Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 24th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 26th Oct., 1888
I, LEOPOLD SELLNER, of Pola, in the Province of Istria, Austrian Empire, Officer
of the Imperial Royal Austrian Navy do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of electric signalling apparatus, in which one
or more of a certain number of electric incandescent lamps are alternately lighted
and extinguished.
The invention has for its object to avoid the diminutions of intensity of the light,
as occurring with coloured lamps and thereby to render the apparatus serviceable
for greater distances.
According to the said invention lamps of colourless glass are preferably used, and
for obtaining a greater number of signals with a limited number of lamps, steady
or continuous lights are combined with flashing or intermittent ones. Supposing
that three lamps are provided in unvariable relative positions, let a be the steady
light and the flashing one. In this case the fourteen following signals may be
given; a, a a, a a a, b, b b, b b b, a b, ba, a b b, b a b, b b a, a a b, a b a, ba a.
The resistances, which must be interposed into the circuit every time a signalling
lamp is put out of circuit, are formed by similar lamps, arranged in an analogous
manner, and thus forming a sort of tell-tale for the operator.
There are as many keys as signals can be given, and every key, when operated,
breaks the circuit or circuits of the tell-tale lamp or lamps answering to the lamp
or lamps comprised in the signal to be given, and completes in the same time the
circuit or circuits of this latter lamp or lamps in either of two shunts per lamp,
one of which contains a make-and-break driven by a clock work or any other suitable
motor. Obviously it depends on the special composition of the signal, whether the
circuit of the lamp is to be closed in its shunt containing the make-and-break, in which
case flashing light is produced, or by the shunt without a make-and-break. In the
first case the current Hows alternately through the signal lamp and the corresponding
tell-tale lamp. In order to obtain this operation, the make-and-break is formed of

page_text: metal discs mounted upon a metal shaft, which is connected to one terminal of the
current generator, and upon the circumference of each disc, half the length of which
is coated with insulating material, slide two springs at a distance of 180° from each
other, one of which represents the terminal of a conducting wire running to the signal
lamp, and the other of the tell-tale lamp.
The keys are composed of two-armed levers, which, when operated, force asunder,
by one arm which is made of insulating material, the contact springs interposed into
the circuit of the tell-tale lamps, and by the other arm which is made of conducting
material penetrate between contact springs, which do not touch each other under
normal circumstances; these latter springs form parts of the aforesaid shunts.
Dated this 24th day of December 1887.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, LEOPOLD SELLNER, of Pola, in the Province of Istria, Austrian Empire, Officer
of the Imperial Royal Austrian Navy do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-—
This invention relates to that class of electric signalling apparatus, in which one
or more of a certain number of electric incandescent lamps are alternately lighted and
extinguished.
The invention has for its object to avoid the diminutions of intensity of the light as
occurring with coloured lamps, and thereby to render the apparatus serviceable for
greater distances.
In the electric signalling apparatus, which forms the subject of the said invention,
and which will be hereinafter fully described, the object in view is attained by the
exclusive use of lamps of colorless glass, and for obtaining a greater number of
signals with a limited number of lamps, steady or continuous lights are combined with
flashing or intermittent ones. However, the invention is not limited to any given
number of lamps and the manner of electrically connecting the lamps with the
current generator as well as the means employed for breaking and closing the
electric connections are invariably the same however many lamps may be comprised
in the apparatus.
Each of these lamps can be caused to shine continuously or intermittingly, in
consequence of which, when lamps are used, as many different signals may be given
as can be formed of the two elements "continuous" and "intermitting" combinations
with repetition of n members, being the number of lamps.
To each of the possible combinations or signals corresponds a special key or knob
marked accordingly, and as soon as one of the knobs is pulled up, the respective
signal becomes visible and disappears on the knob being pushed down again, without
the necessity of the manipulation of the lamps themselves. Consequently, neither
particular intelligence nor any manual skill is needed for operating the apparatus.
The said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings the figures of which
are hereinafter referred to.
Figure 1 shows a diagram of an apparatus comprising three lamps I, II, III.
According to the above statement, the following signals can be given with these

page_text: SIGNALS GIVEN WITH TWO
LAMPS (TWO-MEMBERED COMBINATIONS WITH REPETITION
OF TWO ELEMENTS).
Cont.
Cont. } (3)
Interm.
Interm. } (4)
Cont.
