Patent GB-190327073-A (GB)
Title: Means or Method for Directing Mechanical Movements at or from a Distance.
Inventor: TORRES LEONARDO
Filed: 1903-12-10
Granted: 1904-10-27
Abstract: 27,073. Torres, L. Dec. 10, A.D. 1902, [date applied for under Patents Act, A.D. 1901]. Steering automatically; steering- gear.-Relates to a system to be called "telekine," for controlling from a distance the movements of an apparatus, and consists of a wireless or other telegraphic system which regulates, by determining the position of a needle, the controller, switch, motor, or other servomotor for actuating the apparatus. The system is applicable to the control of lifeboats, submarine vessels, and steering - gear for ships &c., and to maintaining a ship in a fixed course. In the simplest form of receiver, used when one apparatus only is controlled, the shaft 25, Fig. 2, of a motor controlled by a commutator switch 23 is geared to a disc 4, which rotates loosely on the shaft of a peg-wheel 3 and is fitted with two conducting-arcs 17, 18, upon which a spring-pressed hinged brush 14 on the wheel 3 bears. As soon as the wheel 3 is moved to carry the brush 14 off the insulating- section between the arcs 17, 18, connection is made from the motor mains through one of the arcs 17,18 and one of two electromagnets B, B', so that the switch 23 is pulled over and the motor connected up to drive the disc 4 after the wheel 3, until the disc and wheel are in their original relative positions. When the wheel 3 need only be driven in one direction, an escapement lever 6 actuated by a spring 12 and current impulses passed through a solenoid A may act as the driver, the continuous rotation of the disc 4 being transmitted as oscillatory motion to the shaft of a steering-rudder, for example, by a short crank and long connecting- rod. When rotation in both directions is required,. the brush 14 may be set on a pivoted armature which works in front of a number of solenoids set round the disc 4. A dynamo is connected to these solenoids in succession by moving the arm of a transmitter or switch over a circular series of contacts, so that the brush 14 moves, following the movement of the switch. The number of solenoids may be reduced by one on the Vernier principle by providing any desired number of projecting armatures on the wheel 3, and one less than an equal number of solenoids. Fig. 11 illustrates a case in which a number of receivers K<1>, K<2>, K<3>, K<4> are controlled from one interrupter i, actuated, if desired, by a wireless system. The first operation of the interrupter i closes circuits from a battery I through two solenoids J<2>, J<1>, the armatures 45, 46 being drawn back to allow the lever 48 to move under the action of a weak spring 49 or of clockwork mechanism. The slow movement of the lever 48, due to its large mass or clockwork driving-mechanism, brings the tooth 50 over any of the teeth 51, 52, 53, 54 by the time the interrupter i is opened and the lever 45 rises. As the armature 46 is held by the armature 47 after the interrupter i is opened, the tooth 50 is carried round into contact with one of the teeth 51, 52, &c. determined by the duration of the current, and then completes the battery circuit through the solenoid A<1> A', &c. of the corresponding receiver K<1>, K', &c., and also through the solenoid J<3>. The proper disc 4 is thus rotated through one step and the transmitting-apparatus is returned to its original position; during its return, the tooth 50 rubs over the insulating-faces of the teeth 54, 53, &c. In some cases, it is desirable that the servomotors should be controlled by the needle of a compass, so that a ship can be kept on a fixed course. For this purpose, the compass needle 62, Fig. 15, is supported by a bracket on the shaft of an escapement or peg wheel 3 with one end between two contact-stops 63, 64 on the bracket. The stops are connected to the solenoids B, B<1> of the motor switch 23, and the needle to the return wire of a battery, so that the motor is driven to drive the disc 4 and the rudder in the proper direction when the needle, by deviation of the ship &c. from its course, touches one of the stops. The battery circuit is broken at one of two interrupters 68, 69 when the disc 4 and rudder reach the limit of their travel. The position of the wheel 3, bracket, and stops 63, 64 is controlled, as already described, so that any desired course &c. may be set. Fig. 16 shows the complete receiver employed upon a ship to be controlled. In the operation of this apparatus, the interrupter i, when closed for a small interval and then opened, closes circuits through the battery I and solenoids J<1>, J<2>, as described with reference to Fig. 11, and causes the tooth 50 to contact with the tooth 51, thus establishing one circuit from the battery through the lever 48, lead 75, lever L, and the solenoid A<2> of the receiver K', and another through the solenoid J<3>, which returns the lever 48 &c. to its original position. The disc 4 of the apparatus K<2> is thus rotated through one