Improvements in Devices for Recording the Distance Travelled by Vessels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 23rd July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Recording the Distance Travelled by
Vessels.
I, WILLIAM JAMES SMITH, of No, 265, Johnson Street, in the City of Victoria,
British Columbia, Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The object of the present invention is the provision of a distance recorder for
water craft which will be accurate, and at all times indicate the correct distance
travelled by the vessel, and which can be read by any officers or other authorized
person.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is sectional view of a vessel showing the application of the invention;
Figure 2 is a detail view of the registering mechanism;
Figure 3 is a detail view showing the motor wheel set in a pocket in the ship's.
bottom;
Figure 4 is a detail view of the indicating dials, and
Figure 5 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of an adjustable worm on the main
shaft.
A represents the registering mechanism which is conveniently located on the
upper part of the ship so as to be under the observation of the officers or other
persons charged with the safe running of the vessel. The operating parts will
be suitably housed, and the indicating hands and dials will be protected by glass
or other means, and exposed for constant readings. The units staff B, is geared
with the power transmitting shaft C, and the indicating mechanism 2, provided
therefor, registers the number of miles up to ten, and the fractional parts of a mile.
The staff D, operated from the staff B, records every ten miles on the indicating
mechanism 3, the latter recording the number of miles up to one hundred. The
staff E is actuated from the staff D, and the recording mechanism 4, connected
therewith registers the number of miles up to one thousand. It will be under-
stood that there may be as many of these staffs B, D, etc., as desired, and that the
capacity of the recording mechanisms 2, 3, and 4, may be varied at will, but will
be the same for each register. The main wheel G on the shaft C is provided on
one side with a series of teeth, or pins, which mesh with a worm thread h, on a
longitudinal shaft H. One end of the shaft H projects beyond the casing, and
is provided with a gear wheel I, which meshes with a pinion J on a vertical shaft K.
The worm thread is a spiral of steel secured midway of its ends to an enlarged
portion of the shaft H. Its end portions are connected by the set screw i, screw-
threaded right and left, as shown, and passing through corresponding screw-
threaded apertures in said end portions; whereby the spiral can be slightly
adjusted so as to calibrate or standardize the reading of the recorder as may be
required. For this purpose the teeth of the wheel G are shaped so as to permit
sufficient play between them to allow of the slight adjustment necessary to
calibrate the device.
The motor wheel L is located at the bottom of the ship close to the keel and is
seated partly within and partly outside of a pocket by which it is protected from

page_text: grounding when the vessel is in shallow water. The curved arms of the motor
wheel are engaged by the water in the forward movement of the ship, which results
in a rotary movement of the wheel, and the shaft K carrying the same. This
shaft passes vertically through a tubular casing extending upward from the
ship's bottom, and is journalled in suitable bearings provided therein.
By reason of its location, the shaft or arbor of the motor wheel is out of the
path of the live water current and is correspondingly protected from encumbrance
by driftage, such as sea-weed, rope-yarn, and the like. Moreover, the outer or
convex surfaces of the motor wheel blades in rising from the live water through
the dead-water chamber or pocket readily free themselves from any such driftage
while, at the same time, the dead-water in the chamber acts as a partial brake
upon the wheel to prevent its too rapid and violent revolution.
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. In a distance recorder for vessels, the combination with the motor wheel and
the power gearing driven thereby, of register gearing driven by the power gear-
ing through the intermediacy of a worm having an adjustable thread, and an
indicator for the register, whereby an adjustment of the thread may be made to
establish the correct rate of transmission between the power gearing and register
gearing and thus standardize or calibrate the register; substantially as described.
2. A distance recorder for vessels, comprising a register, power-transmitting
gearing therefor, and a motor wheel for actuating said gearing, the motor wheel
being mounted upon a shaft extending fore and aft of the ship and having blades
revolving partly within a dead-water chamber or pocket formed in the ship's
bottom; substantially as described.
Dental 11.
1711
1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.