US28336A - Thomas t - Google Patents

Description

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THOMAS T. VOODVARD, OF SOUTH READING, MSSAUHUSET'IIS, ANSIGNOR '.lO HMSELF,

l NYHEEIAVRIGHT, OF BOSIOX, MASSACHUSET'LS.

To all whom it may coacernf' Be it known that I, THOMAS T. VooD- WARD, of South Reading, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Revolving Signal Apparatus, and that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my said improvements by which my invention may be distinguished from all others of asimilar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

The figures of Ahe accompanying plate of drawings represent my improvements.

Figure l is a central vertical section of my improved revolving signal apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side view with the outer casing removed. Fig. 3 is a' transverse horizontal section taken in the plane of the line A B Fig. l. Fig. l is a plan or top view of the top plate of the inside cylinder.

I have heretofore made an improvement in signal apparatus for vessels for which I have made application for separate Letters Patent which consisted of a lantern having a series of fixed lights with which was comf bined an arrangement of devices consisting of a tube or barrel containing blue or other pyroteclinic lights, which were ignited at any desired moment by the movement of a spring hammer actuated by pulling a cord or otherwise.

The present invention consists in. anew arrangement of devices whereby a series of pyrotechnic lights can be successively ignited instead of only one as was-the case in my former apparatus in which one pyrotechnic light became extinct before another one could be inserted and ignited.

By my present portable apparatus a continuous intense light can be produced if desired or a series of 'rockets or other signals can be successively exploded without cessation, no time being lost in vrecharging the apparatus.. To produce these results I use a circular inany-chainbered apparatus in which blue lights, rockets or other pyrotechnic lights are placed at proper intervals apart and separated by partitions to prevent more than one light from being ignited SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Speciicationfof Letters Patent blo-28,336, (lated May 15, 1860.

' at a time by sparks &c. and made to receive an intermittent rotary motion and ignite each light in succession by means of a spring-hammer striking a percussionv cap. lthe whole being actuated by simply pulling a cord. By this means one light can be ignited before the preceding one has burned out o r the whole series can be almost instantaneously. set in operation.

a a a in the drawings represent a water- .tight casing, in which the apparatus is inclosed having a suitablecover b b.

c cv is a hollow cylinder'containing any number of sockets Z Z &c. in which are placed a series of blue or other pyrotechnic lights or charges e, e, Sac., the top of the-se terminating in a cylindrical chamber f f, divided into compartments g, g &c. by partitions 7L fr, &c. in close contact with nippletubes z', e' &c. upon which the percussion caps are to be placed.

it h is a spring-hammer actuated by pulling arod i', z" theforked end 7c of which engages with a projecting lip of the hammer. The rod z" i is retracted so as to be ready for another operation by a spiral spring Z. vThus it will be seen that the charge will be ignited by simply pulling the rod i z" which operation also causes the cover b b of the casing@ a to fly open, by the motion of the hammer It h which as it is drawn back disengages the upper end of a lever m from the cover b which is'then thrown open by a spring n.

The interior apparatus (turning upon a vertical shaft j) is made to receive an intermittent rotary motion in such a manner as vto bring each nipple-tube in succession in position to be acted upon by the hammer whereby the charges can be ignited one after the other as rapidly as may be desired by the action of a stud 0 on the rod z" ef, which plays in the continuous cam-shaped grooves p, pte. formed in or on the cylinder c, c. The grooves are so formed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that by pulling the rod z", z" the stud 0 will travel down the grooves until it passes beyond the points g, g &c. so that when the rod is released and retracted the stud 0 will travel up the next groove until it passes a similar point r, when it is ready and in position to travel downward again on of the grooves p p.

Having thus described my improvements I shall state my claims as follows What I claim as my invention anddesire to have secured to me by Letters Patent is l. A portable revolving signal apparatus containin a series of pyrotechnie charges such as b ue lights or rockets &c. and operated so as to receive an intermittent rotary motion and to successfully ignite the several l entering of the stud lo into the shoulders s charges by any suitable arrangement of mechamcal devices.

2. The arrangement of devices for rotating the apparatus and igniting thevcharges at the same time, the same consistin of the spring-hammer and cam-grooved cy inder o both actuated as described b the rod.

THOMAS T. OODWARD.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH GARRETT, ALBERT W. BROWN.

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