Improvements connected with Marine Signalling and in Lamps or Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Marine Signalling and in Lamps or
Apparatus therefor.
I, JOSEPH WALL, of 13, Claremont Road, Seaforth, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
A lantern having an upper and a lower casing with a globe or all round lens
between.
An apparatus consisting mainly, of a lamp with two or more vertical guides, on
which slide, up and down, an opaque screen, made in two sections; the screen to
surround the light of the lamp, and act also as a reflector.
The screen controlled and operated at the top of the lantern. When the apparatus
is placed in the lantern, the light of the lamp will be exposed through a portion of
the lens of the lantern and eclipsed, by raising and lowering one section of the screen,
or the light of the lamp will be exposed through the whole of the lens of the lantern
and eclipsed, by raising and lowering the two sections of the screen together.
The combination of lantern and apparatus is for the purpose of signalling by
flashes of light in certain desired directions, or in all directions simultaneously.
Also as a towing and stern or after light of tow boats. The masthead, or anchor
light of vessels, pilot, fishing boats &c. The character of the lamp changed for
different uses by means of the screen, which will be controlled by a cord or wire
when the lantern is elevated beyond reach of the hand.
Any known medium used for lighting purposes.
When oils such as colza or lard is used, the oil will be replenished as consumed,
by way of the vertical guides, from above the plane of the light. This will also
prevent those oils from freezing in extreme cold weather.
Any known code can be used for signalling.
DLL
1904
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Marine Signalling and in Lamps or
Apparatus therefor.
I, JOSEPH WALL, of 13, Claremont Road, Seaforth, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Master Mariner, 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 relates to marine signalling and to a signal-lantern adapted for
hand signalling and also for convenient operation when hoisted beyond the reach of
the hand, the signals in either case being made by a succession of flashes of varying
length and at intervals of varying duration according to any suitable system. The
lantern is also adapted for use as a towing, and stern or after light of tow boats,
also a masthead, or anchor light of vessels and as a light for pilot and fishing
boats.
A lamp or lantern according to this invention, comprises certain hereinafter
specified features of construction, whereby the light can be focussed in any desired
direction, or flashed simultaneously to all parts of the horizon; means of giving
access to the interior of the lantern and for adjusting the wick without requiring

page_text: the use of a door; the arrangement of the operating mechanism of the lantern;
and means for improving and simplifying the construction and operation of the
lantern as hereinafter set forth.
The lantern has an upper and a lower casing with a cylindrical or all round lens
between, and contains an apparatus consisting mainly of a lamp, vertical guides on
which slides, up and down, an opaque screen made in two sections, said screen being
made to surround the light of the lamp and to act as a reflector, means of operating
the screen from the top of the lantern, means for regulating or controlling the wick
of the lamp, and means of feeding oil to the lamp and preventing the oil from
freezing.
When the apparatus is placed in the lantern casing, the light of the lamp is
exposed through the lens (either partially or wholly, namely, in one direction, or all
round) by raising and lowering one section of the screen, or the whole screen as the
case may be. Thus, the signalling can be effected by flashes of light in one desired
direction, or in all directions simultaneously. The lamp can be used as a towing or
like light, by keeping one portion of the screen in a raised position.
In the annexed drawings which illustrate my invention,
Figure 1 is an outside elevation of a lantern comprising the improvements according
to this invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the lantern shewing the interior arrange-
ments.
Figure 3 is a plan of the lamp screen.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the oil feeding device.
Figure 5 is an elevation shewing a modification of.device for working the screen
by hand.
Figure 6 illustrates certain symbols which may be used to correspond with the
lantern flashes for day use.
With reference to the drawings a designates the lens of the lantern. This is, by
preference, a plain glass cylinder, with a prism a' at the top and bottom, the lens a
is held between an upper casing and a lower casing connected by outside stays b².
c is an inner casing made of size to pass through the lens a. This casing d is con-
nected by vertical stays d to a cover e which is made to fit on the top of the
casing and carries the chimney e'. The cover e is provided with hinged clamps
to secure it to the casing . The clamps hinge over staples, on the casing b, and
are secured by pins or other suitable means.
his the
g designates the oil vessel of the lamp, it is carried in the casing c.
burner, which is of tubular form, having a tubular wick placed over a central air
supply tube and raised and lowered by a pin, running in a spiral groove in said
tube, and actuated by turning the flange 2 of the burner in the manner known in
connection with this type of burner.
i designates the screen for eclipsing and exposing the light. This screen is made
in two parts, one part running in grooves i formed in the other part. The screeni
is provided with rings or sleeves which run on the stays d which serve as guides
for the screen, and may also serve as air tubes for supplying cool air to the upper
portion of the lantern, as shewn at d².
The screen is worked, that is, raised and lowered, by means of the rods j', one
rod being connected to each section of the screen. These rods pass up through
the cover and through the handle of the lantern, their upper ends being
provided with bosses by means of which the parts or sections of the screen may
be worked independently. is a horizontal rod which is passed through the
bosses of the rods to connect them, when it is desired to work the whole
screen, namely, both sections at the same time. is an eye for attaching a line
for working the screen, is a stop, and jo is a spring for bringing back the rod
its normal position. The rods are protected by tubes fitted between the
handle and the cover e. Chains or cords may if desired, be substituted for the
rods or for portions of the rods jj. The handle is a horizontal tube or bar
to

