US478493A - wbeden - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) .4 Sheets-Sheet 1, .I

R. WREDEN. MIGROTBLBPHONIG APPARATUS POR DIVERS. A No. 478,493.' Patented July 5', 1892.-

INVEII T01? (N0-Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 2.

R; WREDBN.` MIGRUTBLBPHONIG APPARATUS FOR DIVERS. No. 478,493 Patented. July 5, 1892.

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(No Model.) 4 sheetssheet s'.

R. WREDEN. MIGROTELBPHONIG APPARATUS PoR DIVERS.

No. 478,493. Patented July 5, 1892.

WIT/VESSES:

Nbw Y www 4 N. E D E R W uw MIGROTE-LBPHONIG APPARATUS PoR DIVERS. No. 478,493.

Patented July 5, 1892.

A TTOH/V E YS.

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7 UNTTE STATEs PATENT OEEICE.

ROBERT WREDEN, OF S'T. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA.

MICROTELEPHONIC APPARTUS FOR DlVERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,493, dated July 5, 1892.

Application filed March 28, 1890. Serial No. 345,663. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT VREDEN, doctor of medicine and actual councillor of state, a subject of the Emperor of Russia, residing at St. Petersburg, Russia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Microtelephonic Apparatus for Divers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a microtelephonic apparatus which will enable a diverunder any depth ot' water to hold a perfectly-intelligible and loud conversation with persons situated above water, either on land or on board of a vessel. It fulfills perfectly all the requirements of diving operations, as, first, it transmits in a perfectly-intelligible mannerthe speech either from the diver to those above water or from the latter to the diver; secondly, the diver can, if necessary, ring a signal-bell at the station above Water; thirdly, the apparatus is of strong construction and can be readily used even by unskilled divers, because the electrical conductors are situated inside the air-supplyin g tube of the diver, while the telephone, microphone, and commutator for the signaling apparatus or bell are situated inside the helmet; also, the apparatus at the above water station is contained in a portable strong casing that can be locked, and the current-generator consists of aA dry battery; fourthly, this microtelephonic diver apparatus is so constructed as to be readily adapted to anyexisting construction of helmets and air-tubes.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure l is a view of the inner side, and Fig. 2 a view of the outer side, of the microtelephonic bandage for the head of the diver. Fig. 3 shows the bandage in place. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the air-escape valve of the helmet. Fig. 5 shows the air-tube and its branches. Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views at right angles to each other ot' the terminal connection in the helmet. Fig. 8 is a View of the commutator used at the upper station. Fig. 9 shows a portable box containing the apparatus belonging to the upper station. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the electrical connections. Fig. l1 is a cross-sectionalview of the divcrs helmet, showing the electrical connections, the air-tube, and the air-exit valve.

The microtelephonic apparatus consists of 6, in the helmet.

four principal parts: the microtelephonic head-gear, the micro-telephonie apparatus of the diving-helmet, the microtelephonic devices of the air-tube, and the microtelephonic apparatus of the above-water station.

I. The mvcrotelephomlc head-gear of the dicen-This is shown at Figs. l, 2, and 3 of the drawings. It consists of an elastic bandage of caoutchouc, which is placed over the top of the head and is fastened together by buttoning or otherwise under the chin. On-the inner surface is the telephone T, and on the outer surface the microphone M, from which a pliable double conducting-Wire leads to the pinching-screws d d of the commntator, Fig.

The conducting connecting-wires et ct", which connect the microphone M with the telephone T, are on the inner surface of the bandage, as shown at Fig. l. The microphone and telephone may be of any known construction. They must, however, be of such size and configuration that they do not interfere with the free movement of the head in the helmet. It is also essentially necessary that the telephone should be tightly pressed against the ear, so as to protect this from the great noises occurring in the helmet, for which purpose there is fixed on the edge of the ear-plate of the telephone a ring b, Figs. l and 3, of caoutchouc, felt, or other non-conductor of sound. The shape of microphone head-bandage of the diver can also be varied. For example, it might be in the shape of a cap or covering with earlappets. The principal condition is that the telephone and microphone shall be fixed on the head of the diver and be prevented from coming in contact with the sides ot' the helmet, as otherwise the sound vibrations produced in the helmet by the continuous in f'low and outflow of compressed air would be communicated to the microphone and destroy its proper action or render speech unintelligible. The material of which the headbandage is made may also be greatly varied, thus it may loe of caoutchouc, leather, felt, cloth, dre. Itis only essential that the bandage' should protect the ears as completely as possible against the noises in the helmet and should press the telephone tightly against the head in Whatever position this may be placed, so that the diver may be enabled to hear every IOO thing that is spoken to him through the telephone, and therefore shall not requireany call-signal from the station above Water. If, on the other hand, the telephone were fixed on the inner surface of the helmet, the diver could not possibly keep his ear pressed against it for a considerable length of time, and could therefore not at all tim es answer any question that might be put to him from the upper station. It would therefore be necessary to provide a special call-signal in the helmet for calling the divers attention to the fact that the upper station desires to speak with him, which arrangement would be Very inconvenient in View of the Want of space and the great noise occurring in the helmet. Vith the use of the microphonic head-bandage the ears are effectually closed against the noise in the helmet. The microphone is not subject to the vibrations of the helmet, and consequently transmits the divers speech clearly to the upper station, while, as before stated, the telephone being pressed continuously against the divers ear renders a call-signal unnecessary, as every sound transmitted from above passes direct into the ear of the diver as though it were spoken directly into the same. The tixing of the microphone on the head of the diver Would also have the advantage of enabling those at the upper station to at once detect by the occurrence of unusual stillness or of sounds of snoring` if the diver had gone to sleep and to wake him by making loud or shrill noises through the telephone.

