Apparatus for Effecting the Automatic, Safe, and Regular Detonation of Explosive Fog-signals, particularly applicable to Lighthouses, Light-ships, Shore Signalling Stations, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar.. 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Effecting the Automatic, Safe, and Regular Detonation
of Explosive Fog-signals, particularly applicable to Lighthouses,
Light-ships, Shore Signalling Stations, and the like.
1, FREDERICK WILLIAM SLAUGHTER, of 84 Tresillian Road, Brockley, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
-The object of this invention is to provide means for exploding or detonating
the explosive fog-signals which are used at light houses, in a safer and more
convenient manner than heretofore, and also to provide apparatus which, being
driven or operated by a motive power engine, by clockwork, or by other means,
will effect the detonation of the fog-signals regularly and automatically.
The fog-signals employed are exploded electrically, and are provided with two
electrical connecting wires. To each pair of these electrical connecting wires I
attach a contrivance which may be termed a carrier, and which serves to facilitate
the automatic picking up and detonation of the signal. I provide a jib or davit
projecting from the light-house or ship, or erected on shore, and having an endless
band or chain running to and fro along its whole length. The endless band is
supported and guided by a series of rollers attached to the jib, and it is preferably
kept as close to the jib as possible. At the base of the jib is a magazine capable
of holding any desired number of fog-signals with their connecting wires and
carriers, and arranged so that it can travel easily in the same direction as the end-
less band travels in passing the base of the jib or davit. I prefer that the endless
band should travel outwards underneath the jib, and, after passing round rollers
on the jib-head, return on the top and inner side: the magazine is therefore
preferably rendered capable of travelling outwards under the jib. The carriers
in the magazine are so arranged that hooks which are provided on the endless band
can successively engage them and pick them up with the fog-signals attached
thereto by the electrical connecting wires, the magazine being at the same time
pushed along by the hooks so as to enable the next hook on the band to engage
and lift out the next carrier. In this manner all the fog-signals are successively
lifted out of the magazine and carried outwards and upwards towards the jib-
head. Before reaching the end of the jib, the connecting wires are brought by
the travel of the endless band into more or less direct electrical contact with the
positive and negative terminals of a battery or dynamo, and the fog-signal is
detonated in consequence, the carrier remaining still attached to the band.
.
The jib-head is of such form that although the endless band with its hooks can
pass freely round it, a carrier cannot pass it, so that each carrier as it arrives at
the jib-head is forcibly detained and detached from the band and allowed to fall
into a suitable hopper or other receptacle from which it can be recovered at will.
If the fog-signal fails to explode from any cause at the proper place, it will pass
out to the jib-head with the carrier, and be received therewith into the aforesaid
hopper.
The form of jib which I prefer to employ consists of a straight vertical portion,
and another straight portion running upwards and outwards from the vertical
portion at an obtuse angle with it. It is easy to carry an endless band on such
ajib for the purposes of this invention, and to keep the said endless band close
to the jib throughout its entire length. The point at which the electrical contacts
are made and the fog-signal detonated, will be somewhere about the middle of the
top portion of the jib, so that, at the time of its detonation, the fog-signal will be
hanging by its long connecting wires at a safe distance from any vulnerable part

page_text: of the apparatus and from other explosive signals either in the magazine or in
the hopper or receptacle provided as above mentioned for catching those signals
which may fail to explode.
The hooks on the endless band engage parts or attachments on the carriers
which are of such construction that although they will adequately support the
weight of a carrier and signal, they will spring open or otherwise release the
carrier and signal from the band when any unusual strain is brought to bear
upon them, as, for instance, when the carrier reaches the jib-head which it cannot
pass.
The endless band may advantageously consist of a suitable metallic chain.
Due provision is made for the insulation of the electrical connecting wires. The
endless band passes round a wheel or pulley situated at the base of the jib and
over the magazine, and it may be driven by any kind of motor or motive power
engine suitably connected to this wheel or its spindle: or, the endless band may
be driven by any of the wheels over or round which it passes, or by a special wheel
provided for driving purposes only.
It may be found convenient to employ an annular magazine having its axis
vertical and being so situated that the endless band works immediately over one
side thereof, moving the magazine round step by step and lifting out successive
signals by their carriers.
