Electric Log Recorder.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Electric Log Recorder.
I, LEVIN THOMAS JONES, Junior, of 827, Pierce Street, in the City and County
of San Francisco, State of California, United States of America, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:
-
My invention relates to a device which is especially designed to transmit the
record and registration of a log used in determining the speed of vessels to the
pilot-house, chart-room, or other desired point, or points, so that the record may
be instantly and continuously before the navigator.
It consists of a contact making and breaking attachment for the recording
device, an electric circuit and an electro-magnetic, actuating mechanism at
a distant point through which the movements and record of the log are simul-
taneously indicated at said point.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,-
Figure 1 is a general view of my recorder.
Figure 2 is a view of the face.
Figure 3 is a top view of the recorder.
In the use of what is known as the taffrail log, the indicating apparatus is
usually fixed to a support projecting outside of the taffrail so as to carry the log
propeller out of the wake of the vessel, and in order to inspect the recording
devices it is necessary to bring the apparatus in to the side of the vessel.
The result of the inspection must then be transmitted to the navigator who
will usually be at a considerable distance away in the chart room near the head
of the vessel, and this especially in large vessels occupies much valuable time
which in critical situations it is dangerous to lose.
The object of my invention is to instantly transmit the record of the log to
the chart-room or other desired point where it is to be used.
A is a frame-work containing the intermeshing gears and pinions B which
are suitably journaled therein and which are connected by a worm shaft C with
the rotatable stem D, this deriving its movement from a propeller which is
dragged through the water at a sufficient distance behind the vessel, and which
by its rotations moves the mechanism within the frame A, and this mechanism
again acts upon the indicators E to record the distance the vessel has moved
through the water.
These devices are well known and need no further description at this point.
In my invention I connect with the shaft of one of the indicators, a toothed
wheel F which is carried by said shaft.
The teeth of this wheel act upon an arm of a lever G suitably fulcrumed as
shown and this lever is alternately raised by passing over the point of a tooth,
and then drops into space between the next two by gravitation, or by the pressure
of a spring coiled around its fulcrum or otherwise arranged.
When the lever is thus raised by passing over the point of a tooth it forms
a contact with a conducting arm H, and this arm is connected with an electric
conductor through a binding post I.

page_text: The arm G is also connected with another binding post I so that when a
contact is momentarily made between G and H, an electric circuit is established.
As soon as the arin G is released from the tooth of the wheel F, it drops into
the next adjacent notch of the wheel and breaks contact.
The electrical circuit is connected with the coil forming the electro magnet J
and when energized this electro magnet acts upon a fulcrumed armature K to
draw it toward the magnet.
When the electrical circuit is broken, the armature is returned to its normal
position by the action of a spring L.
M is a ratchet wheel suitably journaled with relation to the armature K,
and O is a pawl fulcrumed to the armature so as to engage the teeth of the
ratchet M, and when the armature is attracted by the electro magnet this pawl
acts to move the ratchet wheel M forward a single tooth.
This movement takes place with each making and breaking of the electric
circuit by the lever arm G previously described, so that the wheel M is revolved
in unison with the revolution of the wheel F, and this wheel F being mounted
upon the same shaft with one of the indicators E which records a certain distance
traveled by the vessel, it will be manifest that the same record will be made by
the revolution of the wheel at the point distant from the log recording
apparatus.
The pawl O serves to advance the wheel M, and the stop pawl P prevents its
moving backwardly.
Journaled upon the same shaft with the wheel M, as here shown, is a second
ratchet wheel Q.
R is a pawl carried by a fulcrumed lever S having its point engaging the
teeth of the wheel Q, and T is a stop pawl to prevent the return of this wheel
after a forward movement.
The lever S has a projection S¹, or is otherwise so arranged as to be actuated
by a cam carried by the ratchet wheel M.
This cam acts to raise the fulcrum lever S when the highest portion of the
cam has passed beneath it, and this moves the pawl R to engage with a new
tooth of the ratchet wheel Q.
When the lever S is disengaged from the cam U it is actuated by the spring V
which causes it to return to its normal position, and through the pawl R the
wheel Qis thus advanced a single tooth for each full revolution of the
wheel M.
In this manner the record of the log is continuously and simultaneously trans-
mitted to the chart room or other distant point where it is desired to inspect it,
and the record is always before the proper officer without any loss of time
otherwise required to inspect the log record itself and report its condition.
It will be manifest that various modifications of the mechanism here shown
will occur to any one familiar with trains of gearing, and I do not desire to
limit myself to any particular arrangement of such train.
It will also be understood that the mechanism may be actuated by either a
normally open circuit, or a normally closed circuit, and it is intended in this
specification and claims that the words " open or closed" shall be interchange-
able so far as producing the results desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1st. The combination with a log and the registering mechanism thereof, of a
distant supplemental recording apparatus and an electrical connection between
the two.
2nd. The combination with a log and the registering mechanism thereof, of a
distant recording apparatus, an electric circuit between the two, a means for
closing or opening said circuit periodically in unison with the movements of the

page_text: log register, and a mechanism by which said movements are recorded at a distant
point by the electrical action.
3rd. The combination with a log and the registering apparatus thereof of a
distant recording mechanism, an electric circuit between the two, an arm actuated
by the registering mechanism of the log whereby the circuit is closed at intervals
and in unison with the movement of the log register, an electro magnet at the
distant point energized by the closing of the circuit and an intermediate mechanism
actuated by the armature of said magnet to record the movements of the log
register.
4th. The combination with a log and the registering mechanism thereof, of
an electric circuit, a mechanism actuated by the movements of the log whereby
said circuit is periodically closed, an electro magnet at a distant point which is
energized by the closing of said circuit, an armature which is moved by the
energizing of the magnet, a pawl carried by said armature, and a ratchet wheel
engaged by the pawl so as to be advanced by each movement of the armature.
Dated this 25th day of August 1899.
or the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
Chartered Patent Agents,
60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.