Ships at Sea During a Fog or Intense Darkness.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., .1886.
Complete Left, 20th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1887.
on Ships at Sea During a Fog or Intense Darkness.
We, WILLIAM VARLEY of Carlton near Skipton-in-Craven, Yorkshire, Machinist,
and GEORGE RIMINGTON of Skipton-in-Craven Yorkshire, Mechanical Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR AUDIBLY SIGNALLING ON SHIPS AT SEA DURING A FOG OR INTENSE
DARKNESS, to be as follows:-
The first part of this invention consists of a new or improved method of audibly
signalling on ships at sea, whereby the direction in which the ship is moving is clearly
made known or understood. This is effected by sounding the fog-horn or whistle at
certain intervals or for a certain number of times in succession followed by a suitable
interval, to make known any one of the thirty two principal points or of any other
subdivision into points, of the compass, that may be the one indicating the ilirection
in which the ship is moving or sailing.
The regulations for, or system of these sounds and intervals being as follows:-
The spaces intervening the four cardinal points of the compass are named, according
to this our invention, number one, two, three and four respectively; these spaces being
subdivided each into eight parts or any other greater or less number as may be thought
desirable. In order that this may be more clearly understood, let us say for example,
that the space intervening the cardinal points North and East on the compass is
numbered one, that the space between East and South is numbered two, between South
and West three and West and North four; and that the subdivision of each of these
spaces is into eight parts, then it must be understood that by sounding the whistle or
fog-horn once, the direction in which the ship is sailing is indicated by some point in
number one space or that by sounding it twice some point in number two space
indicates the direction and in like manner with three and four sounds for spaces three
and four now by following these sounds by a suitable interval of silence, say a
quarter of a minute and then sounding the whistle or fog-horn as many times in
succession as may be required to make known the number of the point in the sub-
division, any direction is sounded with an accuracy equal to the subdivision made, as

page_text: for instance say that the whistle is sounded three times in succession followed by an
interval of silence of a quarter of a minute's duration again followed by four sounds
in succession, this series of sounds being repeated every three minutes, it will be
readily understood that at each repetition the direction of the ship's course is made
known as being due South West.
•
The second part of our invention relates to apparatus for putting the hereinbefore
described meiliod of signalling into effect, and consists of a disc or circular plate,
around a suitable portion of the circumference of which is arranged an appropriate
number of slidable projecting pieces. These slidable projecting pieces being so formed
by having holes or slots in them, that they may be slided to project from the periphery
of the disc or their projecting ends may be brought to coincide with a portion of the
circumference of the disc, and in either of these positions, by a bolt entering the
holes or slots, be rigidly held for purposes easily understood from the following
description.
To the before mentioned disc is imparted continuous revolving motion which may
be derived through any suitable means, such as a coiled spring mounted and coupled
thereto by a suitable train of wheels, in a similar manner to the coupling up or gearing
of the main spring of a clock to its handles, etc, or more especially so to the main
spring of a musical box to the revolving barrel thereof. The speed at which the before
described disc is required to revolve is also regulated or governed by a revolving fan
again in the same manner as is the speed of the barrel in a musical box, the same
being common and well understood.
Mounted in a suitable position is an appropriately shaped lever, to the outer end of
which is mounted an antifriction bowl which is brought or placed in contact with the
periphery of the hereinbefore described revolving disc. The said lever being coupled
in any suitable manner to the fog-horn or whistle of the ship, it will be seen that as
the disc revolves the sliding pieces that project from or beyond the periphery of the
said disc, will raise or otherwise operate the before named lever, which at such operation
by any suitable connections, causes the fog-horn or whistle to sound.
It will also be seen that since the slidable pieces can be inade to project or not to
project from the periphery of the said disc, as desired, any variety of sounds in
succession or sounds with intervals may be effected.
To facilitate the adjusting of the slidable pieces in the periphery of the revolving
dise, a diagram or dial is made and mounted so as to shew or indicate the numbers of
the divisions and subdivisions.
WILLIAM VARLE.
GEORGE RIMINGTON.
By their Agents, Moorhouse & Hey.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION:
A New or Improved Method of and Apparatus for Audibly Signalling
on Ships at Sea During a Fog or Intense Darkness.
We, WILLIAM VARLEY of Carlion, near Skipton-in-Craven, Yorkshire, Machinist
and GEORGE RIMINGTON, Skipton-in-Craven Yorkshire, Mechanical Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF, AND
APPARATUS FOR, AUDIBLY SIGNALLING ON SHIPS AT SEA DURING A FOG OR INTENSE
DARKNESS, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The first part of this invention consists of a new or improved method of audibly
signalling on ships at sea, whereby the direction in which the same are moving is
clearly made known or understood.
