IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING THE RATE AT WHICH VESSELS ARE PASSING THROUGH THE WATER, ALSO APPLICABLE IN ASCERTAINING THE RATE AT WHICH STREAMS OR CURRENTS ARE RUNNING
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
MASSEY, of King Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the First day of June, in the seventh year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward
Massey, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Edward Massey, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edward Massey, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter,
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING
THE RATE AT WHICH VESSELS ARE PASSING THROUGH THE WATER, ALSO APPLICABLE
IN ASCERTAINING THE RATE AT WHICH STREAMS OR CURRENTS ARE RUNNING;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Edward
Massey, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her

page_text: said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Massey, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):-
My Invention consists of so arranging apparatus acted on by the pressure
of the water caused by the passage of a ship or vessel through the water, that
by means of electric currents suitable apparatus shall be caused to indicate
the speed at which the ship or vessel is at any time passing through the
water; such apparatus being also applicable as a means of ascertaining the
speed of rivers and other currents of water. And in order that my Invention
may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to
describe the best means I am acquainted with for performing the same.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE APPARATUS.
Drawing No. 1 represents the register and rotator, and shews the manner
in which they are connected with one another. A is a rope, formed of two
copper wires, each of which is covered with cotton, and varnished with a
waterproof varnish laid side by side, and woven over with string to prevent
their coming in contact with each other. These wires terminate in the
framework B hereafter described, and are arranged so that, when the rotator
C has made a certain number of revolutions, their ends are united by means
of the thin plate of brass as hereafter described. That portion only of the
rope A which is immersed in the water, and which is fixed to the side of
the vessel is covered with string. After coming upon deck, or otherwise
entering the vessel, the wires are separated, one of which, A', goes directly to
and is connected with one pole of the battery, the other, A2, instead of pro-
ceeding immediately to the other pole of the battery is joined to one of the
wires, which pass round the magnets in the register D, the other end of the
wire coming from the magnet in the register D is then connected with
the other pole of the battery by the wire A³, thus completing the circuit.
The batteries which I have used are those which are called "Daniel's sustaining
sulphate of copper batteries," and also one in which the diluted sulphuric

page_text: remains to describe the manner in which the ratchet wheel communicates
motion to the other wheels and their indexes. By the revolution of the
rotator contact is formed every time the vessel has passed over a distance
equal to the part of a mile. The ratchet wheel is divided into sixty teeth,
and consequently when it has revolved once it indicates that a mile has been
run. Upon the arbor of the ratchet wheel d is a pinion of eight teeth,
working into a wheel of eighty teeth; upon the arbor of this wheel of eighty
teeth is a wheel of forty teeth, and a pinion of eight teeth; the wheel of
forty teeth works into another wheel of forty teeth, and the pinion of eight
teeth into a wheel of eighty teeth. Upon the arbor of the ratchet wheel the
second wheel containing forty teeth, and also the last wheel of eighty teeth
is an index. The first index revolves in a circle graduated on the dial into
sixty parts, the second index on a circle divided into ten parts, and the third
index on a circle divided into ten parts. When the first index has made one
revolution it indicates that the vessel has run one mile, when the second ten
miles, and the third one hundred miles. If, therefore, the number of divisions
which the first index traverses per minute be observed, the speed of the
vessel in miles per hour will be given.
Figure 3 represents an upper side view, Figure 4 an edge view, and Figure 5
an internal view (the cover being removed) of the apparatus for forming
contact. At the end of the axis o is a screw o¹, working into the toothed
wheel o²; from the surface of this wheel a pin o³ projects, which, once in every
revolution of the wheel, comes in contact and presses forward the lever p,
which moves on the centre p'; in front of this lever is a plate p', which is
in contact with the rounded end of the axis q, so that when the lever is moved
forward the axis q also partakes of this motion. ' is a spring which is
connected to a pin projecting from the side of the axis q, and which pulls
back the axis q, when the pin on the toothed wheel of leaves the end of the
lever p. At the end of the axis q is a thin plate of brass r, which is alter-
nately pressed in contact, and withdrawn from the discs s, s, fixed to the
ends of the copper wires in the rope A. The discs are prevented coming in
contact with the brass sides of the framework by thin slips of ivory t, t.
t' is a slip of ivory, to which both conducting wires are fixed. This piece
of ivory is confined at the side by slips 3, t, and is allowed
little play
backwards and forwards when the brass plate is pressed and withdrawn from
the discs. The brass plates Z, Z', forming the top and sides of the frame-
work, project, so as to stop the tendency to rotation, which this apparatus
would have if it was not prevented by the water rushing through the channel

page_text: formed by these projecting edges. The axis o¹ is joined to the rotator by
means of a universal joint and rope Y.
In Drawing No. 1, C is the rotator, which consists of a copper air
vessel C', which forms its axis. The four flat plates of brass C³, C³, are
soldered upon this axis at a certain angle with it. When, therefore, the rotator
is drawn through the water it impinges on the vanes, and gives a rotatory.
motion to the rotator. The object of the air vessel is to render the rotator
about the same weight as the water which it displaces. The rotator is
similar in construction to that which is described in a former Patent granted
to me, and which is now in general use in Her Majesty's Navy.
Method of passing the Conducting Wires down the Side of the Vessel.→
An iron bar projecting from five to ten feet below the water line is made
to fit close to, and is fastened to the side of the vessel by two screws, one
about six inches, and the other about three feet above the water line, so as to
enable the bar to be shipped or unshipped at pleasure. The conducting wires,
after running down the side of the vessel, pass in front of the iron bar, and
are secured to it by slips of metal, or by lashing with string. At the lower
end of the bar is a circular collar, round which the wires are conveyed into
the water.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for performing the same, I would remark that I make no
claim to any of the parts of the apparatus separately nor combined, so long
as the peculiar character of my Invention is not retained; and I would also
observe that the construction of the mechanical apparatus may be varied, and
the means of obtaining electric currents for such purpose, whether by galvanic
or other means, may be varied, my Invention not being for the means of
obtaining electric currents. But what I claim is the use of electric currents as
a means of giving indications from a suitable apparatus drawn through the
water by a ship or vessel in motion, so as thereby to ascertain the speed of
such ship or vessel, such apparatus being also applicable for ascertaining the
speed of rivers or other currents of water.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Massey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Massey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of November, in tho
year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid Edward Massey came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-four.