IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS FOR SIGNALLING AND TELEGRAPHING AT SEA AND ON RAILWAYS, LIGHTING
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harrison Doty, of Bury Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAMPS
FOR SIGNALLING AND TELEGRAPHING AT SEA AND ON RAILWAYS, LIGHTING
Sealed the 8th January 1869, and dated the 9th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harrison Doty
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th July 1868.
I, HENRY HARRISON DOTY, of Bury Street, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LAMPS FOR SIGNALLING AND TELEGRAPHING AT SEA AND ON RAILWAYS,
LIGHTING SHIPS, DOCKS, RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to lamps for signalling and telegraphing, and
for lighting up ships, railway carriages, and for other similar purposes.
This lamp consists of a hollow vessel containing petroleum or other
hydrocarbon oil supported on a suitable stand, and having an aperture
through its centre for the admission of air to the flame. A tube having

page_text: a nozzle at its upper end passes up through the said aperture, and is in
connection with an air pump worked by manual or other motive power
(so long as it is intended to keep the lamp alight), by which means a
current of air is forced through the nozzle at the end of the air tube.
Close to the orifice of the said nozzle and at right angles thereto is
another nozzle fixed on a pipe in communication with the petroleum or
other hydrocarbon oil. The draught caused by the force of the current
of air creates a vacuum in the said pipe, thereby drawing the petroleum
or other hydrocarbon oil up the pipe and ejecting it from the nozzle in
the form of spray, which is ignited by the flame of an oil lamp placed in
or on the oil vessel, the said flame burning close to an aperture opposite
the nozzle through which the spray is ejected. The petroleum or other
hydrocarbon oil is fed to the oil vessel through an opening, closed when
not in use by a screwed cap or other contrivance. A covering of wire
gauze or other suitable material is placed over the flame to prevent its
being extinguished. Beneath the oil vessel is a pan for catching particles
of spray that have not been ignited, the said pan being emptied when
required by a cock affixed thereto. Resting on a bracket placed
around the oil vessel is a hexagon or other shaped glass lantern having
strengthening ribs up its sides and supplied with a metal or other
covering, having an opening at the top for the escape of the heat.
reflector of any suitable material is placed over three sides of the
hexagon or about one-half of the glass lantern, so that on turning
the said lantern quickly towards any object on land or sea sharp
brilliant flashes are perceived, and on turning it slowly more prolonged
flashes are the result. Also in grooves formed by the said strengthening
ribs I place various colored pieces of glass, so that on turning any par-
ticular color towards a ship or other object signals can be transmitted
with the greatest facility and certainty.
A

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Harrison Doty, Her special licence
that I, the said Henry Harrison Doty, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Harrison Doty, my exe-
cutors, 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 make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LAMPS FOR SIGNALLING AND TELEGRAPHING AT SEA AND ON RAILWAYS, LIGHTING
SHIPS, DOCKS, RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Harrison Doty, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Harrison Doty, 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
Sheet of Drawings (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to lamps for signalling and telegraphing, and
for lighting up ships, railway carriages, and for other similar purposes,
and my improved lamp consits of a hollow vessel for containing
petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil supported on a suitable stand, and
having an aperture through its centre for the admission of air to the
flame. A tube having a nozzle at its upper end passes up through the
said aperture, and is in connection with an air pump worked by manual
or other motive power (so long as it is intended to keep the lamp
burning), by which means a current of air is forced through the nozzle
at the end of the air tube. Close to the orifice of the said nozzle and
at right angles thereto is another nozzle fixed on a pipe in communica-
tion with the petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil. The draught caused

page_text: by the force of the current of air creates a vacuum in this said pipe,
thereby drawing the petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil up the pipe
and ejecting it from the nozzle in the form of spray, which is ignited
by the flame of an oil lamp placed in or on the oil vessel, the said
flame burning close to an aperture opposite the nozzle through which
the spray is ejected. The petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil is fed to
the oil vessel through an opening closed by a screwed cap or other
contrivance. A covering of wire gauze or other suitable material is
placed over the flame to prevent its being extinguished by wind or
draught, and beneath the oil vessel is a pan for catching particles of
spray that have not been ignited, the said pan being emptied when
required by a cock affixed thereto. Resting on a bracket placed around
the oil vessel, or on the oil vessel itself, is a hexagon or other shaped
glass lantern having strengthening ribs up its sides and supplied with
a metal or other covering, having an opening at the top for the escape
of the heat. A reflector of any suitable material is placed over three
sides of the hexagon or about one-half of the glass lantern, so that on
turning the said lantern quickly towards any object on land or sea
sharp brilliant flashes are perceived, and on turning it slowly more
prolonged flashes result, or the flashes may be caused by turning a
cock in the hose connecting the "light" with the air pump. Also in
grooves formed by the said strengthening ribs I place various colored
pieces of glass, so that on turning any color towards a ship or
other object signals can be transmitted with the greatest facility and
certainty.
In order that my improvements may be clearly understood I will
proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a view partly in section, and
partly in elevation of a lamp constructed according to my Invention,
and Fig. 2 a plan of the same.
a is the vessel for containing the petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil;
b, the tube passing therethrough for the admission of air to the flame;
c, the tube in communication with the air pump, by means of which air
is forced through the nozzle d, drawing the petroleum up from the
vessel a through the nozzle e, from which it passes up the tube b in the
form of spray, and is ignited by the flame of an oil lamp f placed in or
on the vessel a. g is a cap or cover turning on its hinge h (Fig. 2) so
as to enable the parts beneath to be readily examined, and i is a funnel

page_text: for the escape of the heat caused by the flame of the lamp f. k is a set
screw for adjusting the position of the nozzle e; and 1, the opening
through which the petroleum is fed to the vessel a; m is a slide of glass
which can be lifted by its handle n, so that those parts of the lamp
beneath the glass lantern o can be examined without the necessity of
raising the said lantern; p is the cover with an aperture q for the
escape of heat; r, the ribs for strengthening the lantern; 8, brass or
other rings affixed thereto for the same purpose; and t is the receiver
for containing unconsumed spray from the nozzle e. Over three sides
or about one-half of the lantern may be placed the reflector u, and
between the ribs of the lantern are glass slides of any suitable color,
here shewn as white, red, and green, so that on sighting a vessel the
officer in charge, or other person, may by working the air pump exhibit
brilliant and powerful white, red, or green lights, and illuminate the
deck, spars, and rigging, whereby the course of the vessel carrying the
lights would be clearly indicated.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention
I claim, the improvements in lamps for signalling and telegraphing at
sea, and on railways, lighting ships, docks, railway carriages, and other
similar purposes, as herein described and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harrison Doty, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
HENRY HARRISON DOTY. (L.8.)