Patent GB-190629450-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Apparatus for Transmitting and Receiving Signals.
Inventor: BARR ARCHIBALD
Filed: 1906-12-27
Granted: 1907-12-12
Abstract: 29,450. Barr, A., and Stroud, W. Dec. 27. Signals, marine and ship.-In electric order apparatus for ships, ordnance, &c., applicable also for indicating the position of a ship's helm, the transmitter consists of a motor mechanism and a commutator, mutually dependent the one on the other, so arranged that in one relative position of the commutator and -motor the latter is set in motion and continues to drive the former, while in the other position the motor and commutator remain at rest. This transmitting-device is shown applied to apparatus of .the kind described in Specification No. 4422, A.D. 1906, [Abridgment Class Electric telegraphs &c.], but it is also applicable to other step-by-step systems. The motor consists of three magnets A<1>, B<1>, C<1>, Fig. 6, acting in sequence on armatures a, b, c, placed at angles of 120 degrees to each other on the shaft e. The magnets can be energized in the order A<1>, B<1>, C<1>, A<1> ... or A<1>, C<1>, B<1>, A<1> ... by the commutator E, so that the shaft e can be driven in either direction. The commutator consists of an insulating-drum carrying a piece of metal of a stepped form as shown at C<3>, B<3>, A<3>, and is driven by gearing from the shaft e. The wheel h<1> fixed to the bevel-wheel j<1> runs loosely on the shaft s<1> and gears with .the wheel g<1> on the motor shaft. The bevel-wheel j<3> is free to revolve on the spindle k, which is carried by a loose sleeve on the shaft s<1>, The gearing is such that one rotation of the shaft e causes two rotations of the shaft s<1>. Norraally, the relative position of the commutator and motor is such that the brush A<4> supplies current to the magnet A' when the armature a is in its attracted position with respect to magnet A' so that no movement occurs. If, however, the handle is depressed into the position shown in Fig. 6, the shaft s' is moved relatively to the shaft e so that the commutator supplies current to the magnet B<1> when the armature a is in its attracted position. The shaft e is thus rotated and moves the commutator one step so that current is supplied to the magnet C'. The rotation of the shafts e, s<1> thus continues until the handle l is returned by hand to its normal position, or can be reversed by depression of the handle l in the other direction. A number of receiving- instruments, similar to the motor element of the transmitter, may be connected in shunt with the motor, and the shafts e of these instruments, and also of the transmitter, may rotate indicating- drums &c. The handle l may be replaced by a crank and cranked arm for acting on the spindle k. Means may also be provided for rotating the commutator by hand, and this may be locked to prevent actuation when the motor and commutator are not in their normal position of rest. Instead of setting the transmitter in action by altering the relative position of the motor and commutator, this may be effected by moving the commutator brushes relatively to the commutator. Electromagnetic means may be used to effect the movement of the handle l, Fig. 6. Figs. 9 and 11 show the method of indicating the position of the helm of the ship by means of the transmitting-device previously described. The helm or rudder post carries the contact-disk 0, which has two contactsegments P, Q connected to the rings R<1>, R<2>, respectively, which engage brushes W, Z leading to the magnets w, v controlling the position of the spindle k, Fig. 6. When the helm is moved, the brush V, rotated by the spindle e of the transmitting-motor, engages one of the segments P, Q, thus energizing one of the magnets v, w, which attracts the armature a<3> so as to move the spindle k, Fig. 6, and set the transmitter in action. This continues until the brush V engages the insulating part of the disk 0 between the segments P, Q, when the armature a' is returned to its normal position and stops the transmitter. The contact-disk shown in Fig. 11 resembles that described in Specification No. 17,434, A.D. 1897.