Improved Means and Appliances for Submarine Signalling
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1995
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug, 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improved Means and Appliances for Submarine Signalling
We, MELVILLE THOMPSON NEALE of Hotel Metropole, Brighton Sussex,
Civil Engineer, and CHARLES EDWIN MONKHOUSE, of 38 Parliament Street
Westminster, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows
This invention relates to details of submergable appliances and to methods of
adapting them for position on or against floating or fixed bodies such as ship>,
forts, piers, or points on shore foi communication from aud to, or between such as
necessity may arise and either in single emission, tiansmission, and recording order,
01 in double order e simultaneously transmitting and recording from and to the
same points, the open sea or open water alone being the means for transmitting
sound is from one spot to another This accomplished by the transmitter
emitting a particular note such as G which is prefciably done by the ringing
of a bell or bells or equivalents thereof below the water which are exactly tuned
to such note
The receiver consists of a pair or more of vessels hermetically sealed but having
a thick plate of a certain thickness and made of bell metal and silver at one end,
the centre of this plate (which may or may not be plain or corrugated) is attached
on the inside to a delicate arrangement of multiplying levers which multiply the
motion of the plate when such plate vibrates on picking up the given note emitted
from the more or less distant tran mitter above described
The other end of the lever arrangement is attached to a dipper of cork attached
to a cap or covering of delicate and flexible material coveing a cup or vessel
containing mercury and from one side of which a hus head tube protrudes verticilly
by its side in connection with the inside of the cup or vessel, so that the mercury
cir flow up the tube to its normal height, beyond this the tube is prolonged until
closed or nearly so metallically From this metallic end on the one side and from
the vessel of mercury on the other, a complete electric circuit is made with a
battery and alum bell whenever the multiply in levi uangement so piesses on
the dipper, cap or covering as to cause the mei cui v o further ascend the small
glass tube and make contact with the metallic wc or contact pin at the further
end or I may attich a delicate pair of bellows (of gold bunter skin or other
similar material) at the end of the multiplying level arrangement, so that the
movement of the levers shall cause a puff of a to oscillate a tongue of metal in
a tube in such a manner as to make electric contact with a pin or stop and clea
cucuit such as above described for a similar purpo.e 01 I may cause the end of
the lever arrangement on vibrating to make a make an break contact direct in
an electric cu cuit as above described raising and lowering a platinum hair or wire
oi ribbon which shall have a similar effect and for a similar purpose
In any case in such a circuit the curient may be switched off at will to a tape
machine which will record the vibrations in dots and dashes on the tape
I may or may not attach telephones and microphones to the receiver for the
purpose if required of receiving the sounds or signals by ear, and manually
recording them (by means of a button contact) on the alarm bell or tape machine
as an alternative
The placing of the appliances or instruments is subject to changes whether for

page_text: single or multiple action, so that two vessels can speak to one another, or one
vessel can speak with several if in certain positions relatively to each other
We purpose employing two musical notes e C and G in our system, such as a
double bell of two notes arrangement below water in combination with the receivers,
recording by means of a twelve plate and twelve compartment system (six tuned to
one note and six to the other) communications can be made six different directions at
once and direct into the chart room, if required The submerged appliances can be at
any distance below water line and can be fixable on the foot of the heel and be easily
removable by means of a groove or grooves, wheels and steel wire endless band
attached to and following the bend of the prow, and of bringing them to deck and
replacing them again
6 taut in their original positions without stoppage to ship,
docking" the vessel, or perforation of or injury to skin of shi
01 "
,
Compressed air may be used for striking the gongs or bells in combination with
two operating handles in chart room emitting by their action in transmitting
messages, instantaneous puffs of compressed air for the purpose of obtaining great
speed
It will be evident from the foregoing that one ship can call or signal any
particular ship when amongst a number, and that particular one will understand
that it anu it alone is being called
By these instruments very nearly the same speed can be obtained in words per
minute through the water by sound, as by electric telegraph
There is no perforation in or alteration to the skin or structure of the ship
The instruments below the water (transmitter and receivers) are movable for
examination or repair at any moment, without detention to ship or stopping hei
progress for a single instint, whilst the recording instruments are placed on the
bridge or chart room and are connected electrically with the instruments in the
water below
3966
The instruments are made in such a way that they can hear in six directions at
one moment "staboard ahead" "
quarter and " "astern, ""port ahead," "quarter
and "astern, and in consequence, ships approaching one another in six different
directions all at once can be spoken and recorded simultaneously
Dated this 4th day of Mov 180,
HI GARDNLR,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Melville Thompson Neal and
Charles Edwin Monkhouse
WC, MELVILLT THOMPSON NI ALE, of Hotel Metropole, Bighton, Sussex,
Civil Ingineer, and CHARLES I DWIN MONKHOUSE, of 38 Parliament Street,
Westmin ter, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 relates to details of submergable appliances and to methods of
adapting them for position on or against floating or had bodies such as ships, forts,
piers, or points on shore for communication from and to, or between such as
necessity may arise and either in single emission, transmission, and recording order,
or m double orderte simultaneously transmitting and recording from and to the
same points, the open sca or open water alone being the means for transmitting
sound as fiom one spot to another
This is accomplished by the transmitter emitting a particular note such as Gr
which is preferably done by the ringing of a bell or bells or equivalents thereof
below the water which are exactly tuned to such note

