Improvements in Apparatus for Transmitting Orders, Notifications, and the like, from one part of a Steamer or other Structure to another part.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
Improvements in Apparatus for Transmitting Orders, Notifications,
and the like, from one part of a Steamer or other Structure
to another part.
We, PETER DOUGLAS, of 32, Strand Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Ship's Telegraph Manufacturer, and HARRY JOHN BESWICK, of 15, Lucerne Road,
Seacombe, in the County of Chester, 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 :-
This invention has for its object an arrangement of gearing for transmitting
orders, notifications, and the like, from one part of a steamer or other structure to
another part, and is specially useful for communication between the bridge and the
engine room, or the steering house.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is an elevation of our apparatus;
Figure 2 a back view of the receiving telegraph instrument; and
Figures 3 and 4 a slightly modified arrangement being a sectional elevation, and
back view of receiving instrument respectively.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, A is the dial of the transmitting instrument
where orders are transmitted. B₁ a spindle passing up through the standard F.
C a bevel wheel on this spindle and D a bevel pinion geared into this wheel in this
case of exactly half the diameter of the larger wheel. E a hand wheel on the shaft
carrying D, F the standard, g shafting, G, H & I bevel gear, and J a bevel wheel
gearing into bevel wheel I. On this bevel wheel J are two pins K on a diameter
of the circle. L is a disc on spindle M of the receiving instrument L¹. On this
dise L are a series of grooves N formed of two arcs of circles, and so placed that as
wheel J revolves, the two pins K can one leave and the other enter a groove as
shown in Figure 2, and the disc is so placed that the entrances to these grooves
as shown come exactly opposite the diameter of the wheel J, thus by this means
there is always a pin in one of the grooves, or else there are two pins one just
leaving and the other just entering. When the grooves are in the position shown in
Figure 2, the grooves which the pins are entering or leaving are concentric with
the centre of pinion J. The revolution therefore of pinion J with its pins K cannot
move the disc L. The moment however the pin reaches the bottom of the groove,
it causes a movement of the disc L, until the double groove in which the pin is in,
comes into the position which the next double groove had previously occupied.
The pin now rises without moving the dise L which latter is held immovably fixed
by the pin itself until the other pin enters the previous groove. That pin then
holds the disc L steady till it arrives at the bottom of the groove when a sudden
motion takes place, the disc being rotated a fraction of a revolution at each
revolution of the wheel J.
The object of this arrangement is to ensure that the pointer shall be moved sharply
for each revolution of the hand-wheel, the full distance from one order to another, and
thus provide for any backlash in the machinery, or inaccuracy of the man at the trans-
mitting instrument, whereby any difficulty in ascertaining which of two contiguous

page_text: orders has been telegraphed is prevented.
It will thus be evident that it does not
matter, if the disc L does not turn the full half revolution, either through backlash of
machinery, or through the person at the transmitting instrument turning his hand-
wheel a little more or less than one revolution for each order on the dial or through
other cause because only a fraction of each turn of the wheel J is utilised to turn the
disc L from one order to another. In the arrangement described it will be seen that
one revolution of the hand-wheel will cause the pointer on the transmitting instrument
to move exactly from one order to the contiguous order, and if there are seven orders
on the dial, it is necessary to revolve the hand-wheel six revolutions in order to move
the pointer over the whole set of orders. It is obvious, however, that by altering the
size of the bevel wheel C and pinion D, the amount of movement of the shafting for
each action of the wheel can be altered, so that instead of it being necessary to make
'a full revolution of the hand-wheel for each order transmitted to the dial, we may
arrange for half a revolution of the hand-wheel being sufficient to move the pointers
from one order to another. Furthermore, our invention provides that when pointer is
moved into the centre of an order, it is positively prevented from moving therefrom,
until the apparatus be actuated to give another order.
Figures 3 and 4 show a slight modification in which an arm P is keyed to the axis
of wheel J. In a stationary disc Q is a cam groove R in which works a pin T of the
link S linked to the arm P. A further link U connects pin T with pin V on a disc W
on the axis of the receiving dial. It will be seen that the groove R is formed
alternately of a curve of the radius of link U, struck from centre V and a straight
portion. The mode of action is as follows:-The wheel J1 being revolved
by the shafting g from the transmitting instrument the link P is rotated.
As long as the pin T is travelling in the concentric curved portion of the
slot R, little or no movement of the pin V takes place as the circular portion
is circumferential to the pin V. The moment however the pin V comes to
one of the straight portions of the cam groove the pin T is forced down this
straight portion and thus moves the pin V circumferentially round the centre and
consequently the pointer of the receiving instrument dial. In this case therefore like
the preceding one the pointer of the receiving dial moves sharply and spasmodically
that is from the centre of one order to the centre of the contiguous order for each
revolution of the hand-wheel, and during a large part of the revolution of the hand-
wheel the pointer remains stationary, consequently if the orders are so depicted on
the two dials that the transmitting handle can be moved for a considerable distance on
each side of the order without moving the hand of the receiving dial the safety effect
required is obtained.
The transmitting instrument is provided in the examples illustrated with a dial A
and pointer Y which lie in the horizontal plane, and the said pointer is operated from
the shaft carrying D by an arrangement similar to that above described in connection
with the receiving instrument. That is to say, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the
shaft carrying D carries also another bevel pinion D¹ gearing into the wheel D² (in
this case exactly twice the diameter of the smaller wheel) on a secondary shaft. B is
a disc similar to L on receiving instrument with a series of grooves formed in arcs of
circles and secured to the spindle M¹ of the pointer Y. On the end of the shaft
carrying D² are two pins on the diameter of a circle, similar to the pins I of the
receiving instrument, the action of the device being practically the same as that
already described. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the transmitting instrument in
this case is provided with an arrangement similar to the arrangement described in
connection with its receiving instrument so that the pointers of the transmitting
dial shall move sharply and spasmodically from the centre of one order to the centre
of a contiguous order for each revolution of the hand-wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-

page_text: 1. In connection with ships and other telegraphs the combination of the ordering
handle connected with the transmitting nechanism and one or more pointers or dials
connected with the gearing by means of a pin travelling in a cam slot in such
manner that for a considerable distance both before and after the order point,
the pointer or dial, as the case may be, is stationary, substantially as described.
2. The improved apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
DL1 0011 dofM.. 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.