Improvements in Apparatus for Directing and Recording the Course of a Steam Ship or other Vessel, and for Signalling..
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application; Torn Jan., 1890,
1
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1897...
Date of Application; Torn Jan., 1890,
Complete Specification Left, 1tth Oct., 1896-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1897
Improvements in Apparatus for Directing and Recording the Course
of a Steam Ship or other Vessel, and for Signalling..
I, JOHN SEN THOMSON, of 19 Bellevue Crescent, in the City of Edinburgh,
Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this, invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide improved apparatus by means of
which the course of a steam ship or other vessel may be directed according to the
rule of the road at sea so as to avoid collision and for automatically recording the
course taken so that blame may be duly apportioned in the event of accident.
The improved apparatus comprises a pointer or indicator placed on the bridge or
other point within convenient reach of the officer in charge of the ship, and secured
on or arranged to operate a spindle carrying several sets of gear wheels, discs or cranks
below, the said gear wheels being fitted to slide on the spindle or otherwise adapted
to be thrown into and out of engagement with a corresponding set of segments,
discs or cranks on a parallel shaft which may be geared to a counter' shaft for
operating the steering gear, and is connected by band or other gearing to actuate
the spindle of a steering indicator in the wheel house. The gear wheels on the
first mentioned spindle are of different sizes and preferably six wheels and six
segments are used but only one pair are brought into gear at once, and the several
pairs are designed each to turn the second spindle to an extent such as to act on
the steering gear or on the indicator in the wheel house so that the man at the wheel.
steers in compliance with the course prescribed by the rule of the road at sea upon
the pointer on the bridge being directed towards the lights of any vessel or object
with which it is desired to avoid colliding. Each of the geared wheels is brought into
engagement with its corresponding segment on the second shaft by means of a clutch-
operated through levers from switches within reach of the officer on the bridge these
switches being marked respectively, red, red and white, red, white and green, white
and green, green, and green and red.
The officer on the bridge on seeing another vessel's red light, for example, will
operate the switch marked red, and on moving the pointer in the line of the red
light and thereby turning the first spindle will turn the second spindle, through the:
wheel and segment brought into gear by operating the switch, so as to actuate the.
steering indicator in the wheel house to such an extent and in such a direction as
would show the steersman the course necessary to be steered in accordance with
the rule of the road to avoid the approaching vessel. In like manner on
approaching any other light the corresponding switch is acted on and the gearing
brought into operation to properly actuate the steering indicator, on the officer's
pointer being directed to the light. Or the steering gear may be directly acted on
from the second shaft to automatically set the helm to the proper course.
Intermediate gear is or may in some cases be used to reverse the direction of
motion of the second shaft.
Each of the gear wheels has attached to it a pencil or style which terminates:
over a recorder composed of a travelling band or ribbon carried by rollers operated
by clockwork, and when any one of the gear wheels is depressed to put it in gear
with its segment the pencil or style on it is brought into contact with the band
and describes on it an arc corresponding to the extent. of turning movement of

page_text: the wheel and the pencil will then continue to draw a straight line on the band
which travels under it. Upon any change of the course being directed through the
apparatus another pencil will in like manner record the time and the course in
anotber division of the travelling band. The travelling band or part of it may
also be used to record the instructions transmitted by the ship's telegraph from the
bridge to the engine room a pointer carrying a pencil being fitted on a crank or
disc carried by a spindle geared to the turning spindle of the ship's telegraph and
being arranged to bear on the underside or other part of the travelling band.
For the purpose of signalling to an approaching vessel the course being steered
a drum having in it a number of grooves and raised parts is provided and suitably
rotated. Against the periphery of this drum are fitted to bear the ends of a
number of levers to whose opposite ends are attached cords, or wires connected to
act on a whistle, syren or gong. The ends of the levers may be brought to bear
in the grooves of the drum by cams on the second motion shaft, one lever only
being acted on at once, and by the rotation of the drum and intermittent raising of
the end of the lever by the raised configuration of the groove the lever acts on the
syren or gong to operate it at longer or shorter intervals which may correspond to
the Morse or other system of signalling. The signalling may be effected in some
cases directly from the second motion shaft through cords or wires connected to the
syren or gong.
The apparatus described for directing the vessel's course may be combined with
an ordinary ship's telegraph the handle of which would be connected to operate a
hollow shaft geared to the spindle leading to the engine room, whilst the pointer
used for directing the vessel's course would be fitted on a central spindle carried
through the hollow shaft of the ship's telegraph.
Dated thie 15th dox of January 1906
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
2 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Directing and Recording the Course
of a Steam Ship or other Vessel, and for Signalling.
I, JOHN SEN THOMSON, late of 19 Bellevue Crescent, in the City of
Edinburgh, Commission Agent, and now of Hope Park, Blairgowrie, Perthshire,
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 has for its object to provide improved apparatus by means of
which the course of a steam ship or other vessel may be directed according to the
rule of the road at sea so as to avoid collision and for automatically recording the
course taken so that blame may be duly apportioned in the event of accident.
As illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 of which is a geueral view
and Fig. 2 a view of a detail, the improved apparatus comprises a pointer or
indicator A arranged to move over a stationary disc B mounted on a pillar and
surrounding a dummy compass or dial B' with the points of the compass marked
thereon, said disc being placed on the bridge or other point within convenient
reach of the officer in charge of the ship, and the indicator A being secured on or
arranged to operate a vertical spindle C carrying below several sets of gear
wheels D or discs or cranks. The gear wheels D, which are each provided with
two teeth only, are fitted to slide on the spindle C and adapted to be raised and

page_text: lowered by the action of a corresponding number of clutch levers E and rods or
switches Econnected thereto the upper ends of which terminate in handles E
above the stationary dise B, or these wheels D may be otherwise adapted to be
thrown into and out of engagement with a corresponding set of segments For dises
or cranks on a parallel shaft F' which may be geared to a shaft for operating the
steering gear, and is connected by band or other gearing such as H on a counter:
shaft G to actuate the pointer I on the spindle of a steering indicator J in the
wheel house. Six or more gear wheels D on the first mentioned spindle G and six-
segments on the spindle F¹ are used but only one pair are brought into gear at once,
and the several pairs are designed each to turn the spindle. F to an extent such as
to act on the steering gear and on the indicator I in the wheel house so that the
course prescribed by the rule of the road at sea is steered or indicated upon the.
pointer on the bridge being directed towards the lights of any vessel or object-
with which it is desired to avoid colliding. On the stationary dise B, the words;
red; red and white; red, white and green; white and green green;
and red, are marked, respectively, opposite the switches which are intended when.
operated to put in gear any particular gear wheel D and segment F which.
corresponds to the light shown by an approaching vessel.
The officer on the bridge on seeing another vessel's red light, for example, will
operate the switch marked red, and on moving the pointer A until both sights
thereon are in the line of the red light observed and thereby turning the spindle C.
will turn the spindle F through the wheel and segment brought into gear by
operating the switch corresponding to the particular light shown by the approaching
vessel so as to actuate the pointer I on the spindle of the steering indicator Jin
the wheel house to such an extent and in such a direction as would show the
steersman the course necessary to be steered in accordance with the rule of the road
to avoid the approaching vessel. In like manner on approaching any other light
the curresponding switch is acted on and the gearing brought into operation to.
properly actuate the pointer on the spindle of the steering indicator J, on the officer's.
pointer A being directed to the light. Or the steering gear may be directly acted,
on from the shaft F' to automatically set the helm to the proper course. For this:
purpose the lower end of the shaft carries two loose bevel wheels K, L, between.
which is situated a clutch M provided with a wave like groove in its periphery
in which is entered the fork pins of a fixed clutch, bracket M, said clutch being
adapted by its rotation to put one or other of the bevel wheels in operation to
rotate a bevel wheel N loose on the steering wheel shaft O situated in the wheel
house. This bevel wheel N is normally out of gear with a clutch P keyed on the
steering wheel shaft O but is put into gear. therewith by the action of an
eccentric F2 on the shaft F' when said shaft is rotated, thus turning the shaft O to
actuate the steam steering gear and leaving the steering wheel Q loose on said
shaft. When the ordinary course is being steered the clutch P is in engagement
with the steering wheel and the steering is then effected by the man in the
wheel house.
Intermediate gear such as shown at R Fig. 1 and in detail at Fig. 2. is or may
in some cases be used to reverse the direction of motion of the second shaft, this
gear wheel R being adapted to mesh with gears R' and R having two teeth and
one tooth respectively the gear R being secured to the, lowest wheel D and.
operated therefrom to engage with the intermediate wheel R at the required
times.
Each of the gear wheels D has attached to it a pencil or style D' which
terminates over a recorder composed of a travelling band or ribbon S carried by,
rollers S¹ operated by clockwork, and when any one of the gear wheels Dis
depressed to put it in gear with its segment F the pencil or style D' on it is
brought into contact with the band S'and describes thereon, an arc corresponding.
to the extent of turning movement of the wheel and pointer and thus marks the
bearings of the vessel sighted and the pencil will thereafter continue to draw a
straight line on the band S which travels under. it. The dummy compass B' is.

page_text: carried upon a sleeve B2 surrounding the shaft C and on the lower end of this
sleeve a toothed wheel B³ is fitted which gears with a wheel B' on a spindle B' on
the lower end of which is an arm carrying a pencil B, said wheel B gearing with
a wheel B on a spindle B' the lower end of which is connected by bevel gearing
or other equivalent with a sleeve B8 surrounding the shaft for actuating the
steering indicator, this sleeve having the indicator dial J secured upon it. Upon
any change of the course being necessary the dummy compass B₁ on the bridge
is turned to the desired position and by means of the gearing before described the
dial J is correspondingly moved and this change being directed through the
apparatus the pencil B will in like manner record the time and the course
another division of the travelling band S each division being differently
spaced. The travelling band S or part of it may also be used to record
the instructions transmitted by the ship's telegraph T from the bridge to
the engine room dial T2 a pointer U carrying a pencil being fitted on a crank or
disc U carried by a spindle U2 geared through bevel wheels U³ to the turning
spindle T' of the ship's telegraph T and being arranged to bear on the, under
side or other part of the travelling band S.
