AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY WORKING FOGHORNS AND OTHER SIGNALS
Year: 1884

page_text: We, WILLIAM Fox, engineer, Armley, Leeds and HOMAN PRICE FENDY, engineer,
23 West Hillary Street, Leeds, in the county of York, do hereby declare the nature
of our invention for AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY WORKING
FOGHORNS AND OTHER SIGNALS to be as follows:-
In a cylinder or chamber which is divided into two separate compartments by a
diaphragm is a smaller cylinder open at both ends and communicating with the
two compartments of the diaphragm cylinder.
In this smaller cylinder is a piston the rod of which is continued through the
covers of the diaphragm cylinder, one end boing connected to the cord or other
means used for actuating the signal whilst the other end is notched at two places
to receive the nose of a spring bolt or latch, such notches dotermining the length of
stroke of the piston. Into each end of the large cylinder, steam or compressed air
or water is admitted through small orifices which can be regulated at will, while
from the centre of the inner cylinder is a waste pipe which is of sufficient size to
conduct away more steam air or water than can pass through the orifices above
mentioned.
The automatic action of the machine or apparatus may now bo described as
follows, steam being taken as the medium or acting agent :-
Steam being admitted into both ends of the diaphragm cylinder and the piston
being latched at one end of its stroke, all the steam which comes in at one end or
compartment of the diaphragm cylinder escapes freely through the waste pipo
thereby showing little or no pressure in that coiupartment, but all the steam which
comes into the other end or compartment must pass the piston before escaping
through the waste pipe. Now if more steam is admitted than can leak past the
piston, the pressure must rise in that end of the diaphragm cylinder, and will
continue to do so until the power exerted on the piston is sufficient to make it
shoot the latch or spring-bolt, when being released it immediately travels to the
other end of its stroke, latches itself fast and the same action commences again,
but from the other end of the cylinder.
It will thus be seen that by altering the size of the orifices through which the
steam enters in relation to the leakage past the piston, a variable differential action
is arrived at, which can be adjusted to a nicety to give variable and intermittent
periods of sound and silence to the signal.

page_text: We, WILLIAM Fox, of Armley, Leeds, Engineer, and HOMAN PRICE FENBY, of
23 West Hillary Street, Leeds in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of our said invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY
WORKING FOGHORNS AND OTHER SIGNALS," and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
According to our invention, in a cylinder or chamber which is divided into two
separate compartiments by a diaphragm, and which will be hereinafter called the
divided cylinder, is a smaller cylinder open at both ends and communicating at each
end with one of the two compartments of the divided cylinder. In the smaller
cylinder is a piston, the rod of which is continued through the covers of the divided
cylinder, one end being connected to the cord or other means used for actuating the
signal, whilst near the other end it is formed or provided with notches or notched
parts projecting from the sides of the piston rod as hereinafter more fully explained,
to receive noses or ends of a pair of spring latches, whose office is to determine the
length of stroke of the piston. Or instead of providing notches near one end only
of the piston rod, there may be such notches near each end, corresponding latches
being provided so that one set of notches shall serve for arresting the motion of
the piston in one direction, and the other set in the other direction.
Into each end of the divided cylinder, suitable actuating fluid such as steam or
compressed air or water is admitted through small orifices, which can be regulated
at will, while from the centre of the smaller cylinder is a waste pipe of sufficient
capacity to conduct away within a given time more fluid than can pass through
the orifices beforementioned within the same time..
The automatic action of the machine or apparatus may now be described as
follows: Assuming steam to be the actuating fluid, it is admitted into both compart-
iments of the divided cylinder, and the piston being latched at one end of its stroke,
all the steam that comes into one compartment of the divided cylinder escapes
freely through the waste pipe or exhaust port, thereby showing little or no pressure
in that compartment, but all the steam comes into the other compartment must
pass or propel the piston before escaping through the waste pipe. Now if more
steam be admitted than can leak past the piston, the pressure will rise in that
compartment of the divided cylinder, and will continue to do so until the power
exerted on the piston is sufficient to make it shoot the latch, whereupon being
released it will immediately travel to the other end of its stroke, latch itself fast,
and the same action will commence again, but from the contrary end of the cylinder.
Either of these movements may actuate a fog or other signal by any suitable
connection to the signalling apparatus from the piston rod.-It will thus be seen
that by altering the size of the orifices through which the steam enters, in relation
to the leakage past the piston, a variable differential action can be attained, which

