Improvements in Steam Sirens.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Sirens.
1, CHARLES INGREY, of 49 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus of the kind known as "sirens"
such as described in the Specifications of Patents granted to F. H. Holmes
(Nos. 3426 of 1875 & 3528 of 1881,) and myself (No. 8372 of 1885) and my present
invention has reference to improvements in the construction of such apparatus
whereby the same is rendered capable of being used with steam of very high
pressure.
When sirens are employed on steam ships it is usual to operate them by steam
direct from the ships boilers, and when the pressure is moderate, say 60 to 80 lbs.
per square inch, the admission valve can be conveniently opened by a hand lever,
but owing to the introduction of triple expansion engines pressures of 150 to
180 lbs. per square inch are now frequently used and with these pressures the load
on the valve is considerably increased, and an undue amount of force is required to
open the valve.
It has also been found that with such high pressures the use of a
stuffing box to enable the siren to be turned round is objectionable because if the
stuffing box is so tightly packed as to prevent leakage, it is difficult to move
the siren.
Now according to this invention I employ an arrangement of valves, piston, and
steam ports and passages so constructed and arranged that the pressure of the steam
employed is used to suddenly open the admission valve such operation being con-
trolled by a handle or lever which can be moved directly by hand or by a cord
attached to it and capable of being operated from the bridge or other distant or
convenient part of the ship, a small force only being required for the purpose. I
dispense with a stuffing box and provide means whereby the siren can be easily
turned in any required direction.
In con-
In carrying out my invention I form the valve box with two main chambers
between which is a wall or division through which is an opening whose edge serves
as a seat for the admission valve which may be provided with wings or guides to
accurately guide it to its seat. At one side of the valve box is a cylinder the piston
of which is attached to a rod that passes through a suitable opening at one end of
the cylinder and is attached to or is in contact with the admission valve.
nection with the cylinder is a cock or valve so arranged that when it is in its
normal position the cylinder is open to the atmosphere. This cock or valve is
operated by a handle or lever the forward movement of which causes the cock or
valve to close the communication between the cylinder and the atmosphere and open
communication between the cylinder and a steam supply pipe. The admission valve
is normally kept tight on its seat by the high pressure steam, but when steam at
the same pressure is admitted to the cylinder the piston is forced forward and the
piston rod thereby caused to open the admission valve suddenly and permit a volume
of steam to pass to the siren. The piston is of greater area than the admission
valve the proportion being such as to always ensure an excess of power to overcome
all resistance of the valve to open. When the operating handle or lever is returned
to its normal position the steam previously admitted to the cylinder escapes into
the atmosphere and the admission valve, which may be acted upon by a spring,
immediately closes upon its seat at the same time moving the piston back into its
normal position.
By the arrangement described the admission valve can be easily opened however
high the pressure of steam employed may be. The difference between the areas

page_text: of the piston and admission valve is such as to afford the power required to produce
that sudden admission of steam to the siren which is found to be essential for
effective siren signalling.
To enable the siren to be readily turned in any required direction without the
use of a stuffing box such as hitherto used, I fix the valve box to the steam pipe,
and on the lower part of the siren I form a pipe or spigot having an external groove
or recess formed therein, and at the upper part of the valve box 1 provide a socket
in which the said pipe or spigot can freely turn. The socket is formed with an
external annular projection, or with bosses, through which screws can be passed so
that their inner turned ends can enter the groove in the spigot. When turning the
siren, the valve box remains stationary, and the spigot turns in the socket, the
screws retaining it in position vertically.
Dated this 15th day of Decembar 1800.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Steam Sirens.
I, CHARLES INGREY formerly of 49 but now of 91 Queen Victoria Street, in
the City of London, Engineer, 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:-
"Sirens" or apparatus for signalling by sound have been constructed in various
forms under Patents granted to F. H. Holmes (Nos. 3426 of 1875 and 3528 of 1881)
and myself (No. 8372 of 1885) and my present invention has reference to an
improved construction of apparatus of this class whereby the same is adapted to be
worked with steam at very high pressures under direct manual control as I will
hereinafter explain.
When sirens are employed on steam ships, it is usual to operate them by steam
direct from the ships boilers, and when the pressure is moderate, say from about 60
to 80 lbs. per square inch, the admission valve can be conveniently opened by a
hand lever. Owing however to the introduction of triple expansion engines,
pressures of from about 150 to 180 lbs. per sq. inch are now frequently used,
and with these pressures the load on the valve is considerably increased and an
undue amount of force is required to open the valve. It has also been found that,
with such high pressures, the use of a stuffing box to enable the siren to be turned
round is objectionable, because, if the stuffing box is so tightly packed as to
prevent leakage, it is difficult to move the siren.
Now according to this invention I employ an arrangement of valves, piston, and
steam ports and passages such that the pressure of the steam employed is caused to
suddenly open the admission valve, this operation being controlled by a handle or
lever which can be moved directly by hand, or by a cord attached to it, and
capable of being operated by hand from the bridge or other convenient or distant
part of the ship, a small force only being required for the purpose. I dispense
with a stuffing box and provide means whereby the siren can be easily turned in
any required direction.
I will now proceed to more particularly explain the nature of my invention,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation ;
Fig. 2 is an end elevation; and
Fig. 3 is a plan of my improved siren apparatus.
Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation; and

