IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG HORNS OR SIGNALS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Pitt, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG HORNS OR SIGNALS." A communication
from abroad by Edwin Ruthven Whitney and Horace Janson Beemer, both
of the City of Montreal, Dominion of Canada.
Sealed the 30th May 1879, and dated the 2nd December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sydney Pitt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd December 1878.
SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG
HORNS OR SIGNALS." [A communication from abroad by Edwin Ruthven Whitney
and Horace Janson Beemer, both of the City of Montreal, Dominion of Canada.]
This Invention, which is equally applicable for use on shore or ship board, has
reference to improvements on that class of apparatuses which are constructed to give
out at regular intervals intermittent sounds, equal in duration, as signals either to
warn vessels off the dangerous parts of any coast or to prevent collision.
It consists mainly in operating the reed directly by the impact of steam, and thus
dispensing with the second or air cylinder generally used in the mechanism by
which the steam is intermittently conducted from the generator to the reed, in the
means whereby the respective duration of sound and interval can be altered, and in
the peculiar construction of the reed itself.
The Invention may be thus briefly described:-
From the steam chest or chamber of any suitable vertical boiler or steam gene-
rator steam is conveyed to a secondary cylinder or steam vessel, in which is
contained loosely a cylinder with one closed end receiving and offering a yielding
resistance to the pressure of the steam, the strength of resistance being adjustable
by means of a compression spring or other suitable device.
Through ports in the loose and secondary cylinders the steam passes from the
latter, entering and rotating a wheel which, through a train of gears, rotates at any
desired increased or diminished rate of speed a spindle, on which is mounted an
Driss AJI

page_text: are capable of expansion and contraction so as to embrace a greater or less number
of degrees.
This are in its revolution strikes against and presses down an arm pivotted on
the end of a cylinder passing transversely through the base of the horn, thereby
turning it so that a port formed therein is brought into communication with an
opening in the steam chamber of the generator, thus allowing the steam to pass
through and impinge with great force on the sound producing mechanism. A
counterbalance or other suitable device on the other end of the cylinder restores it
to its normal position when the pressure of the arc ceases, thereby cutting off the
steam from the reed.
The sound mechanism consists in most cases of a metal plate suitably secured
edgewise in a narrow slit in a diaphragm placed where desired in the horn.
The proportion of the arc to the circumference of the circle of which it is a part
will give the respective duration of the sound and silent interval.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Sydney Pitt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st May
1879.
SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG
HORNS OR SIGNALS." A communication from abroad by Edwin Ruthven Whitney
and Horace Janson Beemer, both of the City of Montreal, Dominion of Canada.
This Invention, which is equally applicable for use on shore or ship board, has
reference to improvements on that class of apparatuses which are constructed to
give out at regular intervals intermittent sounds, equal in duration, as signals,
either to warn vessels off the dangerous parts of any coast or to prevent collision.
It consists mainly in operating the reed directly by the impact of steam, and
thus dispensing with the second or air cylinder generally used in the mechanism
by which the steam is intermittently conducted from the generator to the reed, in
the means whereby the respective duration of sound and interval can be altered,
and in the peculiar construction of the reed itself.
The Invention may be thus briefly described
From the steam chest or chamber of any suitable vertical boiler or steam gene-
rator steam is conveyed to a secondary cylinder or steam vessel, in which is
contained loosely a cylinder with one closed end, receiving and offering a yielding
resistance to the pressure of the steam, the strength of the resistance being
adjustable by means of a compression spring or other suitable device.
Through ports in the loose and secondary cylinders the steam passes from the
latter, entering and rotating a wheel which, through a train of gears, rotates, at
any desired increased or diminished rate of speed, a spindle, on which is mounted
an are capable of expansion and contraction so as to embrace a greater or less
number of degrees.
This are in its revolution strikes against and presses down an arm pivotted on
the end of a cylinder passing transversely through the base of the horn, thereby
turning it so that a port formed therein is brought into communication with an
opening in the steam chamber of the generator, thus allowing the steam to pass
through and impinge with great force on the sound producing mechanism. A
counter balance or other suitable device on the other end of the cylinder restores
it to its normal position when the pressure of the are ceases, thereby cutting off the
steam from the reed.
The sound mechanism consists in most cases of a metal plate suitably secured
edgwise in a narrow slit in a diaphragm, placed where desired in the horn.
The proportion of the are to the circumference of the circle of which it is a part
will give the respective duration of the sound and silent interval.
I claim the improvements in fog horns or signals substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sydney Pitt, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
SYDNEY PITT. (L.S.)