Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1898
A communication from JOHANNES KARLSSON, Constructor, and CARL VICTOR
LONNQVIST, Engineer, both of Regeringsgatan, 47, Stockholm, in the Kingdom of
Sweden.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The present invention has for its object certain improved arrangements in such
logs or similar indicating apparatus as consist of a float connected with a dial-
apparatus placed on board the vessel and indicating and registering the resistance of
the water upon the float.
In the preferred construction of the apparatus within a case or box is placed an
axle connected with a spring which is at its other end fixed to the bottom or side of
the case:
On the axle there is fixed a disc on the periphery of which are disposed a
series of guiding rollers. To the disc there is also attached a spring one end of which
is fixed to a roller running loosely on the axle and on this roller the log-line is
attached and wound up. The log-line passes further over one of the guiding rollers
and then over the outer edges of all the rollers and back over the first roller and
finally it passes through the casing. The log line is wound round the loosely running
roller and thence round the discs or rollers in such a direction that, by the effect of
the resistance of the water upon the float it tends to overcome the tension of the
springs and consequently it tends to turn the disc fixed on the axle as the line is
being unwound from the roller. The peripheral rollers have for their principal
purpose to prevent the friction which would otherwise take place between the line
and the periphery of the disc.
To the first peripheral roller there is firmly connected a toothed wheel engaging
with a second toothed wheel running loosely on the main axle which wheel is firmly
connected to a third toothed wheel on the same axle and carrying a projecting pin.
This last wheel meshes with a smaller wheel regulated by an anchor or catch by
means of an escapement. During the rotation of the wheel on the main axle which
rotation is thus indirectly regulated by the anchor, the pin enters an oblique groove
in a fork piece adapted to be reciprocated up and down and which by means of a
frame pivotted thereto and provided with pawls actuates a counter of usual
construction.
When the vessel is running, the float is dragged behind it and meets with a certain
resistance from the water. The tension thus caused in the log-line is transferred to
the line roller and thereby the action of the spring is more or less overcome and the
line runs out the friction between the periphery of the disc and the line being
prevented by the rollers as aforesaid.

page_text: When the line is passing over the first roller this roller is set in motion and turns
by means of the toothed wheels the wheel on the main axle indirectly regulated by
the anchor and this wheel in its turn actuates the counter, as above stated. By this
means the same result is obtained as with a usual log, the period during which a
certain portion of the line is running out, being proportional to the degree of the
pressure acting upon the float, and thus by reading the number of points indicated
for a certain time by the counter, one can find both the rate of speed during the
same period and the distance run. The intermediate wheel may be set in a rotary
movement by any of the peripheral rollers, though it has been supposed here that it
is connected to the first roller over which the line passes out from its roller for the
reason that the said roller is touched by the line on a greater portion of its periphery.
As the roller disc is fixed to the main axle and as this axle is connected to a spring
fixed at the other end to the casing the pressure of the line acting principally upon
the peripheral roller and than also upon the periphery of the disc will at the same
time act upon this spring which in proportion to this pressure is contracted more or
less and correspondingly turns the axle firmly connected thereto. The degree of
such turning is indicated by a hand or pointed attached to the axle and moving upon
a dial.
On this dial one can read the degrees of water-pressure for the moment
acting upon the float, and thus the rate of speed may be directly ascertained.
The anchor work may be substituted by any other clockwork, as it only has for its
purpose to prevent the line from running out too fast.
The log-line may be fixed to and wound direct upon the disc in which case the
spring and the friction-rollers as well as the clock-work and the counter may be
dispensed with and the speed indicated only by the axle pointer or hand and dial.
The float preferably consists of a piece of rope, plaited or twisted of about three
feet in length and connected to the log-line by means of a swivel intended to prevent
twisting of the log-line.
Such a float-rope has the advantage of following the contours of the waves on
account of its flexibility and besides from the numerous and uniforms depressions and
protuberances of its surface, it offers the water a great many frictional contact points,
the pressure of water still having no power to interfere with the progress of the
vessel. In consequence hereof, the springs of the indicating apparatus inay be very
weak and sensitive.