page_text: Fig. 5 is a sectional end elevation thereof.
Fig. 6 is a section to an enlarged scale, shewing the arrangement of valves and
pistons.
At one
I form the valve box a with two main chambers b and c between which is a wall
or division d through which is an opening e one edge of which forms a seat for the
admission valve f, which is of cylindrical form and works in a guide g.
end of the chamber c is a cylinder provided with a guide i through which the
piston rod of a piston j can freely pass. The piston is made of greater area
than the admission valve against which the end of the piston rod jl is arranged to
bear, which is normally kept on its seat by the pressure of the steam or other
motive fluid employed, assisted by the spring k. In connection with the cylinder h
is a valve which, in its normal position, allows the cylinder to be open to the
atmosphere through the ports and passages m m¹. This valve is normally kept
upon its seat n by the steam pressure assisted by a spring o, and is operated to
admit steam to the cylinder by a lever which can be moved by hand, or by a
cord led to any convenient position. Steam is conveyed to the valve by means
of a steam pipe q.
The siren is provided with a spigot extension 1 in the lower
external part of which is a groove s, and the upper part of the valve box a is
provided with a socket a¹ in which the said spigot can freely turn. Screws s¹
provided with turned ends, enter the said grooves and retain the siren in place
whilst allowing it to be freely revolved. When it is desired to turn the siren from
a distance I provide bevel gearing t t and a groove wheel t¹ from which a cord can
be led to the bridge of the vessel or other convenient position. When the
apparatus is fixed in a place where the siren can be conveniently turned by
hand, I dispense with the gearing and use a handle u as shewn in dotted line in
Fig. 4.
In Fig. 4 the steam admission valve f is shewn closed; and in Fig. 6 it is
shewn open, the high pressure steam then passing in the direction indicated by
the arrows.
The
Assuming the parts to be in the positions shewn in Fig. 4, then, it will be readily
seen that if the lever be pulled to the right the valve will be raised as shewn
in Fig. 6 and steam from pipe q will pass through the seating n to the cylinder h
forcing the piston; forward and thereby opening the admission valve f.
piston being of greater area than the admission valve the greater pressure upon
it will overcome the resistance of the steam and the spring at the back of the
admission valve which will consequently be instantaneously opened, and be held
open as long as the lever is continued to be pulled to the right. When the said
lever is released the valve will be immediately closed by the pressure of the
steam and the spring o thereon, and will thus cut off the supply of steam to the
cylinder, at the same time opening the cylinder to the atmosphere through the port
and passage m m¹ through which the small quantity of steam used will then
escape.
The port m is formed in the lower part of the cylinder so that any accumulation
of water will be expelled on the return of the piston to its normal position. The
lower part of valve is provided with a valve face x so that when the lever is
pulled to the right the port m will be closed.
To prevent the formation of a cushion of steam at the back of the piston j, I
form a small hole y through the forward part of the cylinder / so that any steam
which may pass the piston j or pass through the guide i from the chamber c will
escape into the atmosphere. I provide a union joint z which can be attached to
either end of the passage m¹ so that the exhaust steam from the cylinder can be
led away by a pipe if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A steam siren wherein the valve that admits steam to the sound producing

page_text: apparatus is actuated by a piston controlled by a valve adapted to be worked by
hand.
2. My improved steam siren substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 18th day of August 1891.
AUDIZ
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.