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.

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