Improvements in and relating to Ships' Logs.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Ships' Logs.
A communication by JOHN STEWART NEGES, of 149, Putnam Avenue, Brooklyn,
in the County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America,
Gentleman.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil 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:-
This invention relates to that class of ships' logs wherein a registering mechanism
on board the moving vessel indicates the rotations of a propellor or rotator in the
water, through the medium of a rope or line.
When logs of this character are used in rough water, the motion of the vessel
and the lateral swerving of the rotator line put upon the latter greatly varying
strains, and cause it to whip or lash about, thereby subjecting the spindle of the
registering mechanism, to which the line is attached, to severe side draft in addition
to the direct pull' of the rotator. Under these conditions the rotative force of
the rotator is applied through the line to said spindle with great irregularity, and
causes it to 'race' or rotate with excessive rapidity at times, and at other times to
nearly or quite stop, and this tendency is greatly increased by the heavy side draft
and consequent increase in friction to which the spindle of the log, as ordinarily
constructed, is frequently subjected. Some attempt has been made in constructing
such logs to lessen the friction which resists rotation of the spindle when a direct
longitudinal pull is applied thereto, anti-friction rollers being interposed between
the bearing surfaces; but so far as the inventor is aware, no attempt has been
made to lessen the friction and wear produced by the lateral or oblique strains
applied to the spindle, and the object of this invention is, in part, to provide an
antifriction bearing at its inner end to reduce the friction due to the direct
longitudinal pull, and another anti-friction bearing at its outer end to reduce the
friction due to lateral or oblique strains. Other features of the invention relate to
the mounting of the log in swivel bearings.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the present invention,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a log or that portion thereof embodying the
improvements, it not being deemed necessary to show the rotator and its line as
they may be of the usual kind.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section of the log, on a somewhat larger scale
than Figure 1. This view shows only a part of the case containing the registering
mechanism.
Figure 2 is a detail view of the driver of the registering mechanism.
Figure 3 is a front or end clevation of the log, as seen from the left in
Figure 2.
A represents the case which contains the registering mechanism, which latter,
being of the usual kind, is not illustrated fully; in Figure 2, a is the driving worm-
shaft of this mechanism, and from this the train and index are driven.
B is a bearing-block secured to the case A and mounted on trunnions in the
fork C, which is rotatively mounted in a socketed base D.
E is the spindle of the log, which passes through the block B, and bears on its
outer end a balance wheel F, and a ring or eye G, to which the rotator line is
secured.
The manner of providing anti-friction bearings for the spindle E in the block B,
is an important feature of my invention, and this will now be described with especial

page_text: 66
9.
reference to Figure 2. On the inner end of the spindle E is secured a collar or
bearing head, which has an annular concave track on its face, and between this
track and a similar concave track formed in the inner end of the bearing block B,
are placed steel balls These balls and their tracks form an anti-friction bearing
to reduce or eliminate the friction which opposes rotation of the spindle when a
direct pull" is exerted by the rotator. At the other or outer end of the block B,
the spindle E is provided with a similar anti-friction bearing designed to reduce or
eliminate the friction which opposes rotation of the spindle when subjected to lateral
or oblique strains. This latter bearing is formed by a collar ex, on the spindle
similar to or like the collar e, and steel balls *, interposed between the concave
track on this collar and a similar concave track formed in the end of the block B.
The tracks in the ends of the block may be formed of annular concave plates, h,
set in recesses in the block. By inspection of Figure 2 it will be seen that no part
of the spindle E bears on the block, the only bearing being on the two sets of
balls and it will also be noted that the bearing collars e and ex, embrace the
block and balls in such a manner as to prevent any endwise play of the spindle.
Furthermore, it will be noted that any side draft or lateral strains applied to the
outer end of the spindle will be transmitted outward through the balls g* to the
track in the block. Any undue looseness of the spindle in its bearings, due to
wear, may be taken up by screwing the collar ex inwardly upon the spindle, said
collar being screwed thereon. The collar ex has notches in its periphery, and is
held by means of a dog i, attached to the boss of the wheel F, said dog being
adapted to engage one or more of said notches.