The necessity for a magazine may be avoided by employing an endless band
or chain of sufficient length to carry a convenient number of explosive signals at
safe distances from each other, that part of the band which is not actually
travelling on the jib, being carried on wheels or pulleys under shelter. I prefer
at present to use a magazine as previously described.
The automatic regularity with which my apparatus detonates the explosive fog-
signals, renders the application of such signals more effective than heretofore, and
permits of their use in situations where the necessarily great and constant attention.
hitherto required has rendered such use undesirable.
Dated this 28th day of February 1893.
F. W. SLAUGHTER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Effecting the Automatic, Safe, and Regular Detonation
of Explosive Fog-signals, particularly applicable to Lighthouses,
Light-ships, Shore Signalling Stations, and the like.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM SLAUGHTER of 84 Tressillian Road Brockley in the
County of Kent, Engineer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide means for exploding or detonating the
explosive fog signals which are used at lighthouses and for coast signalling in a
safer and more convenient manner than heretobefore, and also to provide apparatus
which being driven or operated by a motive power engine, clockwork, or by other
means, will effect the detonation of the fog-signals regularly and automatically.
The fog-signals employed are exploded electrically and are provided with two
electrical connecting wires. To each pair of these wires I attach a contrivance
which may be termed a carrier, and which is constructed of some insulating
material provided with two metal clips, by which each of the carriers when
travelling on the chain is suspended.
The carriers are also arranged, so that although they will adequately support by
their spring clips, the weight of the charge when suspended from the hooks, they
will spring open and release the hooks when coming in contact with stops at the
jib head, which occurs after the charge is exploded. These carriers are supported
on the top of the magazine by brackets over each tube, and serve to facilitate the.
automatic picking up and detonation of the fog-signal.

page_text: I provide a mast or davit projecting from the lighthouse and lightship or erected
on shore, and having a spigot wheel running on a shaft horizontally over the top
of the magazine and working in a vertical slot in the mast. This spigot wheel is
provided with a spur wheel which gears into a pinion secured to a horizontal shaft
over the spigot wheel and is prevented from revolving in more than one direction
by a suitable pawl on the pinion shaft engaging in a ratchet wheel on the shaft of
the spigot wheel. The pinion shaft may be actuated by hand, clockwork, or any
motive power.
At the lower end of the mast and beneath the spigot wheel I provide a
magazine constructed of one or more circles of vertical tubes to suit the desired
number of fog signals. These tubes are inserted at each end into annular thin
plates which surround the casting which supports the mast at its base, and the
lower plate is arranged to bear upon ball or other suitable bearings in order that
it may revolve very easily around the mast. I prefer to construct the top plate of
the magazine with a concentric ratchet ring, pitched to suit the number of tubes in
one circle. I provide a lever and pawl to engage this concentric ring so that by
the movement of the hooks or projections on the chain (as hereafter described)
when passing beneath the spigot wheel and coming in contact with the said lever
and pawl cause the magazine to revolve the required distance to suit the pitch of
the tubes.
The magazine may also be caused to revolve by means of gearing in connection
with the spigot wheels or by means of a falling weight attached to a cord wound
around the magazine.
.
To the top of the magazine suitable brackets are secured which serve to support
freely the carriers over each of their respective tubes.
I provide an endless chain or band which is caused to travel outwards and
underneath the spigot wheel, and is supported by suitable wheels and guides
attached to the mast and jib, and it is preferably kept as close to the mast as
possible. This chain is arranged to travel up one side of the mast and jib to the
jib head pulley, and continue over the mast head pulley, returning on the opposite
side of the mast to the spigot wheel.
I provide at intervals pairs of metal hooks, secured to projections on the links
of the chain, and electrically insulated from the chain. These pairs of hooks
serve to successively pick up the carriers from the magazine and carry them to
the jib head where the hooks are arranged to pass between and rub against metal
plates electrically insulated from each other, to these plates are secured the
terminal poles of a battery the wires of which are led up inside the mast and jib
to the jib head and terminals.
The circuit of the electric current is thus completed by the current passing
through the hooks and suspended carriers to the charge which is suspended below,
and thus causing the detonation of the charge.
