IMPROVEMENTS SIGNALLING BY SOUND IN FOGS, FOR SEA AND RIVER NAVIGATION, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1881

page_text: IN
LETTERS PATENT to John Gladwyn Jebb, of Five, Austin Friars, London, E.C.,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
SIGNALLING BY SOUND IN FOGS, FOR SEA AND RIVER NAVIGATION, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by William Benjamin
Barker, of Hoboken, New Jersey, United States.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gladwyn Jebb at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1881.
JOHN GLADWYN JEBB, of five Austin Friars, London, E.C., in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING BY SOUND IN FOGS, FOR SEA AND
RIVER NAVIGATION, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." [A communication from
abroad by William Benjamin Barker, of Hoboken, New Jersey, United States.]
This Invention relates to the kind of sound to be used in signalling fogs for
sea and river navigation, and also to the mechanism or actuating the sound
apparatus.
It relates firstly, then, to the sound, whether that sound be produced by a fog
horn, or reed instrument, or whistle.
It has been proposed to work a code of signals by long and short sounds, and &
combination or permutation of three, four, or more of these sounds in certain
defined or known sequence has produced a code.
The defect in these cases as to understanding the signals arises from the
difficulty of always knowing whether a sound is long or short, and my
improvement relates to so making the sounds to be used, either long or short, so
distinct in character that if even a portion only of the note of the sound be heard
the ear can at once detect that the note must be long or short.
In one case I use the same note, but instead of being a long even sustained note
I give it a vibratory character, so that the ear can at once distinguish it from the
other notes to be used, having the long sustained note.
Thus, supposing 1 long 2 short to represent a signal in the code, the long note,
which is preferably the one to vibrate, will be issued from the apparatus with a

page_text: vibratory character, then the two short non vibratory or even notes, with a well
defined interval, say, of 2 seconds, will be issued. Now, if only a portion of the
long note is heard it can lead to no mistake, as the ear would at once detect it to
be a long note, as no signal in the code has two long notes together.
The second part of the Invention relates to the mechanism for putting the sound
in operation.
It consists of a cylinder in which the air is compressed by a piston, which is
operated by gearing turned by hand or power. The cylinder preferably being
above, and the piston and piston rod rising as the gearing is turned, the air in the
cylinder is compressed; at the outer part of the frame stands a vertical rod; on
this vertical rod is keyed the vertical code, which is like a long pinion, each
vertical tooth of the pinion being cut on its face to the signal required, the long
notes having the edge of the pinion undulating to give the vibratory sound, and
the short or other notes being perfectly uniform; the edges of the pinion, therefore,
are constructed partly with an undulating surface, partly with a smooth surface,
and partly cut away. The action of this edge, therefore, represents according to its
construction long, short, or low notes at all, and either sustained notes or vibrating
notes. A lever pressing on this edge, either by a roller or other suitable device, so
operates by suitable devices the aperture from the compressed air in the cylinder to
the fog horn or whistle that the signals on the pinion edges are reproduced by the
sounding instrument, whether fog horn or whistle.
The code pinion is automatically geared to the division plate, course plate, or
compass plate, so that when the course on that is placed to the bows or to the
lubber point the code pinion must correspond to it. The operation of the -geared
mechanism must therefore give the signal indicated or set on the dial.
In ocean navigation, therefore, supposing the vessel to be steering N.E., a certain
combination of long and short sounds, as described, tells the course the vessel is
steering; steering the opposite, another distinctly different combination explains
the course she is taking.
In river navigation the code can be constructed accurately to describe her course
up or down the river and whether on the right or left bank.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent (and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor) filed by the said John Gladwyn Jebb in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st December 1881.
JOHN GLADWYN JEBB; of 5, Austin Friars, London, E.C., in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING BY SOUND IN FOGS, FOR SEA AND
RIVER NAVIGATION, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from
abroad by William Benjamin Barker, of Hoboken, New Jersey, United States.
This Invention relates to the kind of sound to be used in signalling in fogs
for sea and river navigation, and also to the mechanism for actuating the sound
apparatus.

