Improvements in Ships' Telegraphs and like Signalling or Indicating Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 24th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' Telegraphs and like Signalling or Indicating
Apparatus.
I, LEON SEYMOUR THOMPSON, a Citizen of the United States of America, of the
Navy Department, City of Washington, District of Columbia, United States of
America, Naval Officer, 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:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of an instrument used for the transmission and
receipt of signals or messages, in an embodiment of my invention for telegraph-
ing between a ship's bridge or other point and the engine room;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of said instrument ;
Figure 3 is a section taken in a horizontal plane, on the line, Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a section taken in a vertical plane, on the line y-y of Figure 1.
Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, sections taken in vertical planes on the
lines, and a¹, Figure 4, the transmitter and receiver devices being shown
in Figure 6 in position for different signals;
Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view, showing the switch mechanisms and wiring
of the complete system for communicating between the two stations;
Figure 8 is a like view, showing but a single circuit from each instrument to
the other and
Figure 9 a diagrammatic view, to illustrate the invention when embodied in a
helm angle indicator.
Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.
The object of my invention is the provision of mechanism for the telegraphing,
or transmission of signals, messages or indications from one point or place, to
another, that will be simple of construction, and reliable in its operation, and to
this end, said invention―
Consists in the mechanism having the features of construction substantially as
hereinafter specified.
The object I have had more especially in view in the making of my invention,
is the provision of an electrically operated telegraph, or a message or indication
sending mechanism, that will be adapted for use on ship-board, and in devising
my mechanism I have given careful consideration to the special conditions that
exist aboard ship, and have sought to avoid the defects in the appliances hereto-
fore used, which have manifested themselves in actual use, and which, being
due to causes that inhere in the principles on which said appliances have been
devised, have resulted in their being objected to as impractical. Having been
made in the light of the knowledge of the causes which have occasioned the
failure in actual use of appliances heretofore used, and of the special conditions
which are to be met, my invention will be found to answer all of the requirements
for use aboard ship. It is to be understood, however, that I do not restrict the
use of my invention to those embodiments thereof which are especially adapted
for use on ships, for it may be used elsewhere.
In Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings I illustrate my invention as embodied in a

page_text: telegraph for communicating between the ships bridge, or other point, and the
engine room, for directing the running of the engines, and in such embodiment
I employ a transmitter and a receiver at each point, the transmitter at one point
being connected with the receiver at the other point. The purpose of this
duplication is to enable the message from the bridge to be repeated back from
the engine room so that the sender on the bridge may know that the message has
been correctly received and understood by the engineer.
For the purposes of compactness and convenience the transmitting and receiving
mechanisms at each point, are mounted in the same casing, and as said mechanisms
at the two points are alike, I show, in the detailed illustration, but a single
instrument, but it is to be borne in mind that the transmitting mechanism thereof
is connected with and actuates the receiving mechanism of the other instrument
and that the receiving mechanism thereof is connected with and actuated from
the transmitter of said other instrument. The instrument selected for detail
illustration is the one on the bridge, and it is shown as mounted on a pedestal A,
its casing B being cylindrical in form and constructed so as to be water-tight,
for the protection of the enclosed mechanism from moisture. Journalled in any
suitable manner at the center of the casing, as by boxes and b₁ attached
respectively to the casing back and to a standard 2 rising from the casing bottom
is a shaft C, one end of which projects beyond the front side thereof and is
provided with a handle D in the form of a radial arm or crank, of such length
that the grip part thereof projects sufficiently far beyond the periphery of
the casing as to enable it to be readily grasped and moved. Within the casing,
and well near the back thereof, the shaft C has a radially extending arm F which,
upon its side next said casing back, carries a brush or contact piece G, that is
adapted to be placed successively in contact with each one, or any two adjacent
ones of a semi-circular series of contact pieces H and H that are secured to the
casing-back, being suitably insulated therefrom and from each other, and thus
close a circuit, to be hereafter described, through any one or any two adjacent
contacts. The circuit of which each contact H forms a part, includes a battery I
or other source of electrical energy, and a solenoid magnet K. The series of coils
forming the solenoids are mounted on a common tubular non-magnetic support L,
and arranged in a semi-circle in the easing B, of the complementary instrument
in the engine room, the order of the coils in such series corresponding with the
order of the contacts H and H. Thus, the closing of the circuit through a par-
ticular contact H at the transmitting instrument will result in the energizing of
the corresponding coil in the receiving instrument.
