US85004A - Improvement in signal-lanterns - Google Patents

Description

j. GRAHAM.

Signal Lantern l No. 85,004. Patented Dec. 15, 41868.

NGK/tvv mw N.PETERS. FHOTUTHOGiAPHER, wAsHxNGToN. :LCI

fitluital l tant' "kf W Mmei A Y :ne 'I Y.

tzend l (litt-ia.

JOI-IN GRAHAM, OF GRAFTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

Letters Patent No. 85,004, lated December 15, 1868.

IMPRover/.univrvA :N SIGNAL-LANTERNS. adhv- The Schedule referred to in these Ii'ett'ers vPatent and making part of the same.

To all lwhom it may concernI Be it known that I, J ons GRAHAM, of Grafton, in

the county of Taylor, and State of IVest Virginia, have invented a new and improved Signal-Lantern; and'I Figure 2 is a horizontal section, through the line x x of fig. l:

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and convenient signal-lamp for railroad-use.

The use of the lamps heretofore employed upon railroads, for signalling at night, is attended with many inconveniences, which have rendered it desirable to nd an instrument more completely adapted to such purposes.

, First, their parts are easily dislocated bythe jar of the engine, so that their accidental breaking is a matter of frequent occurrence. Y

Secondly, the light passing from them on every side, it is necessary to employ several lamps to give the several signals required, and, in general practice, two lamps are actually carried for each signal that has .to be made.

Thirdly, their light is easily extinguished by gusts of wind, and with difh'culty relighted; and

Foulthly, they being of common form and construction, and adapted to use elsewhere than on railroads,

and for any ordinary purposes, they are frequently stolen.

These several evils are believed to be overcomfby the lantern which I will now describe, and which has been in practical. use, for several months, on one of the principal raih'oads of the country, and has been found to possess all the advantages anticipated from it.

A represents the base of the lantern, and

B, a short vertical cylinder, firmly ailixed to and supported by the base, and provided with a socket, to receive and hold the lamp C.

To the upper end of the part B, a square or polyhedral frame, D, is attached, having glass windows, IV XV, on some of its sides or faces, the outer sides s s being blank or opaque.

The windows may be of as many different colors as is required, and may be changeable, at pleasure, the panes of glass being held in position by cleats, c a, behind which they slide up and down, so that the work of inserting or removing them can be easily and almost instantaneously performed.

The opaqueI sides may be provided with sockets of a similar character, to receive and hold the spare panes of glass required to vary the signals, and such spare panes, when thus held in their sockets, may be prothrough the covering, in order thatv the glass may be readily pushed up, so as to be grasped by the hand when required for use. v

Into such a lantern, the air necessary for combustion ils supplied through horizontal pipes, I I, arranged along the door of the lantern, or the top of the cylinder B, or tln'ough holes m m, made in the floor of the case I), outside ofthe rim of the part B.

The tubes are preferable for the purpose, inasmuch as they do not directly throw the air lupon the dame of the lamp, and therefore protect the latter from being extinguished by a sudden gust ot' wind,

The chamber D is surmonnted by a cylindrical dome, E, into which the heated air from the chamber rises through-a tapering flue, F, and a deilector, G, is placed above the flue, and supported by standards g g.

The hot air escapes from the sides of the dome through.V apertures -n n, while the cone F and deflector. G prevent gusts of wind from extinguishing the ilame from the upper end of the lantern. y

A handle or-bail, H, is attached to the dome.

The lamp is a small clipper-shaped vessel, having a handle, by which to insert or remove it, and having a fiat-wick tube, J, provided with openings in the side,

vthrough which a pin may be inserted, to pick up or lower the wick, without removing the lamp fromthe lantern.

` The whole instrument is made ot' tin, strengthened, if necessary, by wires, as in any tin-ware. It can thus be made at very little expense, while it is light, neat in appearance, and very strong and durable. Its parts are so put together, as above' explained, that all danger of their dislocation or destruction, bythe jar of the engine, is avoided. g

The lanteln is of such a form and character that it is not serviceablqfor any other purpose than tha-t for which it is intended to be used, and hence is in less danger of being stolen than the old lanterns.

Its advantages over the old ones, in point of economy, convenience, duc., in enabling almost any number of signals to be'made with a single lantern, will not need further explanation.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A signal-lantern, provided with sockets on the blank sides, covered or otherwise, to receive a-nd hold thespare glasses, substantially as described.

lo the above spcciiication of my improvement, Il

have signed my hand, this Jth day of September, ISGSJ JOHN GRAHAM.

Witnesses:

J OHN T. LATHAM, H. H. GUSEMAN..

Images