained in the two compartments of a small open ended wooden
or other case preferably of cylindrical form which is solid in the centre thus entirely
separating the two frictional parts from each other. Each of the said frictional
parts may be in the form of a wooden plug of a size to fit into the open ends of
the said wooden or other case the said plugs being by preference painted in two
different colours so as to distinguish the one from the other. One of the said plugs
is tipped with the chlorate of potass and antimony or other suitable ingredient
and the other plug is tipped with the amorphous phosphorus or other suitable
substance.
When applied to a rocket the said small case containing the frictional parts is by
preference fastened to the rocket case by the side of the tube for receiving the
stick a small tube in front of the rocket acting as a fuse and lighting point. To
light the rocket the upper plug painted say green is withdrawn from the small case
and pressed firmly into the upper end of the small tube in front of rocket (in the
centre of which is a time fuse to enable a person firing the rocket to get away
before it ignites). The bottom plug (painted say red) is then withdrawn and
drawn across the exposed part of the said green frictional part which at once
ignites and lights the time fuse connected with the composition of the rocket by
quickmatch.
The whole is clothed and made waterproof with varnish paint or other
material.
When applying my invention to a signal light the said small case is fastened to
the side of the handle and a wooden plug is inserted in the fore end of the sigual
light with a hole in the centre to receive one of the said frictional parts or plugs.
To light the signal light the frictional part or plug painted green is first pulled
from one end of the said case and pressed through the paper cap. into the hole in
the said plug; the frictional part or plug painted red is then withdrawn from the

page_text: other end of the said case and drawn across the exposed part of the green frictional
part (as in the case of the rocket) which immediately ignites and communicates
direct with the composition of the signal light.
The said small tube for receiving the frictional parts may be applied in other
different ways as on the side of the case or across the end and used in the way
above described.
The construction and method of lighting above described may be similarly
applied to any firework.
When applying my invention to a signal light which has a wooden handle I may
dispense with the said small wooden case and arrange the frictional parts or plugs
to fit in holes in the handle as for instance one of the frictional parts or plugs may
fit in a hole at the end of the handle and the other in a hole in the shoulder
at the top.
Dated this 21st day of April 1893.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Ships' Rockets, Signal Lights,
Roman Candles, and other Fireworks.
I, GEORGE PINDER, of Edwinstowe, Newark, Nottinghamshire, Firework
Manufacturer, 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 reference to ships' rockets, signal lights, Roman candles and
other fireworks which have one portion of the igniting composition, or frictional
parts (usually chlorate of potass and antimony or other ingredient) attached to the
composition of the signal light or rocket and protected by a cap of cardboard,
tinfoil or other material and when the signal light or rocket is required to be lighted
a preparation of amorphous phosphorus is drawn across the igniting composition
the friction causing ignition.
By my invention I entirely remove danger of accidental firing of the ships'
rocket signal light Roman candle or other firework as the two frictional parts of
the igniting composition are entirely separate from the composition in the case and
also from each other.
On the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a ship's rocket with my inven-
tion applied; Fig. 2 represents the same rocket about to be fired; Fig. 3 shews the
frictional parts of the said rocket and their case on an enlarged scale; Figs. 4 and 5
illustrate my invention applied to a ship's signal light and Fig. 6 shews another
method of applying my invention to a ship's signal light.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures.
In carrying out this invention the two frictional parts of the igniting composition
are respectively contained in the two compartments of a small open ended
wooden or other case C preferably of cylindrical form which is solid in the centre
thus entirely separating the two frictional parts A and B from each other. Each
of the frictional parts A and B may be and by preference is in the form of a wooden
plug as shewn of a size to fit into the open ends of the wooden or other case C the
plugs A and B being by preference painted in two different colours say in green and
red respectively so as to distinguish the one from the other. One of the plugs say
the plug A painted green is tipped with the chlorate of potass and antimony or other
suitable ingredient and the other plug B painted red is tipped with the amorphous
phosphorus or other suitable substance.
When applied to a rocket the small case C containing the frictional parts is by

page_text: preference fastened to the rocket case D (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3) by the side of the
tube E for receiving the stick F a small tube G in front of the rocket acting as a
fuse and lighting point. To light the rocket the upper green plug A is withdrawn
from the small case C and pressed firmly into the upper end of the small tube G
(see Fig. 2) in the centre of which is a time fuse H to enable the person firing the
rocket to get away before it ignites. The bottom red plug B is then withdrawn
and drawn across the exposed part of the frictional part A (see Fig. 2) which at
once ignites and lights the time fuse H connected with the composition of the rocket
by quickmatch.
The whole is clothed and made waterproof with varnish paint or other material.
When applying my invention to a signal light (see Figs. 4 and 5) the small
case C is fastened to the side of the handle I and a wooden or other plug J is
inserted in the fore end of the signal light with a hole in the centre to receive one
of the frictional parts or plugs A B, this plug being covered by thin paper cap K.
To light the signal light the green frictional part or plug A is first pulled out from
one end of the case C and pressed through the paper cap K into the hole in the
plug J as shewn in Fig. 5; the red frictional part or plug B is then withdrawn
from the other end of the case C and drawn across the exposed part of the frictional
part A which immediately ignites and communicates direct with the composition of
the signal light.
The construction and method of lighting above described may be similarly
applied to any firework except very small ones.
When applying my invention to a signal light which has a wooden handle I,
I may dispense with the small wooden case C and arrange the frictional parts or
plugs A B to fit in holes in the handle as for instance (as shewn in Fig. 6) one of the
frictional parts or plugs say that marked A may fit in a hole at the end of the
handle and the other, say that marked B, may fit in a hole in the shoulder at the top.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I am aware
of the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Arthur Brock No. 16672 of 1887
and I do not claim anything described and claimed therein, but what I
claim is :-
1. Making the two portions or frictional parts of the igniting composition of a ship's
rocket signal light Roman candle or other firework in the form of plugs entirely
separate from each other and from the combustible composition of such firework,
the said plugs being arranged to fit in separate chambers connected to or formed in
the handle or case of the firework the said firework having a hole communicating
with the combustible composition into which one of the said frictional parts can be
inserted and held when the firework is being fired substantially as herein before
described and-illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a ship's rocket signal light Roman candle or other firework made with
two separate frictional parts as denoted under Claim 1, the use of the small case C
attached to the firework case or handle made with two separate chambers c¹ c³ for
containing the said frictional parts as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
3. In a ship's rocket and in combination, the small case C fixed to the rocket case
and made with the two end chambers c¹³, the frictional parts A B fitting in the
said chambers and the tube G acting as fuse and lighting point and adapted to
hold the frictional part A while the frictional part B is drawn across the same when
firing the rocket, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of June 1893.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.