Evening star., 1923-08-05
NAVAL INVENTION
CONQUERSSTAT|C
Enlisted Man Perfecting De-
vice to Filter Sound Be-
fore Receiving.
TESTS PROVE SUCCESS
Inventor Has Been at Task for
Eleven Years at Odd
Periods.
TESTS PROVE SUCCESS


device for the elimination of static.
will undoubtedly be one of the great
est advancements in radio communi-
cation when perfected naval radio
experts declare. Through it's selec-
tive action, the clariphone subdues
mechanical sounds of a discontinue
Gus character. sustaining the continu-
Gus notes and uniformly pitched
sounds. thus enabling stations trans
mitting long distances through static
interference TO be read much more
easily.
Although the inventor. Chief Elec-
trician William ]. Scott. U. S. N, be-
gan work on this static eliminator
cation in the patent office in January.
1921, little except the name of the
fiiltering device has been made
public. Since successful tests at the
bureau of standards and at the naval
radio central at Washington. naval
officials have decided to release GER
tain facts regarding the unique ap-
paratuS in the interest of those who
are also hghting summer static IN
an effort to perfect radio communi-
cation.
while the clariphone is still in its
experimental stage, the results OBJ
seem to indicate that the entire
elimination Of static may be hoped
for in the near future" one naval
expert asserts.
Noted Improvement.
Without going into the technical
details, and the operation is compll-
Gated, the writer can vouch for the
fact that the instrument works. While
in one of the receiving stations on
the third floor of the Navy building
few days ago. we tuned in NPG.
San Francisco, which was heard
family through bad static. BY chang
ing from the telephone headSet on the
regular receiving apparatus to pair
of head phones connected with the
clariphone, a remarkable improve
ment was at once noted; the static
was reduced materially and the dis
tant signals came in clearer and
sharper. Dispatches from the naval
stations MIA, Balboa, and NPL, San
Diego. were read with ease when the
clariphone was connected in. whereas
the dots and dashes were difficult to
distinguish through the phones di-
rectly on the receiving set.
The apparatus consists of a large
metallic chamber or tube about four
feet long and eighteen inches in di-
ameter, with adjustable ends. From
the chamber eight smaller tubes or
telescopes" project radially in pairs.
Each telescope" contains a watch
case telephone receiver used for in
Producing the radio signals received
from the radio set into the receiv
ing chamber. The incoming sound is
then passed through the chamber
acoustically. where it is broken up
several hundred times. the inventor
explains, by the internal arrangement.
All of the static is absorbed by over
10000 separate pieces used in its con-
struCtion. Exactly how. is not di-
vulged. To d lesser degree, the sound
waves themselves are also absorbed
in the fltering process.
a weaker but a clear note is pick
ed I'D by four microphones. two on
the top of the cylinder and one on
each end. The microphones are con-
nected in parallel to the primary of a
transformer, the secondary being con-
nected to a head set where the op-
orator receives the outcoming signals
after the static is eliminated. The
sound of the signals may also be
heard through two acoustical phones
also attached to the top of the ap-
paratus. When the outcoming sounds
are found too weak, they may be am
pllted in the usual manner.
Many Patents Pending.
Whatever the internal acoustical
mechanism may be. the patent office
recognizes it as pioneer invention.
and Mr.. Scott has patents pending in
the United States and several foreign
countries. The clariphone will op-
crate for the elimination of static
phOnic communication. Mr.. Scott also
hopes to be able to eliminate all in
reference from nearby stations using
wave lengths which are close to the
wave length that the instrument is
tuned to. To date only one instru-
ment is in operation. but another
with some improvements is under
construction, it is understood The
inventor is now engaged in working
out a practical method for producing
q good audible tone to the sound
waves which leave the four micro
phones mounted on the cylindrical
chamber and are heard in the head
phones by the operator. Many naval |
experts, who have examined and test
ed the clariphone. Mr. Scott says, have
made helpful suggestions. Chief Cum
ner j. j. Delaney and Chief Radiomen
John Gilmore. +. II. Wilkinson and !
r.. l.. Cash are aiding Mr.. Scott in
perfecting the radio end of his inyen-
ton. With improvements now under /
way, the apparatus can be tuned to
maximum strength wireless signal
ana minimum strength of atmospheric
disturbance. which goes a long way
toward Improving long-distance wire |
ieSS communications The appa ratuS
Is not yet available to owners of
private receiving stations nor anna
eurs because of its cost. but future
9velopment and production on a.
1arge scale may make it a practical
adjunct to general radio reception.
The Navy is particularly interested
since apparatus of this sort could be
used on its ships and shore stations.
particularly in the tropics where
static interferes greatly with the
communication. Lighter sets for
adaptation In alrplaneS and Submarines
for the elimination of various forms
or noise are also being considered