An Improved Bell for Signalling Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: L ate of Application, 26th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 19th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bell for Signalling Purposes.
SAMUEL JOHN BROWNING Optician of 74 High Street, Portsmouth and BENJAMIN
NICHOLSON Yacht Builder, Gosport both in the County of Hants do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to he as follows:-
The invention cousists of a bell, (the sound of which is intensified by a metal
resonator fixed at a certain distance from its mouth) its tone being caused by a metal
clapper actuated by a spring, which is regulated by three or more eccentrics with
steps in them.
These eccentrics are interchangeable at will, and will give one, two, three, or more
strokes on the bell in any given time; by which means, signals may be telegraphed from
one vessel to another in foggy weather or at night.
The motive power may be electricity, steam, clockwork, or any other source of
power.
71 of Aum 1880
SAMUEL JOHN BROWNING,
Optician, Portsmouth.
BENJN. NICHOLSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bell for Signalling Purposes.
SAMUEL JOHN BROWNING Optician, of 74 High Street Portsmouth in the County of
Hants and BENJAMIN NICHOLSON Yacht Builder, Gosport, also in the County of Hants
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
The invention consists of a bell (the sound of which is intensified by a metal
resonator fixed at a certain distance from its mouth) its tone being caused by a metal
clapper actuated by a spring, which is regulated by three or more 'eccentrics' having
steps in them.
These eccentrics are interchangeable at will, and will produce one, two, three or
more strokes on the bell in any given time, by which means signals may be
telegraphed from one vessel to another in foggy weather, or at night. By means of a
screw acting on a cogged wheel the power is increased and the speed reduced in any
desired proportion.
The motive power may be electricity steam or clockwork or any source of
power.
DESCRIPTION OF No. DRAWING.
No. 1. 3 shifting eccentrics to regulate the number of strokes on the bell one having
1 step in it which gives 12 strokes per minute the second having 4 steps which gives
48 strokes per minute the third having 2 steps which gives 24 strokes per minute and
which by altering their speed may be made to give any desired number.
No. 2. Screw for working cog wheel which by altering the pitch of the same may
be made to drive the eccentrics at any speed required.
No. 3. Metal resonator a hard thin metal plate to increase the sound of the bell.
No. 6. The bell.
No. 7. Clapper which is driven by the force of the spring (22) with great force
against the bell, which is driven from the bell after striking it by check spring (8)
thereby preventing it from checking the vibration.

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Corner clamps (2
No. 6. Cover for porous pot showing the hole for zinc connection to pass through.
No. 7. 4 corner clamps to clamp 5 water tight on No. 1.
No. 8. Connecting clamp from zinc.
No. 9. Connecting clamp from internal copper cylinder.
No. 10. Outlet for excess fluid.
The excitant is sulphate of copper and salt water so that the zinc does not require
to be amalgamated.
By adapting a certain fixed number of the bell strokes of this invention to each of
the twenty one (21) flags used in the International Code of Signals for all Nations we
can signal in fog or at night by this invention with the same facility as we now can by
Hags in the day.
By means of the eccentrics and the consequent frequency of the stroke we can
indicate to an approaching ship the exact course we are steering-p.e. 12 strokes per
minute for 'starboard' 24 for port and 48 for danger or engines reversed on any other
number that may be thought best for the purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. By the introduction of the eccentrics described above it is possible to regulate the
number of strokes on the bell to be produced in any given time."
2. As the motive power may be electricity, and as the natural number of pulses
produced in a minute by the electro-magnet is so great that a bell rung at this rate
would be practically useless for signalling purposes (the number of strokes being too
great to count) the introduction of the screw mentioned above, by which the speed is
reduced and power gained, is a distinct advantage.
3. By means of the metal resonator a tone far more powerful than would otherwise
be produced by a bell of the same size is obtained.
4. By adapting a certain fixed number of the bell strokes of this invention to each
of the twenty one (21) flags used in the "International Code of Signals for all Nations"
we can signal in fog or at night by this invention with the same facility as we now
can by flags in the day.

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5. By means of the eccentrics and the consequent frequency of the strokes we can
indicate to an approaching ship the exact course we are steering-p.e. 12 strokes per
or *engines reversed
minute for 'starboard' 24 for "port" and 48 for "danger
any other numbers that may be thought best for the purpose.
n
101l day of December 1889
or
Signed in my presence,
ALFRED S. BLAKE,
SAMUEL JOHN BROWNING.
BENJN. NICHOLSON.
Justice of the Peace for the Borough of Portsmouth.