IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SHIPS' BINNACLES AND LAMPS, PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Mitchell Sim, of 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING
TO SHIPS' BINNACLES AND LAMPS, PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS APPLICABLE
TO OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Mitchell Sim at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th June 1880.
JAMES MITCHELL SIM, of 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SHIPS' BINNACLES AND LAMPS, PART OF
WHICH INVENTION IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Great difficulty is constantly experienced in the lighting of ships' binnacles, the
usual plan being to placo two sido lamps, which is most objectionable, one special
objection being that as the ship rolls the flame impinges upon the glass, blackoning
and generally breaking it, thereby involving a now glass immediately.
Now my improvement gets over all this difficulty in the following simple
manner-I take by preference a glass globe of the kind usually employed for
railway carriages, and connect this to a suitable tube (usually of brass, so as not to
effect the compass) and place this through the top of the binnacle in a manner
similar to an ordinary railway carriago lamp. But instead of employing the
customary construction of railway carriage lamp, which is costly, and by no means
efficient very often, I place a small lamp or container in the bottom of the inverted
globe, provided with three or more legs to keep it steady, and for ventilation I
provide one or moro, generally four, holes, preferably in the glass itself; I arrange
these holes so that the draught may pass underneath the oil container, so that
there may be no danger of blowing the flame out. A lamp which I have mado
contains about 1 gill of' oil, and when used with best colza oil it will burn well
for eight to ten hours. Of course any kind of lamp oil may be used, including
petroleum, paraffine, ctcctcre, but I prefer best colza oil, as giving the best results.
It will be seen that this lamp would cast a shadow upon the compass card, but this
I get over by taking advantage of the ordinary binnacle-dome as a reflector, and
painting the inside of it with chalk or lime whitewash, or in fact almost any dead
white colour, but it must not on any account have a glazed or glistening surfaco.

page_text: It is a common plan at sea to paint the inside of binnacles with zinc or other paints,
but these cast a dazzling uncertain glare upon the card, which is very bad and
makes it very difficult to rend properly, beside trying the eyes seriously. I find
that the dead white obviates this difficulty satisfactorily, and illuminates the card
well. I propose to use these lamps for carrying about on shipboard, in warehouses, 5
etceteru, by slightly modifying the shape and attaching a suitable handle or handles.
I find further that for ships' side lights much time is now wasted in trimming the
lamps, as much as twenty minutes being frequently occupied thus, during which
time that side of the ship is minus its proper red or green light. This difficulty I
propose to overcome by making the lamp proper easily removable from the coloured 1
glass, and whon one lamp wants trimming, removing it and substituting a fresh one
for it. It will be observed that these lamps are very simple and are not costly to
manufacture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Mitchell Sim in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
December 1880.
JAMES MITCHELL SIM, of 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SHIPS' BINNACLES AND LAMPS, PART OF
WHICH INVENTION IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Great difficulty is constantly experienced in the lighting of ships' binnacles, the
usual plan being to place two side lamps, which is most objectionable, one special
objection being that as the ship rolls the flame impinges upon the glass, blackening
and generally breaking it, thereby involving a new glass immediately.
Now my improvement gets over all this difficulty in the following simple
manner I take by preference a glass globe of the kind usually employed for
railway carriages, and connect this to a suitable tube attached to the head (usually
of brass, so as not to effect the compass), and place this through the top of the
binnacle in a manner similar to an ordinary railway carriage lamp. But instead
of employing the customary construction of railway carriage lamp, which is costly,
and by no means efficient very often, I placo a small lamp or containor in the
bottom of the globe, provided with three or more legs to keep it steady, and for
ventilation I provide one or more, generally four, holes, preferably in the glass itself.
I arrange these holes so that the draught may pass underneath the oil container, so
that there may be no danger of blowing the Hame out, but as long as the flamo is
protected I may place the perforations where I please, though I prefer to place
them as stated. A lamp which I havo made contains about 1 gill of oil, and when
used with best colza oil it will burn well for eight to ten hours. Of course any
kind of lamp oil may be used, including petroleum, paraffine, etcetera, but I prefer
best colza oil, as giving the best results. It will be seen that this lamp would cast
à shadow upon the compass card, but this I get over by taking advantage of the

