Improved Sea Signalling Apparatus and Appliances connected therewith.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 26th Sept., 1893-Accepted 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Sea Signalling Apparatus and Appliances connected
therewith.
I MELVILLE THOMPSON NEALE of 23 Sutherland Place, Bayswater, County
of Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
--
This invention has for its object certain improved means and appliances for
receiving and utilizing sounds or notes emitted as signals from a more or less distant
sound producer such as a water siren or other sound producing instrument, through
water and under water, the water itself forming the medium of communication for
the purpose of signalling at sea between ships, harbours, piers, forts lightships or
lighthouses or between any two or more of them as may be required whether fixed
or movable.
The receiver fixed under water to the above fixed or movable structures consists
of an elongated fish like appliance constructed of gun metal preferably, which is
however divided into two distinct boxes or resonators separated by a non sound.
conducting material so that the sounds or notes, heard by, or received by one
resonator are not necessarily heard by or received by the other resonator unless
each at the same moment receives or hears them from the water direct. The two
resonators may instead of being bound together as one vessel and appearing
outwardly one instrument, be divided, one of them being placed on either side of
the keel or other convenient part of a vessel, but in either case they are placed so
as to move through the water edge-upwards like a fish. Each of these resonators
is tuned to a particular note and in absolute vibrational sympathy with that note
and will only "hear," "receive or "vibrate" (all synonymous terms for my
purpose and this patent application) when sound in sympathy with that note is
In each is placed a
produced by the distant sound producer or water siren.
microphone from which separate communications are made connecting electrically
with a relay consisting of a long metal reed, in also sympathetic vibration with the
resonators in the water, which reed is caused to vibrate by a polarised magnet
placed just below it when the latters polarity is disturbed by one or other of the
microphones in the resonators transmitting vibration when the particular note,
before referred to, is produced by the siren and transmitted through the water.
,,
The sounds, notes or signals are received from this relay on an electric bell and
can be switched off to an electro magnet which by means of a "style" attached to its
armature records them as marks on a moving tape beneath it and these which
are intentionally of long and short character form themselves thus into letters
and words.
The sounds, notes or signals from the resonators may be first carried to or pass
through a needle instrument before reaching the reed relay and the wires from each
resonator being coupled to its terminals inversely the needle will be deflected to the
"starboard " resonator is trans-
right or left, according to whether the "port" or
mitting vibration thus indicating which " resonator is vibrating and in consequence
on which side of the vessel the sound, note or signal is proceeding from. It is
thus evident that by altering the course of the vessel towards the side from which
the sound emanates as shown by the needle until both resonators vibrate the exact
point of the compass is ascertained from which they are proceeding; that is the
exact position of the other ship or structure giving the signals is found and by
means of the tape it can be read what course, if a vessel, it is steering,.or other

page_text: information, and by means of its own transmitter or water siren can enter into con-
versation with it provided the other ship is also provided with the before mentioned
receiving or hearing appliances as well as a water siren.
The sounds signals or notes are preferably produced by a siren the action being
produced by water under pressure in the place of steam or air, this siren emitting,
owing to a given water pressure, only one note, that note being in exact sympathetic
vibration with the resonator and reed relay of the receiving instrument. This siren
is operated instantaneously by electric, pneumatic or hydraulic action, which allows
the said given fixed water pressure to pass through the siren, thus permitting long
or short emissions of the above referred to note, say G, at long or short intervals at
the will of the operator, the given fixed water pressure being that which is found to
exactly produce say the note G.
Dated this 26th day of November 1892.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said M. T. Neale.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Sea Signalling Apparatus and Appliances connected
therewith.
I, MELVILLE THOMPSON NEALE, of Vicarage Road, Teddington, County of
Middlesex, late of 23 Sutherland Place, Bayswater 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 :-
This invention has for its object, certain improved means and appliances for
producing, receiving, and utilising sounds, or notes emitted as signals from a more
or less distant sound producing instrument, through water and under water, the
water itself forming the medium of communication, for the purpose of signalling at
sea between ships, harbours, piers, forts, lightships, or lighthouses, or between any.
two or more of them as may be required, whether fixed or movable.
The "receivers," which may or may not be permanently arranged to a vessel,
consist of two distinct boxes or resonators singly or combined, and placed from
either side in such a manner that the sounds or notes heard or "received" by one
resonator are not necessarily heard by or "received" by the other resonator unless
at least each at the same moment receives them from the water direct. Inside each
resonator and attached to the side nearest the water is placed a microphone of
peculiar form, from each of which separate connections are made with an electro
magnet having in front of its poles, a vibrating metal reed, or plate, and a battery
in circuit, by means of which the microphones transmit vibration, this vibration
occurs when the particular sound or note before referred to is produced.
