Scientific American Supplement, No. 508, September 26, 1885Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 508, September 26, 1885
Various
Science -- Periodicals
The projectors employed for lighting to a distance the surroundings of
a stronghold or of a ship have likewise been applied in optical
telegraphy. For this purpose Messrs. Sautter, Lemonnier & Co. have
added to their usual projecting apparatus some peculiar arrangements
that permit of occultations of the luminous focus at proper intervals.
Figs. 21 and 22 show the arrangement of the apparatus, the principle
of which is as follows: When the axis of the projector points toward
the clouds, and in the direction occupied by a corresponding station,
the occultations of the luminous source placed in the focus of the
apparatus produce upon the clouds, which act as a screen, an alternate
series of flashes and extinctions. It is therefore possible with this
arrangement, and by the use of the Morse alphabet, to establish an
optical communication at a distance. The use of this projector (the
principal inconvenience of which is that it requires a clouded sky)
even permits two observers who are hidden from each other by the
nature of the ground to easily communicate at a distance of 36 or 48
miles.
USE OF THE PROJECTOR IN OPTICAL TELEGRAPHY.
[Illustration: FIGS. 21 AND 22.--FRONT VIEW AND LONGITUDINAL SECTION
OF THE MANGIN PROJECTOR.
(Scale 1/15). A. Elliptical mirror. B. Arm of the same. C. Nut for
fixing the mirror. D. Support of the mirror. E. Occultator. F. Support
for same. G. Lever for maneuvering the occultator. I. Support of the
occultator rod. J. Screw for fixing the mirror support. K. Screw for
fixing the support of the occultator rod. L. Screw for fixing the
occultator support.]
The apparatus shown in Figs. 21 and 22 permits of signaling in three
ways:
1. _Upon the Clouds._--In this case the mirror, A, is removed, and the
projector inclined above the horizon in such a way as to illuminate
the clouds to as great a distance as possible. A maneuver of the
occultator, E, between the lamp and the mirror arrests the luminous
rays of the source, or allows them to pass, and thus produces upon the
clouds the dots and dashes of the conventional alphabet.
2. _Isolated Communication by Luminous Fascicles._--When it is desired
to correspond to a short distance of 2 or 3 miles, and establish a
communication between two isolated posts, the mirror, A, is put in
place upon its support, B. The luminous fascicle emanating from the
source reflected by the mirror is thrown vertically. By revolving the
mirror 90 deg. around its horizontal axis the fascicle becomes horizontal,
and may thus be thrown in a given direction at unequal intervals and
during irregular times, and furnish conventional signs.
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