Improvements in Means for Detecting the Passage of Submarine, Mine Laying, or other Vessels, and for Receiving Submarine Sounds.

摘要

3696. King, W. J. H. March 8. [Cognate Application, 4016/15.] Locating subaqueous sounds; signals indicating proximity of vessels; subaqueous sound signals.-In means for detecting and locating submarine or other vessels, of the type in which submerged water-tight casings containing microphones connected to a receiving station are used, a number of such casings are distributed over an area, and means are provided at the receiving station to allocate a detected sound to the receiving microphone, so that the position and course of the submarine &c. may be known. The casings may be in the form of buoys submerged, if desired, by sinkers. Springs or rubber may be introduced between a buoy and its anchoring- cable, and elsewhere if necessary, to insulate the microphone from local disturbance. Floats may be used to mark the position of the submerged casings. Fig. 3 shows in plan a disposition of casings 1 off a coast, connexion being made with a shore station 11. Fig. 4 shows a selecting switchboard having contacts 13 corresponding in number and disposition to that of the casings. One lead from each microphone is connected to its corresponding contact, the other lead being earthed. A contact 17 in circuit with a telephonic receiver 16 can be run over the contacts 13 to detect and locate any sound affecting one or more of the microphones, grooves 14 being provided to facilitate passage from one contact to another. Alternatively, a separate switch may be provided for each microphone, whereby the area may be explored. In a modification, the microphones are connected to a buoy, which may be temporarily connected to a receiving station on board ship. Figs. 8 and 9 show a suitable coupling. One member 19 has spring- pressed plungers 22, to each of which a wire is connected. The other member has corresponding contact plates each connected to a wire. Any suitable means for securing register, and for holding the coupling-members together, may be employed. According to the Provisional Specification, a separate receiver may be provided for each microphone, the wall of the submerged casing may serve as a diaphragm, and a casing containing a microphone may be put overboard from a ship to serve instead of a sound-detecting device fixed to the ship.