FRESNEL LENS

May 28, 2010
118
Loveland, Ohio
Many of the older "behive" style flashing/blinking warning lights used on fire apparatus featured "Fresnel" style lens to make the flashing light much more effective and visible. Thought you would enjoy this article about the history related to that style "amplifying" lens:
 

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May 21, 2010
2,201
Elmira, ny
Actually have a glass fresnel lens i have no use for and was gonna list, but no idea what to ask.

Firetruck im working on has 2 of those lights in rear

5D593082-39BA-4C7F-BF4C-41B5513E7287.jpeg
 

bpollard

Member
Jun 13, 2010
422
USA, SC
That's a good article. Thanks for posting it, Billy. Some of the original lighthouses back then used a kerosene flame inside a fresnel lens such as this and could be seen from many miles at sea. In order to make the light flash, a rotating mirror, which floated on a bed of mercury (they called it Quicksilver) to minimize friction as a bearing, was powered by a weight on a long chain. Think of an old fashioned grandfather clock that is over a hundred feet tall. They would winch the weight up using a mule during the day, fill the kerosene reservoir, then light it at dark an start the mechanism. It would last all night . That's what the Lighthouse Keeper did.
 
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