Improvements in Sound Producing Apparatus for Ships' and Shore Use, and in Mechanism connected therewith.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1894
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Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1895-Accepted, 17th Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sound Producing Apparatus for Ships' and Shore
Use, and in Mechanism connected therewith.
THOMAS MUDD, Engineer, Central Engine Works, West Hartlepool in the
County of Durham do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object the providing of a piece of mechanism driven
by fluid pressure and capable of sounding a whistle, syren, fog horn or other
sound producing apparatus at intervals in an automatic manner, so that when
placed on board of steamers or other ships, or on lighthouses, rocks or coasts, it may
continue to sound a note of warning at intervals after once being set in motion
until it is stopped. On craft afloat it would be used in time of fog especially, or
when going in narrow waters, or when lying at anchor. It would sound notes at
equal or at unequal intervals of time, and could thus convey to a listener more
than one idea.
On lighthouses, rocks or coasts it would be particularly useful in foggy weather
in both night and day time.
The apparatus consists primarily of a steam or other fluid pressure engine or
cylinder in which a piston works so as to give motion at intervals to the steam or
other valve of a whistle, syren or fog horn or other sound producing apparatus.
The engine may either be a rotary one, or may have rotary and reciprocating parts,
or may have all its moving parts reciprocating.
In the first and second cases its speed could be regulated by a steam or other
valve or a governor; in the third case partly by a valve and partly by one or
more cataract cylinders, the fluid in which would be air, oil, glycerine, water or
other fluid. The whistle or other sound producing apparatus would either be
attached to and be part of the apparatus or it would be detached therefrom and be
an ordinary hand worked apparatus which could be attached when necessary by
means of a rod, lanyard, rope, electric wire, fluid pressure pipe or other device
to the automatic mechanism so as to become sounded at intervals thereby whilst
so attached.
Dated this 11th.day of December 1894.
Improvements in Sound Producing Apparatus for Ships' and Shore
Use, and in Mechanism connected therewith.
I, THOMAS MUDD, of the Central Engine Works, West Hartlepool in the
County of Durham, 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 the providing of a piece of mechanism, driven
by fluid pressure and capable of sounding a whistle, syren, fog-horn, or other

page_text: sound-producing apparatus, at intervals in an automatic manner, so that when
placed on board of steamers or other ships, or on lighthouses, rocks, or coasts, it
may continue to sound a note of warning at intervals after once being set in motion
until it is stopped. On craft afloat it would be used in time of fog especially, or
when going in narrow waters, or when lying at anchor. It would sound notes at
equal or at unequal intervals of time, and could thus convey to a listener more
than one idea. On lighthouses, rocks, or coasts it would be particularly useful in
foggy weather, in both night and daytime.
The apparatus consists primarily of a steam or other fluid pressure engine or
cylinder, in which a piston works so as to give motion at intervals to the steam
valve of a whistle, syren, or fog-horn, or other sound-producing apparatus. The
engine may either be a rotary one, or may have rotary and reciprocatory parts, or
may have all its moving parts reciprocatory. In the first and second cases its
speed could be regulated by a steam valve or governor; in the third case partly
by a steam valve and partly by one or more cataract cylinders, the fluid in which
would be air, oil, glycerine, water, or other fluid.
The whistle, syren, or fog-horn would either be attached to and be part of the
apparatus, or it might be detached therefrom, and be an ordinary hand-worked,
sound-producing apparatus, which could be attached when necessary by means of a
rod, lanyard, rope, electric wire, or other device to the automatic mechanism, so as
to become sounded at intervals thereby whilst so attached.
This invention may be carried out in a great diversity of ways, by modifications
of mere detail, a few examples being indicated on the drawings attached
herewith.
Fig. 1 shows the application of a rotary engine 1, driving a train of worm or
toothed gearing 2, 2, so as to give rotary motion to a disc or cam 3, which disc or
cam imparts motion to the valve of the whistle at stated intervals of time by the
lever 4, rod or lanyard 5, and spring 6.
