US355639A - Automatic signal apparatus - Google Patents

Description

' (No Model.) 2 sheets sh eet 1.

J. H. CROSBY.

I AUTOMATIC SIGNAL APPARATUS. No. 355,639. Patented Jan. 4, 1887. r

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(No Model.) J. H. CROSBY.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL APPARATUS.

No. 355,639. Patented Jan. 4, 1887.

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PATENT @FFICE.

JAMES H. CROSBY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,639, dated January 4, 188 7.

Application filed September 7, 1885. Serial No. 176,371. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.- 1

Be it known that I. JAMES H. CROSBY,.Of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Automatic Signal Apparatus, of which the follow ing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to that class of automatic signal apparatus wherein an audible signal, actuated by steam or air, is adapted to give a succession of intermittent blasts, the durations of which are automatically controlled by pins or projections on a disk or wheel rotated by a clock or similar motor co-operating with a code-cam, my invention having for its object to producea simpler, more efficient, and cheaper signal apparatus than has been heretofore made.

My invention is especially designed and adapted to be used on board ships and along the sea-coast in times of fog; and it consists of a cylinder containing a piston, the rod of which is-provided with a spring placed between the head of the cylinder and a collar secured on the said rod, the said spring acting to restore the piston-rod to its normal position after thesteam or other fluid or medium has ceased to be admitted to the said cylinder, combined with an audible signal and a flexible connection between the said signal and the said pistonrod. The cylinder referred to is provided with the ordinary induction and eduction ports, and with an additional port communicating with the induction-pipe by a suitable pipe provided with a stop-cock,

fluid may be admitted'to the top of the eylinder above the piston to form a cushion for the same.

My invention also consists of a valve-stem combined with valves to co-operate with seats in communication with the induction-pipe of extended through astuffing-box provided with a suitable packing, and being provided with a spring placed between the said stuffing-box and a collar on the said stem, the spring acting to maintain the valves of the valvestem seated until unseated by a suitable motor, shown as a clock actuating adisk or wheel on the main shaft of a clock mechanism or timeand their lengths corresponding to the number 1 of blasts and the duration of each blast which it is desired the audible signal shall give in a definite time, the depressions indicating intervals during which the audible signal is silent. Figure l is a front elevation of my improved audible-signal apparatus, the same being secured to a bracket adapted to be affixed in any desired or usual place. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. lfshowing the connection between the operating parts; Fig. 3, an enlarged sectional view of the operating-valves; and Fig. 4, a modifica'tionto be referred to.

. Referring to the drawings, a steam-cylind er, A, made of usual material, is provided with ports a and a, the former communicating with the induction-pipe E and the latter with the eductiou-pipe E", and also with apipe, F, connected at its lower or opposite end to the induction-pipe E, the pipe F havingastop-cock, f, to open and close the said pipe to admit steam above the piston, thereby forming a a cushion for the same.

The steamcylinder referred to has apiston, B, whose rod b (see Fig. 2) moves in a sleeve, 0, provided with suitable packing, and rendered air-tight by a nut, d, screwed to the said sleeve; and the said rod hasa spring, g, wound construction, the said rod being herein shown as connected by a flexible connection, h, passing under pulleys p p, the valve of the said audible signal or whistle being opened when the piston-rod is moved up, orin the direction of the arrow,(see Fig. 2,) by steam or other motor-such as air-which enters the cylinder A through the port a, the said whistle-valve remaining open and emitting a blast until the piston and its rod are returned to their normal positions by the spring 9.

I have provided the inductionpipe E with a fitting having four screw-threaded branches or arms, 1 2 3 at, the said fitting containing a valve-stem, provided, as herein shown, with three valves, 6 7, (see Fig. 3,) the valves 5 and 6 controlling the admission of steam to the cylinder A, to actuate the piston and sound the audible signal or whistle, the valve 7 serving as an exhaust.

The arm lis connected to theinduction-pipe E, the arm 2 to an cxhaust'pipe, E, communicating with the exhaust-pipe E the arm 3 to a pipe, i, leading to the generator for steam or. holder for compressed air, while the arm 4 has secured to it a stnfling-box, a through which the valve-stem c" is extended, the said stem having on it aspring,g, oneend of which rests against the said stalling-box, while the other end rests against a collar, d secured on the said stem, the said spring acting to seat the valves 5 and 6 after each blast.