step. A longer contact at the interrupter i closes a battery circuit through a solenoid A before the lever 48 returns. The solenoid A acts on an escapement lever which operates a four-armed wheel on the spindle of the lever L, so that the lever L moves on to the contact l'. Another short contact at the interrupter i will now move the disc of the receiver K<1> through one step. If, however, the interrupter i is closed for a second long period, the lever L moves on to the contact l<3>, so that a short contact closes a battery circuit through the commutator 85 and the solenoid A<3>, thus operating the wheel of the receiver K<3>. While the motor C<3> is driving the disc 4 of the receiver K<3>, it also drives that of the receiver K<4>, but, as this receiver is out of circuit with the battery I and dynamo, this movement does not affect the corresponding wheel 3. The rudder is therefore controlled by the receiver K<3>. When, by means of three long contacts of the interrupter i, the lever L has been brought to the position l<4>, a battery circuit is closed through the lead 87, contacts 76, M', lever L, commutator lever 88, and solenoid J'. If the third long contact is of normal duration, the spring 93 will not have moved the released lever 92 on to the contact 94 before the interrupter i is opened, and the only result of the third contact will be to move the lever L to the position l<4>, from which a fourth long contact will carry it to its original position. If, however, the third contact is of abnormal length, a battery circuit is closed across the contacts 92, 94, through solenoid J<5>, contacts N, O<4>, and solenoid J<5>, thereby reversing the commutators 88, 85 and allowing the wheel 3 of the receiver K<4> to be operated by a short contact of the interrupter i. The commutators are held by springs 102, 97 in their reversed positions until the lever L again reaches the position l<3>, when the solenoid J<4> is again energized by an abnormally long contact, the contacts 92, 94 brought together, and a battery circuit established through the solenoids J<5>, J<7> to return the commutators to the position shown. The motors C<1>, C<2>, C<3> are shown driven from a dynamo, but may otherwise be driven from the battery I. To facilitate the operation of the apparatus by obviating the necessity for remembering the contacts which have been made, the transmitter usually employed in wireless telegraphy is replaced by a commutator, which is shown in Fig. 19, connected up tn four manipulators of the construction shown in Fig. 17. Each manipulator consists of a circular case, on the shaft 105 of which is loosely fitted a toothed hand-wheel 113, which can be rotated by means of the lever 114 when the catch 116 has been withdrawn by the magnet P<1>. When the lever 114 is raised, it makes contact at the point 121 in the circuit of a second magnet P and engages a catch 112 with a pinion 109 carrying a contact 110. The pinion 109 and contact 110, when free from the catch 112 and the lever 114, are drawn round by a pinion 107, which is uniformly driven by clockwork ; the contact 110 then rubs over a series of studs 127 in the cover of the case and makes corresponding short contacts in a circuit u, v. The four manipulators 1, 2, 3, 4, Fig. 19, corresponding to the receivers K<1>, K<2>, K<3>, K<4>, Fig. 16, and the commutator for operating the lever L, Fig. 16, are connected to a wireless telegraphic apparatus T, which transmits waves to close the interrupter i, Fig. 16, whenever there is metallic connection between the wires U, V. The commutator is fitted with a contact-lever 131, which is driven, when free from the catch 133, similarly to the pinion 109 and contact 110 of each manipulator. Assuming that the lever 131 of the commutator is in the position shown, that the lever L, Fig. 16, is in the corresponding position l<2>, and that the receiver K<4> is to be operated, the lever 114 of the manipulator No. 4 is raised and immediately closes, at the point 121, the circuit I, 134, P, R<4>, thus locking the contact 110 by the catch 112 and moving the lever Q'. The lever Q' then closes a circuit from the battery I through the magnet R<5>, so that the lever 131 is free to move round to the lever Q<4>. During this movement, the lever 131 rubs over two studs on the commutator cover and makes two long contacts between the leads u<5>, v<5> on the wires U, V, so that the interrupter i, Fig. 16, is operated to bring the fever L to the position l<4>. At the end of its travel, the lever 131 connects the wires 140, 141 and closes a battery circuit through the solenoid P', which then withdraws the catch 116 from the manipulator wheel 113. The wheel 113 is then moved round by hand until the lever 114 is at any desired position, the button 120 being then released to engage the lever with the corresponding opening in the cover. The circuit of the magnet P being now broken, the pinion 109 is freed and draws the contact 110 round against the lever 114. The series of short contacts of the wires u, v so caused operate the