IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING INTERMITTENT OR FLASHING SIGNAL LIGHTS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bennett Rickman of Pintsch's Patent Lighting
Company Limited of New Broad Street in the City of London for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING INTERMITTENT OR FLASHING
SIGNAL LIGHTS the result partly of a communication made to him from
abroad by Richard Pintsch and Oskar Pintsch both of Berlin in the German
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bennett Rickman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1883.
WILLIAM BENNETT RICKMAN of Pintsch's Patent Lighting Company Limited of
New Broad Street in the City of London "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
PRODUCING INTERMITTENT OR FLASHING SIGNAL LIGHTS" [the result partly of a
communication made to him from abroad by Richard Pintsch and Oskar Pintsch
both of Berlin in the German Empire and partly of an invention made by himself]
This invention relates to signal lights, more particularly those situated on buoys
and lightships, which are supplied with illuminating gas under pressure, and it has
for its object to render such lights intermittent or dashing. For this purpose, the
gas on its way to the burner is caused to pass through a chamber in which the
inflow and outflow of the gas are alternately cut off for a certain time by means of
mechanism actuated by a moveable part of the chamber, which is caused by the
varying pressure to move alternately outwards during the inflow of the gas and
inwards during the outflow thereof. In the arrangement of such apparatus
employed by preference, the inlet and outlet of the chamber are arranged opposite
each other in the same axial line, and between them is a sliding bar having at each
end a disc or valve, so that when the bar is slid in one direction, the one valve
closes the inlet, the outlet remaining open, while the converse takes place when
the bar is slid in the contrary direction. Part of the chamber is formed of a
flexible diaphragm which is moved outward by the gas entering under a certain

page_text: pressure, and is loaded either by a weight or by preference by a spring so as to be
moved inwards when the inlet is closed and the outlet is opened, thereby forcing
the charge of gas to flow under the requisite pressure to the burner. The diaphragm
has at its centre a tubular stem, moving up and down with it over a stem acting
as a guide, fixed to the other part of the chamber. The tubular stem carries
two tappets, between which is situated a lever on a spindle having a tongue
entering a slot in the beforementioned bar carrying the valves. Thus, as the
diaphragm moves outwards, owing to the entrance of gas under pressure into
the chamber, the one tappet bears against the said lever, which turns the spindle
and thereby causes the tongue to throw the bar over, so as to close the inlet and
open the outlet. On the diaphragm now moving inwards, the second tappet moves
the lever and consequently the sliding bar in the opposite direction. The reversing
mechanism is made to work with a tumbling action so as to open and close the
inlet and outlet quickly at the end of each motion of the diaphragmn, for which
purpose the before mentioned spindle has arms that are connected to springs so
arranged as to throw the spindle over quickly when the arms have passed the
central position. Other springs are caused to bear with knife edges on collars on
the sliding bar, so as to hold it sufficiently in each extreme position, to prevent the
valves from being shifted by any jerking motion to which the apparatus may be
subjected. The duration of the intervals between the flashes of the lights is
regulated by varying the rate of inflow of gas into the chamber, which is effected
by throttling the passage more or less by means of a screw plug.
The burner of the lamp may be conveniently arranged immediately over the
above described apparatus, in which case the latter is enclosed by a cover on the
top of which is fixed the burner or burners, and in which is formed a chamber
immediately below the burners, into which the gas is led from the aforesaid
chamber by a pipe, and from which it flows directly to the burners. There may be
several main burners arranged round a small central burner which receives an
independent constant supply of gas from a separate pipe leading into the said
chamber. This small burner effects the relighting of the main burners for each
flush. Above the burners is suspended a coil of platinum wire which becomes
highly heated and serves to relight the flame of the small burner should it become
accidentally extinguished; it at the same time assists in igniting the main
burners.
