Improvements in Electrical Gear for Steering Ships and Controlling the Movement of Holophotes, Guns, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Gear for Steering Ships and Controlling
the Movement of Holophotes, Guns, and the like.
I, ERNEST WILSON, of 88 Church Lane, Charlton, in the County of Kent,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to an electrical apparatus which has for its object the
steering of ships, and the controlling of the movements of holophotes, guns, and
the like.
For this purpose I employ one or more switches which are in connection with a
voltmeter or electro-dynamometer, in such manner that by varying the position of
the switch handle I vary the intensity of the current in the coils of the said
voltmeter or electro-dynamometer.
The said voltmeter or electro-dynamometer controls a reversing switch which
reverses the current in a motor which actuates through suitable gearing the rudder,
holophote, or other apparatus to be controlled.
The reversing switch is connected to the armature of two electro-magnets, or to
the core of a solenoid, subject to the strain of a spring, so that according as the one
or the other of the two electro-magnets is excited, or according as the solenoid ir
excited or not, the switch is moved to the one side or the other, thus reversing the
current in the motor.
The coils of the electro-magnets are connected by means of conductors with two
contacts on opposite sides of the arm of the volt-meter or electro-dynamometer
aforesaid, the torsion-head of which is geared to the rudder, or part to be
controlled.
When the arm of the volt-meter or electro-dynamometer is in middle position
neither of the electro-magnets, is excited, or both are equally excited, and con-
sequently the reversing switch is in middle position, and no current passes through
the motor.
But when the volt-meter or electro-dynamometer is excited by an increase or
decrease of the current in its coils, its arm is deflected to the one side or the other,
and makes one of the contacts or breaks the other, so that the one or the other of
the two electro-magnets, moves the reversing switch in such direction, that the
motor, by turning the torsion head of the volt-meter or electro-dynamometer, brings
back the arm to its middle position.
In the case in which I keep one of the coils of the electro-dynamometer con-
stantly excited, I can employ a reversing switch in the circuit of the other coil;
and by this means when no current is passing through this coil the rudder or
apparatus to be controlled would always occupy a given position which could be
decided upon in the first instance; and by sending the current in the one direction
or the other the apparatus to be controlled would move in corresponding directions..
These remarks hold good in the case in which I employ a magnet in the controlling
instrument.
In the case of holophotes, guns, and the like where two motions are necessary,
that is to say a motion in a vertical and horizontal plane, or any intermediate
planes, I employ two sets of gear as described, one for each motion, and I can
combine the switches for varying the currents in the voltmeters or electro-dynamo-
meters in the same way as is described in my Patent No. 20022ºº.
When the motor is constantly running in one direction I make it drive a bevil
wheel, which is in gear with two other bevil pinions running loosely on a transverse
pindle. In this case the armature of the two electro-magnets, or the core of the
.

page_text: solenoid before mentioned, moves a clutch which slides on the transverse spindle
between the two bevil pinions, and is connected with the transverse spindle by
means of a feather.
The transverse spindle is in gear with the rudder or part to be controlled, and
.also with the torsion head of the voltmeter or electro-dynamometer. So that
According as one or other of the electro-magnets is excited, or according as the
solenoid is excited or not, the clutch engages one or other of the bevil pinions, and
the transverse spindle is turned in such direction as to bring the arm of the
voltmeter or electro-dynamometer to middle position, at the same time actuating the
rudder, or part to be controlled.
1001
ERNEST WILSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Gear for Steering Ships and Controlling
the Movement of Holophotes, Guns, and the like.
I, ERNEST WILSON, of 88 Church Lane, Charlton, in the County of Kent,
Electrical Engineer, 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 an electrical apparatus which has for its object the
steering of ships, and the controlling of the movement of holophotes, guns, and
the like.
I will describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 4 the multiple-contact switch S is connected to the
voltimeter or electro-dynamometer D in such manner that by varying the position
of the switch S I vary the intensity of the current in the coils of the said voltmeter
or electro-dynamometer D by varying the resistance in circuit.
The instrument D controls a reversing switch S₁ which reverses and governs the
current in a motor M which actuates through suitable gearing the rudder holophote
or apparatus to be controlled.
The switch S, is connected to the armature of two electro-magnets, or as is shown
in Fig. 1 to the core c of the solenoid S, S, (the solenoid is shown apart from the
switch S, for the sake of clearness), subject to the strain of a spring arm a, so that
according as the one or other of the electro-magnets is excited; or according as the
coil S, or the coil S, is excited, the switch S, is moved to the one side or the other
thus reversing the current in the motor M. Obviously when the switch S, is in
middle position no current passes through the motor M.
The coile S, S, are connected by means of conductors with two contacts C, C, on
opposite sides of the arm d of the voltmeter or electro-dynamometer D, the torsion
head of which is geared to the rudder or part to be controlled.
When the arm d of the instrument D is in middle position, neither of the
coils SS, is excited, or both are equally excited, and consequently the switch S,
is in middle position and no current passes through the motor M. But when the
instrument D is excited by an increase or decrease of the current in its coils due to
the movement of the switch S Fig. 4; its arm d is deflected' to the one side or the
other, and makes one of the contacts C₁ C,, or breaks the other, so that the one or
the other of the two coils S, S₁ moves over the reversing switch S, thereby
causing a current to flow through the motor M in such direction.as to cause it to
rotate and bring back the arm of the instrument D to middle position by turning
round the torsion-head to which it is geared; at the same time actuating the
rudder or part to be controlled. At each step of the switch S that is to say for
each value of the current passing through the instrument D, the arm dis
automatically brought to middle position, and in this manuer the rudder takes up a
given position for a given position of the switch S.

page_text: In the case in which I keep one of the coils of the instrument D constantly
excited or in the case of a magnet being employed, instead of the switch S Fig. 4;:
1 employ a reversing switch S. Fig. 3 in conjunction with the multiple-contact
switch S, in the circuit of the coil of the instrument D, and by this means when no
current is passing through this coil, the rudder or part to be controlled would
always occupy a given position which would be decided upon in the first instance.
The switch S, can be made to automatically operate 8, in such wise that when S,
is in middle position as shown in Fig. 3, the switch S, is also in middle position as
shown, in which case the circuit is broken and no current passes through to the
instrument D.
By moving S, to the right or left, S, is moved in a corresponding direction, and
circuit is made, thus sending a current of certain strength and direction through
the dynamometer or voltmeter D. By moving the switch S, further to the right
or left, resistances ri.! are cut out, each step strengthening the current
through D.
'
"
At each step of S, that is to say for each value of the current through the
instrument D, the arm d is automatically brought to middle position, and therefore
the rudder or part to be controlled takes up a definite position.
When the motor M is to run always in the same direction I make it drive a bevil
pinion e Fig. 2, which is in gear with two other bevil wheels ƒ ƒ, running loosely
on a transverse spindle h.
I
1
In this case the armature of the electro-magnets, or the core o of the solenoids S, S,
Fig. 2 moves a clutch sleeve K which slides on the transverse spindle between the
bevil wheelsff, and is connected to by means of a feather. The spindle his in
gear with the rudder or part to be controlled, and also with the torsion-head of the
instrument D. So that according as one or other of the coils S, or S, is excited,
or according as one or other of the electro-magnets is excited, the clutch sleeve K
engages one or other of the wheels fif, and the spindle h is turned in such direction
as to bring the arm of the instrument D to middle position, at the same time
actuating the rudder or part to be controlled.
The current through the dynamometer D can in this case also be controlled by
either of the devices shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
In the case of holophotes, guns, and the like, where two motions are necessary,
that is to say a motion in a vertical and horizontal plane, or any intermediate
planes, I employ two sets of gear as described above one set for each motion-an
arrangement of motors in the case of holophotes being set forth in Patent No. 7173";
and I can combine the switches for varying the currents in the coils of the instru
ment D in the same manner as is described in my Patent No. 20022".
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:-
1. An electrical steering gear wherein an electric motor controls the movement
of the rudder or part to be governed; a reversing switch controls the current
through the said motor; an electro-magnetic device, under the control of the arm
of an electro-dynamometer or voltmeter, controls the reversing switch; the torsion-
head of the said electro-dynamometer or voltmeter being geared to the rudder or
part to be controlled substantially as herein described.
2. An electrical steering gear wherein an electric motor whose rotation is in the
same direction drives a bevil pinion in gear with two other bevil wheels on a
transverse shaft; an electro-magnetic device, under the control of the arm of an
electro-dynamometer or voltmeter, actuates a clutch-sleeve between the bevil
wheels for the purpose of gearing either of them to the shaft; the torsion-head of
the said electro-dynamometer or voltmeter being geared to the rudder or part to be
controlled substantially as herein described.
3. In an electrical steering gear such as is referred to in Claims 1 or 2, in-com-
bination with the electro-dynamometer or voltmeter D, the contacts o̟ o̟and d and
:

page_text: the coils S, S; and their core c, or an equivalent electro magnet and armature; the
amount of motion of the rudder or part to be controlled, being determined by the
strength of the current flowing in the coils of the electro-dynamometer or voltmeter D
substantially as herein described:.
i
4: In combination with. the electro-dynamometer or voltmeter specifically
mentioned in Claim 3, and for the purpose of controlling the intensity and direction
of the current in its coils; a reversing switch S, and multiple-contact switch S
substantially as described herein, and set forth in Fig. 3.
5. In combination with the electro-dynamometer or voltmeter specifically
mentioned in Claim 3, and for the purpose of controlling the intensity of current in
its coils, the multiple-contact switch S. substantially as described herein.and set
forth in Fig. 4:
Dated thig 13th day of April 1800