AN IMPROVED MARINE DANGER SIGNAL
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MARINE DANGER SIGNAL." A communication from abroad by Edgar Ebenezer
Mann, of Lawrence, in the County of Essex, State of Massachusetts, United
States of America.
Sealed the 20th February 1877, and dated the 13th October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th October 1876.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue
Laffitte, Paris. "AN IMPROVED MARINE DANGER SIGNAL."
This Invention of an improved marine danger signal consists in a device or
apparatus for giving warning to mariners of the proximity to dangerous places, such
as rocks or shoals, whether in the dark or a fog, and the Invention consists of a
vessel formed with an enlarged rounded bottom and tapering towards the top,
having sufficient air-tight space to enable it to float upon the water in an upright
position, and provided with a series of pipes and valves so arranged and constituted
that in connection with a supply of mercury or water or other fluid in the lower part
of the pipes, when the vessel is swayed to and fro by the undulatory action of the
water a supply of air will be drawn into one or more of the said pipes or tubes by
the action of the mercury or other fluid, and by the same action be forced out of
other tubes into a chamber or chambers arranged above the pipes, thence through or
between reeds to a horn or conductor at the top of the vessel, whence the air escapes
with a very loud noise capable of being heard at a very great distance. The constant
rocking or undulatory motion of the vessel will thus cause an almost continuous
sound of the horn, as while one tube or set of tubes with their valves are drawing
in a supply of air, the air will at the same time be forced out of the other tube or
sets of tubes to and through the horn.
The apparatus consists in an outer casing of metal or wood of sufficient strength
to withstand the action of the water or shocks to which it may be subjected. To
the bottom of the casing is attached a link and chain for anchoring the apparatus

page_text: at any desired point. Within the casing are arranged pipes or tubes which com-
municate at the centre of their lower portion, when they are also arranged at right
angles to each other, and conforming to the contour of the casing, extend upwards
and diminish towards the upper ends to a small orifice, of which there are four in
number and each provided with a valve opening upwards; the ends of the tubes
communicate each with an air chamber formed by partitions extending from a cone
placed in the centre of the upper part of the apparatus, the end of each tube having
its separate air chamber. Near the upper ends of the tubes are openings provided
with short tubes extending through the outer casing and inclining downwards and
outwards; the outer ends of these tubes are provided with perforated caps to prevent
the entrance of foreign substances and so as to admit of a free supply of air. The
inner ends of these tubes are provided with valves opening inwards so as not to
admit the air, but prevent it from escaping.
In order to protect the openings of the pipe there are arranged on the outside of
the apparatus casings which extend from the upper part of the main apparatus to a
short distance below each opening; this case has a small opening at the upper end
and is provided with a perforated cap or platen at its lower end to prevent the
entrance of seaweed or other extraneous matters and at the same time admit air to
the pipe.
To the upper end of the air chamber is secured a reed or tongue within a
spherical chamber, this chamber holding a horn or trumpet shaped conductor, within
which is the reed.
The upper part of the horn is protected by a cap or cover of a convex form and
extending over the edges of the upper end of the horn so as to prevent the entrance
of water or spray; sufficient space is left for the escape of the sound from under
the cap.
By the enlargement of the pipes or air chambers at their lower portion and
diminishing them to a small orifice at the top of each one it will be seen that by
the action of the fluid in the bottoms of these air chambers, when the air has been
drawn in through the air valves the air will be very much compressed, and con-
sequently be expelled with very great force through the reeds, and thus cause a
large volume of sound capable of being heard at a very great distance.
In one modification the ends of the pipes communicate with a chamber which is
separated from the pipes by means of valves which open upwards.
Extending upwards from the chamber is a tube terminating with a trumpet
shaped opening protected by a cover. Within this tube or horn is a reed attached
to a screw so as to enable it to be raised or lowered so as to change its tone from a
higher to a lower note as desired, so that different localities may be designated by
the difference in tones of the horn.
Below the cap is a casing surrounding the lower portion of the horn tube and
having apertures at its base. At the lower part of the cap are openings for the
escape of the sound. At the bottom of the casing is another casing surrounding the
chamber, leaving an air chamber space from which air is supplied to tubes in con-
nection with the main pipes and provided with valves opening inward. Air is thus
supplied to the tubes, and by the movement of the float as the valves close the air
is forced through the other valves upwards and to and through the reed and the
horn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th April 1877.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue
Laffitte, Paris. AN IMPROVED MARINE DANGER SIGNAL." A communication from
"