When it is desired that the main burners should not be extinguished in the
intervals between the flashes, but only reduced in luminosity, the outlet valve is
made so as not to close entirely the passage; or a separate small passage to the
burner is provided. When it is desired that the light should increase or decrease
gradually, either or both of the springs for giving rapid movement to the tappet
lever may be dispensed with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Bennett Rickman in the Patent Office on the 18th April
1884.
WILLIAM BENNETT RICKMAN of Pintsch's Patent Lighting Company Limited of
New Broad Street in the city of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
PRODUCING INTERMITTENT OR FLASHING SIGNAL LIGHTS." The result partly of a
communicatiou made to me from abroad by Richard Pintsch and Oskar Pintsch
both of Berlin in the German Empire and partly of an invention made by myself
This invention relates to signal lights, more particularly those situated on buoys
or lightships which are supplied with illuminating gas under pressure and has for
its object to render such lights intermittent or flashing For this purpose, the gas,
on its way to the burner is caused to pass through a chamber having a moveable
part which, in obedience to the varying pressure in the chamber effects intermittently
a cut-off mechanism which I will explain referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section and fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus and its connections
and tigs 3 and 4 are respectively a plan and section to an enlarged scale of the cut
off mechanism. B is the chamber covered by a flexible diaphragm or membrane C,
and having the gas inlet pipe a and the outlet pipe b arranged with their mouths
opposite to each other. Between these mouths, a rod G, having at its ends discs g g',
is fitted to slide to and fro, the disc g, in one position of G closing the mouth of a,
and the disc g¹ in the other position of G closing the mouth of b. To the diaphragm C
is fixed a tube D which is guided on a square bar K and has on it two tappet
collars c and c'. A lever E, extending between these tappeta has on its pivot
spindle d an arm F that extends into a slot of the rod G. There are on d 'other
arms I to which are attached adjustable springs H. When the apparatus is in the
condition shewn in fig 4, where a is open, gas enters B by a and presses upwards
the membrane C until the lower tappet c¹ raises the lever E a little above its
middle position, whereupon the springs H cause it to complete its upward stroke.
By the movement thus imparted to the arm F, the rod G is moved to the right, so
that g closes a and g¹ opens b, allowing the gas to issue from B. The membrane C
now descends, and, by the upper tappet c acting on E the parts are caused to return
to the condition shewn in fig. 4. In order to prevent movement of the rod G when
the arm is not pushing it in either direction, it is made with recesses between.
collars into which recesses blades i are pressed by springs h. The diaphragm C is
pressed down by a spring O which is accommodated within the cover M. Over
this cover extends the pipe 6 leading to the main burners L, and also a pipe e
which leads a constant supply of gas from the ordinary regulator to a chamber n
Bupplying the central kindling burner Z, which can be screwed up or down to
increase or lessen the kindling flame. When the pipe b is closed intermittently as
already described, the main burners L become extinguished for a time, while the
kindling burner z, still remaining lighted, serves to rekindle the flames of the
burners L when the pipe b is re-opened.
The period during which the light is intermitted is determined by an adjusting
screw which serves to regulate the passage of gas along the supply pipe a. It is
of advantage to place over the kindling burner Z a coil R of platinum wire, which,
being heated by the flame, makes the maintenance and rekindling of the flame
more certain.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, I

page_text: claim in respect of apparatus for producing intermittent or flashing signal lights
supplied with gas under pressure-
First: In combination with the pipe supplying the burners with gas under
regulated pressure, a vessel covered by a flexible diaphragm and containing
mechanism whereby the alternate ascent and descent of the diaphragm are made
to open and close the outlet and inlet passages of the vessel, substantially as herein
described.
Second: In combination with the diaphragm referred to in the preceding claim,
the guided tube D, the tappet collars c c¹, the lever E, the arm F and the rod G
with its closing discs g g', arranged and operating substantially as herein described.
Third: In combination with the main intermittently acting burners L the
central kindling burner having constant gas supply, as and for the purpose
herein set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Bennett Rickman have hereunto set my
hand and seal this thirteenth day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand,
eight hundred and eighty-four