IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' BINNACLE LAMPS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Nunn, of 179, Saint George Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Lamp Maker, and Charles Williams
Brown, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Clerk, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' BINNACLE LAMPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. left by the said William Nunn and
Charles Williams Brown at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 23rd February 1866.
We, WILLIAM NUNN, of 179, Saint George Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Lamp Maker, and CHARLES WILLIAMS BROWN, of Deptford,
in the County of Kent, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' BINNACLE LAMPS," to be as
follows:
Our improvements consist, first, in lighting the compass card within the
binnacle from above by means of a lamp supported on a double swivel, the
oil chamber of which is cylindrical and elongated obliquely downwards, its
internal circumference being polished and reflecting, whereby the lighted
wick, which is fixed at its upper level within it, throws its light downwards
upon the compass card, illuminating it perfectly by night without risk of
the oil becoming spilled or the glass of the lamp being obscured by smoke,

page_text: which so commonly occurs with the lateral mode of lighting hitherto in
use.
Secondly, in having a short cylindrical translucent card, outside and
around which the points of the compass are inscribed, a blank space being
also left on the card. The card is made to revolve by means of a ratchet
and pinion, to which a key is fitted designed to be kept by the officer of the
watch. This cylindrical card revolves within the binnacle around the
binnacle lamp, and is therefore illuminated by it and made visible from
the outside through a space or hole in the front of the binnacle sufficiently
large to admit of one or more points of the compass being seen through it;
a projecting point at the bottom of the opening serves as an indicator to
any particular point of the compass can be brought by turning the
key, thus a compass course can be clearly given by the officer of the watch
without the possibility of its being changed by others. This compass card
is equally visible by daylight; when no course is given the blank space
can only be shewn.
which
We claim as our Invention, first, the mode of reflecting a light described
in the first paragraph; and, secondly, the revolving translucent cylindrical
card for indicating the ship's compass course, as described in the second
Daragraph.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Nunn and Charles Williams Brown in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
NUNN, of 179, Saint George Street, in the County of Middlesex, Lamp
Maker, and CHARLES WILLIAMS BROWN, of Deptford, in the County of
Kent, Clerk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us,
the said William Nunn and Charles Williams Brown, Her special
licence that we, the said William Nunn and Charles Williams Brown, our
executors,. administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Nunn and Charles Williams Brown, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time

page_text: 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 SHIPS' BINNACLE LAMPS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said William Nunn and Charles
Williams Brown, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands.and seals, should parti
cularly 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 we, the said William Nunn and Charles Williamıs
Brown, do hereby declare the nature of the 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
Drawing hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
Our improvements consist, first, in lighting. the compass card within the
binnacle from above by means of a lamp, the oil chamber of which is
supported on a double swivel or gimbling; this oil chamber is cylindrical
and elongated obliquely downwards, its internal circumference being
polished and reflecting, whereby the lighted wick, which is fixed at its
upper level within it, throws its light downwards upon the compass card,
illuminating it by night without risk of the oil becoming spilled or the
glass. of the lamp being obscured by smoke, which so commonly occurs
with the lateral mode of lighting hitherto in use.
Secondly, in employing a short cylindrical translucent card, around the
external circumference of which the "points" of the compass are marked,
and one space marked "under sail on a wind." This card is made to
revolve by means of a rack and pinions, to the arbor of one of which a key
is fitted designed to be kept by the officer of the watch. This, cylindrical
card revolves within the binnacle lamp placed in the binnacle, and is there-
fore illuminated, and is made visible from; the outside through a space or
hole in the front of the binnacle lamp sufficiently large to admit of one or
more "points" of the compass being seen through it; a projecting point
at the top or bottom of the opening serves, as an indicator to which any.
particular point of the compass; marked on the card can be brought.by.
turning the key, thus a compass course can be clearly given by the officer.
of the watch without the possibility of its being changed by others, and is
64

page_text: the key is then removed. The indications on the card before the
openings are visible by daylight when the lamp is not lighted. When no
compass course is given the space on the revolving card marked "under
sail on a wind" is turned to the opening s in the lamp.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we wish it to be understood that what we
claim is,
Firstly, the general arrangement and construction of lamps for binnacles,
whereby the light is reflected downwards on the compass card, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and shewn in
the annexed Drawing.
Secondly, the employment in the said lamps of a translucent revolving
card, on which the points of the compass are marked for indicating to
the steersman the course to be steered, as herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Nunn and Charles Williams
Brown, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.civ
Witness,
G. F. REDFErn.
W. NUNN.
(L.S.)
C. W. BROWN. (L.S.)