US995834A - System for operating pneumatic bells. - Google Patents

Description

E; 0. WOOD & H. G. MARDE N SYSTEM FOR OPERATING PNEUMATIC BELLS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1905. 1

Patented June 20, 1911.

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EDWARD C. WOOD, OF SOMERVILLE, AN D HARRY G. MARDEN, OF BRAINTREE, MASSA- CHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS T SUBMARINE SIGNAL COMPANY, OF WATERVILLE, MAINE' A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SYSTEM FOR OPERATING PNEUMATIC BELLS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 20, 1911,-

Application filed July 17, 1905. Serial No.- 269,999.

.10 following is a specification.

We have heretofore, namely,-on the 31st day of May 1905, filed an application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 263,165, for an improvement in appa- '15 ratus for submarine signaling. That improvement in its preferred form comprises a bell attached to a water tight casing which contains mechanism for operating the hammer or striker which mechanism is operated by compressed air introduced into a reservoir within the casing in which the pressure is maintained at say 45 pounds. When submerged the pressure on the exhaust side of I the apparatus is preferably maintained at at least one atmosphere depending upon the depth towhich the apparatus is sunk, the

' air pressurewithin the casing thus being sufiicient to keep out the water should the apparatus show'any tendency to leak. This may be accomplished by a back pressure valve which allows the escape of a portion only of the exhaust being set to maintain the pressure in the exhaust chamber of the valve at a predetermined amount. As the operation of the apparatus depends upon the difference in pressure between the com pressed air reservoir and the exhaust reservoir if these pressures are equalized the apparatus will stop signaling and at the same time any leakage in the apparatus will be indicated by the fact that the pressures will not be maintainedwithout constant pumping. v

The present invention relates to apparatus '45 designed primarily for use in a connection with the compressed air motor for operating the pneumatic bell or signaling device above described, but it will-be obvious that the apparatus will be equally useful in connection with such a submerged pneumatic motor irrespective of the work done 'or the device actuated by said motor.

The invention will be understood by reference. to the drawings inwhichan embodiment of it is shown diagrammatically. As

-its parts are all of a type procurable in the market and well known to those skilled in the art (with the exception of the pneumatic bell itself which is described in our said application) we shall give no detailed description of them.

A, B,'is the casing of our said pneumatic bell, C being the bell itself, and c the tongue. The casing A embodies compressed air and exhaust reservoirs in communication through a bell-operating compressed air motor. This mechanism will not be further described except by. reference to our previous application, and to sayfthat generally speaking the lower portion .B of the casing contains a compressed air reservoir I) which is connected through the passage b and a coupling b with a feed hose or pipe I) con- "necting it-with the air pump D as will be below described. The upper port-ion A of the casing contains the exhaust reservoir a which is connected in like. manner by the coupling 01, with the exhaust hose or pipe To illustrate the general arrangement of parts a motor of the type described in said appiication is indicated diagrammaticallyat A is the tube'by which air is taken from the pressure reservoir the valve A allows it and is delivered into the motor from which it is afterward' exhausted into the chamber a through an opening in the bottom of the motor as described in our above named application.

The'system at the station is as follows: The pipe 62 connects with the reservoir of an air pump, D}, and D is a relief valve of any ordinary kind such as is found in the market capable of reducing the pressure of the air pump reservoir to a predetermined amount,

say 45 pounds. It is desirable that the resrelief valve D is connected by the pipe at with a T-coupling d which is connected by pipe d withasecond T-coupling E, on which is mounted the pressure gage E adapted to indicate the pressure in the main line. By means of suitablepiped and couplingd this direct line from the'air pump is connected with the feed hose 6 leading to the coupling 6 on the casing.

