Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling at Sea or on Land.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1892'
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling at Sea or on Land.
I, WILLIAM BRYCE CHALMERS, of 37 Mincing Lane, in the City and County
of London, Tea Broker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My present invention refers to improvements upon an invention for which a
Patent was granted me, dated the 20th September 1890 No. 14889. According to
the Specification of the said invention, I described the sounding apparatus as being
composed of a separate pipe for each note, each pipe leading to a separate and
distinct trumpet.
Now I have ascertained that it is not necessary to have a
separate and distinct trumpet to the tube or reed in order to vary the notes to be
produced, but according to my present invention I lead or conduct all the tubes or
reeds to one sounding or speaking trumpet, whereby I am enabled to very materially
reduce the size of, and space occupied by, my apparatus, and at the same time
obtain equally good results. The trumpet referred to is so arranged that it may
be turned in any required direction, and it is fitted on a box or case, which may be
of cylindrical form and arranged or placed in any suitable position. The reeds are
or may be arranged circularly and surrounded by a suitable box or case.
In the instrument called in my principal Specification the verifying apparatus, I
may construct the key-board in the upper part of the casing, and the tubes and
parts connected therewith, including the valves and air chest, may be placed below
the said key-board, and the keys may be constructed or arranged in a similar
manner to those commonly in use in pianofortes, organs, and the like.
Dated this 15th day of January 1892.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling at Sea or on Land.
I, WILLIAM BRYCE CHALMERS, of 37 Mincing Lane in the City and County
of London, Tea Broker, 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 :-
My present invention refers to improvements upon an invention for which a
Patent was granted me, dated the 20th September 1890 No. 14889.
According to the Specification of the said invention I described the sounding
apparatus as being composed of a separate pipe for each note, each pipe leading to
a separate and distinct trumpet. Now I have ascertained that it is not necessary
to have a separate and distinct trumpet to each tube or reed, in order to vary the
notes to be produced; but according to my present invention I lead or conduct all
the tubes or reeds to one sounding or speaking trumpet, whereby I am enabled to
very materially reduce the size of, and space occupied by, my apparatus, and at the
same time obtain equally good results. The trumpet referred to is so arranged
that it may be turned in any required direction and it is fitted on a box or case,
which may be of cylindrical form, and arranged or placed in any suitable position.
The reeds are or may be arranged circularly and surrounded by a suitable box or
case.
In the instrument called in my principal Specification the verifying apparatus,

page_text: I may construct the keyboard in the upper part of the casing, and the tubes and
parts connected therewith, including the valves and air chest may be placed below
the said keyboard, and the keys may be constriteted or arranged in a similar manner
to those commonly in use in pianofortes, organs, and the like.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect will now proceed to more fully describe same with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is an elevation, Figure 2 a vertical section of one half, and Figure 3 a
horizontal section on the line X Y of Figure 2 of an apparatus or machine
constructed according to my present invention for tone signalling at sea or
on land.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in the three figures.
a, a is a strong cylindrical sheet iren casing stiffened at top and bottom by angle
iron rings a¹, a the bottom ring being fastened to deck of vessel or wherever the
apparatus is to be applied. To the upper angle iron ring is holted a strong gun-
metal or other cylindrical casting b, b. This is fitted with say ten packed glands e, c
in which work the valve spindles of ten corresponding hand keys figured B0t,
C1d, D2r, E3 in, F 4f, G5s, A. 61, B7, C8d', D 9 r', the number of them
however being regulated according to the number of the different notes or tones
required to be produced and for the purposes of this Specification I limit the
number to ten for as stated in the Specification of my previous Patent " I prefer
ten notes because by using the B below C with the C or Do, I can call attention,
"and by using or sounding the D above the octave I can cut off communication
without interfering with the use of the whole of the 8 notes in the octave. By
using an indicator I can signify that communication will be made by the numeral
code, when I require the 10 notes to represent Figures 1 to 0, and by another
"indicator I can signify that the Morse' code, of dots and dashes is to be
employed."
66
*
On the top of the casting is fastened a cylindrical plate e with ten openings e, e.
Into this plate are fastened ten vibrating musical reeds with adjustable set
screws for tuning. Expanding brass tubest communicate from each of these
ten reeds to the ring h. Into this ring is fitted a revolving casting i on a spindle¹
and free to turn in a step formed on the top plate el having the openings e, e in
same. This revolving casting having an orifice of similar diameter to large end
of brass tubes t. This can be rotated so as to register opposite any of the ten reed
tubes by means of the lever k, notches being provided in the casting at jj for the
accurate registering of this attachment. A light removable brass dome / is pro-
vided for covering the reeds and tubes, and is polished, giving a neat finish to the
machine. At the mouth m of casting is fitted a long expanding trumpet not
shown in the drawings, for increasing the volume of sound. The shape, etc., of this
trumpet is arranged according to circumstances. In the lower part of the case a is
fitted a gun-metal or other cylindrical casting a fitted with lid, valves, etc., similar
to the casting b. These ten valves are actuated by the ten foot levers O. Ten
pipes pare fixed over the valves in this lower casting, tuned to give an exactly
similar note to the ten reeds immediately above them, and their object is similar to
the key verifying and testing mechanism described in the Specification of my
previous Patent above referred to.
Suitable hand holes are provided at Q Q for adjustment of pipes etc., and all
parts are easily accessible. The machine is of a strong compact construction, and
all iron work being galvanized to withstand the corrosive action of salt water, and
there is little or no mechanism to get out of order. The method of working the
apparatus is as follows. A supply of compressed air at a pressure of from 7 to 8 lbs.
per square inch must be provided for the chambers and n preferably from a
large reservoir of the gas-holder type. When wishing to sound the apparatus, the
lever is turned over the key bearing in clear type the name of note, the key is
then depressed by hand, and the reed sounds so long as it is held down. When it is
wished to verify signals received from a distant apparatus, the foot is placed on
L

page_text: one of the foot levers O, which sounds a note through the pipe p which, as before
stated, is tuned in accordance with the loud speaking reeds, but only emits a soft
sound capable of being heard by the operator.
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: :-
1. In tone signalling apparatus, leading or conducting all the tubes or reeds to
one sounding or speaking trumpet whereby the size and space occupied by the
apparatus is materially reduced without enhancing the effective action of the same
substantially as set forth.
2. In tone signalling apparatus, the casing a with chamber b, glands c and corre-
sponding openings e, reeds f, expanding tubes and operating keys in combination
with the revolving top or casting i having mouth m rotated by lever and
adjusting device for accurately registering the trumpet over the note to be sounded
and substantially as set forth.
3. In tone signalling apparatus the casing a with air chamber n and its valves
actuated by foot levers O and pipes for producing tones corresponding with those
tones produced through the action of the upper air chamber 6 for verifying signals
received from a distance but emitting only a soft sound capable of being heard by
the operator and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
4. The combination in one, and the same apparatus, of a sounding trumpet
common to all the reeds and verifying or testing appliance as claimed by Claim 3
and substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
5. The general arrangement and combination of parts of mechanism for tone
signalling substantially as described and shown with reference, to the accompanying
drawings together with any mere modification thereof.
1000
W. B. CHALMERS.
Brewer & Son,
33, Chancery Lane, London, and 30, East Parade, Leeds,
Agents for Applicant.