Attached to this receiver is a relay which may transmit them to an electric alarm
bell, from which they may be switched off to an electro magnet, the armature of
which records them on a moving tape whilst they being of long and short character
form themselves by Morse alphabet into letters and words.
The sounds or notes, or signals from the resonators may be first carried to and
pass through on their way a needle instrument, and being connected to its terminals
inversely, the needle will be deflected to the right or left according to whether the
port or starboard resonator is transmitting vibration, thus indicating which resonator
is vibrating, and in consequence, on which side of the vessel the signal, sound, or
note is proceeding from. It is thus evident that by altering the course of the
vessel towards the side from which the sound emanates as shown by the needle
until both microphones vibrate, the exact point is arrived at by the compass, from
which they are proceeding, whilst the word-signals received on the tape give the
name of vessel, where bound, course of steering, and any other information the
vessel may be transmitting.

page_text: sides of the keel or cut water, or from some other part of a vessel, as may be found
most suitable.
THE TRANSMITTER.
The sounds, notes, or signals are preferably produced by a bell or bells, or a
siren placed under water and attached to some portion of the vessel, such as the
cutwater or keel, and the action of ringing them is preferably obtained by a piston
and cylinder action in connection with the hammer or hammers, the piston being
actuated by steam, compressed air, or other well known transmitter of power, such
power being controlled by the operator instantaneously at will by means of a button,
or other arrangement, which will permit of the said operator ringing the bell or
bells, or sounding the siren for long or short durations, which latter when received
through the water are equivalent to the dashes and dots of the Morse alphabet.
It will now be evident that (in addition to signals) vessels and other structures
whether fixed or moving with the above instruments (transmitter and receivers),
can enter into conversation with any other similarly provided, either by Morse or
any other special code, such as might be required in time of war.
Figure 1 in the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates my invention as
applied to vessels for communicating with each other when at sea.
Figure 2 is a side sectional view showing the interior mechanism for sounding the
gong or bell.
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the same.
Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan of the electrical connections.
Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of a vessel showing the positions in which the
receiver may be fixed.
Referring to Figure 1, A and B are two vessels in a position at right angles to
each other, the vessel A being fitted with a gong or syren C, and the other with a
resonator and microphone D of particular construction for receiving the sound
emitted from the gong (or syren) C when struck by a hammer E that can be
operated from the deck, or other part of the vessel by means of the reciprocating
rod F, bell crank lever G, vertical rod H, and lever H' for giving a greater, or less
number of strokes upon the bell to produce long or short sounds at will.
When the bell is struck, the mechanical vibration set up is conveyed through
the water in every direction but more especially in a direct line ahead of the part
of the bell struck.
The resonator D is placed preferably at the same plane or level as the bell, and
its diaphragm I is of such dimensions as to be in vibrational sympathy with the
bell C, or in other words, the diaphragm is attuned to receive the note emitted by
the gong in preference to any other.
The mechanical vibrations received by the diaphragm I cause electrical pulsations
in the wires J or J¹ to deflect the needle instrument K Figure 4 to the left or
right according to whether the sounds are received upon the "starboard or
port" side of the vessel respectively, as before described.
66
"
The needle instrument is in electrical connection with a magnet L, above which
is arranged a short reed M. for reproducing upon the receiving vessel the sounds or
signal sent by the gong of the. vessel communicating.
N is the alarm bell in connection with the reed M, and P is a Morse recording
instrument, either of which can be switched in or out of action by the switch Q.
S is a shield fixed in front of the gongs to prevent any obstruction getting
between them..
The gong or siren instead of being suspended over the bow of a vessel in the
manner indicated by the full lines, is preferably directly attached by suitable
connections to the cutwater, as indicated by the dotted lines, in which latter case
the mechanism for striking the bell can be more directly controlled from inside of
the vessel through the stuffing box and gland R.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Arranging a gong or sound producer on or to a vessel or structure and a
resonator or receiver on another, or other vessels or structures so that sounds under
water can be conveyed by the water and received through and from it for
reproducing electrically on board the latter vessel the sounds so sent, as herein-
before described and substantially by the means or apparatus shown on the annexed
drawings.
2. In an arrangement of apparatus as above set forth, the construction of the
resonator before described, and its combination with electrical appliances, said
resonator being in vibrational sympathy, or sound harmony with the sound producer
for the purpose explained.
3. In a system of apparatus as referred to under the first claiming clause herein,
so arranging the resonator and microphone transmitter in combination with an
alarm bell, a reed, and a Morse instrument, or telephone receiver to notify and
record the particular sounds sent through the water, as described.
ו
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Melville Thompson Neale.