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The armature M upon which the solenoids operate is longer than one solenoid
and is attached to a circular bar or light wheel N, that has a curvature concentric
with the axial center of the solenoids, and is supported concentric with the latter,
by a single, radial arm 0, that projects from a sleeve P, journalled to turn freely
on the cylindrical exterior of the box or bearing b₁ of the shaft C. The wheel N
is provided with a weight at a point diametrically opposite the armature M, to
counterbalance the latter. Attached to the sleeve l', so as to partake of the move-
ments of the armature M, is a hand or index Q, that co-operates with a dial R,
having the words " back," stop and ahead," and in connection with the
first, the words " full," fast and "slow," and in connection with the word
ahead," the same words, and also numbers to indicate the revolutions or speed
desired. The dial R may be used by the operator for his guidance in sending
the desired message, the arm F being provided for this object with a forward
extension whose end is bent down over the periphery of the dial, forming an
index f. Preferably, however, as being more convenient to look at, the outer
periphery of the casing B has the same markings as the dial R, and a hand or
pointer S is attached to the handle D to co-operate therewith. The pointer S
carried by the handle 1) is bent laterally, as best shown in Figure 2, so as to
place the latter in such position that it will stand at a different angle from and
thus not o'zcure the hand Q when the repeated message is indicated by the latter,

page_text: As the engine room instrument will be differently mounted from the bridge
instrument, its transmitter handle will be placed to swing over the portion of the
dial upon which there are no markings. I do not, however, confine myself to
any particular arrangement of handle on either instrument, as the handle can be
arranged in any desired way, or indeed, other means used to operate the brush-
carrying arm.
The face of the casing is of course closed by glass or other transparent substance,
to expose the dial R and hand Q, the glass being secured in any well known
manner, as by a ring T engaging its edge and screwed upon the casing B.
As the brush G is always in contact with one or two of the contacts H and H,
I provide a switch to open and close the circuit through the brush so as to work
with an open circuit. Said switch comprises two contact plates U and U, secured
to opposite sides of a slot f' in the arm F that are electrically connected with
said brush, and contact plates V and V on an arm or lever W pivoted to the
arm F, and movable into and out of contact with the plates U and U. The lever W
is connected through an axial opening in the shaft C with the inner end of an
operating lever Y that is pivoted to the side of the handle D), with its outer
end arranged in such relation to the grip of said handle D, that in grasping the
fatter, to move it, the operator will also grasp said lever and squeeze or press
its outer end toward the handle grip, and thereby swing the contact or switch
lever W to press the contacts V and V between and against the contacts U and U.
A spring Z pressing against the handle end of the lever Y, operates, when free
to act, to move the switch lever to break the circuit. To ensure that the lever Y
shall be operated to close the circuit by means of the switch before the handle D
can be moved, and also while it is being moved, a locking device is provided to
prevent movement of the transmitter handle unless said lever Y is operated. As
shown said locking device conists of a rack A' on the face of the casing Band
a pin or rody that is connected at one end to the lever Y, and passing through
the handle 1), projects beyond the same, so that it may be moved into and out
of engagement with a tooth or notch of the rack. The movement of the lever Y
required to free the handle D, effects the closing of the circuit by the switch
lever W.
