Pattern 185X Navyphones

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The Royal Navy's Pattern 1855 (for upper deck use) and Pattern 1856 (for engine room use) Navyphones were created in 1902 for shipboard communication.[1] The original models were battery powered, though the 1856 was followed in 1907 by a Pattern 1856A which could be powered by motor generator.[2] There was no Pattern 1855A navyphone; instead it seems that the Pattern 2140A was partnered with the 1856A.

Pattern 1855 Navyphone

Pattern 1855 Navyphone[3]
Presumably, the little circle at upper right is the call-up button, but this was actually located on the left side.[Inference]

The pattern 1855 navyphone was essentially an intercom. It first saw use in 1902.[4] By a lack of contrary evidence, it appears that it was always wired directly to one other navyphone, possibly always a Pattern 1856 located in an engine room.

Form Factor

The 1855 was bulkhead mounted in a cylindrical iron case, approximately 15cm across.[5] It had a push-to-talk lever marked Press whilst talking[6] (or Press whilst speaking[7]) on the right side and a speaking transmitter on its face. Like many Graham navyphones, its speaker was inside and faced rearward; a metallic horn around 60mm at its mouth came out from beneath the chassis and projected the remote speaker's voice out to the local listener.

A call-up button on the left side[8] sufficed to ring the bell at both the local and remote terminals. The bells and the battery were not an integral part of the navyphone.

The Hunning cone-type transmitter was affixed by 3 screws and could be revolved (by rolling about its axis)[9] "to shake up the carbon granules."[10]

Like most navyphones before those used in Lord Nelson, Bellerophon and later classes, these phones were powered in pairs off six pattern 1453 cells in a pattern 1704 battery box.[11]

Service Life

It appears that the 1855 had no direct heirs to carry on the pattern number. The 1856A which followed its sister, however, is depicted working with a Pattern 2140A Navyphone in the 1907 Annual Report of the Torpedo School, suggesting this was the 1855's successor model.[12]

These phones were almost certainly obsolete by 1924, by which time only phones in the 2460 and 3330 series were in general use.[13]

Pattern 1856 Navyphone

Pattern 1856 Navyphone[14]
The small circle at the 1 o'clock position may be a call indicating lamp or the call-up push.[Inference]

The 1856 was similar to the 1855, but specialised for use in the high-noise environment of an engine room and provides a great example of how comical some of the early navyphones could be. It was introduced in 1902 along with the 1855.[15]

Form Factor

Like the 1855, the 1856 was bulkhead mounted in a cylindrical iron chassis, approximately 13cm across,[16] but it differed considerably in how one listened to its receiver. When the external call-up bell[17] was hear to ring, someone would walk over and answer the call by swinging a rigid copper arm upward and outward through 90 degrees so he could place the rubber ear cup on its end over his ear. This action switched out the bell call-up circuit and activated the face-mounted transmitter and receivers. A second earpiece on a flexible copper tube could be cupped over his other ear to help isolate him from the noisy engineroom.

The transmitter was affixed by 3 screws and could be revolved (by rolling about its axis)[18] "to shake up the carbon granules."[19]

Like most navyphones before those used in Lord Nelson, Bellerophon and later classes, these phones were probably battery-powered, initially, powered in pairs off six pattern 1453 cells in a pattern 1704 battery box.[20] This box was separate.

Service Life

The 1856 was supplanted by the Pattern 1856A in 1907 as part of the move away from battery-powered navyphones.[21] It is not clear whether existing installations were updated.

Pattern 1856A Navyphone

Pattern 1856 Navyphone[22]
The small circle at the 1 o'clock position may be a call indicating lamp or the call-up push.[Inference]

The 1856A was an engine room navyphone introduced in 1907.[23] Primarily, it differed from the 1856 by being able to draw power from a motor generator supply rather than a battery.

Form Factor

The 1856A was bulkhead mounted in a cylindrical iron chassis, approximately 13cm across.[24] When the external call-up bell[25] was hear to ring, someone would walk over and answer the call by swinging a rigid copper arm upward and outward 90 degrees so he could place the rubber ear cup on its end over his ear. This action switched out the bell call-up circuit and activated the transmitter and receivers. A second earpiece on a flexible copper tube could be cupped over his other ear to help isolate him from the noisy engineroom. There was a call-up push button to ring the other end.[26]

The transmitter was affixed by 3 screws and could be revolved (by rolling about its axis)[27] "to shake up the carbon granules."[28]

Like most navyphones before those used in Lord Nelson, Bellerophon and later classes, these phones were probably battery-powered, initially, powered in pairs off six pattern 1453 cells in a pattern 1704 battery box.[29] This box was separate.

Service Life

The Torpedo Drill Book, 1914 lists the universal Pattern 2461 Navyphone as the successor to the 1856A.[30] It is not certain whether existing installations were updated.

See Also

Footnotes

  1. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1902. pp. 60-1 and Plate 25.
  2. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1907. p. 77 and Plate 11.
  3. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914. p. 259.
  4. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1902. pp. 60-1 and Plate 25.
  5. estimating from Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1902, Plate 25.
  6. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1902. p. 60.
  7. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914. p. 259.
  8. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1902. p. 60.
  9. Electrical Drill Book, 1924. p. 275.
  10. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914. p. 260.
  11. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914. p. 263.
  12. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1907. Plate 11.
  13. Electrical Drill Book, 1924. p. 286.
  14. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914., p. 260
  15. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1902. pp. 60-1 and Plate 25.
  16. estimating from Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1903, Plate 20.
  17. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914, p. 261.
  18. Electrical Drill Book, 1924, p. 275.
  19. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914, p. 260.
  20. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914, p. 263.
  21. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1907. pp. 76-7.
  22. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914., p. 266
  23. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1907. pp. 76-7.
  24. estimating from Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1903, Plate 20.
  25. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914, p. 261.
  26. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914, p. 268.
  27. Electrical Drill Book, 1924, p. 275.
  28. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914, p. 260.
  29. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914, p. 263.
  30. Torpedo Drill Book, 1914, p. 269.

Bibliography

  • H.M.S.O., London (1914). Torpedo Drill Book, 1914 (Corrected to May 15) Copy in Tony Lovell's library.
  • H.M.S. Vernon. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1902. Copy 268 at The National Archives. ADM 189/22.
  • H.M.S. Vernon. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1903, with Appendix (Wireless Telegraphy). Copy 478 at The National Archives. ADM 189/23.
  • H.M.S. Vernon. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1907, with Appendix (Wireless Telegraphy). Copy 9 at The National Archives. ADM 189/27.
  • D.T.M. Department, Admiralty (1924). Electrical Drill Book. O.U. 5317. Copy in Tony Lovell's library.