IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS BINNACLES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gibson Brown, of. 25, Wickham Terrace,
New Cross, Deptford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS
BINNACLES."
Sealed the 5th October 1858, and dated the 16th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gibson Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th April 1858.
I, GEORGE GIBSON BROWN, of 25, Wickham Terrace, New Cross, Deptford,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS
BINNACLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in ships' binnacles. In
ships' binnacles as at present constructed, considerable inconvenience is
experienced from the lamps by which the compass card is illuminated, these
lamps being placed over the compass card and being attached to the binnacle,
which itself is fixed to the deck of the ship. Whenever the ship heels over,
the flames of the lamps are liable to smoke the glass and frame which protects
the compass card.
Now, according to my Invention, in place of fixing the binnacle to the
deck, I suspend it by gimbles in a standard fixed to the deck, so that the
binnacle itself always maintains a nearly vertical position, and the lamps for

page_text: lighting the binnacle are placed under in place of over the card. The light
from the lamps passes upwards through the bottom of the box containing the
compass, which is formed of fluted glass in order to disperse the light, so that
a uniform illumination may be obtained.
The compass card is formed of talc or other suitable material, and is
suspended within its box or case by gimbles in the ordinary manner, but in
place of the point for supporting the needle being fixed in a metal bowl, as
beretofore, it is carried by a band of metal sufficiently narrow not materially
to obscure the light. By arranging the binnacle in this manner, the lamps
are maintained constantly in a vertical or nearly vertical position, and have
much less tendency to smoke the parts of the binnacle which are near them,
and even should the glass at the bottom of the compass box or case become
slightly smoked, it would not interfere with the observation of the instrument.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Gibson Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
GIBSON BROWN, of 25, Wickham Terrace, New Cross, Deptford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Gibson Brown, Her special licence that I, the said George Gibson
Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Gibson Brown, 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 SHIPS' BINNACLES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Gibson Brown, 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..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Gibson Brown, 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
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in ships' binnacles. In ships"
binnacles as at present constructed, considerable inconvenience is experienced
from the lamps by which the compass card is illuminated, these lamps being
placed over the compass card and being attached to the binnacle, which itself
is fixed to the deck of the ship. Whenever the ship heels over, the flames of
the lamps are liable to smoke the glass and frame which protects the compass
card.
Now, according to my Invention, in place of fixing the binnacle to the deck,
I suspend it by gimbles in a standard fixed to the deck, so that the binnacle
itself always maintains a nearly vertical position, and the lamps for lighting
the binnacles are placed under in place of over the card. The light from the
lamps passes upwards through the bottom of the box containing the compass,
which is formed of fluted glass in order to disperse the light, so that a uniform
illumination may be obtained. The compass card is formed of talc or other
suitable material, and is suspended within its box or case by gimbles in the
ordinary manner; but in place of the point for supporting the needle being
fixed in a metal bowl, as heretofore, it is carried by a band of metal sufficiently
narrow not materially to obscure the light. By arranging the binnacle in
this manner, the lamps are maintained constantly in a vertical or nearly
vertical position, and have much less tendency to smoke the parts of the
binnacle which are near them, and even should the glass at the bottom of the
compass box or case become slightly smoked, it would not interfere with the
observation of the instrument.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section of a binnacle and compass arranged and
combined according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan thereof, with the
cover of binnacle removed. In the arrangement shewn, the binnacle is
mounted on a spindle or upright, which moves on gimbles, but in place thereof
the binnacle may be received into a frame, and it and the frame be arranged
to move on gimbles in any convenient manner, in order that it may maintain
an upright position, though the deck of the vessel may incline to the one side
or the other. a is the stem of the binnacle which is fixed to the bar or axis_b,

page_text: the ends of which turn freely in bearings formed in or carried by the ring or
frame c, and such ring or frame has necks or axes d, d, which mové freely in
bearings affixed in the deck e, or in any suitable support placed on the deck.
The compass card is made of talc or other suitable transparent material, and
in place of using a basin or hollow vessel to carry the pin' or 'fixed axis f of
the compass card, a simple frame g, g', is used, 9 being a ring, and g¹a bent
bar descending therefrom. This frame is carried by and moves on gimbles in
like manner to the basins of ordinary compasses." h, h, are two lamps applied
on either side of the binnacle, and fluted or corrugated glass is preferred to be
used between the lamps' and the interior of the binnacle.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any of
the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details herein
described; but what I claim is the combination herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Gibson Brown, have hereunto
set my band and seal, this
band and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
GEO. G. BROWN. (L.S.)