AN IMPROVED METHOD OF ACTUATING SHIPS' FOG HORNS
Year: 1885

page_text: .
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I CHARLES WELLS, of 18, Walker Terrace, Plymouth, in the County of Devon,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF ACTUATING SHIPS' FOG HORNS," and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
Fog horns, as at present constructed and operated, are open to the grave objec-
tion that the noise they make while effective enough in warning other vessels
of the presence and approach of the ship carrying them, fatigues the ears of its
officers, crew and others, making it often impossible to catch the sound of the horn
of another vessel.
My invention remedies the above described drawback, inseparable from the use
of the ordinary fog-born, by removing it from the ship for a sufficient distance to
tone down its note for the ship's officers and crew, without diminishing the volume
or pitch of its own warning sound.
According to my invention, no steam is required for the purpose of sounding the
horn; the necessary agency being supplied by the rotary motion imparted to a
screw when towed through water. Sailing vessels can, therefore, be equipped with
fog-horns of any power, under my invention.
If it is not desired that the fog-horn itself should be at a distance from the
vessel, it can be placed on board, and the actuating screw rotated by being towed
behind.
:
A fog-horn constructed according to my invention, consists essentially of the
horn proper; the rotating screw; the pump, or bellows, worked by the rotating
screw, and sounding the horn by blowing air through it; and a water tight &
buoyant case to contain the pump gear, and carry the horn. When the horn is
carried on deck, it is sufficient that the case be air tight.
In order that my invention, and the means by which it may be carried into
practical effect, may be thoroughly understood, I will describe, in detail a fog-horn.
and its accessories, constructed according to my invention, and intended to be
towed astern, although I would have it distinctly understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details and devices described and illustrated, as these may,
evidently, be modified according to the requirements of the special case for which
a horn is to be made under my patent. The accompanying drawings are to be

page_text: taken as part of this specification and read therewith. Like parts are marked
throughout the figures with the same reference letter.
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation.
Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation...
Figs. 3 and 4 are plans of the snail and dial r
respectively, drawn to an enlarged
scale.
A is the buoyant air-and-water tight chamber of a boat-like shape and displace-
ment proper for carrying the horn well out of the water, and the screw well in. It
is fitted with a removeable cover, a, which gives convenient access to the interior;
a keel, a', and a ring, a³ to receive the tow-rope.
As already explained when the fog-horn is to be stationed on the deck, the shape
and construction of the chamber will be modified accordingly.
B is a screw, and, B¹, its shaft the latter passing through a suitable stuffing-
box, b, into the interior of the chamber, where it is continued into a crank, B³.
The screw is attached to the shaft in any convenient way. When the horn is
on board, this connection will be by a rope from the screw to the projecting end of
the crank shaft, fitted with an universal joint for the purpose, and which will be
revolved by the twist of the rope imparted to it by the rotating screw suitably
weighted to keep it under the water.
C, C, C, are three cylinders which, with their connecting rods, c, pistons, c¹, and
suction and discharge valves, constitute the blowing apparatus.
prefer that the
crank-shaft should have three throws, at 120° with each other, and the same
number of cylinders for the sake of producing a blast of a constant pressure. The
Buction and discharge valves, cand o respectively, are of any convenient type.
The former are fixed, respectively, upon the junctions of the cylinders with the
supply-pipe, c, the latter discharging direct into the air-tight chamber A. The
cylinders are conveniently cast in one piece, as drawn, and with brackets, c³, in
which are formed the crank-bearings, as well as with any webs which would
facilitate their being fixed in the chamber.
-
I do not confine myself to the use of the above number of air-pumps, and it is
clear that these may be replaced by any similar air blowing mechanism such as
bellows.
The shaft is placed obliquely so as to keep the screw low in the water.
Its inner end carries a worm D of a suitable pitch, keyed or otherwise fast
thereon, and engaging in a worm-wheel, E, the pinion, e, of which drives a spur-
wheel, F, on the axis, f, of which I place a studded barrel, G, capable of sliding
thereupon but not of revolving independently of it.
The studs, g, on this barrel are arranged in sets in parallel peripheral lines on
the well-known principle of the barrel of a musical-box, so that by moving the
barrel to the right or left along the axis, f, a fresh set of studs can be brought into
operation, producing a corresponding change in the sequence of the sounds emitted
by the horn as well as in their respective lengths, and thereby indicating whether
the vessel is on the starboard or port tack.
The horn is operated by the barrel G intermediately by means of the jointed
lever, H, one end of which is fixed, and the opposite one connected to the valve, i,
of the horn or whistle.
.
A vertical axis, j, working in a suitable stuffing box bearing in the cover, a,
carries on its upper end an index, J, and in its lower end, a snail, K, both fast
upon the axis. An index dial, 11, is provided to which the index is capable of
being fixed at any point by a suitable device such as a thumb-screw, The
index plate is engraved with as many changes as the snail is capable of producing
in the utterances of the horn, the position of each indication on the plate corre-
sponding with the position of that part of the periphery of the snail producing the
indicated sounding.
The periphery of the snail is always bearing against the upper extremity of a
lever, the lower end of which is, also, always bearing against the barrel, G. A
spiral spring, m, is used to press the barrel against the lever, and it depends, therefore,

page_text: entirely upon the distance the upper extremity of the lever is kept from the axis
of the snail by the position of the latter as to which set of studs in the barrel shall
проп the jointed lever, H.
act
N is a pressure-relief pipe, controlled by a spring-valve, n. The mouth of this
pipe is carried, by preference, as low into the chamber as possible.
My invention, constructed as above described, is operated as follows.
The snail, K, having been set by means of the index, J, to bring the proper set
of studs, g, upon the barrel, G, to bear upon the valve lever H, to produce the
desired sequence of sounds, and the relief-valve being set to blow-off at the proper
point, the apparatus is floated out astern, and the tow-rope made fast with the
horn at the desired distance from the ship.
If the horn and case, with the machinery inside, are to be retained on board,.
only the screw, properly weighted to give it due immersion is towed astern, the
tow-rope being connected to the crank-shaft, B3, as already described.
The screw being rotated by the pressure of the water upon its blades, sets the
air pumps in motion, and these fill the chamber, A, with compressed air.
As the drum, G, is rotated by the train of gearing driven by the-worm D, the
horn is sounded so long as a stud, g, keeps the valve, i, open by pressing back the
lever, H, while it remains silent after the stud has passed and released the lever,
until the next stud presses it back again, and so on.
I do not confine myself to the use of only one screw, nor to the use of screws
only, as I may make use of paddle wheels fixed at a suitable height for receiving
the rotating energy of the water, and geared to transmit the same to the crank
shaft.
My invention may be constructed with more than one fog-horn or whistle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination of a buoyant and air-tight chamber, A, carrying a fog-horn or
whistle; with air pump (single or compound, of any convenient type) driven by
one or more propellers (either screw or wheel) actuated by being dragged
through the water; substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
figures.
2. The combination of an air-tight chamber, A, carrying a fog-horn or whistle
with air pump (single or compound, of any convenient type) driven by a propeller
towed astern; substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
figures.
3. In either type of fog-horn as defined in the fore going claims, the combination
of chamber; gearing; studded barrel, G; snail K, levers, H and 1; spring m, and
fog-horn or whistle; the whole substantially as described with reference to
the accompanying figures.