MEANS FOR DISCLOSING OBSTRUCTIONS TO NAVIGATION
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLÈTE SPECIFICATION.
I FRANK DELLA TORRE, of Baltimore in the County of Baltimore and State
of Maryland one of the United States of America Chemist, do hereby declare the
nature of my Invention for " MEANS
FOR DISCLOSING OBSTRUCTIONS TO
NAVIGATION" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
Fig. 1 is a perspective of a prow of a vessel provided with an apparatus
constructed in accordance with my Invention and adapted to practice my method
of ascertaining the direction of and distance to obstructions at sea or in navigable
waters.
Fig. 2 is a plan partly in section of the apparatus employed.
The object of my Invention is to provide a method of ascertaining the presence
of obstructions to navigation, and to determine their direction and distance from the
point of observation.
The principle of my Invention involves the use of the echo as a danger signal.
The temperature and pressure of the atmosphere being known the distance from a
point of observation, of any solid body is a more matter of computation the velocity
ranging from about 1100 feet per second upward, as according to the temperature
and pressure so that if a sound is produced on board of a vessel and reverberated
by any solid body, simple, mental or other calculation of the time intervening
between the production of the sound and the return of the echo the distance is
thereby ascertained.
The use of this method is applicable for ships in foggy weather, to detect the
presence of icebergs or of vessels, the proximity of land or other obstacles to safe
navigation and for coast and harbor use to detect the approach to a man of war or
other vessels, also torpedoes or boats to a ship moving or at anchor and upon rivers
to detect the approach or passage of smugglers etc. The method depending solely
upon the sense of hearing is available at night when it is most needed, and in
thick or foggy weather.
The principal devices employed in the practice of my method are a sound
producer, a sound collector, a time piece and a compass, the first two being essential
and the remainder advantageous adjuncts. A represents a sound producer which
in this instance is a bell, which upon being struck by a naval officer or any other

page_text: person stationed at B produces a sound which when returned as an echo by any
obstacle is received at a collector or sound receiver C pivotally supported upon any
suitable standard c which with the remaining devices of the apparatus are arranged
upon the bow D or any other suitable part of a vessel.
A mechanical or other telephone E may be connected with the sound collector
and applied to the car of the observer for detecting the more indistinct echoes
received from long distances or from sound reverberating objects by repercussion of
sound. From the sound collector I may project an arm C which is adapted to
serve as a support for a compass F and a time piece G indicating seconds and
divisions thereof whereby when the sound collector is turned towards the source of
the echo-producing object the direction may be read from the compass and the
time of the return of the echo may be indicated by the time piece. If desired an
ordinary mechanical telephone diaphragm may be placed in the focus of the
parabolic receiver or sound collector C herein shown, but for the surer detection of
the faintest echoes I prefer to insert in said focus the principal elements of a
microphone as shown at H said elements being suitably connected in the electrical
circuit of a battery I which is also suitably connected with the telephone receiver E.
The electrical battery, compass, chronometer, and the telephone receiver may be
placed under the deck and used in the cabin or in any distance from the bow of
the vessel, and the sound producing bell or a steam whistlo may also be operated
by means of wires from the same locality, and to exclude as much as possible all
sound of machinery or other noise, except the distant reverberation received by
the apparatus the receiving room may have its walls suitably padded.
I am aware that parabolic funnels have been used to collect sounds and that
ordinary trumpet shaped sound collectors have been placed in communication by
means of tubes with one or both cars of persons to increase the volume of sound
received.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination of a sound producing device as described, a microphone
sound collecting device, pivotally supported and provided with wires for trans-
mitting sound to a suitable receiver with a compass substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2. The combination of a sound producing device as described, a microphone
sound collecting device pivotally supported, a telephonic receiver and an electric
battery all located upon the same vessel and under control of an operator
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated the Fifteenth day of Mon 1001.