IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES, BUT WHICH IS MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR USE ON BOARD NAVIGABLE VESSELS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Johnson, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, and Edward Shinn, of the same Place, and Grindle Ragg.
of Liverpool, also in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES, BUT
WHICH IS MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR USE ON BOARD NAVIGABLE
VESSELS,"
Sealed the 7th January 1868, and dated the 8th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Johnson, Edward
Shinn, and Grindle Ragg at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 8th July 1867.
We, JOHN JOHNSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and
EDWARD SHINN, of the same Place, and GRINDLE RAGG, of Liverpool, also
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES, BUT
WHICH IS MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR USE ON BOARD NAVIGABLE VESSELS,"
to be as follows (that is to say):
The object of this Invention is the construction and use of a simple and
comparatively inexpensive system of apparatus for communicating signals for
general purposes, but the same is more particularly applicable for use on board
navigable vessels.

page_text: To apply this Invention to, say, a steam ship the officer in command may
communicate with the man at the helm, or engine room, or both, from the
bridge or deck of the ship, and the helmsman or engineer acknowledge the
same, so that the officer in command may ascertain that the orders have been
properly understood; and the exact position of the rudder may be indicated
on the bridge or in any other convenient position on the deck or other part of
the vessel, and also an arrangement by which the course to be steered can be
communicated to the helmsman from the chart room, captain's cabin, or from
any other convenient part of the ship.
The receiving instrument may consist of a round or other suitably shaped
box, which is provided with an aperture or apertures glazed in front, and at
night has attached at the back thereof a lantern or enclosed lamp, which may
resemble a binnacle or any other convenient form, so as to throw light through
panels orlabelsof glass, talc, or other transparent or semi-transparent substance
on which the orders are printed, written, or otherwise marked. The labels on
which the orders are written may be suspended by aspiral orother shapedspring;
or they may be supported by a spiral or other shaped spring or counterweights
when not in use; or they may be attached to the head of a vertical rod,the end
of which is jointed to the outer horizontal end of a bell-crank arm, and to the
lower limb of which is attached the actuating wire or cord, and which bell crank
is fitted with a spiral or suitable spring to support the weight of the order
panel and connecting rod, or the same may be counterweighted. The labels
when not acted upon are in the interior of the case, and concealed from view,
but when the spring is depressed or drawn down, as the case may be, the
label is brought in front of a glazed opening, through which at night the light
of a lamp is thrown. Each order is written or otherwise marked on a separate
plate, which may be arranged in line or at the back of each other, or at one
or both sides of the interior of the box above or below or at the sides of the
glazed openings. When spiral springs are use da short rod works in the
centre thereof and is provided with a short lateral arm, which on being
depressed or drawn down comes into contact with a hammer which it elevates,
and on escaping the hammer falls and strikes a bell or gong, and upon the
spring being released, the short lateral arm is allowed to pass the handle of the
hammer, which for that purpose is provided with a short jointed arm which
allows the stud or arm piece to pass upwards, after passing which the jointed
piece again falls down to a horizontal position, or a catch rigidly attached to
the label may be used for elevating the bell hammer. The short with its
lateral arm which carries the glass order plate is actuated by means of a wire
or cord passing over a grooved pulley or attached to bell cranks arranged in

page_text: the bottom of the case of the receiving instrument or immediately below,
whence it is carried over a second grooved pulley, from whence it is guided by
pulleys, cranks, or other mechanical equivalents on to a second grooved pulley
immediately below the communicating levers. When a communicating
instrument is arranged on the upper deck and also on the bridge the lower
ends of the vertical jointed levers are enclosed in a suitable case. The lower
ends of the levers are jointed to a suitable bearing or standard, having a
transverse axle on which the lever turns. In the case of the levers on the
bridge they are formed with short horizontal arms or in one piece with thelever,
and to the outer end of which is attached the actuating wire, cord, or rod.
The lever on the upper deck is fitted on one side with a bell crank, which
allows the cord,wire, or rod to be drawn upwards without disturbing the lever;
but which lever is capable of actuating the bell crank at its foot by a stud or
its mechanical equivalent.
The instrumentscommunicatingfrom the helmsman arearranged in asimilar
manner, but in the case of the steersman it is preferred to actuate the instru-
ment by depressing a pedal motion with the foot, which strikes a bell within
the casing of the levers, as will be readily understood, in front of the actuating
levers,or the levers themselves are marked with the several orders, and which
it is preferred should be written on glass, or a transparent or semi-opaque
substance or substances which at night are illuminated by an artificial light
from the back.
The action of this part of the apparatus is as follows:-The officer in
command takes hold of the head of the lever belonging to the order he desires
to give, then simply draws the lever towards him, and retains it there until he
receives the acknowledgment from the helmsman or engineer, as the case
may be, after which he can return the lever to its normal position, when the
label containing the particular order will disappear from the glazed opening
in front of the receiving instrument.
The arrangement for ascertaining the exact position of therudder in relation
to the keel of the vessel and the rudder indicator may consist of a single arm
or pair of arms rigidly attached to the rudder head; or the actuating power
may be taken from the head of the rudder, from the tiller, or other arm or
arms attached to and turning with the rudder, or by means of a horizontal
smoothed grooved pulleyor drum rigidlyattached to the rudder head, to which
is attached a cord, chain, line, or communicating indicator cord, which is
flexible, so that the same may embrace the pulley and give out and take in the
cord, chain, or other like means for conveying the motion to an indicator which,
may consist of a horizontal pointer attached to an upright swivelling shaft

