IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG SIGNALS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville of the British & Foreign
Patent Offices 8 rue de la Chaussée d'Antin Paris France and 90 Cannon St
in the city of London, Patent Agent for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FOG SIGNALS" A communication from Felix Brown a person resident at
New York. United States of America Manufacturer
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th July 1883.
HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 8, rue
de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris France, and 90 Cannon Street in the city of London
Patent Agent, IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG SIGNALS, communicated to me by Felix
Brown of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer
The invention communicated to me relates to certain improvements in that class
of fog signals which are known as sirenes. The peculiar and novel construction of
my sirene is pointed out in the following specification, and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 represents a vertical central section.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section in the plane x, x fig. 1.
Figure 3 is an horizontal section in the plane y y fig. 1
Figure 4 is a similar section in the plane z z fig 1.
Figure 5 is a similar section in the plane x¹ x¹ fig 1
Figure 6 is a vertical section in the plane y¹ y¹ fig. 5.
Figure 7 is an inverted plan of the circular valve detached.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.
In this drawing, the letter A designates the bottom part or base of my sirene.
In the interior of this base is firmly secured the bearing A' for the shaft S on
which is mounted the sirene H. On the base A is situated the valve seat B which
is provided with two sets of ports a, b and on this valve seat is situated an
annular plate D, an inverted plan of which is shewn in fig 5 and which is provided
with ports a* 6* corresponding to the ports a b in the valve seat. This annular
plate is provided with recesses c* (figs 5 and 6) to provide an escape for the
condensed water. On the top. of said annular plate is situated the sirene casing E

page_text: which is provided with a flange e and in this flange are ports a** 6** corresponding
to the ports a*b* in the annular plate D. By referring to.fig 5 it will be seen
that the number of the ports a* is twice as large as that of the ports 6*, one of the
ports being situated on the same radial line with every alternate port a*. This
remark also relates to the ports a b and a** 6**. On the flange e of tlie sirene
casing is situated the steam chamber F which is provided with an outwardly
projecting flange f, and which is held in place by a series of bolts f¹ passing through
the Hange of the sirene casing through the holes f2 in the annular plate D (fig. 5
and through corresponding holes in the valve seat and in the flange of the base A,
one such bolt being shown in fig 1, but the number and position of such bolts can
be readily understood from fig 5.
The sirene H which is mounted on the shaft S consists of a hub h provided
with a bottom flange h¹, from which rises the annular cylinder 2 which fits nicely
into the sirene casing E so that it can freely revolve therein.
The middle portion of the sirene casing E is provided with long slots d figs 1
and 3 which communicates with the central portion of the steam chamber F and
in the sirene cylinder h² are corresponding slots d', the transverse sections of the
slots dd being tapering in opposite directions as shown in fig. 3 so that if steam
or.compressed air is caused to pass through them, a rapid revolving motion is
imparted to the sirene.
t
On the upper part of the sirene casing E are a series of oblique openings g, figs 1
and 4 and in the sirene cylinder h³ are a series of oblique openings g¹ on the sanie
level as the openings g, and in such a position that when the sirene revolves, the
openings g sweep past the openings g. The openings g¹ are oblique in a direction
-opposite to that of the openings g, and their number is different from that of the
openings g, so that only a limited number of the openings g¹ will be partially or
wholly opposite to some of the openings g and the steam or compressed air admitted
through the openings g will produce rapidly succeeding tympanic shocks. In the
bottom part of the sirene casing E is another series of openings g similar to the
openings g and on the same level with three-openings are the openings g* in the
sirene cylinder h².
In the chamber F are formed two secondary chambers i, k, one at the top and
the other at the bottom. The chamber i communicates directly with the
openings g g and also with the main chamber F through three (more or less)
openings and opposite to these openings are screws with tapering points, so
that by adjusting these screws, the amount of steam or air passing through said
openings can be regulated. The secondary steam chamber communicates directly
with the openings g-g' but it does not communicate with the main steam
chamber F.