Interm.
}
Interm.
(*)
Cont.
} (6)
First Lamp.
Second Lamp.
The third lamp is allowed to remain dark.
SIGNALS GIVEN WITH THREE LAMPS (THREE-MEMBERED COMBINATIONS WITH
REPETITION OF TWO ELEMENTS).
Cont. Cont.
Cont. (7) Cont.
Cont.
Cont.
Interm.
Interm.
1st Lamp.
(8) Interm. (9) Cont.
Interm.
Interm.
Cont.
-Cont.
(10) Interm. (11) 2nd Lamp.
Cont.
3rd Lamp.
Cont.
Interm.
1st Lamp.
Cont.
Interm.
(12) Interm. (13) Interm. (14) 2nd Lamp.
Interm.
Interm.
3rd Lamp.
It will thus be seen that fourteen different signals can be given by means of
three lamps, consequently the apparatus figure 1 is provided with fourteen signalling
levers A, upon the heads or knobs of which the corresponding signals are indicated
by white circular spots, meaning continuous light, and by other circular spots one
half of which is coloured in white, and which means flashing light.
Consequently on the above scheme and on the nature of flashing electric light,
signalling by means of this apparatus is attended with part or all of the lamps 1, 11, III
being in rapid or slow succession put out of circuit. The changes of resistance in
the outer circuit, resulting from this mode of operation would cause varying intensity
of light and premature wear of the lamps, were there not special means provided
for maintaining a constant resistance to which corresponds a constant strength of
the current.
In the improved electric signalling apparatus, this fact is taken into account by the
arrangement in shunts of the outer circuit of the current generator-besides the signal
lamps I, II, III-of three resistances of the same value as the lamps, say three other
electric incandescent lamps II III' of the same size, through which, when the signall-
ing apparatus is at rest, that is to say when none of the lamps I, II, III are shining, all
the current flows. On a signalling knob being moved such a change of the electric
connections of the lamp takes place, that when one or more of the resistance
lamps III are extinguished, the corresponding signal lamps are lighted, and
cease to shine again as soon as the resistance lamps are re-lighted.
It will be seen from the following description that the resistance lamps have the
same relative position as the signal lamps, and as these resistance lamps are arranged
in the same room with the signalling levers or the key-board, the said lamps form a
sort of tell-tale enabling the operator to convince himself of the proper working of the
signal lamps.
Before giving a detailed description of the electric connections of all the parts of
the signalling apparatus, the device by which the signal lamps are caused to shine
intermittingly or by successive flashes may be mentioned and the manner of interposing
this device into the circuit so as to cause the corresponding resistance lamp to be
extinguished at every flash.
This device consists of three metal discs mounted on a common shaft see figure 4
which is driven by a clockwork or by any other suitable motor. Half the outer
circumference of each disc is coated with insulating material, forming a continuous
cylindric surface with the other metallic half, and two contact springs are adapted to
rub on portions of the circumference of each disc, distant from each other 180°. In
consequence of this arrangement, one of these two springs will always be in contact
with insulating material while the other touches the metallic surface and so a current

page_text: entering a disc will alternately flow through either contact spring. As one of these
contact springs is interposed into the circuit of a signal lamp and the other into
the circuit of the corresponding resistance lamp, these two lamps will be lighted by
successive and alternate flashes.
The general principles according to which the electric connections of the signal
lamps are arranged, having thus been explained, these connections themselves as well
as the switch by means of which they are varied for bringing about the different
signals will be hereinafter fully described.
are
In order to facilitate the understanding of the diagram of the electric connections
and to render the same more clear, the following letters of reference have been chosen
for designating the conducting wires, that is to say el es e³ are the wires running to
the resistance lamps, 5, 8, are the wires running to the signal lamps, ce¹ ce² ce³
the wires conveying the uninterrupted currents to the resistance lamps, cs¹ cs² c³
are the wires conveying uninterrupted currents to the signal lamps, are the
wires passed by currents which are afterwards converted into intermittent ones,
is, isi are wires through which intermittent currents flow to the signal
lamps; ie, ie³ are wires conveying intermittent currents to the resistance or
tell-tale lamps.
Moreover those conducting wires through which only intermittent currents flow,
are represented by dotted lines.