page_text: which pointer works over the face of a graduated dial. Motion may be given
to the pointer through the rods, wires, cords, or their mechanical equivalents
herein-before described by attaching the same to an arm or arms springing
from the vertical pivot shaft below the graduated dial, or by means of a pulley
similar to that described as attached to the rudder head.
. It will be obvious that the instrument may be so arranged that the pointer
and dial plate may be arranged horizontally as described, or at any desired
angle to the horizon. Or in place of using a pointer as aforesaid turning on
an axle working in fixed bearings the pointer may be attached to a travelling
block working in a pair of grooves, or the block may be grooved and work ou
a pair of parallel rods or their mechanical equivalents, in which place in
case of having a circular graduated dial the same may be arranged as a
straight line scale.
The arrangement by which the course to be steered can be communicated
from the chart room, captain's cabin, bridge, or other convenient part of the
ship may consist of two discs on which the cardinal points of the compass are
marked. The one which is mounted on an axle horizontally, or at any
desired line to the horizon, and is fitted within a glazed case in front of the
helmsman in such a position that he can see the same at the same time as
the steering compass. The other disc is similarly mounted but is not enclosed,
and is fitted with a small handle for the purpose of turning it on its axis by
hand. These two discs on which the cardinal points are marked may be
connected together by an endless band of any suitable material, but by pre-
ference of vulcanized india-rubber to enable tension to be placed on the band
to insure accuracy of motion in the two discs; this endless band works over
grooved pulleys keyed on to the axles of the discs, and may be guided over
antifriction grooved pulleys in any required direction, or a rod or rods and
tooth or friction gear may be used. For the purpose of keeping the cords or
wires at a proper tension at all times it is proposed to pass one portion of the
wire or cord over a pair of small grooved pulleys placed in line and a little
apart, and passing the line or wire through a small pulley block or slide, to
which is attached a spring or weight which tightens the wire or cord by
drawing it up or down, as the case may be, between the two fixed grooved
pulleys herein-before described. By this arrangement any amount of tension
that may be required can be applied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Johnson, Edward Shinn, and Grindle Ragg in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, JOHN, we,
JOHN JOHNSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and EDWARD
SHINN, of the same Place, and GRINDLE RAGG, of Liverpool, also in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
housand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thiry-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Johnson, Edward Shinn, and Grindle Ragg, Her special license that
we, the said John Johnson, Edward Shinn, and Grindle Ragg, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Johnson,
Edward Shinn, and Grindle Ragg, our executors, 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 " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES, BUT WHICH IS MORE
PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR UBE ON BOARD NAVIGABLE VESSELS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Johnson, Edward Shinn,
and Grindle Ragg, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Johnson, Edward Shinn, and
Grindle Ragg, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say): —
The object of this our said Invention is the construction and use of a
simpleand comparativelyinexpensive system of apparatusfor communicating
signals for general purposes, but the same is more particularly applicable for
use on board navigable vessels.
IJ..
To apply this our said Invention to, say, a steam ship the officer in
command may communicate with the man at the helm, or engine room, or

