US526609A - Submarine signaling - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

L. BLAKE. SUBMARNE SIGNALING.

.Patentedept 25, 1894.

Unrrnn STATES ATENT Osman.

LUCIEN I.BI.AKE, OF LAlVRENCE, KANSAS.

SUBMARINE SlGNALlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettcrsI-atent No. 526,609, dated eptember 25, 1894. Apnlicatlon Sled Jnly 6, 1994.. Serin] No. 516,749. (No model'l .it in'any system for the practical transmission between two points of intelligible signals, or at least of nrticulnte speech. I have however, discovered a. practical method of transmitting intelligible signals und articulate speec. on this principle which I apply to comm unicnting between a shore station and 6o a lightship or any other vessel, by establish-- ing;l under and around the ship a large electrtled region between the different' parts ol` which there'exists a. siutable diierence of potentiel, and providing a metallic conductor" to 'be carried by the ship and the ends of which may be immersed in such region to connect two points therein /between which such difference of potential exists. Ihave found when the conditions hereinafter stated 7o arevproperly observed, that a. suitable telephone included in the circuitof the couductor carried by the ship will respond to variations of potentiel between any two points in the electrifiedxegion, and that when such variations are caused by the voice of a perl son speskingintoe'suitable telephonie transmitter the words may be clearly reproduced. Further, I have proven by experiment that it is possible to greatly extend this electrified 8o region and to obtain it in different forms suitable for special purposes as will be herein- .after described.

In order to describe in detail the manner in which I have carried out my invention l nowrefer to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a diagram of the general plsu ot carrying out the invention. 5 Fig. 2 is e similar diagram of a lnodication ofthe same. 9o

In Fig. l whichillustretesthe general plan which I have followed in practicing the invention, A vdesignates a shore station, and S a station more or less remote therefrom, and which is or muy be e light ship, or any other vessel or the like.. At the station A, is a hair tery 13,9. telephonie transmitter C, and areceiver D. The batteries and telephones may .To all whom it mrtg; concern:

Be it known that I, Lucien I. BLAKE, a citizen ofthe United Sintes, residing nt Lawrence, in the county of Douglas and Stute o Kanses, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submnrine Signaling, of which the following7 is a specicntion, reference beingr had to the drawings accompanying end forming n part c( thc sume.

It wus well known prior to my invention that electric currents suitable tor operating sensitive signaling instruments could be trnnsznittcd through an insulttied metallic conductor submerged in the unter or buried x5 in the cnrtli,evou though the conductor con- -taincd n breuk, the continuity of the conducting path for n short distance being preserved hy the water or thc moist'eart-h between the terminals of thc conductor at the breuk. It has moreover been proposed to mko udvnninge ot this fact in systemsof electric signalling between the shore and light- .ships or isolated lighthouses by running' from n shorestation tiro insulated cables forming thclcnd nud return ola siatrirtlixigcircuit,leewl ing their exposed ends near the ship and on opposite sides ofthe same and partially bridging said ends hy a conductor carried by the shipnnd including n signaling instrument.' In this and similar enses the object in view was to so fur complete the incrullic circuit tht although u lportion of the curr'ntwould pas; lictu'ocn the terminals of'the insulated conductor throughV the water, a suilicienb amount would pass through the bridging couductor to oicct n delicate signaling instrn ment connected therewith. .Se fur as I am nume, no 'prncticnlly successful results have been secured by the systems of this nature heretofore proposed, nor hns the transmission or' nrticulntospccch under such conditions over been accomplished. It is also a. rocog nizod fact, in science ii the two terminals of nu electric circuit from a source of current be imnnrsed in a body of water'thnt between Suid terminnls or around each of them for a ccriniu small distance an electrified or active region will be established in which there will Vcxist n dillerenceol' potential between different points but the information with regard to this phenomenon has not, so far :is I am aware, been sulicicnt to lend to or even suggest the possibility of taking advantage of be and in the present case are shown as connected up in a. locsl circuit, the line being a rae secondary or induced circuit through the secondary F of a suitable stepdown induction coil or one in whiclfa. current of high potential in the primary is converted to a current of lower potential in the secondary. In the claims hereto annexed although these trans-

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