AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING SHIPS' BERTHS AND OTHER ARTICLES IN SHIPS IN A LEVEL POSITION
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Silver at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 20th September 1879.
THOMAS SILVER, of Dunbarton Road, Glasgow, Scotland. "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING SHIPS' BERTHS AND OTHER
ARTICLES IN SHIPS IN A LEVEL POSITION."
My Invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for maintaining
ships' berths and other articles on board a ship in a level position, its object being
to prevent or lessen the effects of sea-sickness.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, instead of depending upon pendulous
weights, or contrivances or devices operating upon similar principles, as in
apparatus heretofore constructed, I mount upon a shaft placed longitudinally with
the vessel, and which rests upon suitable bearings, two momentum or fly wheels
which are of sufficient weight and diameter for the work to be accomplished; to
these wheels I impart rotary motion by any suitable means, each one in an opposite
direction to the other and at equal speed; at the centre of each of the said wheels
and facing each other are secured two toothed bevel or mitre wheels which gear
into two similar wheels facing each other and turning upon bearings at each end
of a yoke or cross-piece, the latter being also mounted upon the aforesaid shaft
between the two momentum-wheels. Upon this yoke or cross-piece there are also
two studs or arms (or in some cases only one stud may be used) to which are
hinged connecting links or rods, which are also attached if desired to the berths or
other articles designed to be used as seats, couches, or the like by the passengers or
others. The said yoke or cross-piece is held level or in the normal position of the
vessel by the momentum of the flywheels running in opposite directions; hence
the berths and other articles being secured to it must maintain the same normal
position.
Although I use the isochronous wheels instead of depending upon pendulous
weights still the latter may be employed in combination with my said apparatus if
found desirable, that is to say, I may suspend a weight or weights firmly from the
yoke or from any suitable position from which they can be linked to the yoke or
cross piece, the object of the combination being the prevention of any undue
vibration of the pendulous weight in case of a violent lateral movement of the ship
in a beam sea. When two studs or arms are used upon the cross piece, as above
explained, one of them may be used for the support of the weight.
Instead of using bevel or mitre wheels between the momentum wheels, grooved
pulleys and an endless rope may be employed, but in such case great care should be

page_text: taken in the construction of this device so that the rope may not be liable to slip.
The momentum or flywheels may be kept in motion by any suitable means
independent of the power of the ship's engine. If however by the latter a spring
should intervene between the shaft of the engine and the pulley or other contrivance
that gives motion to the momentum wheels to allow for any variation in the speed
of the ship's engine.
The berths and other articles may be swivelled in a manner similar to that in
which they have heretofore been arranged, but I prefer supporting them at both
head and foot between pependicular bars which are hinged to the ends of cross bars
over and under each end of the berths and bearing at their centres upon an axis of
motion that they may be allowed to evade the rolling of the vessel. By this
method of supporting the berths their lengths of accommodation are preserved, except
so far that a thin head and foot board which may be of sheet metal intervenes to
prevent the bedding from rubbing against the partition.
When it is desired to arrange the berths for also evading the pitching motion of
the vessel, instead of the cross beam being hinged at the ends of the berths the
whole should be supported by longitudinal bars hinged at their centres so that
duplicate fly or momentum wheels working at right angles to those already
described may work in a like direction causing a universal level. :