AN IMPROVED MODE OF TRANSMITTING AUDIBLE SIGNALS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edmunds, junior, of Gracechurch Street, in the
City of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF
TRANSMITTING AUDIBLE SIGNALS."
Sealed the 6th September 1878, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor;
Sealed the 6th September 1878, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor;
and dated the 12th February 1878,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edmunds at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th February 1878.
HENRY EDMUNDS, junior, of Gracechurch Street, in the City of London,
Gentleman. "AN IMPROVED MODE OF TRANSMITTING AUDIBLE SIGNALS."
The object of this Invention is to transmit sounds between places separated by
water without the aid of insulated cable wires, and thereby to convey signals to
ships and boats from the shore, and to or from each other under circumstances
when other kinds of communication are inconvenient or impracticable.
When communicating from the shore to a boat I provide a sounding apparatus,
say, for example, a bell enclosed in a water-tight box, and worked mechanically or
electrically from the shore, and in the boat a sound receiver, which is dipped into
the water, the upper end being brought near the ear of the person to receive the
signal. The pulsations of the bell will be transmitted through the water to the ear
of the receiver, who will by a pre-arranged code understand the instructions
transmitted. Or the pulsations may be received into an automatically recording
apparatus, say, of the Morse kind, such pulsations producing long or short dashes,
as the case may be.
In adapting the Invention to the transmission of sound signals from, say, the
admiral's ship to the others of the fleet, I propose to provide the said admiral's
ship with a sounding apparatus intended to give a note, say C, and the other ships
with vibrators that will answer to that sound; then by sounding on this bell the
vibrator of all the ships in the fleet will answer thereto and communicate through
a sound receiver or through an automatic recording apparatus the signais
transmitted.

page_text: Signalling apparatus attached to a buoy suspended in still water near reefs or
shoals and worked by a battery excited by salt water may be made to warn
approaching ships when fog horns or lights are not efficient, owing to the presence
of fog.
The sounds given off by such signalling apparatus will be heard in
This sound
approaching ships. by applying a sound receiver to the water.
receiver may consist, in the absence of a more efficient appliance, of a boat oar or
spar of wood.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edmunds in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
September 1878.
HENRY EDMUNDS, junior, of Gracechurch Street, in the City of London,
Gentleman. "AN IMPROVED MODE OF TRANSMITTING AUDIBLE SIGNALS."
The object of this Invention is to transmit sounds between points separated by
water without the aid of insulated cable wires, and thereby to convey signals to
ships and boats from the shore or from a reef or other point of danger, and to or
from each other under circumstances where other kinds of communication are in-
convenient or impracticable.
When communicating from the shore to a boat I provide a sounding apparatus,
say, for example, a call bell enclosed in a water-tight box, and worked mechanically
or electrically from the shore, and in the boat a sound receiver, which is dipped
into the water, the upper end being brought near the ear of the person to receive
the signal. The pulsations of the bell will be transmitted through the water to the
receiver, thence to the ear of the boatman, who will by. a pre-arranged code under-
stand the instructions transmitted.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a diagram which illustrates the above-
named application of my Invention, the distance between the shore and the boat
being understood to be beyond the reach of audible or visible signals.
The
The signal apparatus is shewn at A as immersed in the water and connected
electrically with the battery B, which is placed on shore. The person to receive
the audible signal is situated in a boat C, and when within range of the audible
signal he will, by inserting a boat hook or oar in the water and bringing the end
thereof against his ear, detect the pulsations of the call bell, and by, knowledge of a
preconcerted code will receive a message transmitted from the shore.
vibrations set upon the call bell by means of a key within the circuit of the
battery will be imparted to the enclosing air-tight case, which will transmit the
same through the water as through a conducting wire, but in all directions
radiating from the sounding instrument as a centre, and to a distance some three or
four times greater than the same sound would reach if delivered in the air.
Supposing now the boatman to be within the circuit of this sound, by inserting in
the water a sound-receiving instrument, such as an oar or boat hook, and bringing
his ear to the end of the same he will be enabled to detect the strokes of the bell,