page_text: ordinary binnacle-domo as a reflector, and painting the inside of it with chalk or
line whitewash, or in fact almost any dead white colour, but it must not on any
account have a glazed or glistening surface. It is a common plan at sea to paint
the inside of binacles with zinc or other paints, but these cast a dazzling uncertain
glare upon the card, which is very bad and makes it very difficult to read properly,
beside trying the eyes seriously. I find that the dead white obviates this difficulty
satisfactorily and illuminates the card well. To further protect the eyes I also
generally employ a shade at night which shields the eyes from the direct rays of
the lamp, but leaves a clear view of the compass card; this shade is removable and
is not wanted in daylight. I propose to use these lamps for carrying about on
shipboard, in warehouses, etcetera, by slightly modifying the shape and attaching
a suitable handle or handles. I find further that for ships' side lights much time is
now wasted in trimming the lamps, as much as twenty minutes being frequently
occupied thus, during which time that side of the ship is minus its proper red or
green light. This difficulty I propose to overcome by making the lamp proper
easily removable from the coloured glass, and when one lamp wants trimming,
removing it and substituting a fresh one for it, and by making the body and
coloured lens a fixture I obviate all chance of such mistakes as placing the red
light where the green ought to be. I insert my lamp through the top of the
present side lamp body in the same manner as in the binnacle dome, and utilize the
whole of said body as a reflector, etcetera, the usual doors being closed up.
Reference being now had to the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation
part in section of the binnacle dome with the compass card at bottom and the lamp
in place; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lamp top with the globe removed; and Fig. 3
is a section of the cistern or lamp proper. Like letters represent like parts.
A is the binnacle dome similar to the ordinary ones, but having a hole in the top
for the lamp and a raised flange B over which the lamp head fits; C is the compass
card; and D the lamp globe with holes D' for admitting air underneath tho
rounded or curved bottom of the cistern or lamp E; it will be seen that air rushing
in through these holes is deflected downwards, so that instead of blowing out the
flame it collects underneath the cistern, and rises through the annular space
between the cistern and the globe in an even stream, which promotes combustion.
and cools the globe without appreciably affecting the steadiness of the flame. In
practice I have found that if these holes were placed higher up so as to let the air
impinge directly upon the flame it will blow it out directly if there is any wind to
speak of, whereas by this arrangement the lamp will burn undisturbed in the
heaviest gales. It is therefore important that the bottom of the lamp should be
curved more or less, as shown in the Drawings, and that the top of the curvo should
lio well above the holes; legs or their equivalent E are provided to raise and
steady the cistern. The air boles might if desired be placed vertically through the
bottom of the globe, but I find that this is not so satisfactory as making them
through the sides in a horizontal or approximately horizontal direction. I employ
a handle or rod E for convenience in lifting out the lamp cistern. The lamp
globe D hangs by a flange from the tube F attached to the lower part of the top,
as is readily seen in Fig. 1. The top or "head" of the lamp is of the kind
commonly known as the "miller's head," and needs no special description here
further than the remark that all the depending upper parts fit outside the
projecting lower parts, so that when a wave or rain dashes over the lamp it falls
harmlessly down the outside instead of getting inside and extinguishing the flamo
or cracking the glass, as at present not infrequently happens. The flange upon the
head which fits over that upon the dome is seen at G, Figs. 1 and 2; this fits
outside B, and in the section of the head in Fig. 1 it is shown that the other parts
above-are-similarly arranged. His the night shade; and K. the-opening through
which the card is viewed.
Having now described my Invention and the method of performing the same, I
wish it to be understood that I am aware that binnacle domes have before now
been used as reflectors, and aro commonly painted inside, sometimes with dead
•

page_text: paints, for that purpose; I also believe that attempts have been made to light the
card by inserting a lamp through the top, in a manner moro or loss similar to that
which I adopt, and that I therefore do not broadly claim such uso or construction
of the dome. But what I do claim and desired to protect under the herein before
in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. As a means of lighting the compass card in binnacles, the combination of
the internally painted or whitened dome or reflector A, by the use of which tho
shadow cast by the oil reservoir upon the compass card is partially or entirely
neutralized, the perforated transparent globe D for supporting the oil reservoir and
protecting the flame while providing ventilation for it, and the oil reservoir and
lamp E which supplies the light, substantially as and for the purposes set for and
shown.
Second. In a binnacle or other lamp the perforated transparent lamp globe D,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth and shown.
Third. In a binnacle or other lamp, the arrangement of the oil reservoir or lamp
within and supported on the bottom of the transparent lamp globe, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth and shown.
Fourth. The herein described binnaclo dome having an opening in the top in
which the lamp is placed, surrounded by a vertically projecting flange, over and
outside which the lamp top fits; chiefly for the purpose of keeping out water,
substantially as set forth and shown.
Fifth. The herein described construction of side lights for vessels, in which tho
lamp is separate from the body or casing and coloured lens, and the use of said
casing as a reflector, substantially as and for the purposes set forth and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Mitchell Sim, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
JAMES MITCHELL SIM.
(L.S.)
Witnes,
ALFRED J. BOULT,
Of the Firm of Wm. P. Thompson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
323, High Holborn, London,
and 6, Lord St., Liverpool.