The switch lever contacts V and V of the bridge transmitter and one pole of
the battery I, are electrically connected by a wire B₁ and connecting the other
pole of the battery and one terminal of each of the solenoids of the engine room
receiver is a wire (". The other terminals of the solenoids are, respectively
connected by wires D, D¹ etc. with the contact plates H, H, etc., of the instrument
of which the solenoids are a part, and wires E, E, etc., connect the similar
contacts H, H, etc., of the two instruments. With the brush G of the bridge
transmitter resting upon a particular contact H (see Figure 8) and the circuit
closed by the operation of the switch lever W, the current will pass from the
battery I, to said contact H, thence along wire E to the contact H of the engine
room instrument, and thence to and through the coil of the proper solenoid K,
of the engine room receiver, back to the battery, energizing the solenoid and
operating the armature, to produce the desired indication. The armature M is
retained in the position to which it may be moved, notwithstanding the breaking
of the circuit, by means of a brake in the form of a curved arm I that is pressed
into contact with the periphery of the sleeve P by means of a spring G¹. Said
brake is removed from contact with the sleeve, to free it, by an electro-magnet H¹
that is placed in the above-described circuit in series, whose armature his
attached to a lever I', to which the brake arm is connected. Thus, the closing
of the circuit, will simultaneously free the solenoid armature, and energize the
solenoid.
It is desirable that there shall be an audible signal in the engine room, each
time a message is sent. Two electric bells K and K are therefore placed in
the engine room, of different tones, one of which is to be rung when the message

page_text: is to go ahead, the other when it is to back, and both when the message is to stop.
The bell circuits are opened and closed by the switch lever W, which has
contacts V and VI, which co-operate with contacts L' and L' that are electrically
connected with a brush f upon the arm F, which is adapted to bear against
either of two segment shaped contacts M and M, and both of them where they
are near together.
To prevent too rapid movement of the transmitter handle, with the possible
danger of cutting a solenoid out of circuit before it has acted on the armature M,
it may be advisable to employ some form of retarding device. I illustrate a
familiar device for this purpose, which consists of a closed cylinder N¹ filled with
oil or other fluid, and a perforated piston or disk 01 therein, which is attached
by rods or arms and o with the arin F. The cylinder N and the rods o and o
are, of course, curved concentric with the axis of the shaft C.
For the illumination of the face of the dial at night, small incandescent electric
lights P and P1 are arranged within the casing B in such position as to most
advantageously light up the matter on the dial.
As the transmitter on the bridge and the receiver in the engine room are in
their operation, entirely distinct from and independent of the transmitter in the
engine room and the receiver on the bridge, and vice versa, the circuit connect-
ing one transmitter and its receiver is independent of the circuit of the other
transmitter and its receiver, and each circuit has its own battery I. Attention
is called to the fact, that in Figures 7 and 8, the like parts of the two sets of
instruments and their electrical connections are lettered alike.
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The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Suppose the message last sent
was "Stop," and, as shown in Figure 5, the hand Q points to such signal, and it
is desired to signal the engineer to back slowly. The operator on the bridge,
grasps the handle D, and pressing the lever Y, releases the handle D and closes
the circuit by means of the switch lever W, through the contact H that is con-
nected with the solenoid which placed the armature M so that the hand Q of the
engine room instrument pointed to stop," which circuit includes the brake-
releasing magnet H. Thus both the latter and said solenoid will be energized
at the same time, and through the armature M will be released by said magnet H
the energizing of the solenoid will cause its retention in the same position; and
if the handle D be moved to the signal "back" slow," as shown in Figs. 1
and 2, the brush G will move to the contact H, which is the one next to the
contact H controlling the signal "stop" and, energizing the next solenoid, the
engine room armature M will be drawn into the latter, and cause the hand Q to
point to the desired signal. Inasmuch as the brush G is long enough to touch two
adjacent contacts at the same time it is apparent that the circuit through the first
solenoid will continue closed for an interval after the circuit through the next
one is closed, so that not only will the armature M not be free from the control
of a solenoid while the signal is being changed, but, before the brush has fully
passed from one contact H to the next, it is subjected to the action of two
adjoining solenoids, and hence will move to center itself between them, so that
by the time the first contact and its solenoid are out of circuit, and the brush is
only in contact with the next contact, the armature will have partially moved.