The second part relates to apparatus for automatically putting the above mentioned
method of signalling into effect, and in order that the whole inay be more readily
understood we have hereunto appended two sheets of drawings, illustrative thereof;
wherein fig. 1 is a diagram shewing the divisions of the compass by the cardinal points
as well as the subdivisions hereinafter described.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus, figs. 3 and 4 being detail drawings of parts
thereof; while fig. 5 is the elevation.
Like letters and figures of reference indicate like parts in all the drawings.
The first part of this invention is accomplished by sounding the fog-horn or whistle
at certain intervals or for a certain number of times in succession followed by a suitable
interval, to make known any one of the 32 principle points, as shown by fig. 1, (or
of any other subdivision of points that may be desired) of the compass, that
may be
the one indicating the direction in which the ship is moving or sailing.
The regulations for, or system of these sounds and intervals being as follows:
The spaces intervening the four cardinal points N (North), E (East), S (South),
and W (West) of the compass, we name, number one, two, three and four respectively,
the same being subdivided each into eight parts as illustrated by fig. 1, but as will
easily be seen we could make the subdivision into a greater or less number as might
be desired.
As set forth by fig. 1 it must be understood that by sounding the whistle or fog-
horn once, the direction in which the ship is sailing is indicated by some point in
number one space or that by sounding it twice some point in number two space
indicates the direction, and "in like manner with three and four sounds for spaces
three and four. Now by following these sounds with a suitable interval of silence, say
a quarter of a minute and then sounding of the whistle or fog-horn as many times in
succession as may be required to make known the number of the point in the sub-
division, any direction is sounded with an accuracy equal to the subdivision made, as
for instance say that the whistle is sounded three times in succession, followed by an
interval of silence of a quarter of a minutes duration again followed by five sounds
(according to diagram fig. 1) in succession, this series of sounds being repeated every

page_text: three minutes, it will be readily understood that at each repetition the direction of the
ship's course is made known as being due South West.
Respecting the second part of this invention it consists of a disc or circular plate a
mounted by its shaft in suitable bearings e, having arranged around a suitable portion
of its circumference an appropriate number of slidable projecting pieces d. These
piéces d being so formed by having holes or slots in them see (fig. 3), that they may be
slided to project from the periphery of the disc a (as shown by d fig. 5) or their pro-
jecting-ends may be brought to coincide with a portion of the circumference of the
said disc d (as shewn in dotted lines fig. 5); and in either of these positions, by a
bolt (see fig. 4) entering the holes or slots; be rigidly held for purposes easily under-
stood from the following description. To the before described disc a is imparted
continuous revolving motion which may be derived through any suitable means, such
as a coiled spring mounted and coupled thereto by a suitable train of wheels, in a
similar manner to the coupling up or gearing of the main spring of a clock to its
handles &c., or more especially so to the main spring of a musical box to the revolving
barrel thereof. The speed at which the said disc a is required to revolve may also be
regulated or governed by a revolving fan in the same manner as is the speed of the
barrel in a musical box aforesaid, the said being common and well understood.
•
Mounted in a suitable position to the plug of a valve or tapy is a lever on which
is mounted the antifriction bowl which is kept in contact with the perephery of the
disc a by means of the spring k. From this it will be seen that as the disc a revolves,
the pieces which project therefrom will operate on the bowl and raise the lever
by which the valve is opened and the steam is liberated to pass through the fog-
horn or whistle my the said valve being again closed by the action of the spring k
on the lever when the projecting piece d has got clear of it.
It will also be seen that since the pieces d can be made to project or not to project
from the periphery of the disc a, as, desired, any variety of sounds in succession or
sounds with intervals may be effected.
The bolts e are kept in place by their outer ends passing through the stay or guide
piece n, the same carrying the springs o which press against said bolts e and piece n.
To facilitate the adjustment of the slidable pieces d'in the periphery of the disc a,
a diagram as illustrated by fig. 1 is mounted in any suitable position so as to
always shew the numbers of the divisions and subdivisions.
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 :
1. The method herein described, of indicating by sound, the direction of a ship's
course, for the purpose specified.
2. The revolving disc a having adjustable projecting pieces d to operate upon the
valve in the manner and for the purposes herein fully set forth.
MOORHOUSE & HEY,
Agents for Applicants.