. The exhaust connections comprise the pipe f leading from the coupling a lftrck to a coupling F which is connected by the pipe 7 with a second coupling H carrying a pressure gage H pling H with a three-way valve J which in addition to the passage through the ipe 7 tained at 45 pounds or at whatever other pressure the relief valve is set, and the bell operates owing to the difference between the two pressures, the exhaust from the apparatus passing back through the pipe 7 and 'through the three-way valve J to the back pressure valve K from which it exhausts in such a manner as not to reduce the pressure in the casing-below the desired point. When it is desired to stop the bell from signaling, the three-way valve J is turned into such position as to connect the pipe j with the exhaust system. Under these circumstances there will be no exhaust but the air entering through the valve D will divide and produce counterbalancing pressures in the reservoir a and the reservoir 6 so that the apparatus will not work. The gages show the pressures on both sides of the casing and hence serveas an indication that theapparatus is in operative or in inoperative condition and also if they show that the pressure is not being maintained itwill be understood that the casings leak. We have shown this apparatus attached to a base L which is located atthe station at which is the air pump D and the feed hose 6'' and the exaust hose 7 may be connected together in one structure L Such a station may be on shore or on board a lightship from which the bell is suspended; In either case the connection of the station w'th the bell will be by means of a hose of any necessary length. Such a bell for example may be suspended from a buoy some distance off shore and connected by hose with a convenient station on shore from which it is operated.

, The apparatus has been found extremely useful because it affordsa simple way, viz :by simply turning the three-way valve, first of operating the bell to make it ring its peculiar signal, and second, of maintaining it when out of use in operative condition, 2'. e.,, from any water which mi ht leak into it. The'gages at all times indicate its con- A pipe f connects the cou-' dition, one gage showing at 45 pounds, and the other gage at 15pounds, when the apparatus isjoperating, and both showing at 45 pounds when the apparatus is not operating, and'any unsteadiness' in the gage readings showing a leakage.

While the form of our system shown in pressed air reservoir.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, in combination; a pressure system com risin an air um a com ressed'air, a

exhaust reservoir with said back pressure valve; an air motor connected with both said pressure and exhaust systems and adapted to beoperatedby the difl'erence in pressure therein; and means for equalizing the pressures in said systems to render said motor inoperative and for maintaining, a

predetermined pressureon said motor, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination; a pressure system comprising an air pump, a compressed air reservoir, and a relief valve to control the pressure 'in said compressed air-reservoir; an exhaust system comprising'an exhaust reservoir, a back pressure valve, and means connecting said exhaust reservoir with said back pressure valve; an air motor connected with both said pressure and exhaust'systems and adapted to be operated by the difference in pressure therein; and means for equalizing the pressures in said systems to render said motorinoperative and for maintaining a predetermined pressure on said motor, said means comprising. a pipe connecting said pressure and. exhaust systems at points intermediate said relief valve and motor and said back pressure valve and motor, respectively, and a cock to control the passage through said pipe, substantially as set forth.

I11 an apparatus of the character described, in combination; a pressure system comprising an air pump, a compressed air reservoir, means connecting said air pump and 531d. compressed air reservoir, and. a

relief valve to control the pressure in said compressed alr reservoir; an exhaust systemcomprising an exhaust reservoir, a back pressure valve, and means connecting said exhaust reservoir with said back pressure valve; an air motor connected with both'said pressure and exhaust systems and adapted to be operated by the difference in pressure said air pump and compressed air reservoir,

substantially 'as set forth.-

4.'.In an apparatus of the character described, in combination; a pressure system comprising an air pump, a submerged co m pressed air reservoir, means connecting said air pump and said compressed air reservoir, and a relief valve to control the pressure" 1n said compressed .air reservoir; an exhaust system comprising a submerged exhaust reservoir, a back pressure valve, and means connecting said exhaust reservoir with said back pressure valve; a submerged air motor connected with said compressed air and exhaust reservoirs respectively; and means for equalizing the pressures in said systems to render said motor inoperative and for maintaining a predetermined pressure vin both said reservoirs, whereby 'the hydrostatic pressure on the submerged portions of said apparatus is opposed and leakage prevented, substantially as set forth.

EDWARD C. WOOD. HARRY G. MARDEN.

In presence of JOHN. E. R. HAYES, R. E. BREWER.

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