page_text: and thus receive the expected signal. Instead of the signals being received as
audible signals the pulsations may be transmitted into an automatically recording
apparatus, say of the Morse kind, situated on board a ship lying at anchor or
cruising off the shore. In this case the uncertainty consequent upon interpreting
an audible signal will be removed as the message will be transmitted by long and
short dashes imprinted on a ribbon, and can thus be read off as an ordinary
telegraph message.
Fig. 2 shews in diagram a receiving and recording instrument, which may be
described as a telephone D immersed in the water, its disc being exposed so as to
be acted upon by the sound vibrations conveyed by the water. This telephone is
connected by insulated wires, having a battery in circuit to a relay E, which serves
to complete the circuit of a battery F, which operates a Morse recorder G in the
well-known manner.
In adapting the Invention to the transmission of sound signals from, say, the
admiral's ship to the others of his fleet, I propose to provide the flag-ship with a
sounding apparatus fitted with vibrators attuned to given notes, and the other
ships with a vibrator that will answer to or vibrate in unison with one of the
several notes, capable of being sounded by the instrument in the flag-ship; then
by sounding on the instrument in the flag-ship each attendant vessel may be com-
municated with, vibrators in the several ships in the fleet answering to their
corresponding note, and communicating through a sound receiver or through an
automatic recording apparatus the signals transmitted.
Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the construction and arrangement of this sound-
transmitting instrument. In this Figure H is one of a series of sounders on the
admiral's ship, consisting of a reed vibrator or tuning fork attuned to a given note,
say C, & situate between an electro-magnet and a fixed joint connected electrically
with a telephone I, which is immersed in the water. The electro-magnet coil
connects with a key K, which is situate within the circuit of a battery L connected
electrically with the telephone I. By the depression of the key K the reed will be .
set in vibration and its pulsations will be communicated through the telephone disc
to the water. The water acting as a conductor will transmit these pulsations to
telephones I* fitted to the other ships of the fleet, and that sounder which is
attuned to the note given off from the flag-ship will alone respond to the vibrations
of the telephone. Thus any one ship may be singled out by the admiral to receive
a message as all the ships in the fleet, supposing them to be within circuit of the
sound vibrations, may receive the same signal when notes to which their several
receiving instruments are attuned are sounded on the flag-ship.
The receiving apparatus on the attendant ships will be similar to that shewn in
the diagram Fig. 3a, the vibrating reed being tuned in unison with the sender on
the flag-ship. By fitting all the ships with transınitting and receiving instruments
signals may be interchanged throughout the fleet.
A further illustration of the application of my Invention for use at sea is given
at Fig. 4, which shews automatic signalling apparatus as applied to a sunken reef
or dangerous shoal. In this Figure the sounding apparatus or alarum M is secured
on the reef, and connected by insulated wires with a floating battery N, the salt
water in which it floats will serve as the exciting fluid as in ordinary marine
batteries, and will supply the current necessary for working the alarum and giving.
off sounds within a large circuit of the reef.
Similarly signalling apparatus attached to a buoy and suspended in the water
near reefs or shoals and worked by a marine battery may be made to warn
approaching ships when fog horns or lights are not efficient, owing to the presence
of fog. The sounds given off by such signalling apparatus will be heard in
approaching ships by applying a sound receiver to the water. Or in the case of .
ships fitted like the admiral's ship before referred to with vibrating sounders, such
instruments, one or more, will be caused to take up and give out the warning sound,
thereby indicating the near approach to danger.

page_text: Fig. 5 shews a modification of the last-described alarum. This arrangement
consists of an anchored bell buoy with the bell immersed so as to give off its sound
into the water by reason of the rocking of the buoy. A convenient means for
detecting this sound will be that described with reference to Fig. 1.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Mode of
Transmitting Audible Signals," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim,-
First. Transmitting audible signals from a submerged sounding apparatus to a
surrounding aqueous area, for the purpose above set forth.
: Second. The means above described for detecting audible signals, and thereby.
ascertaining the proximity of sunken reefs and shoals and like permanent sources
of danger.
Third. The mode above described of conveying audible signals to and from the
several ships composing a fleet.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edmunds, junior, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TD
HENRY EDMUNDS, JUNº. (L.S.)