IMPROVE- MENTS IN RAILWAY ALARMS AND MARINE ALARMS OR FOG SIGNALS
Year: 1857

page_text: application for Letters. Patent was not given within the time prescribed
by the Act)...
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Leon Lewenberg at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th October
*1857.
I, LEON LEWENBERG, of the City, County, and State of New. York,
Optician, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY ALARMS AND MARINE ALARMS OR FOG SIGNALS," to be as
follows:
The description, construction, and operation of my Invention, reference
being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this Specification, wherein
Fig. 1 is,a,front, and; Fig. 2 a side elevation of my improved: apparatus for
giving alarms and signals. Similar marks of reference refer to the same
parts.
The nature of my said Invention consists in the arrangement of metallic
springs within a series of rings in such a manner that said springs shall be repre-
sented by a hollow metallic drum with plates or ribs along its surface parallel
or nearly so to the axis of the said drum; thereby the vibration of the metallic
springs and drum, when the said drum is rotated by hand or otherwise,
produces a sharp and powerful sound, and one that will extend a great
distance and arrest attention, thereby acting as an alarm and signal for use
at night, and in fogs to prevent collision of vessels; or the same may be used
in lighthouses or similar structures as a signal for marine purposes, and the

page_text: cost of the same being very little compared with the amount of noise
produced, and the compactness, of the apparatus and ease of working, render
the same peculiarly applicable for marine purposes.
In the Drawing, a represents a box or casing in which, for convenience,
the apparatus may be enclosed, and the same should be provided with doors
and a lid in any convenient manner, so as to allow the free escape of sound
when the apparatus is in use, and as this casing will not be required under all
circumstances, the same is not shewn in Fig. 2; b, b, are metallic bars or
strips crossing each other, and also forming a square or nearly square
framework, carrying the parts; c is a cross centre shaft supported in suitable
journals in the framing 6, and rotated when required by the hand wheel d or
other competent means; e, e, are heads with opening for passing out sound
attached to the shaft c, and carrying between them the cylinder or drum f,
having ribs or plates t, t, running along its surface parallel or nearly so
to the shaft c; 9, 9, are metallic rings attached to the frame b, and having
metallic springs h, h; attached to their inner surface, and curved in such a form
that their points are taken by the ribs 1, 1; as the shaft c, and its cylinder or
drum fare rotated thereby, I am enabled to obtain a very large amount of
vibrating surface for both; the cylinder f and springs h, h, vibrate, producing
a very loud and sharp sound that will be heard a great distance, and will act
to great advantage as a signal for marine purposes, and preventing collissions
in fogs or at night, saving great loss of life and property, and my apparatus
being very light, is better adapted for general use as a signal than the
ponderous bells that have heretofore been employed.
I do not claim a spring or springs acted on by a ratchet wheel for producing
'sound, as this has before been made use of, but what I claim and desire
to secure by Letters Patent is the hollow cylinder or drum fopen at the ends
and fitted with the ribs or plates 1, when arranged to act on and within the
circular ranges of metallic springs h, attached to the rings 9 for the purposes
and as specified.