The spindle E drives the worm-shaft a through the medium of a crank stud j
in the collar e which engages a cross-piece k on the end of the worm-shaft a.
The stem of the fork C where it finds a rotative bearing in the base D, has
a shoulder where it rests on said base, and a circumferential groove m which
receives the tip of a retaining screw mas seen in Figure 2.
Figure 1 illustrates the construction of the mounting of the block Bou
trunnions in the fork. In two prongs of the fork are formed bearings to receive
the trunnions n on the block; and in order that the said trunnions may pass
into the bearings by a lateral movement and afterwards be retained in place
therein, an entering slot o is formed in the side of each prong and opening into
the bearing, this slot is somewhat less in width than the diameter of the trunnion a
and the latter is cut away at * so as to reduce it sufficiently to allow it to pass
through the slot. The plane of the flattened face at n* is arranged substantially
at right angles to the axis of the bore in the block B through which the spindle E
passes the object of this is to render it necessary to turn the instrument upright
with the bore of the block B substantially vertical, before the trunnions can be
passed laterally through the slots into their bearings; and this must be done
before the spindle E is secured in its bearings in the block. After the parts of
the instrument are assembled and secured together as in Figure 1 it cannot be
dismounted without previous removal of the parts necessary to allow the spindle E
to be withdrawn from the block B.
The balance-wheel F is concentrically mounted on the spindle E, exteriorly of
the outer hearing of the latter, and its purpose is to impart an even rate of speed
to the spindle under the rotative force applied irregularly thereto by the rotator
line.
As here shown, the case A and block B are made separately, the block being
secured to the case by means of screws, but this particular form is not essential
and may be varied, for example, the case and block may be made integral and they
may be of any suitable form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me.]
e.by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
:-
1. A ship's log having its spindle E provided with an anti-friction bearing near

page_text: its inner end to reduce the friction arising from the longitudinal strain or.“ pull,”
and a ball bearing near its outer end to reduce the friction due to lateral and
oblique strains, substantially as set forth.
2. A ship's log having its rotating spindle E provided with an anti-friction
bearing near its inner end to reduce the friction arising from the longitudinal strain
pull," a ball bearing near its outer end to reduce the friction due to lateral and
oblique strains and a balance wheel fixed concentrically thereon.
or
3. In a ship's log, the combination with the block B, provided with trunnions,
the support in which said trunnions find a bearing, and the spindle E, rotatively
mounted in a bore in said block, of the collar e secured to the inner end of the
spindle, the balls interposed between the respective tracks on the collar and the
block, an adjustable collar ex on the outer part of the spindle exterior to the block,
and the balls g* interposed between the respective tracks on the collar e* and the
outer end of the block, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In a ship's log, the combination with a registering mechanism, its case.
provided with trunnions and the support in which said trunnions find a bearing, of
the rotative operating spindle E, provided near its inner end with a driver for said
mechanism and an anti-friction bearing to reduce the friction arising from_the
longitudinal strain or pull' and with a ball bearing near its outer end, to reduce
the friction due to lateral and oblique strains, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with the rotator and rotator line of a ship's log, of the
block B, mounted to rock on trunnions, the register mechanism and its case, and
the register operating spindle rotatively mounted in said block and attached to the
rotator line, said spindle being provided with an anti-friction bearing near its
inner end to reduce the friction arising from the longitudinal strain or pull' and
a ball bearing near its outer end to reduce the friction due to lateral and oblique
strains, substantially as set forth.
6. In a ship's log, the combination with the socketed support C provided with
trunnion bearings having narrow openings o in their sides, of the block B provided
with trunnions having reduced, flattened faces n*, substantially at right angles
to the bore of said block, and the spindle E rotatively mounted in said bore,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
7. In a ship's log, the combination with the socketed support C provided with
trunnion-bearings having narrow openings o in their sides, the block B provided
with trunnions n having reduced flattened faces * substantially at right angles to
the bore of said block, and the spindle E rotatively mounted in said block, of the
balance wheel F concentrically mounted on said spindle, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.