The Washington herald., 1908-01-19
PREVENTS ROLLING OF SHIPS
DR.. Schlick's GyrO8cOpe Praised by
Vice Consul Nixon, Of Newcastle.
Apparatus Given Test on Tyne River
Might BE Used on Passenger
Steamers on Great Lakes.

In transmitting a newspaper article COW
cring the trials of Dr. Schlick's gyroscope
apparatus off the TYNE River during the
week ended November I5. 1857. witnessed
by the several railway ans steamship
companies interested in the cross-caanneI
trafic Vice Consul II. Nixon. Of New
castle, thinks that the apparatus would
be useful on passenger steamers on the
American lakes The following IS an ex-
tract from the article mentioned descrip-
tive Of the working OF the apparatus:
The apparatus consists of a heavy fly
wheel rotating about an axis which is
initially vertical and IS carried by q frame
which can oscillate about horizontal
axis lying transverseIy I'm the vessel. the
oscillatory motion OF the frame being
checked by means of suitably adjusted
brakes. The dyWheel Is one meter t393T
Inches in diameter, weighs 1,l05 pounds
and TeVolves 1900 times per minute
There is no electrical installation in the
boat and the fiywheel is driven by steam
The periphery is provided with rings
Of blades. the wheel being inclosed in a
Steam-tight iron casing and the whole
- Atl rea c8 81 AAi bttlr- ne steam enters
and leaves through the trunuions. exactly
as in an oscillating engine while the
lower end Of the spindle of the fiywheel IS
carried on ball bearings. and there is
forced fabrication 10 both the upper and
lower bearings.
"A regulator IS fixed automatically TO
cut off the steam at a certain number of
revolutions There are two brakes. con-
trolled by hand wheels ON deck. one a
band brake, by which the Eyroscope can
be locked in any position, and the other
q hydraulic brake
When the flywheel IS running at its
working speed, If the casing is held firm
ly by the brake, so that It cannot swing.
any rolling motion Of the ship is not af-
fected by the gyroscope. When the casing
IS allowed to swing, the motion being
controlled by one Of the brakes the roll
ing is Immediately checked, and. for all
practical purposes. destroyed Each ten
denCy Of the ship to roll is changed into
a fore-and-aft oscillatOry motion Of the
gyroscope accompanied by Development
Of heat energy In the brakes.
There is no accumulation OF roll, and
the ship Is to all intents and purposes q
steady platform, having only a vertical
or heaving motion. Generally speaking,
if a rapidly rotating fiyWheel is acted on
by an external force which moves the
wheel into another plane, the inertia of
the wheel sets up motion of the whole
in a direction at right angles to the first
external force If this motion at right
angles is allowed 10 take place. It sets up
a force again at right angles TO itself and
equal and opposite TO the first external
force.
Thus the first external force, due TO
the rolling of the ship. causes the gyro-
scope to swing in a fore-and-aft direc-
tion, and the swinging sets up a force
equal and opposite to the rolling of the
vessel. This aforementioned force is
changed into heat in the brakes and the
ship is kept upright If the apparatus
were allowed to swing freely, the rolling
of the ship would not be checked. but its
period Of rolling would be heightened. and
this alone would contribute 10 making the
vessel more comfortable.
''On Thursday last. although only ordi-
nary sea conditions were encountered, vet
the extinctive effect OF the gyroscope was
eonclusively demonstrated. Sea waves up
to six feet high and 80 to 100 feet In
length were met with. The length Of the
wave was too short to show the appara-
tus to the greatest advantage. but the
maximum roll to each side amounted to
about "A degrees with the gyroscope out
of action and the boat was kept steady
with the gyrOscope in action"