Improvements in and relating to Ships' Telegraphs.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Ships' Telegraphs.
We, JOHN WILLIAM RAY and ROBERT COLEMAN SAXBY, both of 8 Canning
Place, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Nautical Instrument Makers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to ships' telegraphs, such for example, as are used to
transmit orders from the bridge to the engine room or to or from other parts of
the ship, and the object is to so construct and connect the transmitting and
recording instruments, that the motion of the one shall be positively communicated
to the other through the medium of liquid pressure.
According to our invention, we construct such apparatus as follows;-
The transmitter comprises two cylinders, each fitted with a ram adapted to work
fluid-tight therein, and geared to the operating handle in such a way that any
angular movement of the latter produces corresponding lineal movements in the
two rams, of equal amounts but opposite directions. This may conveniently be
effected by providing a pinion adapted to be operated by the handle, and gearing
at opposite sides with racks attached to the respective rams.
The recording instrument comprises a similar pair of cylinders, with rams
similarly geared to an index hand, and each cylinder of the transmitter is connected
to the corresponding cylinder of the recorder by its own pipe. If the pipes and
the spaces within the cylinders left unoccupied by the rams be completely filled by
a suitable liquid, any movement of the transmitting handle in either direction will
be transmitted positively and, practically, without loss of motion, to the recording
index hand.
To provide for expansion or contraction of the liquid, and for supplying and
replenishing it in the event of leakage occurring, we provide suitable cocks and
reservoirs at the highest available point; the upper rams may be conveniently
made hollow and utilised as reservoirs. Each reservoir is provided with an inlet
valve and an outlet valve, communicating with the corresponding column of liquid,
the inlet valve being loaded to a greater pressure than that required to operate the
apparatus; should expansion occur, the rise of pressure will force some of the
liquid into the reservoir through the inlet valve, and in the case of contraction,
the liquid will flow back, through the outlet valve, out of the reservoir, which is
always kept charged. A cock (or cocks) is provided at the top of the liquid
columns to provide for the escape of air and to bridge them together if desired;
of course this cock is normally closed.
The transmitting handle is provided with an index hand, and both instruments
have suitable dials; the cylinders of the transmitter may conveniently be housed
within the hollow standard upon which such an instrument is usually mounted, and
the usual bell mechanism, or a modification of it, may be used in conjunction with
the apparatus.
In adjusting the apparatus in the first instance, the transmitting and recording
index hands are set accurately to the same order, the air cock opened and the
cylinders, pipes and reservoirs fully charged with liquid. Both the transmitting
and recording mechanisms are provided with firm abutments at the limits of their
stroke, and this, in conjunction with the reservoirs and valves described, provides
a ready means of keeping the instruments in accurate adjustment. By forcing the

page_text: handle hard over to each of its extreme positions, any surplus or deficiency of
liquid in either column, as the case may be, is forced into or withdrawn from the
corresponding reservoir.
Where there are more transmitters than one, the various transmitting handles
may, by mechanical connections, all operate the one pair of transmitting rams; or
each may have its own pair of rams, the various cylinders and their pipe
connections being preferably arranged like the plates and connections of a battery
coupled up in series, so that only two main pipes need be carried to the recorder,
and any movement of any transmitter causes a corresponding movement in each of
the others and in the recorder.
In the case of reply telegraphs, the operative parts are duplicated, so that each
instrument becomes both a transmitter and a recorder, the transmitting and
recording index hands of each instrument, which are of course independent, being
preferably arranged concentrically as usual so as to move over the same dial.
The transmitting handle may be provided with a locking device which auto-
matically locks the handle at the order to which it was last moved, and which is
unlocked in the act of grasping the handle.
We find that a suitable liquid for charging the apparatus is composed of four
sixths of water containing soft soap in solution, in the proportion of about three
quarters of a pound of soap to the gallon of water, one sixth of methylated spirit,
and one sixth of glycerine. The soft soap best for the purpose is a combination
of potash and oleic acid, and the methylated spirit best for the purpose is that
containing the smallest percentage of mineral naphtha.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1896.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26 Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.
We, JOHN WILLIAM RAY and ROBERT COLEMAN SAXBY, both of 8 Canning
Place, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Nautical Instrument Makers, 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 :-
This invention relates to ships' telegraphs, such for example, as are used to
transmit orders from the bridge to the engine room or to or from other parts of
the ship, and the object is to so construct and connect the transmitting and
recording instruments, that the motion of the one shall be positively communicated
to the other through the medium of liquid pressure.