page_text: can be adjusted to a nicety to give variable and intermittent periods of sound and
Bilence in the signalling.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1, is a sectional plan. Fig. 2, a vertical
section, and Fig. 3, an end elevation of apparatus according to our invention, A, is
the cylinder or chamber divided into two compartments A, A, by the diaphragm B,
and closed at the outer ends by the covers C, C₁, these have projections C², C³, and
hangers D, D, by which the apparatus may be suspended, or it may be fixed in any
other convenient manner, E, is a smaller cylinder cast in one piece with the divided
cylinder A, (or otherwise) and bored to receive piston F, which works freely
therein. The piston rod G, may be arranged to pass through either one or both
the covers C, C, by glands C, and C³,-H, is a keep piece, either in one piece with
or fitted to the piston rod G.
One edge of the keep-piece or the rod itself may have notches for the reception
of the nose of a spring bolt or latch as previously referred to, but we prefer to
form at both sides of the piston rod or keep piece, notches into which we cause
the latches I, I, to take by the action of the springs J, J,—These notches and
latches determine the length of stroke of the piston F: When the piston rod G,
passes through both covers as shown in Figs 1, and 2, it may if desired be provided
with notches or keep pieces at both ends, and formed at the outer ends thereof
with notches for spring latches to take into.-K, K, are inlet valves, one to each
compartiment A', and A², for supplying the same with actuating fluid that arrives
by pipe L, and proceeds through the ports M, M, to the respective chambers for
actuating the piston F.-The spindles of the said valves are screwed at L³, and are
capable of adjustment to regulate as required the intervals at which the foghorn or
signal shall sound. N, N, are spring catches taking into notches in the peripheries
of discs or wheels O, O, on the spindles of the valves K, K, for keeping the same
in position when regulated. P, is the waste or exhaust pipe or port for the escape
of steam or other medium from that compartment towards which the piston for
the time being has to be propelled by the excess of pressure in the contrary
compartment.
It is evident that the diaphragm may be dispensed with by making the machine
in the form of a plain cylinder only, with the stroke or travol of the piston so
arranged as to leave a sufficient space at each end of the cylinder to form a
reservoir for steam to collect in, to propel the piston or plunger to the other end
of its stroke when released by the latches.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1st. In an apparatus for automatically working foghorns and other signals the
use in combination of a cylinder, a piston with a rod and means for locking the
piston at each end of its stroke, substantially as and for the purposes described
above.
2nd. In an apparatus for automatically working foghorns or other signals, the
use of two chambers such as A, and A, for the reception of actuating fluid in
conjunction with a cylinder E, and piston F, the arrangement being such that the
piston is moved alternately in opposite directions within its cylinder, substantially
in the manner and for the purpose hereinabove described with reference to and
illustrated in the drawings.
3rd. In an apparatus such as referred to in claim 2, the use of valves such
as K, K, with index discs or wheels O, O, and spring catches N, N, for regulating
the admission to the two chambers A', and A², of actuating fluid for moving the
piston F, and maintaining the regularity of such admission substantially as shown
and described.
4th. The use as hereinabove described of the spring latches I, I, for determining
the pressure and time at which the piston F, shall be released to actuate the
foghorn or signal as above set forth.

page_text: 5th. Providing for the escape of actuating, fluid from the compartments A!,
and A', alternately so that the piston F, may be propelled by, the excess of pressure
for the time being in one compartment substantially as described.
6th. The combination of parts constituting the apparatus for automatically
working foghorns or other signals, constructed, arranged and operating as shewn
in and described with reference to the drawings.