Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Signalling during Fog or Hazy Weather at Sea, Applicable also for General Signalling Purposes at Sea, whether from Movable or Fixed Structures, such as Ships, Forts, or the like.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Signalling during Fog
or Hazy Weather at Sea, Applicable also for General Signalling
Purposes at Sea, whether from Movable or Fixed Structures, such
as Ships, Forts, or the like.
We, MELVILLE THOMPSON NEALE, Engineer, and JOHN HENRY SMALPAGE,
Shipping Agent, both of Maddox Street, Middlesex, 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:-
The object of this invention is to utilize sound conveyed by and through, water on,
in or to a telephonic or similar appliance on board an ordinary ship, a fort, a lightship
or other structure to enable signals by code or otherwise from other ordinary ships,
forts, lightships, or other structure to be heard, recorded, or otherwise noted, so that
in a fog or during hazy weather at sea or other water, the striking of a gong, the
blast of a horn, the blowing off of steam, the sound of a distant screw or paddles (all
under water) the action of breakers on shore, or other volume of sound given off
from a vessel or shore could be received by the appliance on another vessel in the
vicinity as a warning or a signal by code.
In the case of two vessels moving, or from a ship to a fort or vice versa, a pre-
arranged code would, according to the number of beats on the gong, signal the
course which the vessel giving the signal is steering which sounds by our apparatus
could either be simply heard or automatically registered on the bridge of a ship, fort,
lightship, or otherwise as follows:
The appliance is capable of many modifications but in principle it is composed, see
Figure 1, of a funnel mouthed tube A closed by a thin plate or diaphragm B at or
under the water line, which diaphragmn we term the vessel's ear and which is flush or
nearly so with the outside skin of the vessel's side and in absolute contact on its outer
side with the water.
This tube A is of peculiar form its interior, forming parabolic curves for the better
collection, concentration and subsequent hearing of the sound or vibration received

page_text: by the diaphragm B. To the inner end of this tube A may be fitted a hearing tubo C
for placing against the car in order to hear the vibrations of sound or signals
received.
Or we may prefer to place a millimetre screw D or other appliance inside the tube A
and close to the centre (on the inner side) of the diaphragm B nearly but not quite
touching the latter; or in lieu of the tube A, the millimetre screw D may be arranged
as at Figure 2, which diaphragm B and, screw D being connected electrically and
with a dial E on the bridge F and a battery will close the current and deflect a needle
therein, whenever the vibration of the diaphragm B caused by sound or signals
received, shall cause the diaphragm B to touch the point of the screw D and so
complete the current, or we may prefer to enclose some liquid, such as water
mercury etc. inside a narrow box G, see Figure 3, the diaphragm B forming one side
of the box. The box has an opening at the top on which is fitted a glass tube H
carrying at its upper extremity a wire I inserted down the upper part of such tube H
so as to nearly, but not quite, touch the liquid in the box, the vibration of the
diaphragm in this case causing the water to rise up the tube H making contact with
the end of the wire I and so closing the current and deflecting the needle as before
described, or some other similar action to effect the same purpose.
The dial E consists of a needle J (Figure 4) carrying an armature K which is
suspended between two magnets L. L, for attraction from either side of the vessel so
that whichever diaphragm B should be closing one of the two currents, the needle
would move in that direction whether to port or starboard as the case might be, it
being understood that there is at least one diaphragm or car as we term it and its
separate connection with the dial on either side of the vessel, or we might prefer to
use a dial E containing two needles J, Figure 5, one for each set of apparatus or we
may elect to add any form of mechanical multiplying arrangement for increasing or
multiplying the action of the diaphragms in certain cases.
We also in some cases may add an Electric Alarm bell by means of adding to the
dial a local current and a relay: so that on a vessel arriving within the radius of sound
which the diaphragm or car as we term it can hear, the bell shall ring to signal that a
vessel has come within radius, which radius can be altered at pleasure by the
screw arrangement or otherwise by lowering or raising the wire f in the glass.tube
Figure 3.
Also in some cases we may add a local electric arrangement for perforating a paper
tape moving by clockwork by a fine needle point at every movement of the needle or
armature, thus providing a permanent record of what occurs.
If it be advisable to place three or more diaphragms together in one part of the
vessel at certain angles to one another, or in various parts of the vessel, dials, needles,
or perforated tapes may be arranged corresponding to each of them, or instead of
perforating the vessel's side it may be more convenient to place one or more
diaphragms together in a case and sling it by guides or otherwise over the side of the
vessel as at Figure 6.
Should two or more diaphragms be placed in a case, the object would be for the
more effectual covering of the sea board on that side of the vessel with a view to
more exactly defining the direction from which the vessel signalling is approaching
on that particular quarter.
If a code of sounds be established for signalling purposes. we arrange a couple of
guides QQ over the side of the vessel and lower a bell or gong R to the desired
depth, as indicated at Figure 7, so that by pulling on the cord S, the required number
of beats on the gong can be given according to the signal, another vessel being
similarly fitted so that the sound of its gong can be received by the diaphragm B and
recorded as previously described.
Instead of the gong steam pipes T may be arranged so that by opening steam
valves, the rush of steam into the water will give sufficient sound for the diaphragm
of the other vessel to be affected. The steam pipe T for increasing the volume of
sound may be in connection with a steam whistle or gong, horn, &c. under the water
line or it may open directly into the bell or gong R, as indicated at U Figure 7..

page_text: 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
claim is
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Fitting a telephonic or sound collecting diaphragm in or to the side of a vessel or
other structure, fixed or movable, below the water line,so that vibrations of diaphragm
produced by sound transmitted through water, can be heard or be recorded electrically
or otherwise within the vessel as described and substantially by the appliances
arranged as shown on the annexed drawings.
H. GARDNER.
166. Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said M. T. Neale and
J. H. Smalpage.