Improved Sound Signal Whistle.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Sound Signal Whistle.
ISAAC SMITH Mount Hooton Road Nottingham Brass Founder SAMUEL SMITH
Hardy Street Nottingham Brass Founder WILLIAM SMITH 34 Bentinck Road
Nottingham Brass Founder trading as Sydney Smith & Sons Basford Brass Works
Nottingham do heroby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A moveable plunger or piston which may be worked alternatively either up or down
a cylindrical metal bell. The intervals of its movements are regulated & governed
by a spring or springs which are connected with the top of the plunger & kept in
position by a spindle working through a guide. This apparatus is then screwed or
connected with a ordinary valve or tap having steam passages which when opened
admits steam to strike upon the bottom of the metal cylindrical bell which is
perforated at its mouth. Or it may be worked by a lever or crank acting on the
spindle at the top of the plunger.
This Steam Sounding Signal or Whistle may be made automatic by valve worked
by moveable plunger which opens & shuts it. Steam escapes thro this valve
through a tube which acts upon the top of the plunger & the alternating movements
of plunger are thereby obtained.
Dated this 11th day of February 1889
ISAAC SMITH.
SAMUEL SMITH.
WILLIAM SMITH.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improved Sound Signal Whistle.
We, ISAAC SMITH, of Mount Hooton Road, SAMUEL SMITH, of Hardy Street, and
WILLIAM SMITH, of 34 Bentinck Road, all in Nottingham, Brass Founders, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The object of this invention is to produce a note which gradually varies in pitch,
the sound being either continuous or intermittent.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a whistle constructed according to our
invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line a Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line y y Figure 1.
A is a casing at the base of the instrument, it has a screw thread at A' so that it
can be screwed on to the top of a steam pipe provided with a cock. B is the bell
or sonorous part of the whistle. It consists of a cylinder cut away at two opposite
sides at B B the parts not cut away connecting it to the casing A. It is caused
to vibrate by the steam rushing out of the annular openings CC formed between
the disc D and the casing & and impinging against the upper edges of the
openings B' B. E is a spindle which is free to work up and down in bearings in
the disc D and the bridge piece F. The spindle E has fixed to it a disc E' and it
also carries at its upper end a weighted plunger E'.
The action of the apparatus is as follows
When steam is admitted to the casing A it escapes by the annular openings C

page_text: and impinges against the edge of the whistle B causing it to vibrate, the note
depending on the capacity of the space inside the whistle below the plunger E. The
pressure of the steam acting against the lower end of the spindle and the rush of
the steam past the dise E aided by the pressure of the waste steam below the
planger E cause the spindle E to lift, overcoming the weight of the plunger E³. As
the spindle E rises the capacity of the space below the plunger E increases and the
note of the whistle is thereby varied. This goes on until the spindle reaches the end
of its course. If the steam passage still remains open the whistle will continue to
sound but now without variation of note. We sometimes however provide a
seating G against which the disc E' bears when the spindle is in its highest position,
and thereby cuts off the supply of steam and stops the whistle.
The speed at which the spindle rises is dependent upon the size, form and weights
of the various parts, it may readily be increased by increasing the size of the
dise E or by diminishing the diameter of the casing A at the place where this disc
works.
We sometimes cause the spindle A to oscillate up and down automatically. We
do this in the following manner at the top of the whistle Ba steam chest or
space II is provided as shown in Figure 4 which is connected to the steam pipe by a
small pipe J. At the bottom of the steam chest II is a valvo K whose stem "K'
projects downwards so that, as the spindle E approaches the top of its course_thu
plunger comes against it and opens the valve K allowing steam to escape from
the chest H. The pressure of this steam against the top of the plunger Eª forces it
and the spindle downwards, thereby reversing the action of the apparatus. By
properly proportioning the length of the stem K' and the mass of the different parts
the spindle E can be enusel to oscillate through a considerable length as the
momentum of it and its discs is sufficient to cause it to continue to move some time
after the valve H is closed and the steam has been cut off from its top.
In place
of the valve K with a long stem K' any well known valve which opens quickly and
closes slowly may be employed.
We also sometimes provide a lever connected to the spindle E so that the latter
may be moved up and slown by hand. By this means a series of notes may be produced
and signals given.
In place of weighting the plunger E³ a spring may be provided tending to make it
descend.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
1. A sound signal whistle provided with a plunger by which its capacity can be
varied and its note changed substantially as described.
2. A sound signal whistle provided with a plunger by which its capacity can be
varied and its note changed which plunger carries a projection extending to the passage
supplying steam or other fluid to the whistle so that the rush of fluid causes the
plunger to move substantially as described.
3. A sound signal whistle provided with a plunger by which its capacity can be
varied and its note changed such plunger being caused to oscillate automatically
substantially as described.
4. A sound signal whistle provided with a plunger by which its capacity can be
varied and its note changed such plunger being moved in one direction by tho steam
or other fluid on its way to the whistle and in the other direction by stean: or other
fluid admitted by a valve worked by the plunger substantially as described.
5. A sound signal whistle provided with a plunger by which its capacity can be
varied and its nole changed and with a lever or handle by which the plunger can be
moved substantially as described.

page_text: 6. The combination of the casing A, the whistle B, the spindle E, the disc E¹ and
the plunger E substantially as described.
7. Sound signal whistles substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 30th day of October 1889.
Witness,
JOHN THOMPSON BREWSTER,
Notary Public,
Nottingham.
ISAAC SMITH.
SAMUEL SMITH.
WILLIAM SMITH.