Year: 1886

page_text: I EDMUND HUNT, of 87 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention,
(a communication from abroad by James Scotland of Saint Pierre, Miquelon,
Electrician,) to be as follows, that is to say :-
.
This Invention has for its object to indicate in a simple and convenient manner
the extent to which ships' cables become twisted when ships are lying at anchor
with two or more anchors, in situations in which they are liable to be turned or
swung round by the action of winds, tides, or currents.
'
The indicator consists of a magnet suitably mounted in a case with one or more
indicating dials and counting gear. The magnet is fixed horizontally on a vertical
arbor or spindle which is mounted so as to be capable of turning with the least
possible friction and which has on it a small pinion gearing with a toothed wheel
on a second arbor. The second arbor has on it small pinion gearing, with a
toothed wheel on a third arbor; and the second and third arbors project through
two indicating dials and have pointers held frictionally on their outer ends. The
dials and pointers are protected by a glass cover which can be opened for setting
the pointers at zero when a ship is first anchored; and whilst so setting the
pointers a stop provided for the purpose is pushed inwards to keep the toothed
wheels stationary.
This indicator, which may be placed at any convenient part of a ship, will show
how many times the ship turns round more in one direction than in the other, and
will thus indicate the number of twists, if any, in the cables.

page_text: ...]
I EDMUND HUNT, of 87 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication from abroad by James Scotland, of Saint Pierre, Miquelon,
Electrician,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object to indicate in a simple and convenient manner
the extent to which ships' cables become twisted when ships are lying at anchor
with two or more anchors, in situations in which they are liable to be turned or
swung round by the action of winds, tides, or currents.
་
i
:
The indicator consists of a magnet suitably mounted in a case with one or more
indicating dials and counting gear.
And in order that the said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to
be hereinafter referred to and showing the twist indicator.
In the accompanying drawings figure, 1, is a plan, and figure; 2, is a vertical
section of the indicator.
A magnet or magnetised needle or bar, M, is fixed on a vertical spindle or
arbor, A, which is mounted so as to be capable of turning with the least possible
friction, in a frame consisting of top and bottom plates, P1, P2, connected by
studs or pillars, P 3. The lower end of the magnet arbor, A, is centered in the
bottom plate, P2, and its upper end projects through an aperture in the top
plate, P1, and is centered in a small bracket, B, fixed on the top plate. Near the
upper end of the magnet arbor, A, it has fixed or formed on it a small pinion, C,
which gears with a spurwheel, D, on a second arbor, E, and a pinion, F, on this
second arbor gears with a spurwheel, G, on a third arbor, H. The second arbor, E,
has its lower end centered on the top plate, P1; and the third arbor, H, has its
lower end centered on the small bracket, B; and both arbors, E, and H, pass
through upper bearings in a plate, I, connected to the top plate, 'P 1, by stude, J.
The 'arbors, E, H, also extend up through holes in the cover, K, of the case,. L,
in which the apparatus is contained; and index pointers, N, Q, are frictionally
fitted on their upper ends to indicate on dials, R, S, the turns made by the case
and ship carrying it relatively to the magnet, M. The dials, R, S, and the
pointers, N, Q, are in a cell or shallow box formed on the cover, K, and this cell
has fitted to it a lid, T, with a glass top. When the instrument is being adjusted
for indicating twist of a ship's. cables, the lid, T, is removed and the pointers, N, Q,
are set to zero the toothed gear being held stationary by means of a spring stop, U,
which is pushed in so as to lock the spurwheel, D.

page_text: This indicator, which may be placed at any convenient part of a ship, will show
how many times the ship turns round more in one direction than in the other, and
will thus indicate the number of twists, if any, in the cables.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
.
As an instrument for indicating twist in a ship's cables, a magnet fixed on a
vertical arbor which is free to rotate and which is connected by toothed gearing
with one or more index pointers arranged to move over a dial or dials showing
numbers of turns substantially as hereinbefore described.