C is the valve which is mounted on the bearing A¹ of the shaft S and which is
provided with ports a° 6° figs 1 to 7, the ports a corresponding in number and
position to the ports a in the valve seat B, while the ports 6° correspond in number
and position to the ports b in the valve seat. By turning the valve therefore all
the ports can be closed, or the ports a° may be brought opposite the ports ain
the valve seat so as to open all these ports while the ports 6 remain closed, or all
the ports may be opened. The valve is adjusted by a hand wheel L which is
mounted on a shaft 7 see fig 1, and on the inner end of this shaft is mounted a
segmental gear which engages with a segmental gear c secured to or formed on
the valve C figs 1 and 7. Steam or compressed air is admitted through the
opening o in the base A. The shaft has its bearings in the side of the base A,
and on the inner surface of the hand wheel L are secured two screws m, m¹ fig 2
in such a position, that if the hand wheel is turned, either one of these screws
strikes a stop m² projecting from the base A. If the hand wheel is turned to. the
position shown in fig. 2 all the ports are closed; if it is turned so that the screw m
strikes the stop m² the ports a only are opened, and if it is turned so that the
screw m¹ strikes the stop m² all the ports ab are opened. When the ports are
opened the ports g g¹ in the sirene only are brought into action, but if all the
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page_text: ports ab are opened, the openings g¹ g¹* as well as the openings g g¹ are brought
into action, and the volume of the sound produced by the sirene is correspondingly
increased.
On the flange h¹ of the sirene figs 1 and 5 are secured self-acting brake shoes N
which swing on pivots m³, the inner ends of which are hitched to hooks n² fastened
in the flange h. These springs have sufficient power to draw the brake shoes N
back out of contact with the inner surface of the annular plate D, but if the sirene
revolves, the brake shoes are thrown out by the centrifugal force, so that they bear
against the inner surface of the annular plate thereby preventing the sirene from
revolving with an undue velocity. These brake shoes are self-acting, and the
friction produced by them increases with the velocity of the sirene, so that they
are sure to confine the speed with which the sirene revolves within certain limits.
By increasing the weight of the brake shoes their retarding action can be
increased.
On the top of the steam chamber F is secured the trumpet T.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:
1st The combination substantially as herein before described of the sirene H
mounted on the shaft S, the slots d¹ and openings g¹ g* in the sirene, the sirene
casing E, the slots d and openings g, g* in the sirene casing, the chamber F with
its secondary chambers i and , the valve seat B with its ports a, b the valve C
with its ports a° 6° and means for moving the valve.
2nd The combination substantially as hereinbefore described, of the sirene H
mounted on the shaft S, the slots d¹ and openings g' in the sirene, the sirene
casing E, the slots d and openings g in the sirene casing, the chamber F with its
secondary chamber i, the openings leading into this secondary chamber, the
screws for adjusting the effective area of the openings i', the valve seat B with
one or more ports a the valve C with one or more ports a° and means for moving
the valve.
3rd The combination substantially as hereinbefore described of the sirene H
mounted on the shaft S, the slots d and openings g¹ g₁* in the sirene, the sirene
casing E, the slots d, and openings g g¹ in the sirene casing, the steam chamber F
with its secondary chambers i and %, the circular plate D with its ports a*b* the
recesses c* in the annular plate, the valve seat B with its ports a b, the valve C
with its ports a° 6° and means for moving the valve.
4th The combination substantially as herein before described, of the sirene H,
mounted on the shaft S, the slots d¹ and springs g¹ g₁* in the sirene, the sirene
casing, the slots d and openings g g* in the sirene casing, the chamber F with its
secondary chambers i and k, the valve seat B with its ports ab, the circular valve C
with its ports a° 6°, the handwheel L geared together 'with the valve, the set
screws m, m¹ and the stop m².
5th The combination with the sirene H, of self acting brakes, substantially and..
for the purpose set forth.
6th The combination substantially as herein before described of the sirene mounted
on the shaft S, the annular plate D situated beneath the sirene, the brake shoes N
mounted on pivots secured in the flange ¹ of the sirene and acting on the inner
surface of the ring plate and the retracting springs n¹
In witness whereof I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this seventeenth day of July in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and eighty three