IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING FOG HORNS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Lewis Wharton, of Great Grimsby in the
County of Lincolnshire for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR OPERATING FOG HORNS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Lewis Wharton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st May 1882.
ARTHUR LEWIS WHARTON, of Great Grimsby, in the County of Lincolnshire,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING FOG HORNS"
My improvements relate to the apparatus for which Letters Patent No 4593
AD 1880 were granted to Wharton and Dobson; and they consist chiefly in an
appliance for automatically giving a code of signals which may conform to the
Government Code of Signals or rules of the road now in use. As before I use for
operating the fog horn a pair of double acting oscillating cylinders, the pistons of
which are connected to cranks set at right angles on the same crank-shaft. But
instead of connecting the discharge pipes from the two valve boxes in the centre,
I lead the discharge pipe from each valve box to a separate chamber, which rests
on the receiver for compressed air, and communicates with the latter through a
foot-valve opening into the receiver, from which the fog horn is supplied. This
arrangement prevents air compressed in one cylinder, to intrude through the valve
box into the other cylinder. From the receiver the compressed air passes into a
metallic ball or casing containing the reed which produces the sound and from
which the air escapes into the horn. The driving shaft is parallel to the crank-
shaft and carries a pinion gearing into a larger spur-wheel mounted on the
crank-shaft, while the driving-shaft receives its motion from a crank mounted on
the shaft outside the casing. The crank-shaft carries besides the large spur-wheel
a small pinion, gearing into a larger spur-wheel which turns on a stud bolted to
the casing and making about one revolution per minute. To the hub or face of
this spur-wheel is secured a cylinder or cam divided into several parallel sections
or cans each of which corresponds to a particular signal. If there are four
sections the first corresponds to a continuous blast which may be used to call
Pine G/1

page_text: "
attention or indicate a signal of distress; the second corresponds to the "Port"
signal which may be a sound lasting half a minute followed by an interval of half
a minute's silence; the third cam is intended to and will produce the "Starboard"
signal that is to say two blasts with an intervening break in the first half minute
followed by an interval of half a minute's silence; the fourth cam represents the
signal required when sailing with the wind abaft the beam, and indicates
Astern" and will produce three blasts followed by an interval of half a
minute's silence. Against the circumference of one of these cams rests the upper
end of a lever, the other end of which serves to open or close a valve, thereby
establishing or interrupting the communication between the air reservoir and the
fog-horn at intervals determined by the shape of the cam. The valve is preferably
a circular slide valve, and the lever shifted from one cam to the other by means
of a rack and pinion, which latter is mounted on the lower end of a vertical shaft
passing through the top of the casing. The number and length of notches or
recesses on the cam corresponds to the number and length of sounds or intervals
of sounds required in a certain signal. To the top of the casing where the vertical
controlling shaft passes through the latter, is secured a metallic sector representing
about the eighth part of a circle and serving as an index, the said sector being
divided into four smaller sectors which correspond to the four different cams, and
are coated with luminous paint, and the sections are distinguished by different
colours, by covering them with red, green, yellow and white glass, with the excep-
tion of the outer portion, which is marked with the letters C. P. S. and A. by
laying a metallic plate over it from which these letters have been stamped or cut
out, the metallic plate being then covered with white glass. The object of this
arrangement is to enable the operator to distinguish the different sections by their
colours and letters at night as well as during the day without using a lamp. On
the upper end of the controlling shaft is mounted an index arm with handle
reaching beyond the periphery of the sector. From the latter extends upward a
circular flange provided with a notch or catch opposite the centre of every section,
into which notch falls a spring attached to the index arm whenever the latter
is placed over the centre of the respective section, so that the handle and the
mechanism moved by the latter is locked in its position until a new signal is
required. For operating the fog horn one need only put the index arm of the
vertical shaft in the centre of the section which corresponds to the required signal,
and turn the crank on the driving-shaft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur Lewis Wharton in the Great Seal Patent Office on tho
1st November 1882.
ARTHUR LEWIS WHARTON, of Great Grimsby, in the County of Lincolnshire,
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING FOG HORNS
The
My improvements relate to the apparatus for which Letters Patent No 4593.
