Improvements in Apparatus for Directing and Registering the Course of a Ship:
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Directing and Registering the
Course of a Ship:
I, HENRI BERSIEK, of 44 Rue St. Ferdinand, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Naval Lieutenant, 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 ships' compasses and comprises apparatus for enabling
ships to be automatically directed, their course to be registered in function of time,
and the yaws to be indicated at a distance.
In order that my invention may be properly understood I have represented the
same in the accompanying drawing in principle by way of example.
Figure 1 is a vertical half section of my improved directing registering and
indicating compass..
Figure 2 is a horizontal partial section on the line 1 to 2.
Figure 3 is a general view representing in diagram the arrangement of the
apparatus on deck.
Figure 4 is a detail view showing a section of the circuit-closing device.
Figure 5 is a detail view of the pivot carrier.
In these several figures similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts.
The improved compass constructed according to my said invention comprises a
suitable rose as represented by the disc a. A conducting wire 6 leads the current
up through the pivot-carrying rod c Fig. 5 which terminates in the pivot of the
rose which is screwed into the part d made of fibrine or other similar material so
that the current passing through the conducting wire and the material of the
pivot leaps as a spark over to the frame and then to a small aluminium disc which
is at the centre of the rose. From this disc is branched an aluminium wire e e¹ e*
which terminates at the north point of the rose and which is carried by the small
frame of fibrine. Opposite this wire a metallic ring 9 is let into an ebonite
cylinder and divided into as many segments as signals are to be given. If the
compass is simply a directing apparatus it is sufficient to divide the ring into two
Begments at which the two conducting wires terminate.
9
The ebonite cylinder h is fixed by means of small screws of fibrine upon the
wall which consists of copper or malleable bronze like the bottom of the
apparatus, upon which the wall / bears.
The apparatus carries at its upper part a cover m connected with the
part 1, the
edge of which is graduated and into which is sunk a glass plate m³ enabling
the movements of the pointer to be followed.
The cover carries at its centre a rod m³ provided with a disc m³ and terminating
in a cone m which on being moved downwards pushes towards the periphery the
arms m carried by the crown mand held against this cone by the action of the
springs m².
The cone m is kept raised in its normal position by the action of the springs m³.
As hereinafter set forth the arms in have for their object to apply a sheet of
paper n against the side of the apparatus.
This sheet of paper, which is designed for registering the ship's course in function
of time, rests upon a kind of movable annular channel o and is held by a cylindrical
flange fixed to the cover m.

page_text: The lower part of the sheet of paper may be applied against the flange of the
channel by a three-quarter disc actuated by means of the rod r', in such a
manner that when the latter is pulled down the three-quarter disc will turn from
left to right and thus pinch the paper against the said channel o.
As shown in Figure 5 the rod of the pivote which is hollow terminates in au
insulating block, of fibrine d into which is screwed the pivot proper d. Upon the
said rod c is loosely mounted the screw-threaded sleeve c' along which the nut o' is
adapted to be displaced the said nut being connected by spokes to the movable
channel o.
The
The sleeve e rests at its lower end upon a shoulder formed on the rod c.
said sleeve chas a very slow rotary movement imparted to it by the aid of
a clockwork placed at the bottom of the apparatus; this clockwork actuates
the small pinion q which gears with the toothed wheel q keyed upon the said
sleeve c¹.
The current passes through the conductor to the pivot d and leaps as a spark
on to the fork 1 then on to the small disc 2 of aluminium which is at the centre of
the rose and from which is branched the aluminium wire e which terminates at the
north point of the rose.
Between the points st, 2 the ebonite cylinder is provided with a vertical slots,
Figure 2, for the introduction and withdrawal of the paper band; for this purpose
the lip is made smooth and the lip 2 is rendered adjustable in order to guide the
band of paper into the slots and between the rollers u u'; the lip his operated by
means of a screw t.
Opposite the slot s the apparatus carries the two rollers u u² which are actuated
by means of a crank and permit the band of paper being easily introduced and
withdrawn.
My improved compass fulfils the functions of a directing registering and indicating
apparatus by means of intermediate devices.
As before mentioned the metallic ring 9 is constituted by two segments when the
automatic direction of the ship is to be effected.
For this purpose a current derived from the general circuit ensures the continuous
operation of a Rhumkorff coil A, Figure 3.
The induced current leaving one of the terminals of the coil flows through a
flexible wire to the pivot of the rose at C, leaps as a spark to the frame, follows
the aluminium wire e e' e² and leaps at D over to the metallic ring y.
According as the spark leaps upon one or the other of the two metallic segments
the current follows one of the wires and actuates one or the other of the
electro-magnets F F of the circuit closing device G, Figure 4.
The extremity of the part H is then attracted by one or the other electromagnet,
and one of the two arms K K¹ which it carries is brought into contact with the
amalgam of tin contained in the cups or vessels L and L'; it follows that the
current will pass through one of the two electromotors M M', one of which
actuates the motor for moving the rudder to the right, and the other for moving it
to the left.
These motors are energized by a current derived from the general circuit and
which passes through the wire N into the circuit closing device, follows the
oscillatory axis of the part H and the arms K K' of this oscillating part carrying
a pallet of soft iron, and leaves through the wire N¹ or N².
As before stated, the cover of the compass is graduated upon its flange Glor
upon the glass itself and it is adapted to turn and operate in its rotation the ebonite
cylinder and consequently the metallic ring 9.
The points of separation of the two segments of the ring are upon the
generatrices lowered from the north and south points of the graduated cover, and
as the spark leaps from the north point of the rose it follows that the absolute
parallelism of the north-south diameters of the rose and of the cover is necessary
for the two motors to be simultaneously excited and consequently for the rudder
If the north point of the rose is just under the north point of the
not to move.

