IMPROVEMENTS IN SOUND AND FLASH-LIGHT TELE- GRAPES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO SIGNAL WHISTLES GENERALLY." TELES,
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Bailey, of the Albion Works,
Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOUND AND FLASH-LIGHT TELE-
GRAPES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO SIGNAL WHISTLES
GENERALLY."
TELEGRAPHS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO SIGNAL WHISTLES
GENERALLY," to be as follows:-

page_text: ships and the mainland or lighthouses, distant stations upon land, and
for such like purposes.
In working what are known as sound and flash-light telegraphs con-
siderable difficulty has existed prior to this Invention, in consequence
of the absence of a suitable "code" of signals, and one of the objects
of this Invention is to remove this difficulty by the employment in
sound and flash-light telegraphs of what is known as the "Morse
code," and which has hitherto been confined to the electrical system
of telegraphs.
The advantages attending the use of the said code in sound and
flash-light telegraphing are many, but principally that on account
of its extensive use in the electrical system it could with less difficulty
than any other be universally adopted for the sound and flash-light
system.
And this Invention further has for its object improvement in the
apparatus for producing the sound and actuating the light for signalling
the said code with the greater rapidity, case, and certainty, and
consists,―
Firstly. In a means of reducing the labour hitherto required to open
and close the valve controlling the working of the audible signal, and
consists in applying an equilibrium valve in lieu of the ordinary valve,
and in the case of very large whistles or "buzzers" attaching the
spindle of the said equilibrium valve to a piston working within a
cylinder, the admission of steam or air to the cylinder being in turn
controlled by another smaller cquilibrium valve. By this means the
labour required to actuate even the largest buzzer is reduced to a
minimum, and consequently the audible signal can then be worked
more rapidly than hicretofore.
2
Instead of the equilibrium valve first mentioned a compound lever
may be employed bearing upon a valve of the ordinary construction, by 3
which an approximate result may be gained.
And Secondly. To ensure the greatest certainty in the signalling I
construct a series of cams or tappets of a form which will give a
motion (to a bowl hereafter explained) corresponding to the code
signal representing the various letters of the alphabet; these cams 3
I secure in alphabetical order upon a shaft turning in bearings in a
suitable frame; over this series of cams the bowl herein-before men-

page_text: tioned is mounted, and is capable of being readily traversed from
one cam to another by a suitable handle, the lever which carries the
bowl being in communication with the spindle of the equilibrium
valve of the whistle or buzzer before mentioned, or with the mechanism
for working the flash-light, or both at the same time, so that as the
cams are rotated by hand or other means, and the said bowl follows
the figure of any one of the cams or tappets, the code signal for the
letter of the alphabet appertaining to that cam is telegraphed with the
most unerring certainty. A similar result to the latter may be obtained
by applying an electro-magnet to actuate the equilibrium valve, and
placing a series of keys in front of the cams (the circuit being broken
when the keys are at rest), so that by depressing any one of the keys
and rotating the cams the variation of that particular cam in circuit
would be given to the signal.
It will be obvious that although the cams are arranged for signalling
the alphabetical code only, when it is needful to repeat a complete
message or signal at definite intervals of time, as in the case of light-
houses, a special cam may be provided carrying the entire code for
such message upon its periphery, and in such case the cam shaft may
be rotated by a small engine, the intervals of time being measured
by clock mechanism attached to the apparatus, which opens and closes
the supply valve of the engine at the required time, the engine in turn
winding up the clock, or it may be entirely actuated by the clock
mechanism.
In the case of sailing vessels where steam cannot be employed to
actuate the audible signal, and there is no convenient motive power
for working the same by compressed air, I use a suitable shaped vessel
working in a reservoir of water or mercury, after the manner of a
gas holder; upon the top of this vessel I place the whistle, and also
one or more valves opening inwards, so that when such vessel is raised
by any suitable connection brought within reach of the person signalling
(such as a rope or a chain running over a pulley fixed above the-appa-
ratus) the air will enter through the valve before mentioned and so
fill the vessel. The signals can then be given by allowing the vessel
to fall and so forcing the air through the whistle before mentioned.
If the signal corresponding to the "dot" is required then the vessel
should fall for an instant of time only, and for the "dash" as much
longer time.