A.D. 1880, were granted to Wharton and Dobson; and they consist chiefly in an
appliance for automatically giving a code of signals which may conform to the
Government code of signals or rules of the road now in use. As before I use for
operating the fog horn a pair of double-acting oscillating cylinders, the pistons of
which are connected to cranks set. at right angles on the same crank-shaft. But
instead of connecting the discharge pipe from the two valve boxes in the centre, I
lead the discharge pipe from each valve box separately to the receiver for com-
pressed air, and provide it with a foot-valve opening into the receiver, from which
the fog horn is supplied. This arrangement prevents air compressed in one
cylinder, to intrude through the valve box into the other cylinder. From the
receiver the compressed air passes into a metallic ball or casing containing tho
reed which produces the sound and from which the air escapes into the horn.
driving-shaft is parallel to the crank-shaft and carries a pinion gearing into a
larger spur-wheel mounted on the crank-shaft, while the latter receives its motion
from a crank mounted on the shaft outside the casing. The crank-shaft carries
besides the large spur-wheel a small pinion, gearing into a larger spur-wheel which
turns on a stud bolted to the casing. This spur-wheel serves to drive a cylinder
or cam divided into several parallel sections or cams, each of which corresponds to
a particular signal. If there are four sections, the first corresponds to a continuous
blast which may be used to call attention or indicate a signal of distress; the
second corresponds to the "Port" signal which may be a sound lasting half a
minute followed by an interval of half a minute's silence; the third cam is intended
to produce the "Starboard" signal, that is to say, two blasts with an intervening
break in the first half minute followed by an interval of half a minute's silence;
the fourth cam represents the signal required when sailing with the wind abaft
the beam, and indicates "Astern" and will produce three blasts followed by an
interval of half a minute's silence. Against the circumference of one of these cams
rests the upper end of a lever, the other end of which serves to open or close a
valve, thereby establishing or interrupting the communication between the air
reservoir and the fog horn at intervals determined by the shape of the cam.
valve is preferably a circular slide valve, and the lever shifted from one cam to the
other by means of a rack and segment, which latter is mounted on the lower end
of a vertical shaft passing through the top of the casing. The number and length
of notches or recesses on the cam corresponds to the number and length of sounds
or intervals of sounds required in a certain signal. To the top of the casing where
the vertical controlling shaft passes through the latter, is secured a metallic sector
representing about the eighth part of a circle and serving as an index, the said
sector being divided into four smaller sectors which correspond to the four different
cams, and are coated with luminous paint, and the sections are distinguished by
different colours, by covering them with red, green, yellow and white glass, with
the exception of the outer portion, which is marked with the letters C. P. S. and A
by laying a metallic plate over it from which these letters have been stamped or
cut out, the metallic plate being then covered with white glass. The object of this
arrangement is to enable the operator to distinguish the different sections by their
The

page_text: colours and letters at night as well as during the day without using a lamp. On
the upper end of the controlling shaft is mounted an index arm with handle
reaching beyond the periphery of the sector. For operating the fog-horn one need
only put the index arm of the vertical shaft in the centre of the section which
corresponds to the required signal, and turn the crank on the driving-shaft.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Fig 1 represents
a vertical section, and fig 2 a front view. Fig 3 represents a side view showing
the action of the levers in connection with cam wheel and the connection with
index or dial outside the case at the top. Fig 4 represents a horizontal section
through the top of the casing. Fig 5 represents the index or dial and horn as seen
from the top. Fig 6 shows the toothed rack and corresponding sector to give the
necessary motion, as well as the lever which releases the lever (acting upon the
cam wheel) from the slots or notches when required to be moved in order to give
a different signal.
A represents the casing which may be made of any hard light wood and into
which are inserted grooved brass bushes or bearings for the crank shaft H and
pinion shaft I. B represents the double-acting cylinders, To the side and bottom
of these cylinders are secured tubes which convey the air previously compressed in
the cylinders into the small valve chambers c. C represents the afore-named valve
chambers in which are placed two valves so arranged as to prevent the air
at the top of the cylinder from passing into the lower chambers and vice versa.