According to our invention, we construct such apparatus as follows;-
The transmitter comprises two cylinders, each fitted with a ram adapted to work
fluid-tight therein, and geared to the operating handle in such a way that any
angular movement of the latter produces corresponding lineal movements in the
two rams, of equal amounts but opposite directions. This may conveniently be
effected by providing a pinion adapted to be operated by the handle, and gearing
at opposite sides with racks attached to the respective rams.
The recording instrument comprises a similar pair of cylinders, with rams
similarly geared to an index hand, and each cylinder of the transmitter is connected
to the corresponding cylinder of the recorder by its own pipe. If the pipes and
the spaces within the cylinders left unoccupied by the rams be completely filled by
a suitable liquid, any movement of the transmitting handle in either direction will

page_text: be transmitted positively and, practically, without loss of motion, to the recording
index hand.
To provide for the expansion or contraction of the liquid, and for supplying and
replenishing it in the event of leakage occurring, we provide suitable cocks and
reservoirs at the highest available point; the upper rams may conveniently be
made hollow and utilised as reservoirs. Each reservoir is provided with an inlet
valve and an outlet valve, communicating with the corresponding column of liquid,
the inlet valve being loaded to a greater pressure than that required to operate the
apparatus; should expansion occur, the rise of pressure will force some of the
liquid into the reservoir through the inlet valve, and in the case of contraction,
the liquid will flow back, through the outlet valve, out of the reservoir, which is
always kept charged. A cock (or cocks) is provided at the top of the liquid
columns to provide for the escape of air and to bridge them together if desired;
of course this cock is normally closed.
The transmitting handle is provided with an index hand, and both instruments
have suitable dials; the cylinders of the transmitter may conveniently be housed
within the hollow standard upon which such an instrument is usually mounted, and
the usual bell mechanism, or a modification of it, may be used in conjunction with
the apparatus.
In adjusting the apparatus in the first instance, the transmitting and recording
index hands are set accurately to the same order, the air cock opened and the
cylinders, pipes and reservoirs charged with liquid. Both the transmitting and
recording mechanisms are provided with firm abutments at the limits of their
stroke, and this, in conjunction with the reservoirs and valves described, provides
a ready means of keeping the instruments in accurate adjustment. By forcing the
handle hard over to each of its extreme positions, any surplus or deficiency of
liquid in either column, as the case may be, is forced into and withdrawn from the
corresponding reservoirs.
Where there are more transmitters than one, the various transmitting handles
may, by mechanical connections, all operate the one pair of transmitting rams; or
each may have its own pair of rams, the various cylinders and their pipe connections
being preferably arranged like the plates and connections of a battery coupled up
in series, so that only two main pipes need be carried to the recorder, and any
movement of any transmitter causes a corresponding movement in each of the
others and in the recorder.
In the case of reply telegraphs, the operative parts are duplicated, so that each
instrument becomes both a transmitter and a recorder, the transmitting and
recording index hand of each instrument, which are of course independent, being
preferably arranged concentrically as usual so as to move over the same dial.
The transmitting handle may be provided with a locking device which auto-
matically locks the handle at the order to which it was last moved, and which is
unlocked in the act of grasping the handle.
We find that a suitable liquid for charging the apparatus is composed of four
sixths of water containing soft soap in solution, in the proportion of about three
quarters of a pound of soap to the gallon of water, one sixth part of methylated
spirit, and one sixth of glycerine. The soft soap best for the purpose is a.
combination of potash and oleic acid, and the methylated spirit best for the
purpose is that containing the smallest percentage of mineral naphtha.
In the accompanying drawings, Figs. I to VII illustrate a reply telegraph
constructed according to our invention, the operative parts being duplicated as:
described, so that each instrument is both a transmitter and a recorder; Figs. I
o IV show the instrument on the bridge, Fig. I being a sectional elevation on
he lines A. A. of Figs. II and IV and Fig. II being a sectional elevation on the.
ines B. B. of Figs. I and IV; Fig. III is an enlarged view of the lower end of
ne of the rams and Fig. IV is a fragmentary plan on the line C. C. of Fig. I.
Figs. V, VI and VII show the engine room instrument, and are analogous
espectively to Figs. I, II and IV.

page_text: Fig. VIII shows diagrammatically the arrangement which may be adopted
when there are several transmitters, three transmitters and one recorder being
shown.
