US249877A - Fog-horn - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. BIEN.

FOG HORN.

No. 249,877. Patented Nov. 22,1881.

INVENTOR WITNESSES.

ATTORNEY.

N. PETERS Phowumo m hen wnshin mu. ac.

UNrrED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BIEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FOG-HORN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,877, dated November 22, 1881.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN BIEN, of Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fog- Signals and I hereby declare the same to be fully, clearly, and exactly described as follows, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, and Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of the reedpipe and its immediate attachments.

My invention relates to fog horns or signals designed for use upon sailing-vessels in thick or heavy weather, and adapted to sound a continuous note of greatintensity; and it has for its object to remedy certain defects in existing forms of apparatus for the same purpose.

It is well known that a musical note from a wind instrument is heard with the greatestdistinctness from positions in the line of the axis of the pipe at its mouth, and as the value and efficiency of a fog-horn are in proportion to the distance at which its note is audible, I have arranged the device in such manner that the axis of the horn may be maintained in a horizontal position, no matter how much the ship may careen, and that the horn may be pointed in any desired direction.

Inasmuch as dangerin foggy weather, whether from supposed proximity of the shore or from collision, is principally to be feared to leeward, I give to the axis of the horn a slight upward inclination, substantially that of the average list of the ship when under way, so that adj ustmentis rarely necessary, being only called for when the craft is on an even keel or else hove down in a gale.

Signals of this class are rarely used to windward, as the sound is audible but a short dis tance in that direction, and, as before stated, danger to windward is not much to be feared, it being only due to the possibility of collision with other vessels, and the ship will readily pay 0d the wind to avoid that. Still, in order to permit of thedevice being used with efficiency to windward, I provide for an inclination of the axis of the pipe below the horizontal.

The importance of the facility afforded by my device for training the horn, like a gun, in any desired direction will perhaps be better appreciated from an illustration. A ship is standing close-hauled parallel with a lee shore,

and a vessel is perceived to leeward running free on the other tack and in a direction intersecting the path of the first ship. The latter may be invisible from the leeward vessel, (for objects are visible in foggy weather or rain a much greater distance to leeward than to windward,) and it is of paramount importance to signal as soon as possible. The windward ship in the supposed case has the right of way, but if she cannot signal the other vessel the alternative presented is either to keep away toward a lee shore or to attempt to go about on the other tack, incurring the danger of missing stays and the certainty of deadening the ships way broadside to a rapidly approaching vessel. In the supposed case the horn is pointed directly at the leeward vessel and kept pointed in that direction as the ships approach each other. Under these circumstances the sound can scarcely fail to be heard at such a distance as will enable the ship going free to avoid collision by slightly keeping away.

Proceeding to a description of my device and referring to the accompanying drawings, A is a'table or support, made convex to readily shed water; and B is the blast-pipe, having a trumpet-mouth,=b, connected with the reedpipe 0 by a flexible pipe, 0. An arm, E, swivels on the pipe 0, and carries at its end a screw, d, adapted to clamp the slotted bar 6, which supports the mouth of the horn. By. loosening this screw the bar 6 may be lowered or raised, as desired, to alter the angleof inclination of the trumpet. The pipe B is furnished with a stop-valve, F, and is connected with a fanblower, G.

To the legs a and top of the table are at tached brackets to a. In the brackets a is pivoted a shaft carryinga wheel, J, and crank K. From the wheel J a chain or belt, j, is led to a small wheel, t, mounted on a shaft journaled in the brackets to, and on the same shaft is a large wheel, I, from which a similar chain or belt, It, leads to a small wheel, g, on the shaft of the blower G.

The construction of the reed-pipe c, and of its connections, is shown in Fig. 2. The pipe is provided with the reed l and a flange, d, which rests upon an annular packing on the end of the blast-pipe B. A nut, D, is screwed upon the end of the blast-pipe, and between it and the flange d is a gland and packing, m.

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By these means the reed-pipe is held rigidly in the axis of the blast-pipe, and the joints are made air and water tight. Over the end of the pipe 0 its closely a sleeve, 0, on which the flexible section 0 is sprung, whereby the sleeve 0 is free to rotate upon the pipe 0.

In operation, the horn or trumpet being inclined and directed as desired, the crank K is turned, and motion is thereby communicated, through the medimn of the wheels and belts, to the fans of the blower, and a powerful blast ofair is driven through the reedpipe and trumpet-mouth, producing a continuous note.

Instead of a section of rubber hose being used at G, there may be a ball-and-socket or equivalent metallic joint used; but the rubber is cheaper and is readily renewed should it crack or break.

The device may be constructed throughout of wood and metal, whereby it is not liable to 20 get out of order from the action of the weather or sea-water or from changes of temperature.

What I claim is- 1. In a fog-signal apparatus, a. blast-pipe, a vertically-adjustable bell or mouth arranged to turn about a vertical axis, and a swiveling arm for supporting the mouth, as set forth.

2. In combination with the blower G, the blast-pipe B, reed-pipe 0, swi\"elmg section 0, flexible section 0, and mouth I), as set forth.

3. In combination with the blast mechanism and blast-pipe, the flexible section 0, mouth 1), arm E, and slotted bar 0, as set forth.

JOHN BIEN.

Witnesses:

R. D. WILLIAMS, W. A. BERTRAM.

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