IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE SPEED OF VESSELS AND THE VELOCITY OF RUNNING WATER
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen, of 89, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE
SPEED OF VESSELS AND THE VELOCITY OF RUNNING WATER." -A com-
munication from abroad by Ferdinand Julius, Baron of Wedel-
Jarlsberg, of Christiania, in the Kingdom of Norway, a Captain in
the Norwegian Navy, and Chamberlain to His Majesty the King of
Sweden and Norway.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Jensen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th June 1870.
I, PETER JENSEN, of 89, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE.
SPEED OF VESSELS AND THE VELOCITY OF RUNNING WATER" (a communication

page_text: Navy, and Chamberlain to His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway),
to be as follows:-
These improvements are as follows :-
It consists of a hollow metal cylinder closed near one end, which by
means of forked rods or a crow foot is attached to one end of a chain,
the other being made fast to a metal rod moving through a tube, the
upper end of which is connected with one or more springs enclosed in a
cylinder fastened to the tube. This tube has one or more vertical
openings formed in it, and at the lower extremity is provided with rollers,
two for example. One or more hands cach pointing to a graduated scale
on the tube are fixed in the rod, so that the speed of the vessel may be
read off at one or more places. There is another scale immediately above
the spring case, the rod projecting through the lid of the cylinder where
it moves in a graduated glass tube. The cylinder can be made very
short or in its place a metal plate, disk, or ball may be used.
The log must be applied outside the ship in such manner that the
lower part shall constantly remain beneath the surface of the water, and
the best mode of fixture is to enclose and fasten the lower part of the
machine in a tube, which for that purpose is made to pass through the
vessel's bottom. The tube of the log is provided with a packing box fitted
to the tube passing through the ship's bottom; it may, however, be fixed
in any other suitable way. The tube of the log must always be attached
in such manner that the rollers at the lower end shall point parallel to
the vessel's keel and be some few inches under her bottom. When the
vessel is in motion the cylinder hanging at the end of the chain will be
forced astern by the pressure of the water and thus act upon the spring
and the rod; the hand or hands will thus indicate on the scale the speed
of the ship.
If the vessel has stern way the cylinder will be forced ahead and like-
wise act upon the hand or hands which will indicate the stern way on
the scale.
If the vessel is stationary the cylinder will hang in a vertical direction
and the hand or hands be at zero.
If the vessel is tide rode the force of the current can in like manner
be read off on the scale.

page_text: An instrument of this kind is equally useful for showing the rapidity
of the current in rivers or any running water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Jensen in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th December 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
JENSEN, of 89, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Peter Jensen, Her special licence
that I, the said Peter Jensen, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Peter Jensen, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
INDICATING THE SPEED OF VESSELS AND THE VELOCITY OF RUNNING WATER,” (a
communication to me from abroad by Ferdinand Julius, Baron of
Wedel-Jarlsberg, of Christiania, in the Kingdom of Norway, a Captain
in the Norwegian Navy, and Chamberlain to His Majesty the King of
Sweden and Norway), upon the condition (amongst others) that I,.the
said Peter Jensen, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Jensen, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say:
These improvements are as follows:-
:-
They consist of a hollow metal cylinder closed near one end which by
means of forked rods or a crow foot is attached to one end of a chain
made fast to a metal rod moving through a tube; the upper end of the
rod is connected with and rests on one or more springs enclosed in a
cylinder fastened to the tube. This tube has one or more vertical
openings formed in it, and at the lower extremity is provided with one
or more pairs of rollers. One or more hands each pointing to a graduated
scale on the tube are fixed in the rod, so that the speed of the vessel
may be read off at one or more places. There is another scale imme-
diately above the spring case, the rod projecting through the lid of the
cylinder, where it moves in a graduated glass tube. The cylinder
can be made very short, or in its place a metal plate, disc, or ball may
be used.
The log must be applied outside the ship in such manner that the
lower part shall constantly remain beneath the surface of the water, and
the mode of fixture is to enclose and fasten the lower part of the machine
in a tube, which for that purpose is made to pass through the vessel's
bottom. The tube of the log is provided with a packed piston fitted
to the tube passing through the ship's bottom or side. The tube of the
log must always be attached in such manner that the rollers at the lower
end shall point parallel to the vessel's keel and be some few inches under
her bottom. When. the vessel is in forward motion the cylinder hanging
at the end of the chain will be forced astern by the pressure of the water,
and thus act upon the spring and the rod; the hand or hands will then
indicate on the scale the speed of the ship.
If the vessel has sternway the cylinder will be forced ahead and
likewise act upon the hand or hands, which will indicate the sternway
on the scale.
If the vessel is stationary the cylinder will hang in a vertical direction
and the hand or hands be at zero.
If the vessel is tide-rode the force of the current can in like manner
be read off on the scale.
An instrument of this kind is equally useful for showing the rapidity
of the current in rivers or any running water.

