IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING AND TELEGRAPHING ON LAND AND AT SEA
Year: 1874

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by John O'Connell Cave at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 21st December 1874, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
O'CONNELL CAVE, of Weston-super-Mare, in the County of Somerset,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING AND TELEGRAPHING ON LAND AND AT SEA," and have
petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, executors, administrators,
and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made
solemn Declaration that I am the true and first Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John O'Connell Cave, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-

page_text: means of which signals can be given, and telegraphic messages con-
veyed with great simplicity and in a very effectual manner.
Atmospheric air is forced into a vessel constructed of materials
adapted for the purpose, and of any suitable size and form, by means of
an air pump, or air pumps, or bellows, or by steam power, or by
hydraulic, or by any other known methods. Into the air reservoir is or
are fitted a tube or tubes of any convenient or desired diameter and
length, the same being provided at its furthest extremity with a whistle,
horn, trumpet, or bell, or any other instrumental contrivance or appa-
ratus capable of emitting a loud sound when air is driven or forcéd
through it. Two or more of such whistles or other contrivances may be
so placed at different parts of the length of the tube within it as to
multiply or intensify the sound. And the said contrivances may be
made and arranged so as to be capable of being removed or shifted in
order that any number of different sounds, tones, or notes may be pro-
duced in succession by the same tube, or the tube may be furnished with
two or more ends or external mouth-pieces branching from it, so that
each of such ends may hold fixed whistles or other contrivances or
instruments such as those before mentioned of differing tones, and which
may be provided with valves or keys by which they may be caused to
sound in concert or in succession," as may be desired. The terminal
portion or portions of the tube may be arranged by well known and
understood appliances to revolve or move into any required position, and
the end of the tube is in some cases provided with a "sound projector,"
that is to say, an enlargement somewhat similar in form to that of a
speaking trumpet, which can be turned in any desired direction.
In some cases it may be desirable and will come fully within the scope of
my present Invention to fix the whistles or other instrumental con-
trivances for producing sound to the air reservoir itself without the
assistance of any tube or tubes, the same being regulated, and the desired
sounds or notes produced thereby by suitable valves or keys in
accordance with the particulars herein-before described. The "sound
projector" may be constructed of any suitable material or materials
or combination of materials, and may be made of a single tube of
regular or irregular diameter, or double, or having several linings in both
latter cases, a vacant space of regular or irregular diameter being
left between the different portions or linings of the "sound projector.
The different spaces can be made to communicate with each other by
"

page_text: there being suitable apertures in the several portions or linings, the
object of which contrivance is to increase the intensity by acting in a
manner analogous to a sounding board.
The before-mentioned reservoir for containing the condensed air may
be fitted with a tube or tubes formed of india-rubber or other material, or
with a hollow wire cable, the same being of any length, and which may
be either submerged or supported by suitable means in the atmosphere.
In the case of the tube or tubes being submerged the end or ends of the
same is or are supported by a buoy or buoys with all such necessary
arrangements as will be well understood, or the end or ends of the sub-
merged tube or tubes may be lashed or secured to a fixed pole or support
at a sufficient height to be unaffected by spring tides.
The end or ends of the tube or tubes is or are provided with such
contrivances as herein-before mentioned for producing sound as may be
desired.
Apparatus thus constructed and arranged will by the means aforesaid
convey or transmit signals by sound through a considerable distance or
in fact through any distance and at any desired points. It is manifest that
the apparatus can be constructed of any desired size, and that its efficacy
can be greatly increased by connecting branch tubes with the main tube
or tubes.
When it is intended that the apparatus shall be used on board vessels
at sea it can be made of a very small and portable form, as the air can
be made to act on the instrument or instruments employed in a direct
manner without the use of an air vessel or reservoir, the instrument or
instruments being attached to suitable parts of the forcing pump or
cylinder or bellows or other apparatus used for the purpose, and the
sounds produced thereby by the means before described can be used and
combined in accordance with any code of signals which may be adopted
or agreed upon.
In employing this Invention for telegraphic purposes whether on land
or at sea, it will readily be understood that the pressure of the air which
passes into the tube or hollow wire cable employed can be regulated in
its passage by any known means or contrivances, so that the same shall
be continuous and thus be enabled to act upon instruments of sound
placed at the end or ends of the tube or of branches thereof, or the air

page_text: may be caused to act in an intermittent manner, and to operate by
means of beats or pulsations on an instrument or instruments of sound,
or to actuate any indicating apparatus which can be so applied and
adapted to give codible, visible, or intelligible signals or messages. In
like manner the air may be made to act upon a column of quicksilver or 5
on any suitable liquid, so as by the rising and falling of the quicksilver
or other liquid to express messages or information according to any
prearranged code.
It must be understood and in all cases in which no great pressure of
air is required, the air vessel or reservoir can be dispensed with, the 1
inflated part or parts of the air pump, cylinder, or bellows, or other
apparatus bearing the instrument or instruments of sound being caused
to act in lieu thereof.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe in 1
conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim
as constituting the same is, the combination of parts and apparatus
herein-before described, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John O'Connell Cave, have thereunto 2
set my hand and seal this Nineteenth day of December. in thẻ