AN IMPROVED STEAM OR AIR WHISTLE
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cran at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th April 1882.
JOHN CRAN, Engineer, Leith, in the County of Midlothian, North Britain,
"AN IMPROVED STEAM OR AIR WHISTLE",
This Invention which consists of an improved whistle to be blown by steam or
compressed air has for its object to enable such whistles to sound a variety of notes
such for example as all the notes, or tones, or semitones, corresponding to, or
included in, one, or more, octaves of the musical scale.
This object is effected by so arranging the tube of what is known as the organ
pipe whistle that the length of that part of it exposed to the action of the steam,
or compressed air, issuing from the slit, or slits, formed by the tongue, or tongue
pieces, below can be varied so that as the note sounded by the whistle always
corresponds to the length of that part of the tube so exposed it follows that any
desired note or notes can be sounded at pleasure.-The variation in length of the
exposed part of the tube may be effected either by fitting the said tube with a
piston attached to a rod so as to be capable of moving upwards or downwards
therein, or instead of this placing over or inside the said tube a second tube fitted
telescopically so as to be capable of easily moving up and down therein or thereon.―
The second tube has its outer end closed.
The lower part of the whistle that is to say the part below the slit, or slits, is
fitted with a connecting piece for attaching it to a steam boiler, air reservoir, or
other vessel and it is also provided with a valve or cock preferably a striking
valve. The piston, or tube, for lengthening or shortening that part thereof exposed
to the action of the steam or compressed air may be conveniently moved upwards
or downwards by means of a crosshead attached to the piston rod, or sliding tube,
coupled by connecting links to a hand lever pivoted at the lower part of the
whistle, this hand lever being also provided with a pointer which by its position
[Prins d

page_text: indicates on the scale the note which the whistle is at any position of the piston or
sliding tube capable of sounding.
In place of having the handle and gear for operating the whistle arranged near
to it or upon it as hereinbefore described such gear may be arranged at a distance
from the said whistle, and the gear may also be so arranged that on a sideway
movement of the said handle the valve, or cock, which allows the steam, or
compressed air, to pass through the whistle is also opened.
Instead of operating the piston or moveable tube by gear of the kind herein-
before described it may be operated by a rack and pinion or other equivalent
gearing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Cran in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th October
1882.
JOHN CRAN, Engineer, Leith, in the County of Midlothian, North Britain,
"AN IMPROVED STEAM OR AIR WHISTLE
"
My said Invention which consists of an improved whistle to be blown by steam
or compressed air has for its object to enable such whistles to sound a variety of
notes such for example as all the notes or tones or semitones, corresponding to, or
included in one, or more octaves of the musical scale.
By the improved construction of whistle orders or signals also may be given by
one ship to another in imitation of bugle calls that is to say repeated calls and
distinct or single calls may be given for "Port," "Starboard," and other directions
or if desired a variety of tunes may be played."
These objects are effected by so arranging the tube of what is known as the
Organ pipe whistle that the length of that part of it exposed to the action of the
steam, or compressed air, issuing from the slit or slits, formed by the tongue or tongue
pieces, below can be varied so that as the note sounded by the whistle always
corresponds to the length of that part of the tube so exposed it follows that any
desired note or notes can be sounded at pleasure.-The variation in length of the
exposed part of the tube may be effected by fitting the said tube with a piston
attached to a rod so as to be capable of moving upwards or downwards therein.
The lower part of the whistle that is to say the part below the slit or slits, is
fitted with a connecting piece for attaching it to a steam boiler, air reservoir, or
other vessel and it is also provided with a valve or cock preferably a striking
valve. The piston for lengthening or shortening that part thereof exposed to the
action of the steam or compressed air may be conveniently moved upwards or
downwards by means of a cross-head attached to the piston rod, or sliding tube,
coupled by connecting links to a hand lever pivoted at the lower part of the
whistle, this hand lever being also provided with a pointer which by its position
indicates on the scale the note which the whistle is at any position of the piston or
sliding tube capable of sounding.
In place of having the handle and gear for operating the whistle arranged near
to it or upon it as hereinbefore described such gear may be arranged at a distance
from the said whistle, and the gear may also be so arranged that on a sideway
movement of the said handle the valve or cock, which allows the steam or compressed
air to pass through the whistle is also opened.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which
the same is, or may be, used or practically carried into effect, reference being had
to the accompanying drawing and to the letters and figures marked thereon that
is to say.
Figure 1, of the accompanying drawing is a side elevation of one arrangement
of my said Invention and Figure 2, is a front elevation partly in section of the
same. Figure 3, is a side elevation of a modification of my said Invention and
Figure 4, is an elevation partly in section and at right angles to Figure 3.