page_text: 1
Instead of a vessel working in a resevoir of water or mercury a
· cylinder and piston may be used, and it will be obvious that they
may either be worked by hand or be connected with the cam arrange-
ment before mentioned. This method of compressing the air for
working the audible signal is equally applicable to buoys for giving
warning of dangerous points in the estuaries of rivers or along the
sca coast, the action of the waves in this case alternately compressing
the air in the said chamber or allowing it to fill, and when it is
.desirable that the whistle should give out any particular signal the
.escape of air through the whistle may be regulated by a valve having
a series of ports set at varying distances apart according to the signal,
.and controlled by connecting it to a piston working in a cylinder,
the said piston being free to rise suddenly by the action of the buoy,
but prevented falling except at a very slow rate by the closing of an
inlet valve.
Lastly, the Invention relates to improvements in the whistle or buzzer
"employed to give the audible signal, which improvements are applicable
to signal whistles generally, and consists in surrounding the lower cup
of the whistle with a sonorous sheath, the upper part of the said sheath
terminating in an annular passage at or about the point where the
steam or air issues from the lower cup previous to impinging upon the
'upper cup. The steam or air then escaping induces a current of air
'to set up between the lower cup and the sonorous sheath, so sounding it
and increasing the power of the whistle.
I also make the upper cup of the whistle adjustable in height above
the lower cup, and fit it with a graduated index and pointer, so that the
biatle can he set for various pressures with the greatest certainty.
· filed by the said William Henry Bailey in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
: HENRY BAILEY; of the Albion Works, Salford, in the County of Lan-
caster, Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
8

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Henry Bailey, Her special licence
that I, the said William Henry Bailey, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry Bailey, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, tho
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SOUND AND FLASH-LIGHT TELEGRAPHS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLI
CABLE TO SIGNAL WHISTLES GENERALLY," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Henry Bailey, my executors or administrators,..
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Bailey, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
-
This Invention has for its object improvements in sound and flash-
light telegraphs for communicating between vessels at sea, between
ships at sea and the mainland or lighthouses, between distant stations
upon land, and for such like purposes.
In working what are known as sound and flash-light telographs con-
siderable difficulty has existed prior to this Invention, in consequence
of the absence of a suitable code of signals, and one of the objects
of this Invention is to remove this difficulty by the employement, in
sound and flash-like telegraphs, of what is known as the "Morse
code," and which has hitherto been confined to the electrical system
of telegraphs.
The advantages attending the use of the said code in sound and flash-
11

page_text: extensive use in the electric system it could with less difficulty than any
other be universally adopted for the sound and flash-light system.
And this Invention further has for its object improvements in the
apparatus for producing the sound and actuating the light for signalling
the said code with greater rapidity, case, and certainty, and consists,―
First. In a means of reducing the labour hitherto required to open
and close the valve controlling the working of the audible signal by
applying an equilibrium valve in lieu of the ordinary valve, and in the
case of very large whistles or "buzzers" by attaching the spindle of the
said equilibrium vavle to a piston working within a cylinder, the admis-
sion of steam or air to the cylinder being in turn controlled by another
smaller equilibrium valve. By this means the labour required to actuato
even the largest "buzzer " is reduced to a minimum, and consequently
the audible signal can then be worked more rapidly than heretofore.
Instead of the equilibrium valve first mentioned a compound lever
may be employed, bearing upon a valve of the ordinary construction,
by which an approximate result to that herein-before mentioned may be
obtained.
And, Secondly. To ensure the greatest certainty in the signalling I
construct a series of cams or tappets of a form which will give a motion
to bowls (herein-after described) corresponding to the code signal repre-
senting the various letters of the alphabet. These cams I securo in
alphabetical order upon a shaft turning in bearings in a suitable frame.
Over this series of cams the bowls herein-before mentioned are mounted
in tongues working in suitable keys, and which keys are caused to partake
of the motion of the cams when corresponding stops are actuated, theso
keys communicating with the spindle of the equilibrium valve of the
whistle or buzzer before mentioned, or with the mechanism for working
the flash light, or both at the same time, so that as the cams are rotated
by hand or other means and the said bowls follow the figure of the cam
appertaining to it the code signal for the letter signified by such cam is
telegraphed with the most unerring certainty.
It will be obvious that although the cams are arranged for signalling
the alphabetical code only when it is needful to repeat a complete
message or signal at definite intervals of time, as in the case of light-
houses, a special cam may be provided, carrying the entire code for such