page_text: Figures 1, 2, and 3 show respectively a full size elevation of the
upper, middle, and lower part of the log apparatus when intended for
ships' use; the apparatus is, however, not shown the full length, as the
middle part amounts to from ten to twenty feet according to the depth
of hold of the vessel to which it is applied. Figure 3 shows the log
itself at a. This is a hollow brass cylinder closed at its upper end,
as shewn, this form causing great resistance and small bulk. It is
there by means of the rods m, m, m, m, attached to a chain b, the other
or upper end of which is fastened to a rod c which passes through the
enclosing tube d through the casing 9 fastened on the top of the tube d,
and through the glass tube n fastened on the top of the casing 9.
Figure 4 is a plan of the log a itself. As will be seen on Figure 3
the tube d has got rollers i, i, (in this case one set only) for the chain to
pass between and over, as will be herein-after described. The rod c
has near its upper end and where it passes through the casing 9 a
disc c¹ fastened to it by means of two nuts, as shewn, or in any other
suitable way.
This disc rests on a spiral spring ƒ enclosed in the
casing 9 and abutting against the bottom of it. As shewn at Fig. 2
the tube d has a slot h, k, against which there
the rod has a corresponding notch or pointer.
there is likewise a graduated scale.
is a graduated scale, and
Against the glass tube n
Fig. 5 shows the apparatus complete to a smaller scale as applied to a
vessel. It is enclosed in a tube t which is fixed in the bottom of the
vessel and reaches some little distance over the highest water level.
The apparatus may be made with a packed piston fitting the inside of
the tube t, as shewn. The rollers for the chain are under the ship's
bottom, and placed fore and aft.
When the vessel is going ahead the log is drawn aft and in a
horizontal position, its chain passing over the aft roller. The greater
the speed of the vessel the greater will be the resistance caused by
the log passing through the water, and the more will the disc on the
rod fastened to the chain compress the spring. The amount of speed
is thus constantly indicated by the pointer on the scale, which is suitably
divided into knots and tenths of knots.
When the vessel is going astern the log is drawn forward and the
chain passes over the forward pulley, the sternway being similarly
indicated.

page_text: When the vessel is lying at anchor the log hangs down vertically and
the pointer stands at zero on the scale. When at anchor in a tide or
current the force or speed of the latter is similarly indicated on the
scale.
The apparatus may at any time be removed for examination by first
taking the cap off the spring case and pulling the rod till the crow foot
of the chain is near the pulleys and then lifting it bodily out of the tube
which is fixed in the ship's bottom.
And having now described the nature of this Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I declare that I claim as the
Invention as applied to vessels the construction of a log apparatus
inserted in a tube fixed in the bottom or side of the vessel and with
constantly indicating arrangement caused by the resistance of a body,
preferably a hollow cylinder with one end closed, and drawn through
the water as described, acting upon and compressing one or more spiral
.springs.
Also its application for measuring the force or speed of running water
generally.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Jensen, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.