page_text: abroad by Edgar Ebenezer Mann, of Lawrence, in the County of Essex, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America.
The Invention consists of a vessel formed with an enlarged rounded bottom and
tapering towards the top, having sufficient air-tight space to enable it to float upon
the water in an upright position, and provided with a series of pipes and valves so
arranged and constituted that in connection with a supply of mercury or water or
other fluid in the lower part of the pipes when the vessel is swayed to and fro by
the undulatory action of the water, a supply of air will be drawn into one or more
of the said pipes or tubes by the action of the mercury or other fluid, and by the
same action be forced out of other tubes into a chamber or chambers arranged
above the pipes, thence through or between reeds to a horn or conductor at the top
of the vessel, whence the air escapes with a very loud noise capable of being heard
at a very great distance. The constant rocking or undulatory motion of the vessel
will thus cause an almost continuous sound of the horn, as while one tube or set of
tubes with their valves are drawing in a supply of air, the air will at the same time
be forced out of the other tube or set of tubes to and through the horn.
In the accompanying Drawings forming part of this Specification, Figure 1
represents a vertical section of an apparatus embodying the Invention, which is con-
tained within an outer casing 2, which may consist of metal or wood of sufficient
strength to withstand the action of the water or shocks to which it may be sub-
jected. To the bottom of the casing is attached a link and chain for anchoring the
apparatus at any desired point. Within the casing are arranged the pipes or
tubes 1, 1, which communicate at the centre of their lower portion where they are
also arranged at right angles to each other and conforming to the contour of the
casing extends upwards and diminish towards the upper ends to a small orifice of
which there are four in number and each provided with a valve opening upwards;
the ends of the tubes communicate each with an air chamber D formed by partitions
extending from a cone C placed in the centre of the upper part of the apparatus, the
end of each tube having its separate air chamber; near the upper ends of the tubes
are openings F, provided with short tubes extending through the outer casing 2 and
inclining downwards and outwards. The outer ends of these tubes are provided
with perforated caps L to prevent the entrance of foreign substances and so as to
admit of a free supply of air. The inner ends of these tubes are provided with
valves opening inwards so as not to admit the air, but prevent it from escaping.
In order to protect the opening of the pipe F, L, there are arranged on the
outside of the apparatus casings 4, 4, which extend from the upper part of the main
apparatus to a short distance below each opening L. This casing has a small
opening at the upper end and is provided with a perforated cap or platen at its
lower end to prevent the entrance of seaweed or other extraneous matters, and at
the same time admit air to the pipe F, L.
To the upper end J of the air chamber D is secured the reed or tongue I within
the spherical chamber B and also in the lower part of the horn or trumpet-shaped
conductor A, which latter is also secured to the globe B.
The upper part of the horn A is protected by a cap or cover G of a convex form
and extending over the edges of the upper end of the horn so as to prevent the
entrance of water or spray; sufficient space is left for the escape of the sound from
under the cap G.
By the enlargement of the pipes or air chambers 1, 1, at their lower portion and
diminishing them to a small orifice at the top of each one, it will be seen that by
the action of the fluid in the bottom of these air chambers when the air has been
drawn in through the valves F, the air will be very much compressed, and conse-
quently be expelled with very great force through the reeds and thus cause a large
volume of sound capable of being heard at a very great distance.
Figure 2 is a modification of the Invention; the upper ends of the pipes 1, 1, com-
municate with a chamber E, and are separated from the pipes 1, 1, by means of
valves a, a, which open upwards. Extending upwards from the chamber E is a tube
terminating with a trumpet-shaped opening K protected by the cover M. Within

page_text: this tube or horn K is a reed attached to a screw in such a manner as to enable it
to be raised or lowered so as to change its tone from a higher to a lower note as may
be desired, so that different localities may be designated by the difference in the
tones of the horn.
Extending below the cap M is a casing P surrounding the lower portion of the
horn tube, and having apertures 5, 5, at its base as shown. At the lower part of
the cap M are openings O, O, for the escape of the sound. At the bottom of the
casing P is connected the casing E¹ surrounding the chamber E and leaving a space
between the two forming an air chamber from which air is supplied to the
tubes D, D, which extend downwards and enter the main pipes 1, 1, below the
valves a, a, and are provided with valves b, b, opening inward; air is thus supplied
to the tubes 1, 1, and by the movement of the float as the valves b, b, close, the
air is forced through the valves a, a, upwards to and through the reed and the
horn K.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the Invention and
the means of carrying it into effect, I claim,-
First. The tubes or water and air chambers 1, 1, enlarged at their lower portion
and contracted each to a small orifice at their upper ends, and provided with the
entrance and exit valves F, E, substantially as set forth.
Second. In combination with the water and air chambers 1, 1, the air chambers D
as described.
Third. The combination with the air chambers D of the reeds or sounding device I
in the globe or chamber B as specified.
Fourth. The combination of the sounding device I in chamber B, the horn A, and
the projecting cap or cover G as set forth.
Fifth. In combination with the tube F, L, I claim the projecting pipes 4 as
described.
Sixth. The combination of the casing 2, the water and air chambers 1, 1, and the
air chamber P as and for the purpose specified.
Seventh. The combination with the horn K and the air chamber E of the
adjustable reed for varying the sound of the horn as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
TITT