IMPROVEMENT IN SHIPS' LOGS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Massey, of Tysoe Street, Clerkenwell, in the
County of Middlesex, Ships' Log Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENT IN SHIPS' LOGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Massey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
August 1858.
I, EDWARD MASSEY, of Tysoe Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Ships' Log Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' LOGS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in ships' logs (known as Massey's patent logs) consist,
first, in prolonging the body or case containing the train of wheels so as to
enclose within it the universal joint by which the rotator is connected.
Secondly, in the method of fixing the cord of the rotator to the tail piece of
the universal joint.
And, thirdly, in the application of a thumbscrew to secure the guard plate
which retains the ring of the rope by which the log is dragged.
I form the tail piece of the universal joint to which the rotator cord is
attached tubular, so that the cord passes up the centre thereof, the hollow in

page_text: the tail is enlarged towards the joint, which receives an enlarged part of the
cord, formed by wrapping round waxed string or otherwise; the ends of the
strands of the cord are reversed and bound on the exterior of the hollow tail
piece. The cord may be further secured in the tube by "through pins," if
necessary. The extreme end of this tail piece projects a little beyond the end
of the body or case of the log, and is the only part of the registering gear that
is outside of the case, the universal joint, &c. being all enclosed, as before
explained. The tail piece passes through a hole in the end of the case which
may fit more or less closely as may be necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Massey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th February 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
MASSEY, of Tysoe Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, Ships'
Log Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Massey, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Massey, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Massey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS'
LOGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Massey,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Massey, do hereby declare. the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My improvements in ships' logs, known as Massey's patent logs, consists,
first, in prolonging the body or case containing the train of wheels, so as to
enclose within it the universal joint by which the rotator is connected.
Secondly, in the method of fixing the cord of the rotator to the tail piece of
the universal joint.
And, thirdly, in the application of a thumbscrew to securing the guard
plate, which retains the ring of the rope by which the log is dragged.
I form the tail piece of the universal joint, to which the rotator cord is
attached, tubular, so that the cord passes up the centre thereof; the hollow
tail is enlarged towards the joint, which receives an enlarged part of the cord
formed by wrapping round waxed string or otherwise; the ends of the strands
of the cord are reversed and bound on the exterior of the hollow tail piece ;
the cord may be still further secured in the tube by through pins, if necessary.
The extreme end of this tail piece projects a little beyond the end of the body
or case of the log, and is the only part of the registering gear that is outside
of the case, the universal joint, &c. being all enclosed, as before explained.
The tail piece passes through a hole in the end of the case, which may fit more
or less closely, as may be required.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a front view of a patent ships' log, fitted and furnished
with parts according to my present Invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical
section of the same; and Figs. 3 & 4, detached parts. The train and index
are the same as heretofore used, and therefore requires no description. It will be
observed that the front and back plates a, b, of the log register case are, in this
arrangement, extended to the lenght of the tail piece c of the universal joint d,
those plates having no openings.cut in them to allow the free oscillation of the
tail piece in that direction, as heretofore, such oscillation being almost entirely
restricted by reason of the extension of the plates a & b, and also of the side plates
e of the register case, which terminate at and support an extra bridge piece f;
which forms the extreme support of the rotating axis and universal joint, this
bridge piece f being, in addition of the bridge piece g, which heretofore formed
the extreme support of the rotating joint. The bridge piece fhas an opening
fitting somewhat closly the end of the tail c of the universal joint, and for
which it forms a bearing; the tail c projects but little beyond the extra
bridge f, which being secured to the sides e, e, and together with the front and.

page_text: back plates a, b, entirely enclose the universal joint, and thus effectually
prevent seaweed or other matters clinging thereto, to which such parts, if
exposed, are very liable when in use, and which matters so clinging materially
impede the proper action of the log.
The second part of my Invention refers to securing the cord h of the rotator to
the universal joint. This improvement consists in forming the tail piece c of
sufficient diameter, and boring a hole in the line of the axis, which hole, at the
extreme end of the tail piece c, is just sufficient to pass the cord h, but which
is enlarged inwardly, so as to form a recess, as seen in the section thereof at
Fig. 3, the external view being represented at Fig. 4. The cord is passed up
the bore of the tail piece, and enlarged by wrapping and passing twine through
it until it is sufficiently large to fit tight in the enlarged cavity in C, whereby
it becomes impossible to withdraw it from C. Instead of wrapping with twine
I sometimes separate and knot the strands, or otherwise enlarge them, so as
to fill the large cavity in C, which also effectually secures the cord, &
prevents it being withdrawn from the universal joint. As a further security,
I also pass metal pins i, i, at right angles to each other transversely through
the tail c and its cavity; and I also sometimes double the separated strands
down on the outside of the tail piece c, as seen at Figs. 3 & 4, and secure them
by binding with waxed thread or twine; thus the rotator cord is attached in a
perfectly secure manner. It may be observed that the end of the bore and
of the tail piece, and all edges thereof should be rounded, to prevent their
liability to cut the cord. The rotator is the same as heretofore used, and
requires no description.
The third part of my Invention relates to the thumbscrew l, whereby I
secure the guard plate m; this guard plate m is fixed at n, and has a tendency
to spring close to the head p of the log, in the notch of which the ring q,
attached to the rope by which the log is to be dragged, is slipped, the spring
guard plate keeping it therein; but which ring is, notwithstanding the guard
plate m, liable to slip and so lose the log. To effectually prevent this, I
introduce the thumbscrew l, which is screwed into p with its collar bearing on
the plate m, which is thereby securing the ring 9 effectually, it may at same
time be readily disconnected when required.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention; to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, enclosing, protecting, and supporting the universal joint of ships' logs,
as herein-before described, and represented in the Drawing annexed.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the mode herein-before described of connecting the
rotator cord with the universal joint and rotating axis of the registering
apparatus of ships' logs.
And, lastly, I claim the application of the thumbscrew 1 to ships' logs, for
the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Massey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
o Witness,
WILLIAM CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
EDWARD MASSEY. (L.s.)