34:
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high-pressure air would be admitted behind the piston, pushing it forward. When the slots of the piston aligned with those of the cylinder, air passed into the piston, making a sound and pushing the piston back to its starting position, whence the cycle would repeat. A modification of Hope-Jones' design was patented by John Pell
Northey, head of the Northey Co. Ltd. of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which manufactured pumps and small gasoline engines. Northey added a secondary
140:
219:
120:. The mechanism of the diaphone created a noticeable low-frequency "grunt" at the end of each note produced, caused by the piston decelerating as the air supply was cut. As this low-frequency sound could carry farther, Northey's son Rodney redesigned the "Type F" model to sustain the second low tone, creating the familiar two-tone fog signal, commonly used in lighthouses and
178:
In use, the diaphone was generally found to be reliable and suffered little from wear, as the lightweight piston floated on a cushion of air during oscillation. Such wear as did occur tended to happen as a result of the piston becoming loose: as the pistons were custom-made and the design to some
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221:
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organ. Hope-Jones' design was based on a piston that was closed only at its bottom end and had slots, perpendicular to its axis, cut through its sides; the slotted piston moved within a similarly slotted cylinder. Outside of the cylinder was a reservoir of high-pressure air. Initially,
223:
57:
59:
136:). This version, known as the "Improved Type F" or later as the "F2T", was particularly common in installations on the West Coast of the United States and in lightvessels. Installations in Europe generally used single-tone diaphones.
794:
186:
would produce similar levels of volume to a diaphone while requiring much smaller and less powerful compressors. By 1983, the last two-tone "F2T" type in full-time operation in the United States was at
222:
798:
182:
The majority of diaphone installations were removed or became disused during the 1960s and 1970s. This was partly a result of automation of lighthouses, but it was also found that modern
58:
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and the public during emergencies. Many
Gamewell diaphone systems remain in use today. The Gamewell diaphone has a range of about six miles (9.7 km) under optimum conditions.
97:
supply to the piston in order to power it during both its forward and reverse strokes and thus create an even more powerful sound. The entire horn apparatus was driven by a
244:
near Detour, Michigan restored their original Type F2T diaphones to working condition and reinstalled them in the lighthouse, complete with new compressors and air tanks.
736:
472:(filed: 22 Nov. 1902; issued: 18 Aug. 1903). This patent mentions a second source of high-pressure air that caused the slotted piston to reciprocate.
49:: It can produce deep, powerful tones, able to carry a long distance. Although they have fallen out of favor, diaphones were also used at some
271:
179:
degree affected the individual sound characteristics of the signal, the manufacturers supplied two spare pistons with each diaphone.
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761:
159:. This company still exists, although it no longer manufactures diaphones. The European manufacturing rights were obtained by
413:
Hope-Jones, R., "Sound-producing apparatus suitable for sirens, organs, etc.," British patent 26,738 (31 Dec. 1901). See:
556:
356:
37:
A Type B Diaphone (Gamewell) in front of a Type F Diaphone fog horn (Diaphone Signal Co.) previously used in
Cleveland, OH.
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640:
208:
156:
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The following installations are still functional and are demonstrated from time to time as tourist attractions.
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524:
399:
826:
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in 1903. It manufactured a range of diaphone models: the large "Type F", which created a tone of about 250
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diaphone (one of the largest models constructed) in the world. It has an audible range of up to 20 miles.
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64:
298:
418:
430:"Sound-producing device suitable for sirens, etc.," (filed: 26 Nov. 1901; issued 17 June 1902).
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144:
382:
Michael Lamm (Winter 2003) "Feel the Noise: The art and science of making sound alarming,"
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257:
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192:
33:
8:
831:
441:
For further information about John Pell
Northey and the Northey Company of Toronto, see:
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671:
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John Pell
Northey, "Sound-producing device suitable for sirens or like instruments,"
444:
320:
449:
241:
152:
85:
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has a fully restored fog signal building with operational 2-tone Type F2T diaphones.
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797:. Low Head, Tasmania: Low Head Progress & Heritage Association. Archived from
313:
diaphone decommissioned in 1996, but restored in 2003 for the benefit of visitors.
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560:
160:
133:
25:
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Patents for
Inventions: Abridgements of Specifications … Period – A.D. 1901-4.
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94:
81:
17:
644:
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accessed 03-09-08. Northey sold the company as he required money to marry his
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This considerably smaller device was produced by the
Gamewell Corporation, of
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426:
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Rodney
Northey sold the Diaphone Signal Co. in 1932, when it was bought by a
125:
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To manufacture the new equipment, Northey set up the
Diaphone Signal Co. at
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50:
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For the patents of Hope-Jones' diaphones that were used as foghorns, see:
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195:. A few survive in working condition in lighthouses around the world.
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sounded its restored diaphone for the first time on August 7, 2015.
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and in other situations where a loud, audible signal was required.
337:. The last Sunday of July, Fog Horn Day is held at the lighthouse.