Throughout the drawings, similar parts are indicated by similar reference
figures, and in the case of sections the direction in which they are viewed is
indicated by the small arrows placed adjacent to the letters denoting the plane of
section.
Referring first to Figs. I to VII; it will be seen by reference to Figs. IV
and VII that each instrument comprises four cylinders; 1 and 2 are the
transmitting cylinders of the bridge instrument which are connected respectively
to the corresponding recording cylinders 3 and 4 of the engine room instrument,
by independent pipes 5 and 6 respectively.
Similarly, the transmitting cylinders 7 and 8 of the engine room instrument are
connected respectively to the corresponding recording cylinders 9 and 10 of the
bridge instrument by the independent pipes 11 and 12 respectively.
Each cylinder is fitted with a ram 13 provided with a rack 14; the two
transmitting rams of the bridge instrument gear with the pinion 15 fixed to the
shaft 16 of the transmitting handle 17 which carries a pointer 41, and the two
recording rams of the engine room instrument similarly gear with the pinion 18
fixed to the loose sleeve 19 to which the index hand 20 is fixed.
Similarly, the transmitting rams of the engine room instrument gear with the
pinion 21 fixed to the shaft 22 of the reply handle 23 which carries a pointer 42
and the recording rams of the bridge instrument gear with the pinion 24 fixed to
the loose sleeve 25 to which the reply index hand 26 is fixed.
Each instrument is provided with a dial 27; the bridge instrument is mounted
on the standard 28, and the engine room instrument is adapted to be bolted to a
bulkhead or the like; the usual bell 29 operated by the trip wheel 30 is fitted but
the details of the striking mechanism are not shown.
Referring now to Fig. III which shows to larger scale the construction adapted
in the case of the lower ends of the four rams of the bridge instrument, which
serve as reservoirs in order to provide for expansion contraction and leakage of
the working liquid as already described; 31 is the inlet valve and 32 is the outlet
valve, the former being loaded by the spring shown, to a pressure somewhat
greater than that required to operate the apparatus, and the outlet valve being
only lightly loaded or inerely balanced by its spring.
The cocks already referred to for charging the apparatus with the working
liquid and for providing for the escape of air and bridging together the pairs of
transmitting or recording cylinders, are not shown in the drawings. They are
fitted at the highest available places on the cylinders of the bridge instrument, the
bridging cocks being fitted so as to connect the cylinder 1 to 2 and 9 to 10. The
bridge cocks are not absolutely necessary, but they afford a ready means of
bringing the liquid columns they connect to the same pressure whenever desired.
The stops or abutments for limiting the movements of the rams so as to keep the
instruments in adjustment, as already described, are, so far as the transmitting
rams of each instrument are concerned, conveniently fitted so as to arrest the
operating handles thereof, as shown at 33 in the case of the bridge instrument, and
at 24 in the case of the engine room instrument; in the case of the recording rams,
the stops are fitted directly on the backs of the racks thereof and abut against the
cross bars 35. They are shown at 36 in Figs. V and VI and at 37 in Fig. I but
are not seen in Fig. 1, as the recording rams are in this view in front of the plane
of section.
Referring now to Fig. VIII which shows diagrammatically the method of
coupling several transmitters and one recorder; for the sake of simplicity the
instruments are arranged. merely for transmitting orders from the bridge to the
engine room, each instrument having only a single pair of cylinders, but of course
the various parts may be duplicated so as to constitute a reply arrangement.
The various cylinders rams and pinions are indicated by the same reference

page_text: figures as have been used in the previous drawings for the corresponding parts,
and it is obvious from an inspection of the arrangement of the coupling pipes 38, 38,
and the main pipes, 39 and 40, that any movement of any transmitter causes a
corresponding movement of the recorder and the other transmitters.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;-
1. The improved ships' telegraph which comprises a pair of rams adapted to be
actuated in opposite directions by a transmitting handle; a similar pair adapted to
be operated by the first pair by means of liquid pressure and to operate a recording
index hand; and means for providing for expansion, contraction and leakage, and
maintaining the adjustment of the instruments; substantially as described and
illustrated.
2. In ships' telegraphs of the kind herein described, the improved means for
providing for expansion, contraction and leakage, and maintaining the adjustment
of the instruments, which consists of reservoirs with inlet and outlet valves, and
stops to limit the motion of the rams; substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The improved composition of liquid for use in ships' telegraphs of the kind
herein set forth, substantially as described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved ships'
telegraph, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1896.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
26 Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.