Pattern 1855 Navyphone

File:Pattern1855NavyphoneCoverRemoved.jpg

Pattern 1855 Navyphone with cover and transmitter removed
As shown in Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1902, when it was apparently a new model.

The Pattern 1855 Navyphone was an early example of Navyphone used in the Royal Navy, intended for use on upper decks. In modern parlance, it would be called an intercom. It first appeared around 1902 along with the Pattern 1856 Navyphone which was intended for use in engine rooms.

Pattern 1855 Navyphone
As shown in Torpedo Drill Book, 1914. Presumably, the little circle at upper right is the call-up button, but descriptions c1902 indicate this push was on the left side.

Form Factor

The 1855 was bulkhead mounted in a cylindrical chassis, approximately 15cm across. It had a push-to-talk lever marked Press whilst talking (or Press whilst speaking) on the right side and a speaking transmitter on its face. Like many 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 button on the circular face at the 1 o'clock position or possibly the left side sufficed to ring the bell at both the local and remote terminals. It is possible that this call-up button and the bells which it actuated were added some time after 1902.. It does not appear the bells were an integral part of the navyphone.

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

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. This box was separate.

See Also

• Pattern 1856 Navyphone
• Navyphone

Bibliography

• Template:BibUKTorpedoDrillBook1914
• Template:BibUKARTS1902
• Template:BibUKElectricalDrillBook1924