CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG-SIGNALS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and Foreign
Patent Offices, 18, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 90, Cannon
Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, for an Invention of " CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG-SIGNALS." A communication from Felix Brown, of
New York, County and State of New York, United States of America,
Manufacturer.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th January 1881.
HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue
de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 90, Cannon Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent. "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG-SIGNALS." A com-
munication from Felix Brown, of New York, County and State of New York,
United States of America, Manufacturer.
The Invention relates to an improvement in that class of fog-signals which are
known as sirenes.
Th Invention consists in the combination in a sirene of a suitable casing, with
one or more openings for admitting air, and two or more openings for discharging
the air, and a fan-wheel which revolves in the casing, and serves to draw in the air
through one set of openings, and to discharge it in intermittent currents through
the other set of openings; also in the combination in a sirene of a cylindrical
casing with openings in its periphery and in one of its heads, a fan-wheel mounted
on a shaft and adapted to revolve in the interior of the casing, openings in the
jacket of the fan-wheel, which can be made to register with the openings in the
casing and wings on said fan-wheel, constructed to draw in air through one set of
openings in the casing, and to drive it out intermittently through the other set of
openings; also in the combination with the casing and the fan-wheel constructed
as above described, of mechanism for adjusting the fan-wheel in relation to the
air escape openings.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which Fig: 1
represents a vertical section in the plane x, x, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a front view;

page_text: Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in the plane y, y, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detached sectional
view of the fan-wheel on a larger scale than the previous Figures. Similar letters
indicate corresponding parts.
In the example shown in the Drawing, the letter A designates a cylindrical
casing which is provided with a series of openings a in its periphery, and with
openings b, b, in its head B. Through this casing extends a shaft C, which has its
bearings at one end in the head B, and at its opposite end in a standard D secured
to the casing A. On this shaft is mounted a fan-wheel E, which is composed of a
solid disk c, a cylindrical jacket d, a series of radiating wings e, and a ring f¹
which is connected to the disk c by the jacket d and the wings e.
In the jacket d
are a series of openings f (Fig. 4), by preference just in front of the radiating
wings e, and said jacket is of such a diameter, that it fits into the casing A, and
can be revolved therein.
The shaft C of the fan-wheel is mounted in its bearings in such a manner that
it can be moved therein in the direction of its length, and if the fan-wheel is
brought in such a position that it covers the openings a in the casing A, either
partially or wholly, and a revolving motion is imparted to it, the air which is
drawn in through the openings b, b, in the head B is expelled through the
openings in the jacket d of the fan-wheel, and through the openings a, a, in the
periphery of the casing A.
As the openings f move past the openings a, the latter openings are alternately
opened and closed, and the currents of air discharged through them are intermittent,
or in other words a rapid vibration is imparted to the air as the same enters the
openings b, and as it escapes from the openings a, and a loud tone is produced.
The volume of the tone and its pitch depends chiefly upon the velocity with
which the fan-wheel is revolved, but if the fan wheel is revolved with uniform
velocity, the volume of the tone can be changed by moving the fan-wheel shaft in
its bearing so as to uncover the openings of more or less. By moving the shaft so
as to uncover these openings gradually while the fan-wheel is in motion, the tone
is swelled, and vice versa, and by these means a peculiar effect can be produced
with this sirene, so that its tone can be heard at a great distance, and readily
distinguished from other tones.
In order to increase the volume of the tone, the casing A is surrounded by a
conical jacket F, which also forms a portion of the frame G that supports the driving
mechanism. This mechanism consists of a pulley H mounted on the fan-wheel
shaft, a counter-shaft I mounted in the frame G, and carrying a pinion J and a
pulley K, and a driving shaft L mounted in the frame G, and carrying a cog-wheel M
and a hand-crank N. The pullies K and H are connected by a belt, and the cog
wheel M gears into the pinion J, and the diameter of these wheels and pullies are
so selected that one revolution of the driving shaft produces a large number of
revolutions of the fan-wheel, and that with comparatively little exertion a very
rapid motion can be imparted to said fan-wheel.
On the frame G is also mounted a vertical shaft O, which carries at its upper
end a hand-lever P, and at its lower end a pinion or toothed-segment Q (Fig. 3),
which gears into circular grooves i in the fan-wheel shaft. A spring į which acts
on the shaft O has a tendency to retain the same in such a position that the
openings f.in the jacket of the fan-wheel are wholly covered by the solid portion of
the casing, and do not register with any portion of the openings a in the casing.
When a revolving motion is imparted to the fan-wheel, and the vertical shaft O is
turned gradually against the action of its spring ;, the openings fare gradually
uncovered and brought to register with the openings a, and a tone of gradually
increasing volume is produced. By allowing the shaft O to follow the action of
its spring the volume of the tone is gradually reduced, and when the openings fin
the fan-wheel come opposite the solid portion of the casing no tone is produced.
This sirene is intended particularly as a fog-signal for sailing vessels, and it is
therefore so arranged that it can be operated by hand, but it may be driven by any
other power, or by steam if it is to be used on a steam vessel. It must also be

page_text: remarked that the principal advantage of this sirene is due to the fact that it
supplies its own air, while sirenes heretofore constructed were dependent upon
currents of compressed air or steam which had to be supplied by proper mechanical
means.
The action of this sirene depends chiefly upon the fan-wheel, which draws in air
through one set of openings and expells the air in intermittent currents through
another set of openings.
The shaft O may also be operated automatically in such a manner that the
openings fare covered and uncovered at certain intervals, thus producing a series
of penetrating sounds of longer or shorter duration, according to a prearranged
system.
With the jacket F may be connected a trumpet or horn should circumstances
require it.
This sirene can be built on any scale, and it will also be a very efficient fog-
signal for light-houses and light-vessels.
Having thus described the nature of the said improvements, and the manner of
carrying them into effect, I claim,―
1°. The combination in a sirene of a suitable casing with one or more openings
for admitting air, and two or three more openings for discharging the air, and a
fan-wheel which revolves in the casing, and serves to draw in the air through one
set of openings in the casing, and to discharge it in intermittent currents through
the other set of openings, substantially as described.
2º. The combination in a sirene of a cylindrical casing with openings in its
periphery and in one of its heads, a fan-wheel mounted on a shaft and adapted to
revolve in the interior of the casing, openings in the jacket of the fan-wheel which
can be made to register with the openings in the casing, and wings on said fan-
wheel constructed to draw in air through one set of openings in the casing and
drive it out intermittently through the other set of openings, substantially as set
forth.
3°. The combination with the casing A and its two sets of openings, of a fan-
wheel constructed to revolve in the casing, and of mechanism for adjusting the
fan-wheel in relation to the air escape openings, substantially as herein shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
H. BONNEVILLE. (L.S.)