The Cordova daily times., 1919-01-20
INVENTION OF
TELECRAPHFOR
SHIPS SAFETY

on the market a patent ships tolc
graph, which is equipped with auto
matte center position, transmitter stop
and safety alarm connection to engine
control
improvements in mechanical engine
signal equipment have not kept pace
with the development of machinery
and ships. To illustrate this fact, it
is sufficient to point out that modern
methods of installing long electric ca
bles and conduit on board ships re
quires the provision of slip-joints or
loops to prevent breakage. while the
equipment commonly used for the i'm
portant purpose of controlling the
ships operation Is still being installed
with two endless cables which are
stretched taut between bridge and en-.
CINE room, resulting in heavy strains
on tn" connections.
In providing against this and other
well-known difficulties of upkeep and
operation of ordinary ships telegraph
equipment the inventor has simplificd
the system and reduced the number
OF cables in the &c. S" system to
one.half the usual number required
with other types.
The common difficulties observed
through long experience with the "end
less chain" type of engine signal euuip.
|
and working loose of connections and
| chains. due to the combined strains
| OF operation and the spring of the
| ships hull; the chains being quite
lengthy on account of considerable dis
lance between pilot house and engine
room. the cables must be kept rea.
sOnaby tight in order to effect aeon.
rate registering of the pointers in
| each position on the Indicator dials
and a small amount of spring of the
ship subjects the cables to heavy
strains and ncCessitatus frequent ad.
| Justments and repairs. small pin
secures each chain to its operating
sheaVe, and whenever signal is
given this pin must take the entire
strain necessary to overcome the fric-
ton of numerous guide pulleys on the
| long cable extending from the bridge
to the engine room and return: this
pin is probably the weakest point in
the entire system, as it must take the
| total strain of operation, which tends
to pull ii first in one direction and
then in the opposite; necessity for fire.
quent REIMBURSEMENT in order to main
! tain accurate registering is a cOnsid-
cradle source of annoyance, and break
downs of equipment always occur at
times when ii is most needed for han
| ding the ship
| There is no safety connection be
tween the ordinary engine signal and
the engine controls, the kecnncss of
the engineer in making correct replies
to signals is entirely relied upon, and
| the numerous costly accidents caused
by Misunderstanding of signals have
proved the need of a reliable device
to guard against such mistakes and
resulting accidents.
| This system consists of two bronze
the same form as the well.known stan
ard types.
Instead of using two endless cables
| for transmission between bridge and
| engine room. this system used sin
gle cable for each direction, with a
| counter-weight or spring at opposite
ends of the system from the operat-
ing levers. The weight maintains a
limited and constant strain on the
cable, which is taken in or paid ont
to the opposite instrument by the OPP
Grating lever of the transmitter
Any change in the distance between
the two extreme ends of the system,
which may be caused by the spring
of the ship, is automatically compen- |
stated for by a slight rise or fall of |
the weight
The operating strain is always in
one direction and is never in excess
of the amount required to transmit
signal Frictionless roller bearings
are fitted to the spindle of the pilot
house transmitter Ball bearings are
fitted to the spindle of the engine
room indicator. Weights are inclosed
by guides.
Each operating lever Is provided
with latch which automatically and
positively centers the operating lever
in each position on the dial. When
1t is desired to signal in the ahead"
direction the latch is depressed and
the lever automatically tends to move
to the position selected, the latch en-
gaging in the centering notch OF the
position desired. In order to signal
from the ahead" position to stop"
or "astern" (the usual emergency