page_text: inessage upon its periphery; and in such case the cam shaft may be
rotated by a small engine, the intervals of time being measured by
clock mechanism attached to the apparatus, which opens and closes tho
supply valve of the engine at the required time, the engine in turn
winding up the clock; or it may be entirely actuated by the clock
mechanism.
In the case of sailing vessels where steam cannot be employed to
actuate the audible signal, and where there is no convenient motive
power for working the same by compressed air, I uso a suitable shaped
vessel working in a reservoir of water or mercury after the manner of a
gas holder; upon the top of this vessel I place the whistle and also one or
more valves opening inwards, so that when such vessel is raised by any
suitable connection brought within reach of the person signalling (such
as a rope or a chain running over a pulley fixed above the apparatus),
the air will enter through the valve before mentioned and so fill the
vessel. The signals can then be given by allowing the vessel to fall and
so forcing the air through the whistle before mentioned.
If the signal
corresponding to the "dot" is required then the vessel should fall for an
instant of time only, and for the "dash" a much longer time.
Instead of a vessel working in a reservoir of water or mercury a
cylinder and piston may be used, and it will be obvious that they may
either be worked by hand or be connected with the cam arrangement
before mentioned. This method of compressing the air for working the
audible signal is equally applicable to buoys for giving warning of
dangerous points in the estuaries of rivers or along the sea coast. The
action of the waves in this case alternately compressing the air in the
said chamber or allowing it to fill and thus sounding the whistle.
Lastly. The Invention relates to improvements in the whistle or
buzzer employed to give the audible signal, which improvements are
applicable to signal whistles generally, and consists in surrounding the
lower cup of the whistle with a sonorous sheath, the upper part of the
said sheath terminating in an annular passage at or about the point
where the steam or air issues from the lower cup previous to impinging
upon the upper cup. The steam or air then escaping induces a current of
air to set up between the lower cup and the sonorous sheath, so sounding
it and increasing the power of the whistle.

page_text: frame B of any convenient construction; C, are a series of cams mounted
fast upon the said shaft A, so as to turn therewith; these cams, are of a
number corresponding to the number of signals to be given; if, for
instance, the apparatus is required to signal the letters of the alphabet by
the "Morse code," then there will be at least twenty-six. Each of these
cams is shaped upon its periphery according to the signal required from
it; for instance, with short indentations D to give the " dots," and longer
indentations E for the "dashes." Over each one of these cams is a key F,
centred loosely upon a shaft G. Each of the said keys F is provided
with a tongue H, hinged or centred at h, and carrying a spindle H',
rigidly secured in it, and guided, as shown at the top and bottom, by
passing through the key F. This spindle carries at its lower extremity
a bowl I, which bears upon the periphery of the cam appertaining to
the key F, and receives the varying motion of the cam. Each of the
said keys is further provided with a stop or push J, which when pushed
in as shewn (in Fig. 2) arrests the motion of the tongue H and causes the
varying motion of the cam to be imparted to the key F, the movement of
the particular key in action is received by the bar K, and through
the arms L imparted to the rocking shaft M. From the shaft M an
arm N projects, which conveys the movement through a chain or wire
or other suitable means to the audible signal or "flash light", or both at
the same time.
The manner of working the apparatus may be described as follows:-
The cams being brought to the commencement of the signals upon their
peripheries, which may be effected by turning them by means of the
winch handle O, till it is, say, at a vertical position. The push or stop
belonging to the letter to be signalled is then thrust in, and one entire
revolution given to the cams. If the letter is not to be repeated tho
'push or stop is then withdrawn, or it may be thrown back by self-acting
means, and another thrust in, and so on for the whole code. It will be
obvious that the cams may be driven continuously by clockwork, or a
small steam engine, or other motive power, the arrival of the cams at
the zero or starting point for the letter being indicated by the ringing of
`a small bell or other means.
It will be obvious that although the cams have been described as
arranged for signalling an alphabetical code when it is needful to repeat
a complete message or signal at definite intervals of time, as in the case
of lighthouses, a special cam may be provided carrying the entiro