A further advantage of closing the circuit through two adjacent solenoids simul-
taneously, with the consequent centering of the armature between the two, is
that indications double the number of the solenoids can be secured, this being of
special moment where, as is shown, the number of revolutions of the engine is
to be signalled, and hence a great number of signals is provided.
The handle D having been moved to carry its pointer S to the desired signal
mark on the casing, is released, and the circuit is automatically broken, the
handle is automatically locked from movement, and the engine room hand Q
automatically locked by the brake F. It is to be noted that the only parts of
the engine room instrument that are moved when the signal is transmitted from

page_text: the bridge, are the armature M, the wheel N to which it is attached, and the hand
or index Q. The signal having been received by the engineer, he operates the
transmitter handle of the engine room instrument, to place the pointer thereof
corresponding to the pointer S, at the signal mark agreeing with the signal he
has received, and by closing the circuit through the appropriate solenoids of the
bridge receiver, causes the hand or index Q of the latter to move to the proper
signal on the bridge receiver.
It is necessary, in the operation of the transmitter, for the operator to actuate
but two parts, the releasing and circuit closing lever X, and the handle D, and
these two are associated together so that the operation of both is virtually but
a single act. And at the receiver there are but two parts to operate, the brake,
and the armature M carrying the hand or index.
.
My apparatus is thus not only simple to operate but its parts are few and
simple and not liable to any derangement even when used on board ships of war,
and subjected to the shocks or jars from the firing of heavy guns and other causes
which have been found to disorder and render useless or worse than useless, those
forms of electric telegraphs based on the step-by-step, and differential principles.
If, by any contingency my apparatus should become disordered, the effect would
be to render it inoperative to send any message at all, and not a false message,
and it is obviously infinitely preferable that no message rather than a false one,
be sent.
For ships having two engine rooms, each of the latter will have its own instru
ment, and there will be two instruments placed back to back upon the bridge,
so that both can be conveniently operated by one person.
Other embodiments of my invention for use on ship-board may be used, such
as a battle order transmitter, a range indicator, a steering telegraph, and a helm-
angle indicator.
To
In Figure 9 illustrate an embodiment of it for the last named purpose, which
comprises a single transmitter that is actuated by the rudder, and a single re-
ceiver located at the desired point, there being, of course, no duplication of
instruments such as characterizes the bridge and engine room telegraph.
eliminate the feature of the circuit opening and closing device that
is used with the latter, a closed circuit is employed with the helm-angle indicator,
and, hence the transmitter consists simply of a series of contact plates Hand H
corresponding with the contact plates Hand H, and an arm attached to and
moving with the rudder post C2, that carries a brush or contact G2 which travels.
over the series of contacts H2 and H2, as the rudder swings. The receiver is con-
structed precisely like the one already described for the bridge and engine room
telegraph, the solenoids thereof being electrically connected by wires with the
respective plates H2 and H2, and with a common conductor that includes a bat-
tery I, and leads to the brush G2 on arm F2. As the latter, accompanying the
motions of the rudder, carries the brush from one contact He to another, the
circuit will be shunted from one solenoid to the next, or simultaneously to two,
and the hand or index Q2 indicate on the dial, the angle at which the rudder
stande. The dial is preferably in the form of a scale, marked to denote by degrees,
the angle of the rudder, both to starboard and port, and while said scale is shown
as extending through 180° of a circle, the number of degrees actually designated
is, of course, those included in the angle in which the rudder swings, which, as
shown, is 70°. The angular position of the hand on the dial does not agree with
the angle of the rudder, but the dial mark to which the hand points shows the
angle of the rudder.