From one terminal of the current generator S (in figure 1 a dynamo is shown)
a conducting wire a leads to the bearings B of the switch levers A, the said
bearings forming all parts of the circuit, which afterwards divides into three
shunts cel, ce, ce³.
The shunt ce leads to the contact-spring m¹ which, while the apparatus is at rest
and all switch levers are in the position shown by figure 2, touches the contact-
spring . As the contact springs u₁ and m¹ of two successive switch levers A are
electrically connected to each other, the portion of the current having entered the
shunt ce, will pass through all pairs of springs m₁ and u₁ and finally arrive at the
terminal E'.
In a similar manner, pairs of contact springs m³ and m³ 113 are interposed into
the shunts ce and ce³ with this difference however, that the shunt ce contains no
contact springs above the two first switch levers and the shunt ce above the six
first switch levers, therefore these shunts cannot be acted upon by the said
levers. Finally the shunt ce², runs to the terminal E and the shunt ce³ to the
terminal E³.
arc in the
By means of the conducting wires e¹ e²e³ the terminals E¹ E E³ are connected
to the resistance lamps III, III which are interposed in a multiple
general circuit. Therefore when the apparatus is at rest and all switch levers are in
their normal position, the current generated will pass through the three resistance
lamps II III and cause them to shine.
The current flowing through the wire a and the bearings B can be shunted through
the metallic switch-levers A, which are electrically connected to the said bearings and
above which are arranged the contacts w₁₂ w₂ of the shunt lines cs¹ cs, cs, and the
contacts P1 P2 P3 of the shunt lines ¹³.
The conducting wires cs, cs², cs³ lead to the terminals S1 S2 S³ whence other
wires $1 $2 $3 convey the current to the signal lamps I, II, III and through the return
wire back to the current generator.
All contact pieces w₁ are electrically connected to the shunt es, all contact pieces w
to the shunt cs, and all contact pieces w, to the shunt cs3, therefore the contact
pieces marked with the same letter communicate with each other. The contact pieces
marked with ₁, w, w, are arranged above all those switch levers, which are operated
when the corresponding signal lamps shall give a continuous light. It will be seen
in figure 1 that the contact pieces w₁ (corresponding to the signal lamp I) are
arranged above the keys 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, the contact pieces w, (corresponding to
the signal lamp II) above the keys 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, the contact pieces w. (corresponding
to the signal lamp III) above the keys 8, 9, 12, 13.

page_text: . Consequently when any of these levers touches a contact piece w₁, a portion of the
current will flow from this lever through the wires, the terminal S, and the wire s¹
to the corresponding signal lamp I. The same is true in every respect, also of the
contact springs w, and w, relatively to the signal lamps II and III.
The electric connections by which intermittent or flashing light is produced are
arranged as follows: a shaft, figures 4 and 5 of which the latter is a section on
line, figure 4, rotated by a clock-work or by any other suitable motor, carries
three metal discs 1, 2, 3, insulated from the said shaft by means of the cylinder 1
and from each other by means of discs r. Half the circumference of each disc t', 2, 3
is coated with insulating material k, and two contact springs f£ £ £ 39 $ 32
respectively on points of the circumference distant from each other 180°, therefore
one spring always touches a metallic surface while the other is in contact with
insulating material; in figure 1 this arrangement is shown diagrammatically upon
the naves of the contact discs t¹, 2, (rub contact springs ₁₁₂ electrically
connected to the shunt lines i₁, 2, 3, the first of which comprises the contact springs Pi
the second the contact springs P2, and the third the contact springs P. Contact
springs p₁ are arranged above those switch levers, by means of which the signal
lamp I and according to what has been explained above, the resistance lamp I' too,
shall be caused to shine intermittently in such a manner that the lighting of either
coincides with the extinguishing of the other. Of this nature are the signals 2, 4, 6,
8, 10, 12, 14.
The same is true also of the contact springs p, and p relatively to the signal and
resistance lamps II II and III III; the lamps II and II' are operated for the
signals 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 14, the lamps III and III for the signals 7, 10, 11, 14.
When the switch levers above which the contact springs P₁ Pa Pa are arranged,
are pulled up,. the said levers by touching the springs close the shunts i
respectively, and by the revolving discs the currents are alternately conveyed
through the conducting wires ie, ie³, ie³, to the resistance lamps I II III' and
through the wires is, is, is to the signal lamps I, II, III, whence they flow back
to the current generator through the return wire b.