For the purpose of signalling to an approaching vessel the course being steered
ndrum V having in it a number of grooved and raised parts is provided and
suitably rotated, the spindle VI of this drum V being rotated by belt gearing
from the engine room, the belt for rotating the spindle V being shifted from the
loose to the fast pulley by means of a cord V2 attached to a handle V3 on the
ship's telegraph. Against the periphery of this drum are fitted to bear the ends
of three levers W₁, W2, W³, starboard port and course respectively, to whose
opposite ends are attached cords or wires W connected to act on a whistle W* or a
syren or gong. The ends of the levers W, W, W³, are brought to bear against
the action of springs in the grooves of the drum V by cams F3 on the shaft F¹,
one lever only being put into gear although the levers are all acted on at once;
and by the rotation of the drum V and intermittent raising of the end of that
lever by the raised configuration of the groove and in-conjunction with a lever W
arranged to take up slack of a cord W the lever acts through the cord W on the
syren or gong to operate it at longer or shorter intervals which may correspond to
the Morse or other system of signalling. The drum V is secured upon its
spindle V', which is screw threaded, by jam nuts at top and bottom, the drum V
being first turned until the disc indicating the course being steered at that time
and under ordinary circumstances is brought opposite the centre or course lever.
By means of the hand wheel V2 the drum V can be operated by hand to sound the
whistle, syren or gong, for any desired length of time, or the whistle can be
sounded direct by means of the cord V.
The apparatus described for directing the vessel's course may be combined with
an ordinary ship's telegraph as shown, the handle X of which would be connected
to operate a hollow shaft Y geared by bevel wheels and shaft Z to the spindle
leading to the engine room.
By the use of this machine the course of a steam ship at sea when in proximity
to other vessels, can only be directed in accordance with the rule of the road at
sea, in whatsoever circumstances, or whatever relative position to other vessels,
and the machine records the exact bearings by compass of ships sighted, the time
when sighted, and, in the event of a collision, the course steered by both ships,
and the distance travelled after sighting, is indicated. It also records all
instructions sent to the engine room and to the man at the wheel from start to
finish of a voyage and the hour and minute when any change of the course is
made.
The bearings of points or objects on a coast line may also be recorded and the
time when these are taken, and it can also be used to record that the officer on
the bridge is at his post, at say every quarter of an hour.
In the event of a collision the apparatus is an unerring witness, as to the way
both ships were handled and allots the blame to the proper person.

page_text: All vocal orders and the use of the objectionable terms "port and starboard "
are rendered unnecessary and also the liability of "A" giving the wrong
orders, "B" misunderstanding the orders, and " "failing to carry them out is.
minimised.
B
A specially constructed whistle or syren may be used, or not, in connection
with the machine and which by simple code of long and short blasts of
exactly measured lengths, denotes that point of the compass to which the ship is
heading.
No skill or study in using the apparatus is necessary, a mere mechanical moving
of the stop coloured according to the light sighted and directing the pointer at
the object being all that is required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved apparatus herein before described for directing the course of a
steam ship or other vessel according to the rule of the road at sea and for
recording the course and signalling, substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for directing the course of a steam ship or other vessel according
to the rule of the road at sea consisting of a pointer adapted to be brought into-
line with the light of an approaching vessel and arranged to operate accordingly
one of a series of wheels or discs gearing with segments on a spindle which
serves to operate the pointer of the wheel room dial and to bring into operation
steering gear to so steer the ship as to avoid collision substantially as described.
3. The improved apparatus for automatically recording the course of a steam.
ship or other vessel consisting of a dummy compass carried upon a sleeve and a
toothed wheel gearing with a toothed wheel upon a shaft carrying a pencil adapted
to indicate the course on the wheel house dial and also to mark the course, from.
start to finish of the voyage, upon a travelling band operated by clockwork.
substantially as described.
4. The improved apparatus for automatically recording the course of a steam or
other vessel, when such is directed according to the rule of the road at sea.
consisting of a series of pencils or styles each attached to a gear wheel and
adapted when its gear wheel is lowered to mark upon a travelling band the course
steered from the bridge and indicated upon the wheel house dial substantially as
described.
5. In apparatus for directing the course of a steam ship an automatic signalling
device consisting of a rotating drum having grooves formed in it adapted to-
operate a series of levers brought into contact by means of cams on a shaft.
rotated by the shaft on which the pointer of the bridge dial is secured, said
levers being connected to the ship's whistle, syren or gong, substantially as.
described.
6. In combination with apparatus for directing the course of a steam ship.
apparatus for actuating a pencil or style from the ship's telegraph to record
upon a travelling band the instruction sent to the engine room substantially as.
described.
Dated this 15th den of Antahan 1000
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant..