Improvements in Apparatus for Arresting the Motion of Navigable Vessels.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, '24th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1893--Accepted, 28th Oct.,
1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Arresting the Motion of Navigable
Vessels.
1, HENRY SIMPSON, of 10 Crooked Lane, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Lamp Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My present invention has reference to apparatus for suddenly causing, at, will, a
large increase in the resistance to the motion of navigable vessels, in order to
arrest their motion in the event of an emergency, such as the danger of collision,
arising; and the object of my invention is to provide such apparatus as can be
easily put into and taken out of operation while the vessel is in motion and which
will not produce undue straining of the hull of the vessel.
I provide two shafts or spindles which I mount vertically, or approximately so,
in bearings near the bow of the vessel; the spindles are placed symmetrically,
one on each side of the central line of the vessel, and are geared together by one
or more pairs of spur wheels or by levers and links so that if rotation be imparted
to either spindle the other is constrained to rotate simultaneously to an equal
amount in the reverse direction.
1
To each spindle I securely attach one or more large vanes, which I shall herein-
after term arresters, which lie normally in an approximately fore-and-aft direction,
their outer surfaces conforming to the contour of the vessel, and when it is desired
to arrest the motion of the latter, the spindles are operated so as to swing the
arresters until they stand athwart-ship, (openings being provided in the skin of the
vessel to permit this), when they offer a large resistance to forward motion.
The arresters are of hollow structure to give them stiffness and in vertical view
each has the form of a pair of acute angled triangles with bases meeting at the
spindle, with respect to which the arresters are symmetrical; the arresters on one
spindle are arranged alternately with those on the other so that they clear one
another when swung athwart-ship. The spindles are placed sufficiently far forward
to bring the leading edges of the arresters close up behind the stem of the vessel
and a strong bulkhead is built across the vessel immediately aft of the apparatus.
As the arresters are placed symmetrically on the spindles, little force is required
to operate the latter in either direction beyond that necessary to overcome friction
and as the action of the two sets of arresters necessarily simultaneous and
symmetrical with respect to the vessel, they have no tendency to deflect the latter
from her course.
Any suitable means may be used to operate the spindles; in the case of small
vessels, they may be operated by hand, but in the case of large vessels. I prefer to
operate them by suitable gearing actuated by hydraulic or steam power, either
applied directly or transmitted from the engine room by chains or other means, the
power being in either case under the control of the look-out.
Dated this Twenty-third day of November 1892.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Arresting the Motion of Navigable
· Vessels.
I, HENRY SIMPSON, of 10 Crooked. Lane, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Lamp Manufacturer, 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 present invention has reference to apparatus for suddenly causing, at will, a
large increase in the resistance to the motion of navigable vessels, in order to
arrest their motion in the event of an emergency, such as the danger of collision,
arising and the object of my invention is to provide such apparatus as can be
easily put into and taken out of operation while the vessel is in motion and which
will not produce undue straining of the hull of the vessel.
I provide two shafts or spindles which I mount vertically, or approximately so,
in bearings near the bow of the vessel; the spindles are placed symmetrically, one
on each side of the central line of the vessel, and are geared together by one or
more pairs of spur wheels or by levers and links so that if rotation be imparted to
either spindle the other is constrained to rotate simultaneously to an equal amount
in the reverse direction.
To each spindle I securely attach one or more large vanes, which I shall herein-
after term arresters, which lie normally in an approximately fore-and-aft direction,
their outer surfaces conforming to the contour of the vessel, and when it is desired
to arrest the motion of the latter, the spindles are operated so as to swing the
arresters until they stand athwart-ship, (openings being provided in the skin of the
vessel to permit this), when they offer a large resistance to forward motion.
The arresters are of hollow structure to give them stiffness and in vertical view
each has the form of a pair of acute angled triangles with bases meeting at the
spindle, with respect to which the arresters are symmetrical; the arresters on one
spindle are arranged alternately with those on the other so that they clear one
another when swung athwart-ship. The spindles are placed sufficiently far forward
to bring the leading edges of the arresters close up behind the stem of the vessel
and a strong bulkhead is built across the vessel immediately aft of the
apparatus.
As the arresters are placed symmetrically on the spindles, little force is required
to operate the latter in either direction beyond that necessary to overcome friction
and as the action of the two sets of arresters is necessarily simultaneous and
symmetrical with respect to the vessel, they have no tendency to deflect the latter
from her course.
Any suitable means may be used to operate the spindles; in the case of small
vessels, they may be operated by hand, but in the case of large vessels I prefer to
operate them by suitable gearing actuated by hydraulic or steam power, either
applied directly or transmitted from the engine room by chains or other means, the
power being in either case under the control of the look-out.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention, two arrangements
are shown; the first, shown in Figs. I to V inclusive, is adapted to a vessel which
is fine forward, and the second, shown in Figs. VI to XII inclusive, is adapted to
a vessel which is bluffer. Throughout the drawings similar parts are indicated by
the same reference figures.
Referring first to Figs. I to V; Fig. I is a fragmentary elevation of the forward
end of the vessel, the part above the deck 1 being in vertical medial section;
Fig. II is a plan of the deck 1; Fig. III is a vertical section on the line A. A. of
Figs. I and II, looking aft; and Figs. 1V and V are sectional plans on the
lines B. B. and C. C. respectively of Figs. I and III.