Finally, the operation of the switch may be illustrated by a special example. For
instance, as long as the lever No. 9) is in its position of rest, shown in figure 2 the
contact springs m² u₁, m² u, and m³, see figure 2" which is a section on line y y,
figure 2) keep the shunts of the resistance lamps closed, which consequently are
lighted all three. The contact springs w₁ P2, are not acted upon as shown
for spring p, by figure 2ª which is a section on line, figure 2. As soon however,
as the lever No. 9 is pulled up that is to say brought into the position shown by
figure 3, the contact springs mu₁, m² u₂ and 'm³ ug are forced asunder by the portion A¹
of the lever coated with insulating material and assume the position shown by
figure 3b, which is a section on line yy, figure 3, and thereby the shunts wherein
the resistance lamps are interposed are broken and the lamps extinguished.
At the same time, and as hereinbefore explained, the metallic body of the switch
lever and the springs w, P₂ close shunts of the signal lamps as specially shown
for the spring P₂ by figure 3. The shunts containing the lamps I and III are
kept continuously closed, while the shunt of the lamp II is intermittingly closed,
and so the signal indicated in figure 1 above the lever No. 9 is caused to be given
with the signal lamps. On the lever No. 9 being pushed down this signal disappears
again.
If for instance the lever No. 5 be pulled up, the resistance lamp I only would be
extinguished the signal lamp I would shine continuously and the lamps II and II¹
would give flashing light.
The lamp L and the rheostat L' are inserted in a special shunt and serve for
controlling purposes.
It will be readily understood that the switch hereinbefore described and comprising
a number of switch levers, can be replaced-without any change in the rules of
arranging the electric connections-by à disc or discs having the contact springs or
other suitable contact pieces P₁ Pa Pa w₁ wg Uz 7121 U m² Uzz nia which shall ha

page_text: operated at once arranged along radial lines and a lever by means of which the
several shunts can be closed or broken at the said contacts the said lever being
adapted to swing round the centre of the said disc, and to move in a plane per-
pendicular to that of the disc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
First. An optical signalling apparatus the signals given by which consist in
combinations of continuously and intermittingly shining electric incandescent
lamps.
Second. In an optical signalling apparatus of the kind above referred to a certain
number of signal lamps each of which can be caused to shine continuously or
intermittingly whereby it is possible to give as many signals as there are of the
two elements continuous light" and "intermittent light" combinations with repeti-
tion of n members, n being the number of lamps.
Third. In an optical signalling apparatus of the kind above referred to, resistances
equal in number and value to the signalling larups say as many other electric lamps
of which, on the apparatus being operated, as many of the said resistances are
interposed in the circuit as there are signal lamps put out of the same whereby the
resistance of one and the same number of lamps is always opposed to the electric
current.
Fourth. In an optical signalling apparatus of the kind above referred to resistance
lamps having the same relative positions as the corresponding signal lamps whereby
these resistance lamps are made to form a sort of tell-tale, by which the operation
of the signal lamps is controlled.
Fifth. In an optical signalling apparatus of the kind above referred to rotary metal
discs having their circumference divided into conducting and non-conducting portions
and two contact springs so rubbing thereon that one of them touches a conducting
portion while the other is in contact with a non-conducting one; one of these springs
being electrically connected to a signal lamp and the other to the corresponding
resistance lamp, in consequence whereof a current entering such a disc causes the two
lamps to shine alternately and intermittingly.
Sixth. In an optical signalling apparatus of the kind above referred to a switch-
board carrying as many switch levers as signals can be given each lever closing on
being operated, the shunts into which the signal lamps to be lighted are inserted and
breaking the shunts of the corresponding resistance lamps.
Seventh. In an optical signalling apparatus of the kind referred to a switch-
board carrying a switch-lever which is adapted to be swung in a plane parallel to the
switch board and to be moved in planes perpendicular to the said board, and contact
springs arranged in radial lines around the pivot of the lever.
Eighth. In an optical signalling apparatus of the kind referred to the combination
with pairs of springs touching each other and interposed into the shunts of the
resistance lamps, and pairs of springs, which do not touch each other and which are
interposed into the shunts of the signal lamps and revolving discs, of switch levers
adapted to force asunder with their non-conducting portions the former springs and
to connect electrically by metallic their portions the latter springs.
Dated this 24th day of September 1888
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.