page_text: It relates firstly, then, to the sound, whether that sound be produced by a fog
horn, or reed instrument, or whistle.
It has been proposed to work a code of signals by long and short sounds, and a
combination or permutation of three, four, or more of these sounds in certain
defined or known sequence has produced a code.
The defect in these cases as to understanding the signals arises from the difficulty
of always knowing whether a sound is long or short, and my improvement relates
to so making the sounds to be used, either long or short, so distinct in character
that if even a portion only of the note of the sound be heard the ear can at once
detect that the note must be long or short.
In one case I use the same note, but instead of being a long even sustained note,
I give it a vibratory character, so that the ear can at once distinguish it from the
other notes to be used, having the long sustained note.
Thus, supposing 1 long 2 short to represent a signal in the code, the long note,
which is preferably the one to vibrate, will be issued from the apparatus with a
vibratory character; then the 2 short non vibratory or even notes, with a well
defined interval, say, of 2 seconds will be issued.
Now, if only a portion of the long note is heard it can lead to no mistake, as the
ear would at once detect it to be a long note, as no signal in the code has two long
notes together.
The second part of the Invention relates to the mechanism for putting the sound
in operation.
It consists of a cylinder in which the air is compressed by a piston which is
operated by gearing turned by hand or power. The cylinder preferably being
above, and the piston and piston rod rising as the gearing is turned, the air in the
cylinder is compressed. At the outer part of the frame stands a vertical rod. On
this vertical rod is keyed the vertical code, which is like a long pinion, each vertical
tooth of the pinion being cut on its face to the signal required, the long notes
having the edge of the pinion undulating to give the vibratory sound, and the
short or other notes being perfectly uniform. The edges of the pinion therefore
are constructed partly with an undulating surface, partly with a smooth surface,
and partly cut away. The action of this edge therefore represented according to
its construction long, short, or no notes at all, and either sustained notes or vibrating
notes. A lever pressing on this edge either by a roller or other suitable device so
operates by suitable devices the aperture from the compressed air in the cylinder
to the fog horn or whistle, that the signals on the pinion edges are reproduced by
the sounding instrument whether fog horn or whistle.
The code pinion is automatically geared to the dial plate, or as it may be termed
the division plate, course plate, or compass plate, so that when the course on that
is placed to the bows or to the lubber point, the code pinion must correspond to it.
The operation of the geared mechanism must therefore give the signal indicated or
set on the dial.
In ocean navigation, therefore, supposing the vessel to be steering N.E., a certain
combination of long and short sounds, as described, tells the course the vessel is
steering; steering the opposite, another distinctly different combination explains
the course she is taking.
In river navigation the code can be constructed accurately to describe her course
up or down the river, and whether on the right or left bank.
In the accompanying Drawings forming part of this Specification is shown a
modification of the apparatus embodying the principles of the Invention, the
pinion being replaced by an internal pinion or cylinder being more suitable for
sailing vessels, the form already described being perhaps better adapted to steam
vessels using the steam whistle.
Figure 1 is an elevation in section of the apparatus; Figure 2, a plan view of
the top; Figure 3, a code developed out from the cylinder.
The like letters indicating like parts. a, base plate of the machine; b, handle
of wheel on axle c, driving pinion d, driving rack e, this rack e attached and

page_text: moving with the piston head f of the cylinder g, or air compressor. The air
compressor receives its air by the valve h, discharging it by the aperture i, which
communicates with the fog horn or other sounding instrument; j is the safety
valvo to prevent undue pressure; k is the valve opening to the fog horn kept
closed by the helical spring shewn in the Drawing, and pulled open by the wire
leading from the valve spindle of k to the bell crank by the action of the lever m
as it is acted on by the face of the code to be used at n, wherein is shown the
signal, 1 long vibratory signal 2, short smooth tone, and 1 long vibratory shown
on the dial plate as the S.E. signal.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The handle being rotated causes the
pinion to act on the rack, and carrying up the code and piston compresses the air
when the code reaches the trip lever m the air has become compressed, and escaping
by the aperture i to the instrument causes the sound to be emitted in accordance
with the construction of code then acting on the trip lever.
As the trip lever revolves with the dial plate o, it can be brought immediately
in front of any signal plate of the code cylinder, its position being known by an
index or pointer fixed on the frame of the machine in range with the bow of the
vessel. The code cylinder and dial plate may have 4, 8, 16, or any number of
divisions to represent courses steered, as may be desired.
The undulations for giving the vibratory notes are represented as fine teeth of
wheels, but they may be like saw teeth, or in any other outline desired.
The code represented at Figure 3 sufficiently illustrates the principle on which
the code may be constructed.
I have described in the fourth paragraph of my Specification that my improve-
ments relate to so making the sounds to be used, either long or short, so distinct
in character that if even a portion only of the note of the sound be heard the car
can at once detect that the note must be long or short. Now it is evident that I
need not and I do not confine myself to long or short notes absolutely, but may
construct my code of equal notes in length, the one being vibratory and the other
plain.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,—
1st. I claim the use of apparatus on vessels for signalling, in which combina-
tions of long and short sounds are used, wherein either the long or the short sounds
shall be caused to vibrate, and the other not to vibrate, substantially as described.
2nd. The use of apparatus on vessels for signalling, in which combinations of
vibratory and non vibratory sounds are used, substantially as described.
3rd. The apparatus substantially as described for the purpose of signalling,
substantially as described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gladwyn Jebb, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
J. GLADWYN JEBB. (L.S.)