The tube A, of the whistle shewn at Figures 1, and 2, within which the piston B,
slides is provided at its lower extremity with the ordinary slit a, after the manner
of what is known as the organ pipe whistle which is formed by the tongue pieces

page_text: and is fixed upon the bracket tubo C, which is the connecting piece by which
the whistle with its adjuncts is attached to the steam boiler, air reservoir, or other
vessel.
The rod b, of the piston B, has formed upon it at its upper end a cross-bead D,
sliding upon a guide rod D¹, fixed upon the top of the whistle tube A, as seen at
Figure 1, the arms d, of the said cross-head being jointed to two connecting
rods d', the lower extremities of which are jointed at, to the rims of two semi-
circular spoked or wheel portions E, E, pivoted respectively upon the fulcra or
pins e, a', the fulcrum of the wheel portion E, at one side being formed in or upon
a connecting portion F, attached to the lower part or stem of the whistle tube A,
the fulcrum of the wheel portion E, at the other side of the tube being alsó
formed upon the portion F to which also a semicircular dial plate G, is attached.
-The wheel portions E, and E, are both connected to a handle e², by operating
which, both of the portions E, and E', are caused to turn simultaneously upon
their pivots e, e'; the parts E, E, with the handle e, thus constitute a forked lever
by means of which the piston of the tubo A, is capable of being operated and
adjusted as required for producing the necessary note or notes it is obvious that
the two spoked portions E, E, are equivalent to two ordinary side bars or rods of
a forked lever and that therefor the hand lever may be so constructed to work the
sliding piston.
At or near the fulcrum e, of the part E', and fixed to the edge of the said
part El, is a pointer g, for indicating upon the dial plate G, the note which the
whistle is at any position of the piston capable of sounding.-The tube C, upon
which the whistle tube A, is fixed is provided with a screwed portion c, for con-
necting it with the steam boiler or air reservoir and thio tube is formed with an
expanded portion c¹, for the reception of the valve c³, as shown in Figure 2.-The
valve as shown is what is known as a "striking" valve..
The outer end of the valve rod or spindle c³, is formed with a "striker "c', the
inner end c, of the spindle being provided with a spiral spring cº.
Having described the various parts of the whistle I will now proceed to describe
the action of the same when in use.
With one hand the operator grasps the liandle e, of the pivoted forked lever
formed by the parts E, and E, and with the other hand the operator is ready to
strike the striking knob c', of the steam or air valve. Having moved the handle
lever e, to the required degree as indicated by the dial pointer g, the piston within
the whistle tube is brought nearer to or further from the sounding aperture or
slit a, of the tube and the valve, c, having been opened by the striker c, the steam
or compressed air rushes up into the whistle tube and the particular note is
sounded.
It is obvious that the note can be kept sounding or a variety of notes can be
intermittently sounded by suitably working the handle lever and the striking
valve.
The variation in length of the internal part of the tube A, may be effected also
in lieu of the arrangement of piston B, as hereinbefore described, by placing over
or inside the tube A, a second tube fitted telescopically so as to be capable of
easily moving up and down therein or thereon.-The second tube in this case will
have its outer end closed.
In place of having the hand lever and gear for operating the whistle arranged
near to it as described with reference to Figures 1, and 2, the said handle may be
arranged at a distance from the whistle tube by a suitable arrangement of levers
and the striker also for operating the steam valve may be arranged to work at a
distance from the said valve.
In Figures 3, and 4, I have shown a modification of my said Invention in which
the arrangement of gear for operating the sliding piston or tube and the steam
valve is controlled by the same handle, which I have shewn in this arrangement
arranged at a distance from the whistle.
Upon the bridge rail a, or other convenient part of the ship is mounted a

page_text: bracket or quadrant H, in the face of which is formed a groove h, for the reception
of a sliding pin h¹; which is in connection with the. hand lever 2, through the
jointing piece h³-The said lever is centred upon the pin h', which forms the joint
with the portion ³, the inner side of the said portion being brought up to bear
close against the side of the quadrant by the nut h³, which is screwed upon the
end of the pin h', which is capable of sliding as hereinbefore described within the
groove h. The extremity of the lever is jointed as shewn more particularly in
Figure 4, to the extremity of the rod J, at he, the said rod being supported by and
passing through the lower part of the bracket of the quadrant and being attached
to and forming a continuation of the spindle c³, of the steam valve c-The said
rod J, may be of indefinite length according to the distance required from the
whistle to the station of the operator. The construction and arrangement of the
whistle tube A and piston B, and of the cross-head D, and connecting rods d',
may be and as shewn similar to the arrangement shewn in Figures 1, and 2, and
corresponding letters in all the Figures represent corresponding parts.