page_text: connected by vertical stays to the cover e, rings or eyes
a yoke for suspending the lamp.
being provided for attaching
By means of the handle k the whole interior
apparatus can be lifted out of the lens a and casings bb'.
When oil such as colza or lard oil is used, provide a vertical oil feeder or
vessel m (see Figure 4), for replenishing the oil in the lamp. This vessel m is
fitted under the cover e, its upper portion having a feeding mouth m¹ in the cover,
and its lower portion being connected to the oil vessel g of the lamp by a tube m²,
passing through a stuffing box m³ into the vessel 9. Within the oil feeder
vessel m I provide a rod n, the lower end of which acts as a valve and has its
seat at n' on the top of the tube m² and the upper end passes through the feeding
mouth m being screwed therein, a groove being provided in the mouth piece m' for
the passage of air and a head being provided on the rod n for turning the same, by
which action the amount of opening at the top of the tube m² can be adjusted and
the amount of feed of oil regulated. m is a cap provided to cover and protect the
mouth m. By this arrangement the oil vessel g of the lamp is always kept fully
supplied with oil, and the position of the oil feeder keeps the oil from freezing. At
the lower portion of the tube m² I provide a lever having a pin p' which takes
into a slot or hole in the flange 2 of the burner . By turning the tube m², by
means of the vessel m and mouth piece m', the lever p will turn the flange 2 and
thereby the wick of the lamp, which can thus be adjusted from the outside of the
lantern.
The lower portion of the lantern casing is provided with holes for supplying
air to the burner, and the casing e is also perforated for the same purpose.
The casing c rests on a flange round the bottom of the casing ', being held by
lugs, and the oil vessel is held in the casing c by engaging segmental
flanges c¹.
For working the lamp screen by hand, and to reduce the necessary hand move-
ment, a lazy tongs device, such as shewn in Figure 5, or any other suitable
arrangement of levers, or their equivalent, may be employed.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the interior apparatus of the
lantern can be removed from the outer casings and lens for removing the lamp and
other purposes; also that the screen can be worked in sections or as a whole. The
inside surface of the screen e is covered with quicksilver, or its equivalent, so as to
act as a reflector which acts when the screen is worked in sections.
When using the lantern, signals by flashes of light can be made in one direction
by raising and lowering one half or section of the screen by means of its rod and
knob or flashes of light can be given in an all round direction by raising and
lowering the whole screen i by the rod 3 and rods jj together, and signals can be
flashed to all points simultaneously. When the lantern is hoisted in a ship's
rigging, the screen is worked by a line rove through a sheave and led to the
When the lantern is held in the hand of the user the screen is worked by
deck.
hand.
A bell or gong may be provided on the guard e² and worked by the rod to give
audible notice each time the screen is worked and a full flash has been given and
the time between the flashes.
The lantern is mainly to be used for signalling at night by flash signals, any
suitable code being used, and the code, which may be any known code, may be
illustrated on the guard on the chimney e; for example, the code may be that
set forth in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me No. 8574", the
signals being given by long and short flashes of light.
In addition to its use for signalling, the lantern may be used for exhibiting an
ordinary fixed light, such as a tow light, or an anchor light. In the former case
one section of the screen is held up by a line while a vessel is in tow, and can be
eclipsed from the deck without lowering the lantern when the vessel is cast off, and
at the same time the lantern is always in position ready to flash signals if required,
for example, when used as a pilot's or fishing boat's masthead light.

page_text: The symbols illustrated in Figure 6 are merely given to shew that for day use
they are equivalent to the lantern flashes, namely, the small ball corresponds with
a short flash and the large ball with a long flash.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: ;--
1. In a lantern for signalling, the combination of an outer casing having a lens,
an inner casing having a lamp, an opaque divided screen surrounding the lamp
chimney, and screen operating rods located in the lantern casing for raising and
lowering one section, or the whole of said screen to expose and conceal the light;
substantially as described.
2. In a lantern for signalling, the combination of an outer casing having a lens,
an inner casing having a lamp, a cover which fits the outer casing connected to the
inner casing by stays, or air tubes, said cover being provided with a handle whereby
the cover, the inner casing, and the lamp, can be withdrawn from the outer casing:
substantially as described.
3. In a lantern of the type herein described, the gear or device for operating the
screen thereof, such gear or device being connected to the screen and led through
the handle of the lantern; substantially as set forth.
4. In a lantern of the type herein described, the combination of a lamp oil feeding
vessel and means for regulating the feed of oil substantially as described.
5. In a lantern of the type herein described, a screen for exposing and obscuring
the light thereof, adapted to work in sections or as a whole, and whereby the light
can be focussed in one direction, or all round the horizon; substantially as set
forth.
6. The lamp wick adjusting device, consisting of the oil feeding tube m², or its
equivalent, lever p, and pin p', all arranged and operating as and for the purpose
set forth.
7. In a lantern of the type herein set forth, the means set forth with reference to
Figure 5 for raising and lowering the screen, and exposing and obscuring the light
substantially as described.
8. The particular arrangement, combination, and construction of parts of the
lantern as a whole, as set forth with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 13th day of March 1891.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.