The extended valve-stem c referred to, and as shown in Fig. 1, has a link, Z, forked at its upper end, as at a a, the said forks receiving a rod, a that forms the center of motion or fulcrum for a code-cam, 9; but in Fig. at the said rod is shown as extended and secured to the bracket (1 to serve as arstay for the link 1, which is shown in Fig. 4 as a straight link.-

- The code-cam 9 is herein shown as a hub provided with wings, herein shown as set at right angles to one another, and having elevations If and depressions b which are herein shown as acted upon by pins or projections n on a disk or wheel, \V mounted on the main shaft of of a clock mechanism or time-train of ordiing from engagement with the code-cam the pin following next in order will be brought into engagement with said code-cam, the said pins depressing the link Z and valvestem c to open the valves 5 and 6 and admit steam into the steam-cylinder A through the ports 0 0 pipe E, and port a, to move the piston B up ward."

The elevations b and depressions If of the' wings onthe hub referred to are of such length and are so arranged with relation to each other that a series of long blasts of the signal may be alternated by a series of short intervals of sileuce as, for example, the elevations may produce a blast of ten seconds, while the depressions would permitof a silence of only five seconds. Each wing of the hub may have a different numberof elevations and depressions, thereby permitting the code of signals to be changed when desired. r

The rod a as herein shown, is encircled by a spring, a one end of said spring bearing against one arm of the forked lever Z, and the other end bearing against the end of the codecam 9, said spring serving'to steady the said code-cam when the latter is acted upon by the pins n.

The piston B in its upward stroke opens the valve of the audible signal or whistle W, by actuating the lever T, which is connected to the piston-rod b by the flexible connection h, as shown in Fig. 1.

Instead of the mechanism shown for unseating the valves 5 and 6, I may attach a straight link, Z, to the valve-stem 0 the said link having secured to it a lever, L, as shown in Fig. 4, which lever is pivoted in a bracket, (P, and which supports the codecam 9 at its endremote from its fulcrum. This latter arrangement affords a greater power for unseating the valve.

In the operation of my improved audible signal the number of blasts per minute or for any other definite or'standard time can be regulated by adjusting the code-cam, so that a wing having the requisite number of elevations or depressions or teeth or cams shall be placed in position to be engaged bythe pins on the disk or wheel rotated by the clock mechanism or time-train, thereby causing the desired number of blasts to be given.

Any desired number of blasts can'be given in a definite required time by regulating the number of elevations of the ditferentwings, and the period of silence between each blast can be regulated by adjusting the distances between the successive elevations.

I do not desire to limit myself to any particular form of clock mechanism or time-train, as any of the well-known forms of time-motors may be used equally well.

I claim 1. In a signal apparatus, a cylinder, apiston and piston-rod therein, and an audible signal in connection with said cylinder and pistorrrod, and a valve-stem provided with a valve to control the admission of steam or other fluid into the said cylinder, as described, to actuate the said piston, combined with a code cam, and means, substantially as described, to move the valve-stem through saidcode-cam, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a signal apparatus, a cylinder, 9. piston therein, a valve-stem and valves thereon to regulate the admission of steam or air into said cylinder to actuate the said piston, and an adjustable code-cam havinga series of elevations and depressions to represent different code-signals, combined with means, substantially as described, to act upon the said codecam and actuate the said valve-stem, substau: tially as described.

3.- In an automatic signal apparatus, an audible signal, a cylinder provided with' a piston and piston-rod connected to said audible signal, and means, substantially as described, to restore the piston to its normal position after each sounding of the audible signal, combined with a valve-stem having valves communicatingwith said cylinder, and with means, substantially as described, to seat and unseat the said valves, as and for the purpose set forth. 4. In an automatic signal apparatus, an audible signal, a cylinder, its piston and pi's-f to this specification in the presence of two 25 subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. CROSBY. Witnesses: 1 l

JAS; H. CHURCHILL, .G. W. GREGORY.

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