page_text: message on its periphery, the intervals of time being measured by
clock mechanism, which at the definite intervals required may open and
close the supply valve of a small steam engine employed to drive the
cams, the engine in turn winding up the clock, or the cams themselves
may be driven by clock mechanism.
I would here observe that this apparatus is also useful in conjunction
with an ordinary electric telegraphing instrument as a means of working
the same with certainty, and for this purpose the rocking shaft M is
connected to the instrument as a substitute for the handles, and the
apparatus worked in the manner previously described.
I would also remark that although the keys F are shown in a
horizontal position they could be arranged in a vertical one; but this I
should regard as a modification of my Invention.
In Fig. 4 is illustrated another construction of key which is useful
in certain cases as, for instance, when the signals are some distance from
the operator, in which case it might be inconvenient to push in a stop.
The clectro-magnet A occupies the place of the stop J described in
reference to Figs. 2 and 3, and acts as follows:-When the clectric
current passes the armature B is held down and the key is then actuated
in other respects as described in reference to Figs. 2 and 3. The electric
wires may for this purpose be disposed in any convenient part of the
ship.
In Fig. 5 I illustrate an arrangement of apparatus suitable for usc
in sailing vessels, and where there is no convenient motive power for
compressing the air for producing the audible signal, and consists of a
vessel A fitted to rise and fall in a vessel of water or mercury B. Upon
the top of the vessel A I place the whistle C, and a valve of any
convenient construction D opening inwards, so that when such vessel is
raised by means of the chain or rope E passing over the pulleys F and G
the valve D opens and admits the air into the interior of the vessel, but
closes upon its descent, or the vessel may be raised by a lover. The
signals are then given by allowing the vessel to fall and so forcing the
air through the whistle for a longer or shorter space of time.
Instead of a vessel mounted as described a cylinder and piston may
be employed or a bellows of a circular or other form. This modification

page_text: may be worked either by hand or connected to the signalling apparatus
described in reference to Figs. 2 & 3.
In Figure 6 I illustrate my improvements as applied to buoys for
giving warning of dangerous points in the esturies of rivers or along
the coast. The buoy in this case is provided with a central air
chamber A in the upper part of which is fitted a whistlo B and valve C
similar to those described in reference to Fig. 5, the action of the
waves in throwing up the buoy and the descent of the same alternately
filling the vessel with air through the valve C, and forcing it out through
the whistle B.
:
It Fig. 7 I illustrate my improved construction of whistle or buzzer
for increasing the sound of the same, which consist in surrounding the
lower cup A with a sonorous sheath B, the upper part 6 of the said
sheath terminating in an annular passage near where the steam issues
from the lower cup; the escaping steam from the lower cup induces a
current of air to set up between such lower cup A and the sonorous
sheath B, so sounding it and increasing the power of the whistle, and
with the same object, viz., increasing the power of whistles I sometimes
combine two sonorous cups A and B in the manner shown in Fig. 8, the
steam being supplied to each from the central chamber C.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention
together with the best method with which I am acquainted for carrying
the same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim,-
Firstly. The application of an equilibrium valve, and equilibrium
valve cylinder, and piston to whistles and buzzers, substantially as and
for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated on the accom-
panying Drawing.
Secondly. The combination and arrangement of mechanism for
telegraphing the "Morse" code or any previously determined signal,
and the combination of the same with an ordinary electrical transmitting
instrument, substantially as and for the purposes described and illus-
trated in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of apparatus for producing
the audible signal in sailing vessels or where steam pressure is not
available or convenient as described and illustrated.
Fourthly. The improvements described for increasing the acoustic
nnonextios of whistles on huzzano
יTA

page_text: Fifthly. The application of an internal air chamber whistle and valve
to buoys, as illustrated and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Bailey, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Eighth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy- 8
three.