page_text: both, from the bridge or deck of the ship, and the helmsman or engineer
acknowledge the same, so that the officer in command may ascertain that the
orders have been properly understood, and that the exact position of the rudder
may be indicated on the bridge, or in any other convenient position on the
deck or other part of the vessel, and also an arrangement by which the course
to be steered can be communicated to the helmsman from the chart room,
captain's cabin, or from any other convenient part of the ship.
The receiving instrument may consist of a round or other suitably shaped
box which is provided with an aperture or apertures glazed in front, and at
night has attached at the back thereof a lantern or enclosed lamp, which may
resemble a binnacle or any other convenient form, so as to throw light through
panels or labels of glass, talc, or other transparent or semi-transparent
substance on which the orders are printed, written, or otherwise marked.
The labels on which the orders are written may be suspended by a spiral or
other shaped spring, or they may be supported by a spiral or other shaped
spring or counterweights when not in use, or they may be attached to the
head of a vertical rod, the end of which is jointed to the other horizontal end
of a bell-crank arm, and to the lower limb of which is attached the actuating
wire or cord, and which bell crank is fitted with a spiral or other suitable
spring to support the weight of the order panel and connecting rod, or the
same may be counterweighted. The labels when not acted upon are in the
interior of the case and concealed from view, but when the spring is depressed
or drawn down, as the case may be, the label is brought in front of a glazed
opening through which at night the light of a lamp is thrown. Each order
is written or otherwise marked on a separate plate, which may be arranged
in line or at the back of each other, or at one or both sides of the interior of
the box above or below, or at the sides of the glazed openings. When spiral
springs are used a short rod works in the centre thereof, and is provided with
a short lateral arm, which on being depressed or drawn down comes into
contact with a hammer which it elevates, and on escaping the hammer falls
and strikes a bell or gong, and upon the spring being released the short lateral
arm is allowed to pass the handle of the hammer, which for that purpose is
provided with a short jointed arm which allows the stud or arm piece to pass
upwards,after passing which the jointed piece again falls down to a horizontal
position, or a catch rigidly attached to the label may be used for elevating the
bell hammer. The short rod with its lateral arm which carries the glass
order plate is actuated by means of a wire or cord passing over a grooved
pulley, or attached to bell cranks arranged in the bottom of the case of the
receiving instrument or immediately below, whence it is carried overa second

page_text: grooved pulley, from whence it is guided by pulleys, cranks, or their mecha-
nical equivalents on to a second grooved pulley immediately below the com-
municating levers. When a communicating instrument is arranged on the
upper deck and also on the bridge the lower ends of the vertical jointed levers
are enclosed in a suitable case. The lower ends of the levers are jointed to
a suitable bearing or standard having a transverse axle on which the lever
turns. In the case of the levers on the bridge they are formed with short
horizontal arms in one piece with the lever, and to the cuter end of which is
attached the actuating wire, cord, or rod. The lever on the upper deck is
fitted on one side with a bell crank, which allows the cord, wire, or rod to be
drawn upwards without disturbing the lever, but which lever is capable of
actuating the bell crank at its foot by a stud or its mechanical equivalent.
The instruments communicating from the helmsman are arranged in a
similar manner, but in the case of the steersman it is preferred to actuate the
instrument by depressing a pedal motion with the foot, which strikes a bell
within the casing of the levers, as will be readily understood. In front of the
actuating levers, or the levers themselves, are marked with the several orders,
and which it is preferred should be written on glass or a transparent or semi-
opaque substance or substances which at night are illuminated by an artificial
light from the back.
The action of this part of our improved apparatus is as follows:-The
officer in command takes hold of the head of the lever belonging to the order
he desires to give; then simply draws the lever towards him, and retains
it there until he receives the acknowledgment from the helmsman or engineer,
as the case may be, after which he can return the lever to its normal position,
when the lable containing the particular order will disappear from the glazed
opening in front of the receiving instrument.
The arrangement for ascertaining the exact amount of the rudder in relation
to the keel of the vessel and the rudder indicator may consist of a single arm
or pair of arms rigidly attached to the rudder head, or the actuating power
may be taken from the head of the rudder, from the tiller, or other arm or
arms attached to and turning with the rudder, or by means of a horizontal
smooth grooved pulley or dium rigidly attached to the rudder head, to which
is attached a cord, chain, line, or other communicating indicator cord, which
is flexible, so that the same may embrace the pulley and give out and take in
the cord, chain, or other like means for conveying the motion to an indicator,
which may consist of a horizontal painter attached to an upright swivelling
shaft, which pointer works over the face of a graduated dial. Motion may be
given to the pointer through the rod, wires, cords, or other mechanical

