Improvements Connected with Appliances for Determining a Ship's Bearings.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
.
[Communicated from abroad by IRÉNÉE ALBERT VIVILLE, of Paris.]
Improvements Connected with Appliances for Determining a Ship's
Bearings.
1 WALLACE JOHN REYNOLDS of 2 Heath Street, Commercial Road East, Middlesex
Nautical Instrument Maker do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be
as follows:-
In order to carry my invention into practice I form a ring of metal within
which an india rubber washer is held, said washer being used as a sucker when
applied to the top glass of a compass bowl and to enable said sucker to be fixed to
the true centre of the glass.
I drill a hole in the glass, truly central and I arrange within the centre of the
ring plate a pin capable of compression but which otherwise stands out sufficiently
that when the ring plate and washer are moved over the glass the adjustable spring
socketed pin finds the central hole the ring plate being then compressed for the
adhesion of the sucker to the glass.
There is a screw or other pin standing up from the opposite side of the ring plate
on which the shadow pin can be affixed. This shadow pin is connected with a
ball and socket joint working under the action of a spring to centralize it, the
spring being within a barrel affixable to the upper pin of the ring plate before
mentioned.
The purport of the shadow pin arranged in the manner described is, if it should
be struck from any cause it will yield at the ball and socket joint and then return
to a central position which prevents it being bent, to which it is liable when fitted
in the ordinary way, such as when required for ascertaining a ships course as is
usual for compass correcting purposes while at sea.
Should it be necessary to correct the ships course with the compass when the Sun
is low in the horizon the thick part or stem of the pin will cast a broad shadow
across the points of the compass if the shadow pin be set in the mauner described
and to obviate this inconvenience instead of attaching the barrel and shadow pin
to the centre pin of the ring plate I attach a pedestal thereto and from the upper
part of the pedestal 1 suspend the shadow pin so that the thinnest part is downwards
whereby the shadow is represented by a thin streak and instead of placing the ring
plate directly over the centre of the glass I place it at one side so as to get the
point of the shadow pin directly over the hole in the centre of the glass. There
may be two of such plates and suckers with pedestals employed for supporting the
barrel and shadow pin between them by means of a brace which can be turned about
on pivot pins connected to the standards, a spring pin dropping into a hole of the
brace or of the pedestal journal when the shadow pin is truly central, to fix it in
position with regard to the hole in the glass or instead of the brace being connected
to two pedestals it may be jointed to one only.
By placing the shadow pin in the reverse position or point downwards it can be
used during any hour of the day with great certainty having regard to the shadow
thrown from it.
The ring plate before mentioned is applicable for the fixing or attachment of
other kinds of appliances used for ascertaining a ships course with regard to the
Compass or for taking bearings and corrections or allowances for .time can be made
thereby.
Dated this 16th day of November 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements Connected with Appliances for Determining a Ship's
Bearings.
1 WALLACE JOHN REYNOLDS of 2 Heath Street, Commercial Road East,
Middlesex, Nautical Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my said
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 object certain improvements connected with appliances
for determining a ship's bearings, and consists
1 Of apparatus affixable on or to a compass glass and having a pin set in an
upward direction or in an upward or downward direction for casting a sun shadow
across the compass.
2 To means or appliances by which a central hole in the compass glass can be
found and the apparatus temporarilly affixed to the compass glass by a suction
washer.
3 To means for giving a yielding action to a shadow pin so that it is not bent or
injured when accidentally struck.
My invention will be understood by the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 is a part vertical section of one form of apparatus with a shadow pin.
Figure 2 is a similar view of the same apparatus without a shadow pin but
applicable for one or for any other apparatus employed for taking ships bearings,
such as by reflection or otherwise.
Figures and 4 are elevations of apparatus affixable on a compass glass and over
which the shadow pin can be set pointing in an upward or a downward direction for
casting a sun shadow according to the hour of the day over the compass card.
These two views as also Figure 5 show the means by which the shadow pin and its
carrier are retained in the desired position.
Figure 6 is an elevation of a yielding shadow pin and carrier attached to a base
fixed to the compass glass for the reception of said shadow pin and its carrier or any
other apparatus by which ships bearings can be corrected.
A is a ring of metal within which an india rubber washer B is held, said washer
being used as a sucker when applied to the top glass of a compass bowl and to
enable said sucker to be fixed to the true centre of the glass, I drill a hole in the
glass truly central, and I arrange within the centre of the ring plate a pin D capable
of compression but which otherwise stands out sufficiently that when the ring plate
and washer are moved over the glass C the adjustable spring socketed pin D finds
the central hole, the ring plate being then compressed for the adhesion of the sucker
to the glass.
There is a screw, or other pin E standing up from the opposite side of the ring
plate on which the shadow pin F can be affixed.
This shadow pin F is connected with a semi-sphere and socket joint G working
under the action of a spring 1 to centralize it, the spring being within a barrel H
affixable to the upper pin E of the ring plate before mentioned.
The purport of the shadow pin arranged in the manner described is that if it should be
struck from any cause it will yield at the semi-sphere and socket joint and then
return to a central position which prevents it being bent to which it is liable when
fitted in the ordinary way, such as when required for ascertaining a ships course as
is usual for compass correcting purposes while at sea.
Should it be necessary to correct the ship's course with the compass when the
Sun is low in the horizon, the thick part or stem of the pin F will cast a broad
shadow across the points of the compass if the shadow pin be set in the manner
described and to obviate this inconvenience, instead of attaching the barrel H and
shadow pin F to the centre pin E of the ring plate A, I attach a pedestal J thereto
and from the upper part of the pedestal, I suspend the shadow pin and appurtenances
so that the thinnest part is downwards, whereby the shadow is represented by a thin

page_text: streak and instead of placing the ring plate A directly over the centre of the glass I
place it at one side, so as to get the point of the shadow pin directly over the hole in
the centre of the glass. The pedestal may be jointed and the shadow pin appur-
tenances may be retained in an upward or a downward position by a spring clip or
pinch screw K.
By placing the shadow pin in the reverse position or point downwards it can be
used during any hour of the day with great certainty having regard to the shadow
thrown from it.
The ring plate before mentioned is applicable for the fixing or attachment of other
kinds of appliances used for ascertaining a ship's course with regard to the compass
or for taking bearings and corrections or allowances for time can be made thereby.
Or if a hole be drilled through the Compass glass C a ring A can be securely
fixed to it by a nut L, and the barrel H carrying the shadow pin F can be fixed at
any moment when a bearing has to be taken."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said In-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The apparatus shown at Figures 1 and 2 and the modifications shown at
Figures 3, 4 and 6 and constituting an apparatus affixable on or to a Compass glass
and with a pin Fin an upward or downward position for casting a sun shadow
across the Compass when a Ships bearing has to be taken, as set forth.
2. The spring pin D in combination with a washer B and ring A as a means for
finding a central hole in the surface of a Compass glass and for temporarilly fixing
the ring on the glass centrally, for the attachment of a shadow pin or other appliance
for correcting ships bearings as set forth.
3. The means or appliances shown at Figures 3 & 4 for enabling the shadow pin
to be set pointing in an upward or downward direction.
4. In connection with shadow pins used for correcting ships bearings the appliances
substantially as described and shown for returning said shadow pin to a vertical
position after being struck accidentally or otherwise, as set forth.
000
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the said W. J. Reynolds.