lI. T he fmt'crotelephofnc devices 'in the helmet-These consist of a com mutator, the necessary screw-terminals for the conductingwire of the air-tube, and the modified construction of the air-discharge valve.

First. The commutator of the helmet is shown at Figs. 6,7,and ll. It enables the diver, by depressing the button d', to cut his microphone and telephone out of the electric circuit and to cause the current which passes from the battery at the upper station along the wires of the air-tube to the cornmutator to pass directly back to the battery through an electric signal apparatus, so as to call the attention of the person at such station. The commutator is fixed on an insulating-plate A, of ebonite,on the inner surface of the helmet, and is so constructed that the current passing through the metal bracket c into the axis of the metallic lever fl can pass in two different directions-namely, either to the right through the right contact-stud b and the right-hand screw-terminal a', connected thereto, into the microphone and telephone of the diver, from which it passes back through the left screw-terminala and the contact-stud b in connection therewith to the battery of the upper station, or upon the diver pressing his head against the button 7e of the lever d, thereby breaking the contact at b and making it at b, the current will pass directly back to the battery of the upper station, cutting out the microphone and telephone of the helmet. As the principal use ot' the apparatus is to transmit speech to and from the diver, the commutator-lever is acted upon by a springf, so as to cause it to keep in contact with the contact-stud b', and thus keep the circuit ordinarily closed through t-he microphone and telephone.

Second. The terminal connection ofthe helmet, Figs. 6, 7, and ll, for attaching the conducting-Wires, is connected to the commutator-base and passes in a Water-tight manner through the side of the helmet to the outside thereof. It consists of an ebonite cylinder with tWo internal insulated metal tubes e e', which are in conducting connection With the metal contactstud b and-support c of the commutator, respectively, and serve to receive the two metal pins s s of the cap D, which is in connection with the branch E of the air-tube F, Fig. 5. The outer metallic covering to the block B is formed with a screw-thread for receiving the screw-cap D of the terminal block c of the air-tube. Between the two blocks B and C a caoutchouc washer is introduced to prevent the possibility of water penetrating to the conductors.

Third. The air-escape valve of the helmet, Figs. 4 and ll, has in place of a great number of escape-openings, as is customary, through which the excess of air-escapes into the water,I only a single comparatively large opening O, situated in the center of a lead ringP, soldered ontotheendofthevalve-casing. This arrangement has for its object to lessen the disturb-V ing noise in the helmet, which is caused by the issue of the air through a large number of small openings, as a single jet of air will produce a considerably less number of vibrations in the water, and consequently in the helmet, than a number of them, and, in addition, the friction of the air in a number of small passages will be much greater than in a single large one. Lastly, the sound-vibrations will be much less in the comparatively bad sou nd-conductor-lead-than in the brass plate containing the number of small holes, and the transmission of such sound to the helmet will. also be much less through the lead than through the brass. In place of lead any other bad conductor of sound-such as caoutchouc, cork, felt, ne-may be used. In order to still further reduce the noise, the hel- IOO IIO

met might be lined internally With one of the labove-named substances, because the transmission of the sound-vibrations of the helmet to the inclosed air would be considerably impeded thereby. This effect may be still further increased by coating the helmet both in.

ternally and externally with abad conductor of sound.

The principal cause of noise in the helmetA is the outflowing air, that caused by the inand of the air-inlet passages of the helmet,

because by that means the indications at the upper station by the microphone of the stifli- 'sets of terminals is effected.

cient and regular supply of air to the helmet would be impaired.

III. The mzcrotelephon'ic dev-ces of the airifube, Fig. 5, consist in providing at both ends thereof-21e., at the helmet and at the airpii mp-two lateral caoutchouc branch tubes E E', through which the electric-circuit wires contained in the air-tube F pass out in order to avoid the air-valves at the helmet and airpump. These two branch tubesE F. have at their ends hernietically-secured terminals for connecting the circuit-wires of the air-tube with the commutator of the helmet and the connecting-screws S S of the upper station,

as indicated at Figs. 9 and l0. The terminal Y on the air-tube for connection with the helmet consists of an ebonite cylinder C, Fig. 6, in which are bedded two projecting metal pins s s', which are in conducting connection with the circiiit-wires of the air-tube, and which fit closely within the met-al tubes e e of the coniinutator-terininal on the helmet. The metallic casing of the ebonite cylinder C is contained loose in a made screw-cap D, that screws on the terminal of the helmet, whereby an effectual conducting-contact between the two The terminal at the end of the branch F. consists of an ebonite block containing two metal conducting-tubes k lo', which are in conducting con- A nection with the circiiit-wires in the tube and which have pinching-screws Z Z for securing the connecting-wires S S', Figs. 9 and 10, in-

serted into the tubes at the upper station.

