Improvements in or connected with Sound Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1897-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
Improvements in or connected with Sound Signalling Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM BENJAMIN BARKER, of 7 Kent Square Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this said invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to that kind of sound signalling apparatus in which
the sound is produced by air or steam acting upon metallic reeds, the form of
apparatus itself being, in most cases, a type of horn, for use more particularly for
maritime signalling.
According to this invention the reeds are of metal and cover the mouth of box,
the body of which projects out from a base, in which base the shank end of the reed
is fastened. At the tip the reed will preferably stand a small distance from the
face or edge of the box which it covers. The shank of the reed is fastened in the
reed box base in a through slot into which it slides sideways when placed in
position; and this part of the shank is tapered outwards being larger at its lower
end while the slot in which it fits is made of corresponding form. The outside edge
of the base of the reed box is threaded, having a slight taper outwards, and over it,
a nut or sleeve having a corresponding form is screwed: thus when the nut or
sleeve is screwed in into position it presses the part of the reed box base outside
the reed, on to it, and binds and holds it firmly in position, and in such a manner
that it cannot work loose.
Outside the reed box and reed, a casing is provided, forming a chamber, in which
each reed and box, of the several which may be used in a horn, is enclosed and the
end of this chamber which fits over the reed box base serves preferably as the nut or
sleeve above specified by which the reed is fastened. Into each of these chambers
compressed air or steam is introduced when the apparatus is in action, and the inlet
is regulated by a suitable regulating or controlling device, so that the relative
volumes of compressed air or steam admitted to the different chambers may be
varied or regulated, thereby providing a mode of obtaining a toning effect, so as to
render the sound given out by all the reeds the same, and without the expense of
working up the reeds to give the same sound. This construction also enables
the reeds to be regulated or controlled in any case, whether of the same note
or not.
The supply of air to each of the reed chambers may be regulated by a tap, or a
screw plug or stop, or any other suitable device; or the inlet aperture may be of a
fixed or regulated area.
In one form of horn having my improvements applied to it, two three, or more
reed boxes are arranged within a general case or main box to which compressed air
or steam to work the reeds is introduced. Those reeds and their boxes enclosed on
their cases or chambers are screwed by the bases into a bottom or end plate; while
at the other end of the case there is a cover by which access is had to the reed
cases. The openings to the reed cases may be formed in their ends, and these
openings may be regulated by screwed plugs or taps working through the cover.
In action the compressed air or steam enters the reed cases or chambers through
their regulated openings and passes into the reed boxes from the back of the reeds,

page_text: and round the edges. Thence it passes through the reed boxes, by tubes or
conduits in a throat chest, into the horn proper.
Dated 1st February 1897.
I, WILLIAM BENJAMIN BARKER, of 7 Kent Square, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Master Mariner, 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 has reference to that kind of sound signalling apparatus in which
the sound is produced by air or steam acting upon metallic reeds, the form of
apparatus itself being, in most cases, a type of horn, for use more particularly for
maritime signalling.
According to this invention, the reeds are of metal and cover the mouth of the
box, the body of which projects out from, a base, in which base the shank end of the
reed is fastened. At the tip the reed will preferably stand a small distance from
the face or edge of the box which it covers. The shank of the reed is fastened in
the reed box base in a through slot into which it slides sideways when placed in
position; and this part of the shank is tapered outwards, being larger at its lower
end, while the slot in which it fits is made of corresponding form. The outside edge
of the base of the reed box is threaded, having a slight taper outwards; and over it,
a nut or sleeve, having a corresponding form, is screwed; thus when the nut or
sleeve is screwed on into position, it presses the part of the reed box base outside
the reed, onto it, and binds and holds it firmly in position, and in such a manner
that it cannot work loose.
Outside the reed box and reed, a casing is provided, forming a chamber, in
which each reed and box, of the several which may be used in a horn, are
enclosed; and the end of this chamber which fits over the reed box base serves
preferably as the nut or sleeve above specified, by which the reed is fastened.
Into each of these chambers compressed air or steam is introduced when the
apparatus is in action, and the inlet is regulated by a suitable regulating or
controlling device, so that the relative volumes of compressed air or steam admitted
to the different chambers may be varied or regulated, thereby providing a mode
of obtaining a toning effect, so as to render the sound given out by all the reeds
the same, and without the expense of working up the reeds to give the same
sound, or the required notes or tones; and also enables the reeds to be regulate.l
or controlled in any case, whether of the same note or not.
The supply of air to each of the reed chambers may be regulated by a tap, or a
screw plug or stop, or any other suitable device; or, the inlet apertures may be of
a fixed or regulated and determined area.
In one form of horn having my improvements applied to it, two, three, or more,
reed boxes are arranged within a general case or main box, to which compressed
air or steam to work the reeds is introduced. These reeds and their boxes,
enclosed in their cases or chambers, are screwed by their bases into a bottom or
end plate; while at the other end of the case there. is a cover by which access is
had to the reed cases. The openings to the reed cases may be formed in 'their
ends, and these openings may be regulated by taps, or by plugs working through
the cover. In action, the compressed air or steam enters the reed cases or

