A Method and Apparatus for Maintaining a Constant Plane in a Floating Vessel.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 5th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 30th Aug., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method and Apparatus for Maintaining a Constant Plane in a
Floating Vessel.
I, BEAUCHAMP TOWER, of 19 Great George Street, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to means of maintaining in a floating vessel subject to oscilla
tions, a plane always parallel to some given plane, and therefore available as an
artificial horizon, or as a platform for guns or for other purposes for which extreme
steadiness is required. I mount a framing in gimbals giving freedom of movement in
two directions at right angles to each other. In this framing are fixed three or more
vertical cylinders, by preference four, which are fitted with pistons linked to arms of
the gimbals. To each of those cylinders there is a passage for fluid leading from the
upper part of the framing where these passages present their mouths downwards very
near to each other and symmetrically arranged around the axis of the framing. At
the bottom of the framing is mounted on a spherical bearing a reaction wheel capable
of revolving on a vertical axis which coincides with that of the framing, and the
central cavity of this wheel is supplied through a trunnion of the gimbals with water
or other fluid under pressure.
The hollow boss of the reaction wheel extends vertically upwards forming a tube
terminating at the top in a nozzle which presents itself just under the mouths of the
four
above mentioned.
passages
While the fluid flows from the reaction wheel, it causes it to revolve with consider-
able velocity and consequently by its gyroscopic action to maintain constancy of
attitude of its axis. Should the framing tend to deviate from its true axial attitude
relatively to the reaction wheel, the jet from the central pipe enters with force into one
or other of the four passages and thus produces an increase of pressure in the cylinder
to which this passage leads, causing a movement of the framing which rectifies the
deviation.
T
1
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
28, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method and Apparatus for Maintaining a Constant Plane in a
Floating Vessel.
I, BEAUCHAMP TOWER of 19 Great George Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention relates to means of maintaining in a floating vessel subject to oscilla-
tions, a plane always parallel to some given plane, and therefore available as an
artificial horizon, or as a platform for guns or for other purposes for which extreme
steadiness is required. I mount a framing in gimbals giving freedom of movement in
two directions at right angles to each other. In this framing are fixed three or more
vertical cylinders, by preference four, which are fitted with pistons linked to arms of
the gimbals. To each of these cylinders there is a passage for fluid leading from the
upper part of each cylinder, and these passages present their mouths downwards very
near to each other and symmetrically arranged around the axis of the framing. At
the bottom of the framing is mounted on a spherical bearing a reaction wheel capable
of revolving on a vertical axis which coincides with that of the framing, and the
central cavity of this wheel is supplied through a trunnion of the gimbals with water
or other fluid under pressure.
The hollow boss of the reaction wheel extends vertically upwards forming a tube
terminating at the top in a nozzle which presents itself just under the mouths of the
four passages above mentioned.
While the fluid flows from the reaction wheel, it causes it to revolve with consider-
able velocity and consequently by its gyroscopic action to maintain constancy of
attitude of its axis. Should the framing tend to deviate from its true axial attitude
relatively to the reaction wheel, the jet from the central pipe enters with force into one
or other of the four passages and thus produces an increase of pressure in the cylinder
to which this passage leads, causing a movement of the framing which rectifies the
deviation.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a plan, and Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical
sections, respectively on the lines X X and Z Z of Fig. 1, of apparatus according to
my invention. Fig. 4 shews diagrammatically how the apparatus may be applied in
a floating vessel to maintain a platform level or at a constant inclination, so as to
facilitate the service of a gun. A is a framing, conveniently made in the form of a
cylindrical vessel, mounted by trunnions B,C on bent arms D, E, which are themselves
mounted by trunnions F, G on some stationary framing. Thus the vessel A is mounted
in gimbals free to oscillate in two planes at right angles to each other. A third bent
arm H is jointed to one side of the vessel in the line of the axis of F, G and to a
block K free to slide horizontally in guides on either side of the middle position in
which it is in the line of the axis of B and C, this arm with freedom for its block K

page_text: to slide, not interfering with free oscillation of A on its gimbals. A reaction wheel L
is mounted in the lower part of A on a spherical bearing / allowing freedom for the
axis of the wheel L to be somewhat out of line with the axis of A in any direction.
Water under pressure is supplied by the trunnion G through the tubular arm E and
the trunnion to a pipe c by which it flows through the spherical bearing partly to
the channels of the reaction wheel L and partly to a jet orifice O in the line of the axis
of the wheel L. To the vessel A are fixed four hydraulic cylinders M fitted with
plungers. Two of these plungers are linked to the gimbal arm D symmetrically on
each side of the trunnion B, the other two are similarly linked to the arm H. From
the upper parts of the cylinders M pipes m communicate through a head N, each with
an orifice n on the underside of the head N immediately above the jet orifice 0.
While the reaction wheel L is caused to relvolve rapidly by the action of the water
issuing from its nozzles, its axis tends to remain permanent in position even when
force is applied to alter it. As long as the axis of the vessel A remains coincident
with the axis of L the jet from O acts equally on the water in the four orifices n
producing equal pressure in the four cylinders M. Should the axis of A move a little
out of line with the axis of L, then one or other of the orifices n will receive more of
the jet from O than the others, and the pressure in that one of the cylinders M with
which that orifice communicates will be increased causing its plunger to tend to move
outwards and thus imposing a strain on the arm to which that plunger is linked.
This excess of force on one of the gimbal arms reacts on the vessel A causing it to
recover its normal position with its axis coincident with that of the wheel L. Con-
sequently as long as the wheel L revolves, the axis of A is maintained in a permanent
position. In applying this apparatus as shewn by Fig. 4, a framing P of funnel shape
is mounted on board a vessel Q on a circular race so that it can be made to revolve by
a pinion gearing with teeth on the circumference of the race. The vessel A is
mounted by its gimbals within the framing P and has its axis maintained permanently
vertical or more or less inclined to the horizon notwithstanding very violent oscilla-
tions of the vessel Q. In some convenient part of the vessel a pumping engine R
serves to supply the wheel L and jet O, the discharged water returning from P by the
suction pipe S and being forced back by the pipe T to supply the wheel and jet.
Although I have shewn a reaction wheel L as one of the simplest forms of machine
by which water under pressure can be applied to produce rotary motion, obviously
turbines or hydraulic engines of various forms might be substituted for it. Also,
although I have shewn in Fig. 4 an application of apparatus according to my
invention for facilitating the service of a gun, it might obviously be applied in any
case where permanence of a plane or its axis is desired notwithstanding oscillations of
the vessel or other structure in which it is mounted.
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. The herein described method of maintaining a constant plane in a floating
vessel by mounting the plane in gimbals and arranging that a jet of fluid from the
axis of a rapidly revolving wheel driven by the fluid shall enter one or other of a set
of orifices so as to increase the pressure in one or other of a set of cylinders in
such a manner as to correct the deviation of the axis of the plane from the axis of the
wheel.
2. The construction and use of apparatus for maintaining a constant plane sub-
stantially as described and illustrated by the drawings.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.