A Telephonic Apparatus for use on Vessels for Determining the Position of Bodies Moving Outside of same.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1898-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
A Telephonic Apparatus for use on Vessels for Determining the
Position of Bodies Moving Outside of same.
I, MARIO RUSSO D'ASAR, Doctor in Natural Sciences, of Salita S. Brigida
No. 3, Genoa, Italy, 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:―
My invention relates to a telephonic apparatus for use on vessels for deter-
mining the position of bodies moving outside same so that for instance a vessel
in a fog can ascertain the position of vessels moving near same and thus avoid
collisions.
The water, in which a steam vessel travels is put in a vibratory condition owing
to the concussions imparted thereto by the propelling apparatus.
According to my invention I provide an apparatus for use in connection with
ships to admit of such vibrations being collected and transmitted to a telephonic
apparatus, this forming the subject of the of the present invention.
The apparatus consists of a sound receiver, a direction-indicator, operating
means for same, a microphone, a battery and a telephone.
The accompanying drawings represent the apparatus.
Fig.
shows the sound-receiver in clevation.
Fig. 2 a plan of same.
Fig. 3 is a section on line a a Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 an elevation of the direction-indicator, its operating parts, the micro-
phone, the battery and the telephone.
Fig. 5 a plan of same.
Fig. 6 an enlarged vertical section through the centre of the direction indicator.
The sound collector R is a metallic box of the shape of a semi-prisin or having
faces at angles to each other with a cock r serving to keep it closed, when the
air has been exhausted. Each of the faces of the box is provided with a con-
cave semi-spherical mirror A, which may also be of metal, the arrangement
being such, that their axial lines, converge toward the rear wall of the box,
radiating from same like the lines of a fan. In the focus of each mirror a circular
opening is provided connected to a metal tube a. All these metal tubes a are
bent down toward the bottom of the box in a curved line and finally terminate in
the cover of the box itself, whence, through the medium of the tubes b of flexible
or suitable material, they are connected to the indicator. The whole collector R
is fixed by means of supports or brackets B, or in any other appropriate manner
to a side of the ship, so that it remains permanently immersed in the water
whilst the tubes b, starting from the receiver, are carried into the ship and
connected to the direction indicator.
This indicator D is formed of two concentric metal cylinders; the outer
cylinder m being fixed and supported by two small columns on a base C; on
the underside it is provided with as many openings having corresponding sockets
as there are mirrors in the collector R, in the present case, five.
To these sockets are secured the tubes b coming from the receiver R. The

page_text: second cylinder n is located inside the first and is adapted to turn on end bearings
in the vertical walls of the cylinder m. This second cylinder n terminates at
one side in a tube 2 and at the other side in a small shaft q. It is also pro-
vided with five openings in line with each other in the direction of its length
which correspond with the five openings of the cylinder m, so that the two may
coincide. In addition to these openings the cylinder n is furnished with five
other openings a, arranged spirally upon its surface, so that at each sixth turn,
successively, one of these openings will correspond with one of the five openings
of the cylinder m. The small shaft q which terminates in a crank w, is pro-
vided with a bevel wheel, which is adapted to gear with another bevel wheel
or with a toothed sector mounted on a spindle s. On this spindles a hand or
index is fixed, which indicates upon the graduated dial on base C, which
of the openings of the cylinder m and cylinder n coincide.
The tube of the cylinder n extends to the microphone M, which is in
communication with the battery P and with the telephone T.
The operation is as follows:-
When the five openings of cylinder which are arranged in a straight line
correspond with the five openings of the cylinder m, the interior of the cylinder n
receives the sounds collected by all the five mirrors of the collector R. On
rotating the cylinder n to the extent of one sixth of its circumference, the
coincidence of the first hole of the cylinder m with the first hole a¹ of the
cylinder n is obtained; thus into the interior of the last cylinder there will only
pass the vibrations collected by the first mirror. On continuing to turn the
cylinder to the extent of another sixth of its circumference, the second hole
only of the cylinder m will coincide with the second hole a of the cylinder n,
and thus the vibrations collected by the second mirror pass into the interior of
the cylinder n and so on, so that into the interior of the cylinder n there can
arrive and consequently can be thence transmitted to the microphone and to
the telephone: either the vibrations collected by all the mirrors together or
those collected by each mirror, according as is indicated by the index i upon
the dial v.
It is evident, that the base C may be so arranged on the ship that the directions
of the five mirrors of the collector correspond with the positions of the five
divisions of the dial v, so that when the operator holds the telephone to his ear,
while turning the cylinder n by means of the crank, he will, owing to the
characteristic vibrations he hears, gather from the index i the real direction
in which the moving body or vessel he is listening for is in at the time, whilst
the intensity of the vibrations will be able, to approximately indicate the distance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A telephonic apparatus for ships, the object of which is to indicate the
position of a ship which owing to fog, for instance, can not be observed, substan-
tially as described.
2. In a telephonic apparatus of the kind set forth in the first claim, a box
provided with surfaces at angles, said box being applied to the submerged part
of the ship and receiving on concave mirrors, and transmitting through tubes;
the vibrations produced in the water by the approaching vessel substantially
as described.
3. In a telephonic apparatus for ships two concentric cylinders, the interior
one of which is provided with openings and can be rotated, whilst the exterior
one is fixed and is provided with openings and tubes, which are connected to
submerged mirrors, substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. In a telephonic apparatus for ships, an inner and an outer cylinder each
provided with a séries of holes all of which can be in correspondence with each
other at the same time the inner one having in addition another series of holes

page_text: arranged so that at each turn or partial turn of the inner cylinder one of them
corresponds with one of the openings of the outer cylinder, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
5. In an apparatus for ships for determining the position of moving bodies
outside of same, a direction indicating device provided with a tube communi-
cating with a microphone and a telephone substantially as and for the purpose
described.
6. In a telephonic apparatus for ships a direction indicating device having
a dial traversed by an index or hand which is operated by the movement of
said device to indicate the position of a submerged sound receiving mirror which
is in the nearest line with a moving object outside the ship and which is con-
nected with said direction indicating device substantially as and for the purpose
described.
7. The improved telephonic apparatus for use on vessels for determining the
position of bodies moving outside same substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1898.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, for the Applicant.