page_text: g
cover, the electric spark leaps from the wire e e e on to both segments of the
metallic ring thus causing both the motors to be operated so that the rudder will
not move. The least rotation of the ship or of the cover causes the spark to leap
only on to one segment and thus to operate one or the other of the said motors to.
move the rudder to the right or left. Accordingly in order to keep to any course
it is only needful to mark the guide line upon the course read on the cover.
For effecting the registration of the course the same spark D piérces the paper-
band n which covers the periphery of the vessel.
This sheet which is carried by the crown forming a channel o receives an
upward movement of about 80 millimetres in 4 hours through the medium of a
clockwork provided at which actuates the screw-threaded sleeve c¹ fitted upon
the shaft e this sleeve compelling the nut o' and consequently the crown o to rise.
For introducing the sheet of paper, the crown o being in the position indicated
in Figure 1, that is to say, at the end of the movement, the edge of the sheet is.
presented between the two rollers u¹³ which are caused to turn; then a pressure
is exerted upon the disc m³ so as to impart to it a turning movement, the arms m
force the sheet of paper upon the ebonite cylinder and cause it to cover exactly
the side of this cylinder. When the rod r' is pulled the sheet of paper is clamped
between the disc r and the flange o. The crown and sheet having once descended
will commence their upward movement under the action of the clockwork. Owing.
to this arrangement which enables the sheet of paper to be clamped I may, for
changing the course, turn the cover m and the wall without moving the sheet.
In order to take out the sheet I cause the movable lip h² to project into the
interior by means of the screw t, and turn the rod m² in the opposite direction; the
sheet then butts against the lip and passes between the two rollers u² which are
turned in order to extract it more easily.
For indicating or signalling yaws it is sufficient to divide each segment of the
metallic ring g into two or three parts connected ench to a Geissler tube placed
for instance in front of the steersman and divided into right hand and left hand
tubes. In this case the steering takes place by hand, and the right course is
pursued only when the two middle tubes are alternately lighted.
The common.
return of the luminous tubes, the other terminal of the induced wire of the coil, all
the metallic parts of the compass are in metallic connection with the bull.
By my apparatus the steering can be effected with very great precision; the
yaws are rendered visible immediately to the officer of the watch by the luminous.
tubes.
The registration of the course permits of the responsibility being established in
case of boarding stranding, because any course followed even for a few seconds will
be indicated.
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 :-
First. The means for utilizing the ship's compass for automatically directing the
ship, which consists in conducting alternating electric currents to a point of the
periphery of the rose by an aluminium wire carried by the rose and producing at
this point a spark, in combination with a conductor surrounding the compass and
divided into two segments connected each with an electro-magnet which acts.
through the medium of a commutator so as to send the current to the motor which.
actuates each of the two rudder motors, substantially as herein before set forth with.
reference to the drawings.
Second. The meaus for utilizing the ship's compass for registering the routes
followed, which consists in causing a sheet of paper to move between the conductor
surrounding the compass and the extremity of the wire carried by the rose so as to
compel the spark to pass through this sheet, substantially as herein before set forth
with reference to the drawings.
Third. The means for utilizing the ship's compass for indicating yaws, which

page_text: consists in dividing the conductor surrounding the compass into a suitable number
of segments, each of which is in electrical communication with a Geissler tube,
substantially as hereinbefore set forth with reference to the drawings.
Fourth. An apparatus enabling the course pursued to be registered and either
the ship to be automatically directed, or yaws to be indicated, for steering by hand,
characterized by the combination of the devices hereinbefore set forth with
reference to the drawings.
Dated this 13th day of March 1894
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.