IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEERING INDICATORS AND TELL-TALES
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Jullien Viehoff and
James Adolphe Matthiessen at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 26th December 1865.
We, CHARLES JULLIEN VIEHOFF, of Paris, in the French Empire, and of
Montague Place, Russell Square, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
and JAMES ADOLPHE MATTHIESSEN, of Paris, in the French Empire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEERING INDICATORS AND TELL-TALES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to tell-tales for indicating by day and night the
position of a rudder or helm with regard to the keel, and also to indicators
for telegraphing or indicating by day and night the changes to be effected
in the position of the rudder or helm. At night a single light of one
colour (for example white or blue) may be employed instead of two
colored lights (green and red) as in ordinary tell-tales and indicators.
In our apparatus a disc in which is an opening of or nearly of the shape
of a pointer is mounted on a shaft. This opening is fitted with a trans-
parent or semi-transparent material. The disc works in a ring on which
are numbers or divisions made of or on or over a transparent or semi-trans-
parent material; or the pointer numbers or divisions may be of or on
colored surfaces. When the apparatus is used as a steering indicator,
the shaft and thereby the disc are worked by a handle so that the pointer
may point to a required figure and give the necessary indications. Before

page_text: the handle is a second but smaller ring with a like revolving disc which
repeats the position of the pointer on a larger ring. When the apparatus
is used as a tell-tale the dial is driven by the steering apparatus, rudder
shaft, or steering wheel axis, by differential chain wheels, pinions, and
toothed segment or other gearing. A pointer is connected with the
gearing, and travels over a repeating dial to shew the helmsman the exact
position of the rudder or helm. At night the instrument is illuminated,
so that illuminated figures and an illuminated pointer will be produced.
We sometimes use a dial bearing figures and divisions, and fitted but not
fixed on a shaft carrying a pointer which travels round the dial. For day.
use the dial is fastened to its support. When used as a steering indicator
the shaft and pointer are worked by a handle. When used as a tell-tale
the shaft is driven by the steering apparatus, rudder shaft, or steering
wheel- axis, by differential chain wheels or other gearing. The dial has
in it a slot or opening resembling a pointer. For night use the dial is
disconnected from its support and connected with the pointer and axis so
as to move therewith. The dial is illuminated preferably by a lamp
revolving with the axis but restored to a vertical position by a weight.
The door, provided with glass or with a lens, is at the fore side. The
opening in the dial serves as an illuminated pointer and shews the position
of the rudder or gives the steering signals. The lamp may be counter-
balanced by a weight fixed to the large dial. A suitably placed second
dial and pointer repeat the position of the other. The dials and discs may
be perforated to render them lighter and afford passage for the wind.