2 and 21 are the arresters, secured respectively on the shafts 3 and 3', and
adapted to rotate partially therewith into the athwart-ship positions indicated by

page_text: dotted lines in Figs. III, IV and V. These arresters
are strong box-like
structures and they are located, one above the other, as shown, between the water-
tight deck 1, the flat 4 and the lower water-tight flat 5, which carry the bearings
for the shafts; in the case of the upper arrester 2. an annular cavity 6 therein,
open at top and bottom, provides clearance for the shaft 31.
The straight side of each arrester conforms to the contour of the vessel, the skin
of the vessel being here cut away; forward of the shafts, the other side of each
arrester also conforms to the contour of the vessel, the skin being cut away to the
points 7, sufficiently to clear the arresters in their dotted positions. To cover in
the gaps so left, the covering plates 8 are hinged to the arresters by the hinges 9;
the after ends of these covering plates slide along the skin of the vessel when the
apparatus is operated and are guided by suitable guides thereon to prevent the
plates from swinging outward when the ship moves astern. 10 is. a water-tight
bulkhead fitted immediately aft of the apparatus.
The arresters are operated by the longitudinal' bar 11, adapted to slide in the
brackets 12, which is linked by the links 13 to the levers 14 keyed to the
shafts 3, 3. The gear is shown in normal position in Fig. II, and the dotted lines
show the positions into which the levers move, the movements being indicated by
the arrows; it will be seen that from the way in which the links 13 are arranged
at right angles to the bar 11, the latter operates the levers with high mechanical
advantage at the beginning of the motion. When the arresters are set athwart-
ship, the water has free access to the spaces between the deck 1 and the flat 5, so
that the whole front surface of the arresters is effective. The resistance caused
by the arresters when in use is transmitted to the ship near its centre line at a
place which can be well secured to the rest of the structure, so that the hull is not
unduly strained.
"Referring now to Figs. VI to XII; Figs. VI, VII, XI and XII are analogous
to Figs. I, II, IV and V respectively; Figs. VIII, IX and X are vertical sections
on the lines D. D., E. E. and F. F. respectively of Fig. VII, looking aft.
In this form, the forward part of the vessel being bluffer, the arresters would be
inconveniently bulky if made to occupy the whole space between the sides of the
vessel forward of the shaft 3. Accordingly, the flat side only of each arrester is
made to conform with the contour of the vessel, the skin being here cut away as
before. Corresponding to each arrester, and at the opposite side thereto, a large
opening is made by cutting away the skin of the vessel between the points 15.
These openings are normally closed by the folding plates 16 hinged to the vessel
by the hinges 17. These plates 16. require to be swung down horizontally when
the apparatus is operated, and the gearing for effecting this is as follows;-Each
plate 16 is linked by the links 18 to the levers 19 keyed upon the shafts 20, so that
when the latter are rotated as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. XI and XII, the
plates assume the horizontal position, as indicated in dotted lines. The working
joints of the linkage require to permit of universal motion and as a mechanical fit
is not required, these joints may simply be made in the form of welded eyes, as
shown; the levers 19 are made of braced form (see Fig. VI) in order to resist the
vertical force as the plates 16 become horizontal. The shafts 20 are operated,
through the bevel wheels 21, from the cross shafts 22, which in turn are operated
from the bar 11 by the levers 23 linked to 11 by the links 24.
I have only shown one arrester on each spindle but it is clear that two or more
can be fitted if preferred, those on one shaft being arranged, as already stated,
alternately with those on the other.
Springs similar to those used in steering gear may be fitted in any convenient
part of the apparatus to mitigate the effect of shocks.
The means for operating the bar 11 are not shown, as the power, manual, steam,
hydraulic or the like, may be applied in any of the well known ways suitable to
the circumstances.
From the description of the apparatus it is clear that, the arresters being
symmetrical, it can be quickly put into operation with comparatively small force

page_text: even at full speed; that the action being symmetrical there is no tendency to
deflect the vessel from her course; that it is well adapted to resist and transmit the
great forces that will come into play, and that it can be returned into normal
position without stopping or reversing the vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. The improvement in apparatus for arresting the motion of navigable vessels
which consists of two or more arresters mounted symmetrically on adjacent shafts
housed within the vessel near the stem thereof, the said shafts being geared together
and provided with means for operating them so as to swing the said arresters
athwartship; substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for arresting the motion of navigable vessels, the improved
arrester herein described consisting of a flat or approximately flat vane of rigid
structure secured symmetrically on a shaft and adapted to be swung athwartship so
as to offer resistance on both sides of the vessel, substantially as described and
illustrated.
3. In apparatus for arresting the motion of navigable vessels, the improved form
of arrester having surfaces which conform with the contour of the vessel on both
sides thereof, substantially as described and illustrated.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved apparatus
for arresting the motion of navigable vessels, substantially as described and
illustrated with reference to Figs. I to V.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved apparatus
for arresting the motion of navigable vessels, substantially as described and
illustrated with reference to Figs. VI to XII.
Dated this 23rd day of Sentember 1893
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.