At the jib head I provide a suitable hopper suspended by cords passing over
pulleys at each side of the jib head this hopper is so constructed that the carriers
suspended from the hooks will pass in at one side and coming in contact with the
jib head drop into the hopper below, which is slotted at one side to allow the wires
of the charge to hang through, this slot is not sufficiently wide to allow the
carrier to fall through. When all the charges have been fired the hopper may be
lowered to the ground and the carriers removed for further use.
At the mast head I provide a cap and pulley which slides over and bears upon
an internal spring secured to the top of the mast, this arrangement serves to
counteract any undue slackness of the chain occasioned by expansion or contraction
of its length.
I prefer to support the jib on the mast by means of brackets and pins which
allow by the withdrawal of one of the pins the jib to hang down close to the mast.
By means of this arrangement the necessity for wire stays is obviated in order to
prevent any movement of the jib by wind pressure.
The necessity for a magazine may be avoided by employing an endless band or

page_text: chain of sufficient length to carry a convenient number of explosive signals at safe
distances from each other, that part of the band which is not actually travelling on
the jib, being carried on wheels or pulleys under shelter.
I prefer at present to use a magazine as previously described.
The automatic regularity with which my apparatus detonates the explosive fog
signals, renders the application of such signals more effective than heretobefore
and permits of their use in situations where the necessarily great and constant
attention hitherto required has rendered such use undesirable.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a vertical sectional elevation of the
complete apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a detail view of the jib head and pulleys.
Fig. 4 is a plan of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a cross section of the mast and guides for the chain.
Fig. 6 is a detail of the carriers.
Fig. 7 is a detail of the method of attachment of the hooks to the chain.
Fig. 8 is a plan of Fig. 7.
In Fig. 1 the tubular mast (2) is inserted at its lower end and secured into a
casting (3) around which revolves on balls or other suitable bearings the magazine (4)
with the top and bottom plates (5) (5). On the top plate of the magazine is cast
or fitted the circular ratchet ring (6) by means of which in conjunction with the
lever and pawl (7) the magazine is caused to revolve.
Above the magazine (4) is the spigot wheel (8) secured to the shaft (9) and
geared up by the driving shaft and pinion (10). To the top plate of the magazine
is also secured the brackets which support the carriers (12) over each tube.
To the endless chain are secured the pairs of hooks (13) this chain is guided up
the mast by the guides (14). At the jib head (15) I provide the chain pulley (16)
and the small pulleys (17) from which is suspended the hopper (18), at the extreme
end of the jib Fig. 1. 3. 4. The contact plates (19) are secured and are electrically
insulated from the jib head casting. To these plates are attached the terminals (20)
which are connected by wires to the battery (21).
At the mast head Fig. 1 is shown the chain pulley (22) and the cap, bearing on
a spiral spring (23) resting on the top of the mast.
In Fig. 5 is shown the guides (14) attached by means of suitable screws to
the mast.
In Fig. 6 is shown the carriers (12) to which are fitted by means of screws (25)
2 metal spring clips (24), the connecting screws (25) passing through the bottom
of the carrier, and serve as terminals for the attachment of the wires of the
charge.
In Fig. 7 is shown the side view of a portion of the chain with the hooks
attached to a projection (26) formed on one of the links and electrically insulated
at (27).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. A method of effecting the automatic and regular detonation of explosive fog-
signals applicable to lighthouses lightships, or the various requirements of coast
signalling by means of the apparatus herein described and shown on the accom-
panying drawings Figs. 1. to Fig. 8 in combination with clockwork or other
motive power.
2. The combination in a fog-signal apparatus of a revolving magazine actuated
by suitable gearing as fully described and operating for the purpose set forth.
3. The construction and method of using carriers with clips as shown in Fig. 6
for the purpose hereinbefore described.
4. In a fog signal apparatus the arrangement of a mast with movable jib to give
easy access to the jib head, substantially as described.

page_text: 5. In combination with a fog signal apparatus an adjustable mast head cap and
pulley as shown in Fig. 1.
6. The combination of suitable electrically insulated hooks attached to an
endless chain substantially as described and operating for the purpose shown in
Fig. 1. & 7.
7. In a fog signal apparatus the arrangement of electrically insulated contact
plates in combination with the jib head.
8. The method of construction substantially described with reference to the
Fig. 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings and operating for the purpose as above
specified.
F. W. SLAUGHTER.