page_text: In order that our invention may be thoroughly understood, the accompanying
sheet of drawings is appended in which
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the receiver apparatus illustrating one method
of obtaining the desired end, and Figure 2 is an alternative ai rangement
Figures 3 and 4 are side elevation and plan respectively of the preferred form of
receiver chamber adapted to receive sound from any quarter
Figure 5 illustrates the method of lowering and rusing the transmitting and
receiving apparatus over the bow of a vessel, and
Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the recording and
transmitting arrangements as attached to the side of the vessels charthouse, and to
which the several wires emanating from the receiver, Figures 3 and 4, are
connected
The receiver consists of a pan or more of vessels, as indicated at Figures 3 and 4
preferably vessels having twelve faces hermetically sealed but having thick plates A
of a certain thickness and made of bell metal and silver, the centre of each of these
plates (which may or may not be plain or corrugated) is attached on the inside to
delicate arrangement of multiplying levers such as the levers B and C Figure 1,
which multiply the motion of the plite A when such plate vibrates on picking up
the given note emitted from the more or less distant transmitter which is tuned to
give the required sound
To the other end of the lever C is attached a dipper of coil Dat ached to a cap
or covering L of delicate and flexible material covering a cup or vessel Font uning
mercury G, and from one side of which hairs head (capillary) tube H protaudes
vertically by its side in connection with the inside of the cup or vessel F, so that
the mercury G can flow up the tube to its normal height, beyond this the tube H
1 prolonged until closed or nearly so metallically by a wire I From this metallic
wie I on the one side and from the vessel of mercury F on the other, a complete
electric circuit J, J, is made with a battery J' and alarm bell K on the chart
board whenever the multiplving lever arrangement B, C, so presses on the dipper
cip, or covering E as to cause the mercury & to further ascend the small glass
tube H and make contact with the metallic wire or contact pin I at the further end
which is adjustable and hxable as to its position by the set pin L or we may
attach a delicate pair of bellows M, Figure 2, (of gold beater skin or other similar
material) at the end of the multiplying level so that the movement of said lever
shall cause a puff of an to issue from the tube N and oscillate a tongue of metal P
in the tube causing it to make electric contact with a pin or stop I and close a
circuit such a above de cubed for a similar purpose, or we may cause the end of
the lever Con vibrating to make a "make and break contact direct in an
electric circuit, as indicated by the dotted lines a, b, Figure 1, or we may cause it
to raise or lower a platinum hair or wire or tibbon which shall have a similai effect
and for a similar purpose
In any case in such a circuit the wires are connected up to the board R in the
charthouse so that the current may be switched off at will by the switch S to a
tape machine T which will record the vibrations in dots and dashes on the tape
For instance, if the bell is caused to make twenty rapid vibrations, twenty successive
dots in immediate contiguity with each other may represent the "dash" and a
single vibration of the bell, i "dot We may or may not attach telephones and
microphones to the receiver for the purpose if required of receiving the sounds or
signals by ear, and manually recording them (by means of a button contact) on the
alarm bell or tape machine as an alternative
The placing of the appliance- or instruments is subject to changes whether for
single or multiple action, so that two vessels can speak to one another, or one vessel
can speak with several it in certain positions relatively to each other
We purpose employing two musical notes e C and G in our system, such as a
double bell of two notes arrangement below water in combination with the
receivers recording by means of a twelve plate and twelve compartment system
(ex tuned to one note and six to the other), as indicated at Figures 3 and 4,

page_text: communications can be made six different duections at once and direct into the
chirtioom if required where the needle c corresponding to the particular chamber
upon which the sound was received is operated
The submerged appliances can be at any distance below water line and can be
fixable on the foot of the keel to and from which they can be lowered and raised
by means of a groove or grooves U formed between the rod V and prow of the
vessel W, and upon which the wheels X travel when pulled by the cable Y and
follow the bend of the prow by which means they can be easily brought to the deck
and replaced again
<< tut in their original positions without stoppage to hip, o
"docking the vessel, or perforation of or injury to shin of ship
Compressed air may be used for striking the gong- or bells in combination
with two operating handles, ', in chutroom emitting by their action in
transmitting messages instantaneous pufts of compressed air for the purpose of
obtaining great speed
It will be evident from the foregoing that one ship can call or signal any
particular ship when amongst a number and that particulu one will understand
that it and it alone is being called
By these instruments, very nearly the same speed can be obtained in words
per minute through the water by sound as by electric telegraph
There is no perforation in or alteration to the skin or structure of the ship
The instruments below the water (transmitter and receiver-) are movable for
examination or repair at any moment without detention to ship or stopping her
progress for a single instant whilst the recording instruments are placed on the
bridge or chartroom and are connected electrically with the instruments in the
water below
>
By the shape of the receiving instrument, sounds can be received in six directions
at one moment "star board ahead, quartei and "a tein," port ahead,'
"quarter and 'astein,' and in consequence ships approaching one another in six
different directions all at once can be spoken and recorded simultaneously
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
clum is
-
1 The improved means and appliances for submarine signalling as hereinbefore
described and as shown on the diawings
2 A submegable apparatus constructed to receive sounds of a given quality,
tone, pitch, or number of vibrations, and to transmit such iven sounds clectrically
to a per on ear or to record them upon a tape in the manner and for the purpose
described aid shown
3 Contructing a submergable apparatus of the shape (or approximately thereto)
shown in Igures 3 and 4 constituted to receive given sounds and only such given
sound from any quarter of the compass, and which can be lowered or raised and
be guided from the bow or other convenient part of the fort, ner, ship, or other
vessel or structure in the manner described
4 In the submergable apparatus the combination with a diaphingm tuned
to vibrate upon the emission of a given note, of the levers B, C, and mercury
dipper D, flexible cover E, mercury G, capillary tube H and adjustable wie I
for electrical connection to an alarm bell K and needles c, c, so that a sound
received by a given diaphragm in the receiver will operate the corresponding needle
and be manually or automatically recorded, as may be desired
The 21st day of A now. +1005
H GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Flect Sticet, London,
Agent for the said Melville Thompson Ncale and
(harles Ldwin Monkhou e