Referring to Figures 3, and 4, in this modification the lower extremities of the
connecting rods d, are jointed as shewn more particularly in Figure 3, to levers K,
the one of the said levers being fixed to the rod J, so as to form a bell crank with
the said rod J, and hand lever h2, the other of the two levers being connected to
the loose collar k, upon the cap c', or other convenient part of the valve casing.
The parts of this modification in the construction of the whistle being arranged as
hereinbefore described; I will now proceed to describe the action of the apparatus
when the whistle is in operation.
The operator standing on the bridge or other part of the vessel when the
whistle is for sea purposes, grasps the handle h², and supposing he desires to sound
a high note he moves the handle forward from the central position within the
quadrant as shewn in Figure 3, to the extreme right of the Figure until the
indicator which may be provided upon the sliding block h³, and which is herein-
after more particularly referred to is at the required notch in or on the quadrant.―
The piston B, is thus noved towards the lower part of the tube A, in proximity to
the sounding slit a, and the operator with the same hand still grasping the handlo
pushes the lever to one side that is to say in a direction at right angles to the
direction in which the lever is moved to work the piston; the lever being centred
at h, the extremity 76, of the lever being jointed to the rod J, which is in
connection with the valve rod c³, the said rod J, is moved longitudinally and the
valve c², opened against the pressure of the spiral spring co, whereby a pressure of
steam or air rushes up into the tube A, and a note is sounded.
In lieu of a hand lever for operating both the sliding piston or tube and the
steam or air valve a hand wheel may be employed. In this modification the hand
wheel can be mounted upon the spindle of the valve or upon a continuation of the
said spindle such as the rod or shaft J, in Figure 4, when by rotating the wheel
the connecting or adjusting rods of the sliding piston or tube are operated and by
urging the said wheel forwards or backwards that is to say in a direction at right
angles to the course of its rotation the steam or air valve may be operated.
It is obvious that by means of the hereinbefore described arrangement the
different notes may be sounded, consecutively, intermittently, or slurred and at
the same time the instrument is worked with one hand, which is of particular
value in rough weather.-It is obvious that many different arrangements may be
provided for indicating the position of the piston within the whistle tube and also
for retaining the lever at a certain position with regard to the quadrant; for
instance the working lever may be provided with double springs and the quadrant
notched to correspond to the different notes.-With this arrangement when the
lever is brought opposite a notch, it springs so far into it and is thus prevented
from moving towards another note.-To sound the note at which the lever is set
it is only necessary to push the lever further into the notch and the steam valve
is opened. It is thus impossible for the operator to slur or run one note into
another accidentally as no note can be sounded till the lever is in its corresponding

page_text: notch. In cases of emergency when hurried signals are necessary this will bo
found of great advantage as the risks of an uncertain sound being given are
reduced to a minimum.
In lieu of arranging the piston and cross-head as herein before described and
shewn in the drawing, the piston may be operated by means of a rod upon its
underside, the said piston rod passing down through the tongue piece and steam
chest of the whistle to a cross-head below; this arrangement may also be applied
in the case of using a tube or plunger in lieu of a piston as herein before
referred to.
Also in lieu of operating the piston or piston-tube by means of a cross-head, a
rack and pinion may be employed or a pulley with two wires or other cords or
chains one propelling and the other withdrawing.
The admission of steam or compressed air to the whistle may be regulated by
any convenient description of valve or cock but I prefer to use a striking valve as
described and shewn in the drawing on account of its quick action.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
invention and the system, mode or manner in or under which the summe is or inay
be used or practically carried into effect I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,
First The whistle operated by steain or coinpressed air constructed to sound a
variety of notes for signalling at sea and for other purposes substantially as
herein before described and shewn in the accompanying drawing.
Second In the construction of steam or air whistles the employment of a piston
or telescopic tube or equivalent arrangement of the sounding tube or whistle in
combination with suitable levers or appliances for adjusting the internal capacity
or length of the said tube or whistle to enable the pitch or depth of note to be
varied when the steam or air valve is operated substantially as hereinbeforo
described and shown in the accompanying drawing.
Third The arrangement for adjusting the position of the piston in the sounding
tube or whistle and the relative lengths of the telescopic tubes and for operating
the steam or air valve by means of one hand lover or wheels in proximity to the
whistle or at a distance therefrom substantially as hereinbefore described and
sewn in Figures 3, and 4, of the accompanying drawing.
In Witness Whereof I the said John Cran have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Ninth day of October in the year of Our Lord, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.