While I have described several embodiments of my invention, and have set
forth certain constructions as adapted for particular embodiments thereof, it is
to he understood that the scope of the invention extends beyond these and that
other and dissimilar forms and structures may be made which will nevertheless
embody its principles.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is
1. A receiver or indicator comprising a series of solenoids, an armature in the
form of a core, to co-operate therewith, adapted to have its position relative to
the series of solenoids changed by the energizing of the different solenoids of
the series, and indicating means whose indications are produced by the energizing
of the solenoids, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. A receiver or indicator comprising a series of solenoids, a movable armature
in the form of a core, adapted to have its position changed by the energizing of
the different solenoids of the series, and indicating means whose indications are
produced by the movements of the armature effected by the energizing of the
solenoids, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. A receiver or indicator comprising a series of solenoids, an armature in the
form of a core adapted to have its position changed by the energizing of the
different solenoids of the series, and indicating means whose indications are pro-
duced by the energizing of the solenoids, in combination with means for placing
said solenoids in and out of circuit with a source of electric energy, substanti-
ally as and for the purpose set forth.
4. A receiver or indicator comprising a series of solenoids, an armature there-
for in the form of a core, adapted to have its position changed by the energizing
of the different solenoids of the series, and an index connected with the armature,
in combination with means for placing said solenoids in and out of circuit with
a source of electric energy, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
5. A receiver, or indicator, comprising a series of solenoids, an armature in
the form of a core, and an index connected with the latter, in combination with
a transmitter comprising a series of fixed contacts each of which is electrically
connected with a solenoid, and a travelling contact electrically connected with all
of the solenoids, substantially as and for the purpose described.
6. A receiver, or indicator, comprising a series of solenoids, an armature in the
form of a core, and an index connected with the latter, in combination with a
transmitter comprising a series of fixed contacts, a travelling contact, and a cir-
cuit opening and closing device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. A receiver, or indicator, comprising a series of solenoids, an armature in
the form of a core, and an indicating mechanism whose indications are produced
by the energizing of the solenoids, in combination with a transmitter comprising
a series of fixed contacts, a travelling contact, an arm carrying the latter, a make
and break device mounted on said arm, means for moving said arm, and means
for operating said device, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
8. In combination with two transmitters comprising each a series of fixed con-
tacts and a travelling contact, a receiver for use with each transmitter, an arma-
ture, and devices capable of being electrically energized to attract the armature,
electrical connections between the latter and the movable contact of the trans-
mitter, and electrical connections between the similar fixed contacts of the two
transmitters, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
9. A receiver or indicator comprising a circularly arranged series of solenoids,
a core movable in an axial direction therethrough adapted to have its position
changed by the energizing of the different solenoids of the series, and an indicator
connected with and partaking of the movement of the core, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
10. A receiver or indicator comprising a series of solenoids, a core within the
same and movable in an axial direction therethrough adapted to have its position
changed by the energizing of the different solenoids of the series, a core support
in the form of an open frame, and an indicator connected with and partaking of
the movement of the core, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
core
11. A receiver comprising a circularly-arranged series of solenoids, a
movable in an axial direction therethrough adapted to have its position changed

page_text: by the energizing of the different solenoids of the series, a ring-form support for
said core, journalled concentric with the series of solenoids, and an indicator
connected with and partaking of the movement of the core, substantially as and
for the purpose shown.
12. The combination of a curved series of devices capable of being electrically
energized, an armature mounted on an axis concentric with said devices and a
transmitter comprising a series of fixed contacts, and a movable contact, the
latter being carried by an arm that is mounted on an axis concentric with that
of the armature, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
13. The combination of a transmitter comprising a suitably journalled shaft,
an arm carried by the latter having a movable contact, and a series of fixed con-
tacts, and a receiver comprising a ring-form armature support journaled con-
centric with said shaft, an indicator carried by said support, a curved series of
solenoids mounted concentric with said shaft, and an armature on said support,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
14. The combination of a series of solenoids, an armature to co-operate there-
with, a series of fixed contacts, respectively connected with the solenoids, and a
movable contact, constructed so that it may rest upon one fixed contact at a time,
or upon two adjacent ones at a time, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of April 1899.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.