Patent GB-1885-5854
Brewer & Alexander:
One or more incandescence lamps are suspended within a balloon, and an electric current is supplied to the lamps by a conductor on the captive rope. By alternately breaking and connecting the circuit the balloon is illuminated by flashes of any required duration, or the balloon may be illuminated continuously.
Bruce commented in the 1898 Aeronautical Journal[1] :
I have on several previous occasions had the honour of bringing my system of electrical balloon signalling before the notice of this Society, and I have described pretty fully the different experiments I have conducted for the various Governments that have adopted the apparatus for the purposes of warfare. With the progress of time another use has arisen for electrical balloon signalling. It promises to be a valuable adjunct to scientific exploration in Arctic and Antarctic expeditions.
He mentions that he developed for the British government an alternative (to Morse) system for optical telegraphy, now being adopted by Belgium and Italy.
The signaling balloon, he said, could be used to communicate between exploration parties (and perhaps by or to a rescue party) and used as a light to illuminate nighttime activities or perhaps a search and rescue mission.
Sources
| Year filed | 1885 |
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| Office | GB |
| Patent number | 5854 |
| Inventors | Eric Stuart Bruce |
| Inventor country | GB |
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| Applicant is inventor? | Yes |
| Original title | Balloon signalling |
| English title | Balloon signalling |
| Tech fields | LTA, communications, electricity |
| Filing date | 1885 |
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| Granted? | Yes |
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| Supplementary to patent | [[ ]] |
| Related to aircraft? | Yes |
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| First filing? | No |
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