Fessenden's Work with Early SONAR

Whiskey 100 Bravo Ocean / W 1 F

Other Inventions of R.A. Fessenden

Fessenden prepares to lower
an acoustical sounding unit
over the side of a ship

In addition to Fezzie's work in wireless, he made another important discovery that would make the sailing of ships safer. He invented the first SONAR equipment. With an acoustical oscillator, Reginald would successfully detected icebergs at great distances. It was additionally discovered that this equipment could indicate the depth of water under the ship, allowing the departure of rope and sinker depth measuring.

Additional info can be found at the sites below :

"Sounding Pole to Sea Beam"
NOAA History of the determination of water depth

"The Cosmic Inventor"
Transactions of the American Philosophical Society

A list of Patents filed by Fessenden

U.S. Patent 644972, "Induction Coil for X-ray Apparatus" – March, 1900
U.S. Patent 648660, "X-ray Apparatus" – May, 1900
U.S. Patent 654390, "Induction-coil" – July, 1900
U.S. Patent 706740, "Wireless Signaling" (heterodyne principle) – August, 1902
U.S. Patent 706741, "Apparatus for Wireless Telegraphy" (compressed air spark gap transmitter) – August, 1902
U.S. Patent 706742 , "Wireless Signaling", August, 1902 (transmit-receive switch)
U.S. Patent 706744, "Current Actuated Wave Responsive Device" ("barretter" detector) – August, 1902
U.S. Patent 706745, "Signaling by Electromagnetic Waves" – issued August 1902
U.S. Patent 706746, "Signaling by Electromagnetic Waves" (ground plane) – issued August 1902
U.S. Patent 706747, "Apparatus for Signaling by Electromagnetic Waves" (voice modulation of 50 kHz alternator – continuous wave transmitter) – August, 1902
U.S. Patent 715203, "Selective Signaling by Electromagnetic Waves" (multiplex transmission and reception) – December, 1902

U.S. Patent 727327, "Receiver for Electromagnetic Waves" – May, 1903
U.S. Patent 727328, "Receiver for Signaling" – May, 1903
U.S. Patent 727329, "Signaling by Electromagnetic Waves" – May, 1903
U.S. Patent 727330 , "Signaling by Electromagnetic Waves" – May, 1903
U.S. Patent 727331, "Receiver for Electromagnetic Waves" (improved "barretter") – May, 1903
U.S. Patent 948068, "Wireless Telegraphy" (antenna tuning)
U.S. Patent 974762, "Improvements in Wireless Telegraphy" – 1st November 1910
U.S. Patent 1059665, "Wireless Telegraphy" (antenna tuning)– issued April 1913
U.S. Patent 1108895, "Signaling by Sound and Other Longitudinal Elastic Impulses" – September, 1914
U.S. Patent 1147010 , "Improvements in Wireless Telegraphy" – 20th July 1915
U.S. Patent 1576735 , "Infusor" (for making tea) – March, 1926

List courtesy of Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Aubrey_Fessenden

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