AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GIVING AUDIBLE FOG SIGNALS.
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Richardson Wigham, of Capel Street, in the City of
Dublin, Ireland, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR GIVING AUDIBLE FOG SIGNALS.".
Scaled the 20th April 1877, and dated the 24th November 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Richardson Wigham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th November 1876.
JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM, of Capel Street, in the City of Dublin, Ireland, Gas
Engineer. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GIVING AUDIBLE FOG SIGNALS."
My Invention relates to a compact arrangement of apparatus by which fog
signals can be immediately sounded when occasion therefor suddenly arises,
without having to wait until fires are lighted as in the case where steam or hot air
is used, either directly for sounding the signal or for working a motor engine for
that purpose; thus the danger to life and property which is caused by the delay
that occurs in such cases before the signalling apparatus can be brought into action
is avoided.
For the purpose of my Invention I employ a gas engine, that is, a motor engine
worked by an explosive mixture of combustible gas or petroleum vapour and air of
any suitable known construction. I connect to the piston rod or other moving part
of such engine a plunger or piston working in a cylinder provided with suitable
inlet and outlet valves, whereby air or other gas may be compressed to the requisite
degree for sounding a siren, fog horn, whistle, or other sounding instrument attached
to the apparatus, and if necessary, I provide the supply pipe to the sounding
instrument with a cock or valve which may be actuated automatically by a lever or
toothed gearing or other mechanism worked by the engine, so as to sound the
instrument only at fixed intervals, and of such length of blast as may be desired.
For localities where it may not be convenient or practicable either to lay on the
necessary supply of combustible gas for working the engine from distant gas works
or to manufacture such gas on the premises, I combine with such before-described
apparatus a recipient for compressed combustible gas which may be charged at
intervals from a portable reservoir in which the gas is in the first instance com-
pressed to a considerable degree at the gas works, such compressed gas being caused

page_text: to flow from the recipient to the gas engine through a regulator of any suitable
known construction, whereby the pressure of the gas is reduced to any required
degree before entering the engine,
SPECIFICATION in pursuanco of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said John Richardson Wigham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd May
1877.
JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM, of Capel Street, in the City of Dublin, Ireland, Gas
Engineer. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GIVING AUDIBLE FOG SIGNALS."
My Invention relates to a compact arrangement of apparatus by which fog
signals can be immediately sounded when occasion therefor suddenly arises, without
having to wait until fires are lighted, as in the case where steam or hot air is used,
either directly for sounding the signal or for working a motor engine for that
purpose; thus the danger to life and property which is caused by the delay that
occurs in such cases before the signalling apparatus can be brought into action is
avoided.
For the purpose of my Invention I employ a gas engine, that is, a motor engine
worked by an explosive mixture of combustible gas or petroleum vapour and air of
any suitable known construction. I connect to the piston rod or other moving part
of such engine a plunger or piston working in a cylinder provided with suitable
inlet and outlet valves, whereby air or other gas may be compressed to the requisito
degree for sounding a siren, fog horn, whistle, or other sounding instrument attached
to the apparatus, and if necessary, I provide the supply pipe to the sounding
instrument with a cock or valve which may be actuated automatically by a lever or
toothed gearing or other mechanism worked by the engine, so as to sound the
instrument only at fixed intervals, and of such length of blast as may be desired.
For localities where it may not be convenient or practicable either to lay on tho
necessary supply of combustible gas for working the engines from distant gas works,
or to manufacture such gas on the premises, I combine with such before-described
apparatus a recipient for compressed combustible gas which may be charged at
intervals from a portable reservoir in which the gas is in the first instance com-
pressed to a considerable degree at the gas works, such compressed gas being caused
to flow from the recipient to the gas engine through a regulator of any suitable
known construction, whereby the pressure of the gas is reduced to any required
degree before entering the engine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The accompanying Drawing shews a perspective view of my before-described
combined apparatus for giving audible fog signals.
A is a gas motor engine of any suitable known construction, the shaft of which
has a crank B working the piston or plunger of an air pump C. By means of this
pump air is forced into the receiver D, where it may be stored under any desired
pressure. Upon the receiver is fixed the siren or fog horn E of known con-
struction, the interior of which communicates with the reservoir D by the pipe
F provided with a valve G. This valve may either be kept permanently open
for giving a continuous sound from the siren, or if it be desired, to give signals only
at fixed intervals, the lever H of the valve may be connected to a rod I actuated by
a cam crank or eccentric on a shaft driven by the engine A. The discs of the
siren E may be conveniently rotated by means of a small turbine K actuated by a
jet L of compressed air from the air reservoir D, as described in my former Patent
No. 1459, of 1876.
As before stated the combustible gas for working the gas engine may either be
supplied from the mains of gas works, or if these are not within a convenient
distance a receptacle may be provided which is charged from time to time with gas
'

page_text: under pressure, and from which the gas passes to the engine through any known
construction of regulator for reducing the pressure.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim, the use for giving audible fog signals of a gas
motor engine operating in combination with an air pump, and a siren or fog horn,
whistle, or other sounding instrument, substantially as hercin described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Richardson Wigham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 18th day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN RICHARDSON WIGHAM. (L.S.)