D represents the compressed air-receptacle which receives the compressed air by
means of tubes connected with the valve chambers c, and at the foot of which
conveyance tubes are placed light draught valves in order to prevent any air
returning into the cylinders or valve chambers. The foot of these said conveyance
tubes is provided with screw threads which screw into a boss or collar, which is
secured to the top of the air tank D which arrangement enables the afore-named
tubes to screw off in order to repair or inspect the valves at the foot of the afore-
named conveyance tubes, should it be necessary. F represents a globular cylinder
or receiver into which is discharged the air from the tank or receiver D, and in
which is seated or screwed the reed which gives out the sound into the horn G
which may be of any known design so as to conform with different requirements.,
H represents the crank shaft having two cranks arranged at right angles.
I represents the pinion-shaft to which is attached the crank L, by which the
whole machine is operated, and to this shaft is secured a small pinion J which
drives the wheel K. This wheel K is keyed to the said crank-shaft H.
M. represents the small tooth wheel which is keyed to the crank-shaft at the
opposite end to the large wheel K, and which pinion M drives another large
wheel N upon which is secured a small pinion. The latter drives a large wheel (O).
Secured to this wheel O is a cylinder of brass of. suitable thickness and diameter.
This cylinder must be punched or pressed to a given pattern or otherwise corre-
sponding circular strips may be laid on the face of the cylinder in order to produce
the necessary signals: continuous, Port, Starboard and Astern. This tube or
cylinder is divided into four sections pierced or otherwise shaped so as to give off
the afore named signals properly, and is intended to revolve only once in sixty
seconds. P represents the lever which acts upon the pierced cylinder or cam wheel,
and which lever is jointed to the toothed rack hereinafter described as V, and is
sufficiently long to reach a lever Q placed horizontally on the air receptacle. To
.this lever is attached a disc valve Q¹ which slides horizontally on the valve face
attached to the foot of the globe or metal ball F and which acts in conjunction
with the lever P in cutting off the supply of air proceeding from the receptacle D
into the metal ball or vessel F, and vice versa. R represents a lever which is
jointed by means of a strap and set screw to the rod hereinafter described as S, and
which lever, being connected to the indicator T and the lever P, acts so as to
remove the lever P from the cam-wheel, should it be necessary to alter the signal.
Trepresents the indicator or pointer in which are pierced two slots, in one of
which (that near the thin end of the indicator) slides the handle or knob

page_text: U represents the index which has the shape of a sector, and which is divided into
four sections in order to correspond with the working of the cams and indicate
four points corresponding to different signals. This index U is made of brass and
of corresponding shape with the dial plate, which dial plate or card is strongly
impregnated or coated with luminous paint and marked in black in the four
sections with the respective letters C. P. S. A. This dial is covered with thick
glass over which fits the brass cover or index plate secured to the base by screws.
This dial is made luminous in order to dispense with the necessity of using lamps.
The cards or plates of this index can be removed at small cost when the luminous
properties are worn out. V represents the toothed rack which slides in a groove
in a small bracket W and which is jointed to the lever P. X represents the
toothed sector which actuates the toothed rack V and which is keyed or squared
to the rod S. Y represents a safety-valve which comprises a straight rod jointed
in the middle, a ball-valve placed at one end and a spiral-spring placed at the other
end, the spring being of sufficient strength to allow the safety valve to blow off at
the desired maximum pressure only.
My invention avoids the necessity of leaving the length or duration of the
required sounds to the will of the operator and ensures a correct rendering of the
different signals required by an established code. I would remark that the
accompanying drawing is only intended to illustrate a convenient mode of
performing my invention, but in matters of detail the apparatus may be varied
without departing from the spirit of my invention.
What I claim is :-
1. The method of connecting the cylinders with the air receptacle D.
2. The combination of a regulating valve Q', with a signal-cylinder O, a lever P
and means for shifting the latter along the signal-cylinder.
3. The combination of lever P, lever R, rod S, sector X, and rack V.
4. The construction of the pointer and dial.
5. The combination of the indicator and dial with valve Q¹, lever P, means for
operating the said valve and lever, and the signal cylinder O.
The whole substantially as described and illustrated.
In Witness whereof I the said Arthur Lewis Wharton have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty-eighth day of October A.D. 1882.
ARTHUR LEWIS WHARTON (L.S.)