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46:
334:
275:
129:
628:
Annual
Proceedings of the Diesel and Gas Engine Power Division
109:
684:
Gamewell Diaphone Technical Information, accessed 2008-09-09
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Seeing the Light: "The diaphone fog signal" by Jeff Laser
657:
The history of the Gamewell Diaphone. Accessed 2008-03-09
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347:
Animation of the operation of the Hope-Jones diaphone:
132:(as well as in a famous series of radio commercials for
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company, Deck Brothers, working under contract for the
737:"Historic Nantucket Lightship shines bright in Boston"
695:"DeTour Reef Light Original Foghorn Made Operational"
45:
is a noisemaking device best known for its use as a
493:John Pell Northey, "Sound-signaling installation,"
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818:
543:(filed: 27 March 1931; issued 9 February 1932).
175:and other equipment to lighthouse authorities.
67:, a lighthouse located at Richmond, California.
508:(filed: 1 March 1929; issued: 7 April 1931).
475:John Pell Northey, "Sound-producing device,"
537:Rodney V. Northey, "Sound-producing device,"
499:(filed: 8 June 1926; issued: 1 March 1927).
490:(filed: 5 June 1908; issued: 22 Nov. 1910).
484:John Pell Northey, "Sound-producing device,"
481:(filed: 5 June 1908; issued: 25 Oct. 1910).
353:Photographs of diaphone foghorn components:
76:The diaphone horn was based directly on the
596:Lost Sounds: the story of coast fog signals
502:John P. Northey, "Sound-producing device,"
362:Horn & Whistle Board: Diaphone foghorn
626:American Society of Mechanical Engineers,
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734:
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611:Bringing Back the Sound of San Francisco
417:(London, England: Patent Office, 1907)
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699:DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society
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143:Building housing the two diaphones of
24:. For the Noctuidae moth species, see
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357:Douglas Head lighthouse, Isle of Man
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554:Diaphone at Douglas Head Lighthouse
463:Northey's patents for diaphones:
13:
735:Andersen, Travis (7 August 2015).
228:A noon test of a Gamewell Diaphone
14:
843:
341:
770:. Bournemouth, Dorset, England:
668:"The Gamewell Diaphone Web Site"
641:"The Gamewell Diaphone Web Site"
445:SmokStak: The Northey Co., Ltd.
157:United States Lighthouse Service
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20:. For the linguistic term, see
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450:Buzzcoil.Brinkster.net/Northey
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233:Working diaphone installations
171:, already a major supplier of
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323:possesses the only working
112:, found worldwide use as a
10:
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723:The East Brother Diaphones
384:Invention & Technology
71:
15:
615:Christian Science Monitor
248:East Brother Island Light
65:East Brother Island Light
63:Sound of the diaphone at
299:Portland Bill Lighthouse
16:For the organ pipe, see
795:"The Low Head Fog Horn"
630:, V. 33–34 (1961), p.18
767:Bournemouth Daily Echo
242:Detour Reef Lighthouse
229:
148:
68:
38:
772:Newsquest Media Group
762:"Blast from the Past"
725:, accessed 2008-09-04
720:http://ebls.org/?p=24
540:U.S. patent 1,844,226
505:U.S. patent 1,799,387
496:U.S. patent 1,619,585
286:Nash Point Lighthouse
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205:Newton, Massachusetts
199:The Gamewell diaphone
145:Split Rock Lighthouse
142:
62:
36:
647:on 22 September 2008
331:Lindesnes Lighthouse
272:Nantucket Light Ship
258:Grand Traverse Light
252:Richmond, California
827:Canadian inventions
563:accessed 2008-03-09
559:12 May 2008 at the
528:accessed 2008-03-09
487:U.S. patent 976,682
478:U.S. patent 973,960
469:U.S. patent 736,428
427:U.S. patent 702,557
424:Robert Hope-Jones,
317:Low Head Lighthouse
801:on 27 October 2010
793:Findlay B (2001).
390:(3) : 22–27.
321:Low Head, Tasmania
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674:on 1 October 2008
349:Gamewell Diaphone
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193:Martha's Vineyard
153:Buffalo, New York
88:, creator of the
86:Robert Hope-Jones
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209:municipal alarm
207:, for use as a
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161:Chance Brothers
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26:Diaphone (moth)
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264:has a working
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173:Fresnel lenses
169:United Kingdom
95:compressed air
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18:Diaphone pipes
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803:. Retrieved
799:the original
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776:. Retrieved
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744:. Retrieved
741:Boston Globe
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703:. Retrieved
701:. 5 May 2011
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649:. Retrieved
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333:in southern
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122:lightvessels
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84:invented by
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678:9 September
651:3 September
594:Renton, A.
290:South Wales
118:lighthouses
832:Navigation
821:Categories
805:16 January
778:16 January
617:, Jul 1983
572:Laser, J.
522:Laser, J.
370:References
274:museum in
165:Birmingham
114:fog signal
99:compressor
78:organ stop
22:Diaphoneme
268:diaphone.
189:Edgartown
90:Wurlitzer
82:same name
557:Archived
552:Fox, F.
419:page 122
262:Michigan
43:diaphone
746:19 July
705:19 July
580:fiancée
266:Type CC
167:in the
124:in the
106:Toronto
80:of the
72:History
47:foghorn
335:Norway
325:Type G
311:Type F
276:Boston
130:Canada
807:2011
780:2011
748:2021
707:2021
680:2008
653:2008
309:: A
128:and
41:The
319:in
163:of
823::
764:.
739:.
697:.
613:,
603:^
587:^
515:^
388:18
386:,
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191:,
110:Hz
101:.
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709:.
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