page_text: chambers through their regulated openings, and passes into the reed boxes from
the back of the reeds and round their edges. Thence it passes through the reed
boxes, by tubes or conduits in a throat chest, into the horn proper.
Two arrangements or modifications of reed sounding apparatus or horns provided
with improvements according to this invention are illustrated in the annexed
drawings.
One arrangement and construction is illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, Figure 2 is a cross section at A A Figure 1,
and Figure 3 is a view of the throat of the throat box.
Figures 4 and 5 are longitudinal sectional elevation, and cross section, shewing
in detail the mode of construction and fastening of reeds in reed instruments; and
also a form of reed box and its case.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the other arrangement or modification of
reed sounding apparatus; Figure 7 being an outside end view, and Figure 8 a face
view of the throat box, of it.
In the arrangements or modifications of the apparatus shewn, there are a
plurality of reeds in the instrument, and the air (or steam) used to operate the
reeds, passing from the several reeds is delivered through a throat box into a
single sounding tube or horn.
Referring to the drawings, a are the reeds, and 6 the reed boxes, c are the
casings within each of which a single reed and reed box is contained, and to
which the compressed air or steam used for. operating the reed is supplied in
regulated quantities, c¹ being the air inlet or opening in each of the cases c-
which is regulated. c² are screw studs with coned ends, which are used in
connection with each of the cases c, and serve to govern or regulate the inlet c¹.
d is a general enclosing box in which the reeds and their cases are disposed, or
contained and housed. e is a cover enclosing the outer end of the box d, and in
which the air regulating screw studs c² are held and work. f is a flanged dome
enclosing and protecting the regulating studs c2; this dome and cover e being
fastened down onto the container box 6 by locked screwed studs 9. a diaphragm
in which the outer end of the reed box cases c are screwed, and by these screws
and diaphragm, the reed boxes are pressed down and held in seats or sockets in
the throat chest. i is the throat chest and are conduits in it, which lead into a
throat at upon the face of the chest i. One flange of the throat chest i is
secured to the container d, and to the other flange the expanding tube or horn
portion is secured. I is the port or passage through which the air used to
operate the reeds is introduced into the apparatus.
h is
Referring now to the particular construction and mode of securing the reeds in
their boxes or bases, this is illustrated in detail in Figures 4 and 5, in sectional
elevation and plan. The shank or base a¹ of the reed, as shewn, is tapered, being
largest at the end, and fits in a correspondingly formed slot or recess extending
from side to side of the socket piece or base 6 of the reed box. This part-
.e. the shank-of the reed is slid into position in the slot from the side, it
being made a fair fit so as to slide into, and fairly fill it, so that it shall be impossible
for it to work out when in use. Then, to render the fastening absolutely firm, the
base is externally threaded, and also slightly tapered outwards in the same
direction as the shank a¹; while the lower internally threaded edge c³ of the case c
is also correspondingly tapered; and thus, when this case is screwed down tight.
onto 62, it forces the sector of metal of 62 outside the shank a', onto the shank,
and binds it firmly in position. Hence in action, the reed cannot possibly work
loose or move in any direction, either from its own vibrations, or other cause.
With regard to the throat chest i, the conduits come together at the face, and
form a throat at 2, where all the streams of air from the different reed boxes merge
into a common volume, producing a unified volume and clear note, without
reverberation.
Referring now to the modifications shewn in Figures 6 to 8, in this case, the reed
box cases c are not enclosed, and air to each of them is supplied through a tap c²;

page_text: that is, it is regulated by these taps. In the example given, the air is delivered by
a number of pipes ct from a common chest c³, to which compressed air is supplied.
The cases c in this case are held within a plate m, which is fastened onto the upper
end of the throat chest i. The conduits of this throat chest, similarly as in the
apparatus above described, merge into one another forming a common throat at
the outer face of the chest at 3, delivering the air into the horn proper k practically
in a unified volume or stream.
In action, the air to the reed box cases c, and therefore to the reeds and reed
boxes, is regulated in quantity by the regulating devices c³, or by making the air
inlets or apertures to the cases of a regulated opening or area; and, therefore,
the required quantity and pressure of air, and action of the different reeds, can be
governed or controlled. That is, by supplying more or less air to the reed box
cases c, all the reeds may be very readily set to act in the required manner; so,
that in a multiple reed apparatus, the liability of want of the proper action of
some or any of the reeds, which would, in almost all cases, otherwise happen, is
obviated; and the volume of sound given from the several boxes (which, at the
throat of the chest becomes a unified volume and stream) will be full, and that
required; resulting, in effect, in an apparatus capable of transmitting the sound
for several miles, and hence particularly serviceable on all maritime sound signal
stations.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I, declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Reed sound signalling apparatus comprising a plurality of reeds, to each of
which the air or fluid for working the reed is adapted to be regulated: substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In reed sound signalling apparatus, a plurality of reeds contained in separate
cases or containers, to each of which the air or fluid for working the reed is
regulated substantially as set forth for the purposes specified.
3. In a reed sound signalling apparatus of the kind herein referred to, the
improved mode of fastening of the reed in its base or socket, consisting in the
construction of the reed with an outwardly tapered or enlarged shank, the tapered
or enlarged part fitting in a correspondingly tapered recess or slot formed in and
through the base or seat, and into which the said reed shank is adapted to be slid
from the side substantially as described.
4. In reed sound signalling apparatus, the construction of the reed and base or
part in which it is fastened, substantially as described and shewn, by which the
fastening is rendered secure.
5. In a reed sounding apparatus having a plurality of reeds and reed boxes, and
a horn into which the discharge from such boxes is delivered, a throat chest
between said reeds and said horn, constructed and operating substantially as herein
set forth.
6. The multiple reed sounding apparatus having parts arranged, combined, and
adapted to operate, particularly as set forth with reference to and shewn in
Figures 1 to 3, and Figures 6 to 8, respectively.
Dated this 31st day of March 1897.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.