Fig. 2 represents an ordinary reciprocating engine performing the same office as
the rotary engine Fig. 1.
Figs. 3 & 4 show an arrangement which is entirely reciprocatory, the motive
power cylinder 1 being placed in the middle between two cataract cylinders 2, 2.
In this arrangement a reciprocating rack 3 is shown driving a disc 4, with an
oscillating motion about its centre. The disc is arranged with holes, 5, 5, at
suitable intervals, so that by placing the pin 8 (to which the cord or lever of the
valve of the whistle is attached) in one or other of these holes, the whistle will be
sounded once for each double stroke of the piston, or twice for each double stroke,
according as the pin hole which is in use moves beyond a point giving the greatest
stroke to the lever or cord actuating the whistle valve, and has to return by the
same, or is only moved up to that farthest point. The speed of the steam piston
is regulated partly by throttling the steam as it enters or as it leaves the steam
cylinder, and partly by throttling the outlet of the air or other fluid from the
cataract cylinders by means of the thumb screw or hand wheel, 6, 6, a modification
of which is also shown at Fig. 13.
Detail 7, Fig. 3, is an inlet valve arranged for the cataract cylinders being
worked with air, opening to external pressure and closing to internal pressure.
When other fluid than air is used the inlet and outlet valves open into a reservoir
containing such a fluid.
Fig. 5 is similar to Figs. 3 and 4, except in the method of actuating the disc.
Fig. 6 shows a vertical arrangement, with one steam cylinder and one double-
acting cataract cylinder.
Figs. 7 and 8 show other arrangements of the same.
..
Figs. 9 and 10 show an arrangement in which the cataract cylinder is in one with
the motive power cylinder. In this arrangement the steam or other fluid in the
end a of the cylinder thrusts the piston along the cylinder against the resistance
offered by the air or other fluid at the cataract end b of the cylinder, and on coni-
pleting its stroke it returns again by atmospheric or other cataract, cylinder

page_text: Fig. 9 shows.
pressure, the steam side being opened to the vacuum of a condenser.
this arrangement actuating the disc as above described. Fig. 10 shows it with a
direct pull on a lever, cord, rod, or other similar device.
Fig. 11 is an arrangement showing the whistle as part and parcel of the apparatus,.
instead of being an independent instrument, and is intended to illustrate that the
same may be applied to any of the other methods shown.
It is also obvious that the necessary motion may be imparted to the whistle valve
either by direct movement on the lever, as in Fig. 10, or by the pull on a cord or
lanyard, which may be fitted with a spring as in Fig. 6, or by means of a cam as
in Fig. 1, or by the disc in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, or by any suitable method by means of
any of the arrangements of cylinders indicated in these drawings.
The movement of the steam or other motive power valve for reversing the
action of the motive power piston is shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 9, and 12 arranged so
that the valve is partly moved by the reciprocation of the piston rod, and partly
by the force of a spring, so that its final movement is accomplished suddenly, thus
ensuring a sufficient movement of the valve to prevent the possibility of the
stoppage of the engine or apparatus, and the more certainly effecting the continuous
action of the same. The spring shown in the drawings may be replaced by a steam
cylinder, or a weight, or other equivalent device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
First. The operating of sound-producing apparatus for signalling purposes in
the manner described.
Second. In sound-producing signalling apparatus the application of a rotary
engine and gear, substantially as set forth herein.
Third. In sound-producing signalling apparatus the application of a reciprocating
engine and gear, substantially as set forth and described herein.
Fourth. In sound-producing signalling apparatus the application of the single
or double-acting cataract cylinder or cylinders, substantially as described and set
forth.
Fifth. In sound-producing signalling apparatus the application of the valve
motion, whereby the valve is suddenly moved for reversing the motion of the
piston, substantially as described and set forth herein.
Sixth. In sound-producing signalling apparatus the combination of parts for
the purposes described, substantially as described and set forth herein.
Dated this 5th day of June 1895.
THOMAS MUDD.