IMPROVE- MENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH FOG HORNS
Year: 1880

page_text: ·LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Lewis Wharton and Samuel Julian Dobson, both
of Great Grimsby, in the County of Lincoln, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH FOG HORNS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Lewis Wharton
& Samuel Julian Dobson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 9th November 1880.
ARTHUR LEWIS WHARTON and SAMUEL JULIAN DOBSON, both of Great'
Grimsby, in the County of Lincoln. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OB CONNECTED WITH
FOGHORNS."
Our Invention relates more particularly to the means of operating fog horns, and
has for its object to obtain a continuous sound by hand or engine power.
For this purpose we use two double acting air cylinders, preferably oscillating,
and driven by a horizontal crank shaft, the latter receiving its motion by means
of a pair of tooth wheels from a driving shaft, which may be provided with a
crank or pulley and driven by hand or by a small steam engine, or from a main
driving shaft, or in any other suitable way.
The top and bottom of each cylinder has an air inlet with suction valve, and an
outlet leading through an air passage to a valve chamber placed along the cylinder,
and having two discharge valves, one communicating with the top, and the other
with the bottom of the cylinder. When the piston moves downward the upper
suction valve opens, while the air from the lower part of the cylinder passes
through the lower discharge valve into the valve chamber, the lower suction valve
and the upper discharge valve remaining closed during the downstroke and opening,
during the upward stroke. From the valve chamber a discharge pipe leads to the
pedestal of the fog horn, so as to discharge a continuous air current into the latter.
The foghorn is so secured to its pedestal that it can be turned on the latter so as to
emit the sound to any direction desired.
4
We prefer to place the valve chambers of the two cylinders between the latter,.
that is to say, in the line which connects the centres of the two cylinders, so, that

page_text: the outlet from the valve chamber forms one (the inner) pivot for the oscillating
cylinder while the other (the outer) pivot turns in a bearing attached to the side
of the casing by which the cylinders and accessories are enclosed. The outlet
pipes from the two valve chambers unite into one which leads down to the base or
air chamber of the fog horn. We prefer to place the two cranks at right angles,
and to enclose cylinders, crank shaft, driving shaft, and the lower portion of the fog-
horn in a wooden casing provided with a door, and through the top of which tho
fog horn passes, while the driving shaft passes through one side of the casing where
it is provided with a crank or pulley.
The pistons may be of any suitable known design, and the suction valves may
either bo arranged to open by the pressure of the atmosphere, or by means of lovers
actuated by the piston rods, or the upper suction valve may be connected with a
lever having a spring at its end which spring clips the piston rod, and follows the
latter by friction until the valve has reached its extreme position, thereby opening
the valve when the piston begins its down motion, and shutting it when the piston
begins its up motion.
The valve chambers are so connected with the air passages that they can be
easily removed and the valve seat taken out. For this purpose we place the valve
seat between the flange of the valvo chamber, and the flange of the air passage, the
end of the latter being provided with a loose ring provided with a screw thread,
and fitting a tapped loose ring on the corresponding end of the valve chamber.
By setting one or more valves out of action, the nature of the sound can be
modified, that is to say, an ittermittent sound produced instead of a continuous
This we propose to utilize as a means of producing various signals.
one.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur Lewis Wharton & Samuel Julian Dobson in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 5th May 1881.
ARTHUR LEWIS WHARTON and SAMUEL JULIAN DOBSON, both of Great
Grimsby, in the County of Lincoln. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITHI
FOGHORNS."
Our Invention relates more particularly to the means of operating fog horns, and
has for its object to obtain a continuous sound by hand or engine power. For this
purpose we use two double acting air cylinders, preferably oscillating, and driven
by a horizontal crank shaft, the latter receiving its motion by means of a pair of
tooth wheels from a driving shaft, which may be provided with a crank or pulloy.
and driven by hand, or by a small steam engine, or from a main driving shaft, or
in any other suitable way. The top and bottom of each cylinder has an air inlet
with suction valve, and an outlet leading through an air passage to a valvo
chamber placed along the cylinder, and having two discharge valves, one communi-
cating with the top, and the other with the bottom of the cylinder.
.
When the piston moves downward the upper suction valve opens, while the air
from the lower part of the cylinder passes through the lower discharge valve into the
valve chamber, the lower suction valve and the upper discharge valve remaining
closed during the downstroke, and opening during the upward stroke. From the
valve chamber a discharge pipe leads to the pedestal of the fog horn, so as to
dischargo a continuous air current into the latter. The fog horn is so secured to its
pedestal that it can be turned on the latter so as to emit the sound to any direction
desired.
We prefer to place the valve chambers of the two cylinders between the latter,
that is to say, in the line which connects the centres of the two cylinders, so that
the outlet from the valve chamber forms one (the inner) pivot for the oscillating
cylinder, while the other (the outer) pivot turns in a bearing attached to the side of
the casing by which the cylinders and accessories are enclosed.
The outlet pipes
from the two valve chambers unite into one, which leads down to the base or air
chamber of the fog horn. We prefer to place the two cranks at right angles, and
to enclose cylinders, crank shaft, driving shaft, and the lower portion of the fog horn
in a wooden casing provided with a door, and through the tops of which the fog
horn passes, while the driving shaft passes through one sido of the casing, where it
is provided with a crank or pulley.
The accompanying Drawing is intended to illustrate a convenient mode of
performing our Invention, but in matters of detail the Drawing may be varied
without departing from the spirit of our Invention. In the Drawing Fig. 1 is a
sectional elevation, Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan view. In all the
Figures liko letters represent corresponding, parts. A is an operating handle;
a, shaft carrying pinion; B, pinion; C, wheel; D, crank shaft; E, cylinders;
F, suction valves in cylinders; G, valve chamber; H, valves in chamber; I, junction
pipe; J, air chamber; K, horn.
From what has been said above the operation of the machinery can be easily
understood.
1
Namual Talion
ARTHUR LEWIS WHARTON. (LS.)
SAMUEL JULIAN DOBSON.
(L.S.)