IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATING FROM THE LAND TO VESSELS AT SEA, AND ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Delabere Barker, of Clapham, in the County of
Surrey,Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING
AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATING FROM
THE LAND TO VESSELS AT SEA, AND ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES." —A.
communication from abroad by Thomas T. Vernon Smith, of St.
John, New Brunswick, British North America.
-
Sealed the 24th October 1861, and dated the 25th April 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Delabere Barker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th April 1861.
I, DELABERE BARKER, of Clapham,in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIGNALLING AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE WITH, ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATING
FROM THE LAND TO VESSELS AT SEA, AND ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
My improvements in signalling are principally intended for the purpose of
communicating signals in foggy weather from the land to vessels at sea, but is
also applicable for use as a signal on board vessels, for signalling to railway
trains, and other purposes.
The apparatus for signalling from the land to vessels at sea consists of a
steam boiler suitable for generating steam to a very high pressure. That
which I have found most suitable for the purpose is a small vertical tubular
[Price 8d.]

page_text: boiler surmounted by a high steam chest, into which some of the fire tubes
from the furnace are carried for the purpose of superheating the steam therein
to a pressure of about 150 pounds on the square inch. Connected with a
steam pipe from the said boiler is a powerful steam whistle for signalling, and
the said whistle is furnished with a sound reflector and conducting tubes for
concentrating and directing the sound of the whistle in any required direction.
The whistle is operated upon by means of an automatic apparatus (connected
to the boiler) which opens the valves for sounding the same at regulated
periods. The said apparatus requires to be wound up every hour, and is
furnished with a "remontre" movement which enables the said apparatus to
work while it is being wound up. The boiler is fitted with a pump for
supplying it with water. By using more than one whistle sounding different.
notes on the same apparatus an identity may be given to the locality in which
the apparatus is placed; for example, a six-inch, five-and-a-half inch, and a
five-inch whistle, each sounding alternatelyand forming a chord which maybe
goue over exactly in a minute of time, and forms a suitable arrangement, with
a distinct musical cadence for signalling from the land to vessels at sea the
name of the place at which the apparatus is fixed, thus efficiently serving the
purpose of a lighthouse in the densest fog.
In using the apparatus on board a vessel the most suitable position to place
it is on the forecastle, with a sound reflector behind the whistle to direct the
sound in advance, and in a measure shield the passengers from the annoyance
hitherto experienced when steam whistles have been used.
In applying my said apparatus for use at junctious and stations on railways,
the sounding of the whistles may be so arranged as to indicate to a train the
relative position of another, and the usual red, white, and green signals may be
whistled to an approaching train in a fog longbefore the ordinary signals could
be seen at all.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Delabere Barker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DELABERE
BARKER, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Delabere Barker, Her special licence that I, the said Delabere Barker,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Delabere Barker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, aud vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN SIGNALLING AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, ADAPTED TO
COMMUNICATING FROM THE LAND TO VESSELS AT SEA, AND ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES " a communication from abroad by Thomas T. Vernon Smith, of
St. John, New Brunswick, British North America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Delabere Barker, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what mauner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Delabere Barker, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described arid ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said improvements in signalling are principally intended for the purpose
of communicating signals in foggy and other weather from the land to vessels
at sea, but are also applicable for use in signalling on board vessels, and in
signalling on railways, and to and from railway trains, and for other purposes.
The apparatus for signalling from the land to vessels at sea, and for other
purposes where a stationary apparatus is used, consists of a steam boiler or
superheating apparatus suitable for generating steam to a very high pressure;
that which I have found most suitable for the purpose is a small vertical
tubular boiler surmounted by a high steam chest, into which some of the fire
tubes from the furnace are carried for the purpose of superheating the steam
therein to a pressure of about one hundred and fifty pounds on the square
iuch. Connected with a steam pipe from the said boiler is a powerful steam
whistle or whistles for signalling, and the said whistle is furnished with a sound
reflector and conducting tube or tubes for concentrating and directing the

page_text: sound of the whistle in any required direction. The whistle is operated upon
by means of a suitable autoinatie apparatus connected to the boiler, which
opens the valves for sounding the same at regulated periods; the said appa-
ratus to be wound up every hour, and furnished with a movement to enable it
to work while it is being wound up. The said boiler is fitted up with a pump,
and the necessary apparatus for supplying it with water. By using more than
one whistle sounding different notes on the same apparatus an identity may be
given to the locality in which the apparatus is placed, for example, a six-inch,
five-and-a-half-inch, and a five-inch whistle, each sounding alternately and
forming a chord, may be gone over exactly in a minute of time, and forms a
suitable arrangement with a distinct musical cadence for signalling from the
land to vessels out at sea the name of the place at which the apparatus is
fixed, thus efficiently serving the purpose of a lighthouse in the densest fog, or
by means of a properly arranged code of signals telegraphic communications
of much greater length may be sent, not only in signalling out to sea, but in
signalling between vessels at sea or from one fixed station to another, as may
be desired.
In using the apparatus on board a vessel the most suitable position to place
it is on the forecastle with a sound reflector or reflectors behind the whistle to
reflect the sound with a tube or tubes to direct the sound in advance, and in a
measureshield the passengers from the annoyance hitherto experienced when
steam whistles have been used. The said reflector and tube may be united, if
deemed desirable.
In applying my apparatus for use at junctions and stations on railways the
sounding of the whistles may be so arranged as to indicate to a train the
relative position of another, and the usual red, white, and green signals may
be whistled to an approaching train in a fog long before the ordinary signals
could be seen at all.
When my improvements are used on locomotive engines the steam for
sounding the whistle should be superheated by being conveyed to it in a pipe
passing through the furnace, and the whistle must be fitted with a sound
reflector and tube to concentrate and conduct the undulations of sound in the
direction required.
In the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, Figure 1 is an elevation of a
superheating boiler fitted with apparatus according to my said Invention;
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the said boiler; Figure 3 is a section iu plan
on the line A, B; and Figure 4, a section on the line C. D.
Letter (a) is the boiler shell; (b) is the furnace; (c) are the fire tube ;
(d) is the steam chest ; (e) is the whistle (the reflector and conducting tubes

page_text: not being shown); (f) is the automatic apparatus operating upon the valves
for sounding the whistle; and (g) is the feed pump apparatus. Figure 5 is
a part longitudinal section of a locomotive engine, showing arrangement for
superheating the steam used for sounding the whistle; letter (h) is the fire-
box; () is a pipe, for superheating the steam carried through the fire-box,
and from thence to the whistle; but it is obvious the arrangements for super-
heating the steam may be greatly varied or dispensed with entirely,if thought
desirable; (k) is the whistle; (2) is a parobolic reflector and tube, for con-
centrating and directing the sound; and (m) is a covering of felt or other
non-conductor of sound by which the reflector is surrounded.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine myself to the
precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or refer
to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles
or main features of the said Invention; but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,--
First, the employment of high-pressure or superheated steam for sounding
awhistle as a telegraphic signal at sea operated upon by machinery at certain
intervals of time, so as to signal not only by the note, but by the interval
between the notes.
Second, the employment of two or morewhistles thus operated upon to give
an identity to the locality inwhich theyare used, and to prevent the confusion
with other signals..
Third, the use of reflectors to concentrate and intensify the sound of steam
whistles and tubes to conduct the same in different directions.
In witness whereof, I, the said Delabere Barker, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
W. H. BATEMAN,
71, Fleet Street.
DELABERE BARKER. (L.S.)