page_text: equivalents, herein-before described, by attaching the same to an arm or arms
springing from the vertical pivot shaft below the graduated dial, or by means
of a pulley similar to that described as attached to the rudder head.
It will be obvious that the instrument may be so arranged that the pointer
and dial plate may be arranged horizontally as described, or at any desired
angle to the horizon. Or in place of using a pointer, as aforesaid, turning on
an axle working in fixed bearings, the pointer may be attached to a travelling
block working in a pair of grooves, or the block may be grooved and work on
a pair of parallel rods or their mechanical equivalents, in which place in case
of having a circular graduated dial the same may be arranged as a straight
line scale.
The arrangement by which the course to be steered can be communicated
from the chart room, captain's cabin, bridge, or other convenient part of the
ship may consist of two discs, on which the points of the compass are marked.
The one of which is mounted on an axle horizontally or at any desired line to
the horizon, and is fitted within a glazed case in front of the helmsman in
such a position that he can see the same at the same time as the steering
compass. The other disc is similarly mounted but is not enclosed, and is fitted
with a small, handle for the purpose of turning it on its axes by hand; these
two discs on which the cardinal points are marked may be connected together
by an endless band of any suitable material, but by preference of vulcanized
india-rubber to enable tension to be placed on the band to insure accuracy of
motion in the two discs. This endless band works over grooved pulleys keyed
on to the axles of the discs, and may be guided over antifriction grooved
pulleys in any required direction, or a rod or rods and tooth or friction gear may
be used. For the purpose of keeping the cords or wires at a proper tension
at all times we propose to pass one portion of the wire or cord over a pair of
small grooved pulleys placed in liue and a little apart, and passing the line or
wire through a small pulley block or slide, to which is attached a spring or
weight which tightens the wire or cold by drawing it up or down, as the case
may be, between the two fixed grooved pulleys herein-before described. By
this arrangement any amount of tension that may be required can be applied.
In applying our Invention to railway, domestic, or other signals it will be
readily seen the only variation that will be necessary is to provide therequisite
transparent slides containing the orders properly marked for the purpose, and
the actuating or communicating portion of the apparatus with the order portion
by suitable gear, as herein-before described, but adapting the same to the
circumstances of the case, as will be readily understood.
That this our said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood

page_text: ve have hereunto annexed Drawings illustrating so much of our Invention as
s necessary to enable the same to be more readily understood. Like letters and
igures marked on the several Drawings are intended to represent similar
barts.
Figure lis a front elevation of the communicating or actuating portion of the
apparatus, showing the connecting lines and tightening links in dotted lines,
and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a front elevation of
the receiving instrument, and Figure 4 is a plan of the same; Figure 5 is a
sectional elevation of the same looking from the back, and Figure 6 is an
horizontal sectional plan of the same, taken through a line from A to 6;
Figure 7 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same; and Figure 8 is a
vertical sectional elevation of the head of the receiving instrument, showinga
modifact of the transparent slide arrangement.
A, external casing of the apparatus, which may be of wood, metal, or other
suitable material; B, handles, which in this modification are shewn as bell
cranks, to the outer horizontal ends of which are connected C cords or wires,
which work over Dantifriction rollers, and are connected to the eye of E
small screwed rods, on to which is screwed F tightening links fitted with G
swivel hooks, on to which is connected H the main communicating or con-
necting line, which in Figures 1 and 2, in dotted lines for convenience, are
shown broken off, as the mode of continuing the connexion with the receiving
instrument will be readily understood by those acquainted with the art. J
(Figure 1) is a dial plate, over which travels K a pointer, which is attached
to L a small beam lever, which has its fulcrum at V, and to the outer ends of
which beam lever are attached the communicating lines in connexion with the
apparatus on the rudder head, which at Figure 1 is shown by the long dotted
lines; F(Figure 1) are transparent or semi-transparent plates of glass or other
suitable material, which are lighted from the back,aud on which the several
orders required are inscribed; N, transparent slides in receiving instrument,
which are fitted with na grooved frame, and to the lower edge of which is
connected O connecting rod jointed to P a bell crank having its fulcrum
at P,
the upper
limb of which is provided with a small hook, to which is
attached R an india-rubber or other draw spring, against which acts S a
curved metallic spring. To the bell cranks, shewn in Figures 5 and 7, are
attached the communicating wires, cords, or rods marked H in Figures 1
and 2. T is a stationary vertically grooved frame bolted to the frame of the
instrument, and into the vertical grooves of which are fitted the several order
plates. The top of the sliding frames n are fitted with U two hooks for
elevating V the hammers bars which run transversely across the indicating

page_text: plates, and are fitted with a tumbler motion to allow W the hammer levers to
be elevated on the descent of each separate order plate, and to allow the hooks
v to return to their normal position on the return of the signal plate. X,
small gong bells, which are acted upon by the striker W on the descent of
any of the order plates. The modification shown in Figure 8 is a modifica-
tion of that shown in Figures 5 and 7, in which case we dispense with the
bell-crank lever and springs shewn at the bottom of the receiving instrument
case. By this latter arrangement the several order slides are suspended from
the top of the case by a fresh line A spiral or other draw spring. Z and Z2,
curved metal springs, the outer ends of which play on the under edge of the
order plates and are connected to the rigid grooved slide frame. In all other
respects this arrangement is similar to that shown at Figure 5.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this our said
Invention and the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the samne
into practical effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine our-
selves to the relative proportions or dimensions of the several parts of the
apparatus herein-before described and set forth, as it will be readily seen by
those acquainted with the art of the same may be considerably varied without
departing from the Invention; but what we claim is, the general construction,
arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the apparatus, operated
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Grindle Ragg, on behalf of myself and
co-Inventors, have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this
Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
bundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
J. H. REDMOND,
Clerk to William Walker, C.E.,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
GRINDLE (L.S.) RAGG.