IV. The microifelephomc above-water' sta.-

, tion, Figs. 9 and l0, consists of a transportable wooden box that can be locked up and that contains three compartments. In the first of these K is the microphone with the iiiduction-coil and telephone, in the second L are four dry-battery elements, and in the third R is the electric signaling-bell and the commutator. This com mutator (shown at Fig. 8) sends the current of t-he battery through the left-hand inetal stud m into the microphone on turning the switch N to the left hand. On moving the switch to the right hand onto stud n the cuirentis sent into the signal-bell, while if the switch is turned to the middle position on the insulating ebonite plate the circuit is intercepted, and consequently the battery is at rest.

The function of the microtelephonic apparatus will be seen from the diagram of the electrical connections, Fig. 10. From the positive pole of the batterylV the current passes into the axis of the commutator-lever N, and by turning the latter it can either be directed into the microphone V, the lever being put upon the stud m or into the bell X, the lever being put upon the stud n. In the rst case the microphone is put into circuit and the bell is out of circuit, and in the latter case the reverse is effected. For communicating with the diver the commutator -lever N is moved to the left, whereupon the current passes from the stud m and screw-terminal Z into the microphone V of the upper station, in passing through the screw p into the thick wire of the induction-coil and the carbon contact, and thence through the screws q and Z to the terminal S of the circuit-wire in the air-pipe. From the other end of this it passes into the commutatorV of the divers helmet. Here the current passes through the aXis c of the movable contact-'lever d and contactstud c to the screw-terminal 0.', with which the one end of the pliable conducting-wire d, Fig. 2, of the'divers microphone is connected. After the current has passed through the microphone and the telephone connected parallel therewith it passes' through the coutact- '8 screw a and stud b of the helinet-cominutator into the circuit-wire of the air-tube F, and from the terminal S thereof to the zinc pole of the battery WV.

The parallel arrangement of the microphone and telephone of the divers apparatus is an essential peculiarity of the apparatus,

because it produces a remarkable degree of effectiveness of the apparatus. In connecting the microphone with its telephone in series the introduction of the indiiction-coil\of the telephone into the circuit would cause a considerable resistance to the battery-current, whereby the action of the two micro-` phones at the divers apparatus and upper station would be considerably weakened. To avoid this defect, it would be necessary, if the above-described parallel arrangement were not employed, to introduce another induction-coil intothe divers helmet, thereby still further reducing the space in the same, j

which is already Very limited and causing great inconvenience. After the termination yroo of the conversation the person at the upper station places the lever N upon the stud n,

whereby the microphone V is cut out and the bell X is included in the circuit. This bell will, however, not ring so long as the micro-y phone and telephone of the diver'are included in the circuit, but is only broughtinto action after these have been cut out by the action of the lever d, as above described, thereby causing the current to pass from the commutator direct to the zinc pole of the battery W, Whereuponl the bell X, being alone in circuit, will be effectually put in action. The current then IIO Hows as follows: From lever N and stud/rzl the j current passes into the bell X, from thence through screw S into the circuit-wire of the air-tube F, and through this to thecoinmutal tor of the helmet, where it passes through lever d, this being depressedby the diver, and

post b to the other wire of the air-tube,and thence through screw S to the battery W.

If it is desired to use the earth or water for return-conductor instead of havinga second wire, the apparatus will also act efficiently,"

electric bell being' then Worked by a single wlre.

I claim as my inventionl. In apparatus .for the use of divers, an elastic bandage adapted to be placed on the divers head and provided on its inner surface with a receiver to be placed near the ear and on its outer surface provided With a microphone, all substantially as set forth.

2. In apparatus for the use of divers, the combination of the hel met-provided with binding-posts in electrical communication With conducting-Wires with a bandage adapted to be placed on the divers head and provided with a receiver and a microphone, and conducting-Wires leading to the said bindingposts, all substantially as set forth.

3. In apparatus for the use of divers, the combination of an electric circuit, a transmitter, a receiver and an electric bell in the said circuit With a divers helmetprovided with a commutator placed in the interior thereof and adapted to be moved by the divers head, substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for the use of divers, the

combination of two sets of telephone receiving and transmitting instruments,rone for the diver and one for the above-Water station, an electric bell, a battery, and a switch adapted to place the bell in the electric circuit while cutting out the abovewaterstation telephoneinstruments, and vice versa, and a commutator in the helmet and adapted to normally retain the dvers telephone-instruments in the circuit, but to cut these instruments out of the circuit at the Will of the diver, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a dvers helmet, an exhaustair valve provided with one large opening and covered internally With lead or other poor Vconductor 4of sound, substantially as and'for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed. my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT WREDEN.

Vitnesses:

N. TsoHENALoFF, Z. BLAU.

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