Dated this wrth da
1007
Improvements in or relating to Logs and Speed Indicators for
Ships.
A cominunication from JOHANNES KARLSSON, Constructor, and CARL VICTOR
LONNQVIST, Engineer, both of Regeringsgatan, 47, Stockholm, in the Kingdom
of Sweden.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
The present invention has for its object certain improved arrangements in such

page_text: logs and speed indicating apparatus, as consist of a float connected with a dial-
apparatus placed on board the vessel and indicating and registering the resistance of
the water upon the float, and thereby the rate of travel.
Such an improved apparatus is represented in the annexed drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a plan of the dial-apparatus with the bottom removed, Fig. 2 is a side-view
of the same with the case removed, Fig. 3 is the same shown from above, Fig. 4 is a
vertical section through the apparatus, Fig. 5 is a counter for registering the rate of
speed, that has been inade during a certain lapse of time, Fig. 6 shows the manner
in which the apparatus is arranged on board the vessel, and Fig. 7 is a detail of the
float.
In the preferred construction of the apparatus within a case or box 1 is placed a
spindle 2 connected with a spiral spring 3 which is at its other end fixed to the
bottom or side of the case 1. On the spindle 2 there is fixed a disc 4 on the
periphery of which are disposed a series of guiding rollers 5ª, 5b, etc. To the disc 4
there is also attached a spring 6 (Fig. 4) the other end of which is fixed to a roller 7
loose on the axle 2, and on this roller 7 the log-line is attached and wound up. The
log-line then passes over one of the guiding rollers 5" and then over the outer edges
of all the other rollers and back over the first roller 5*, and finally it passes through
the casing 1 as shown in Fig. 1. The log-line is wound round the roller 7 and
thence round the discs or rollers 5* 5' &c. in such a direction that, by the effect of
the resistance of the water upon the float, it tends to overcome the tension both of
the spring 6 connecting the disc 7 to the disc 4 as well as of the spring 3 connected
to the disc 4, and consequently it tends to rotate the disc 4 as it is being unwound
from the roller 7. The rollers 5, 5b &c. have for their principal purpose to prevent
the friction which would otherwise take place between the line and the periphery of
the disc. To the roller 5* there is firmly connected, by a spindle firmly secured to
both, a toothed wheel 8 engaging with a toothed wheel 9 mounted loosely on the
main axle 2, which wheel is firmly connected to a third toothed wheel 10 on the
same axle, carrying a projecting pin 11, (Fig. 5). This last wheel 10 meshes with
a toothed pinion 14, regulated by an anchor or catch 12 by means of an escapement 13.
In the rotation of the wheel 10, which rotation is thus indirectly regulated by the
anchor 12, the pin 11 enters an oblique groove 15ª in a fork 15 (Fig. 5) which is
adapted to be reciprocated up and down, and which by means of a frame pivotted
thereto and provided with pawls, actuates a counter 16, of ordinary construction.
In the type shown a series of ratchet wheels a are shown the unit wheel of each
having a deeper indentation (6 Fig. 5) for the zero, each succeeding wheel having a
deeper zero indentation than the preceding one. Hence when the first pawl has
rotated its wheel one revolution it enters the deeper indentation, thus causing the
adjacent pawl to engage with the "tens" wheel, until it in its turn enters the deep
indenture in its wheel, and so on. Therefore at each rotation of the wheel 10,-
driven by the gearing 8 and 9 from the roller 5-its pin 11 will cause the forked
pawl-holder 15 to reciprocate and thereby cause the "unit" pawl to advance its
toothed wheel one tooth or division.
When the vessel is travelling, the float is dragged behind it, and meets with a
certain resistance from the water, dependent upon the speed of the vessel. The
tension thus caused in the log-line is transferred to the disc 7, on which the line is
wound, and thereby the tension of the spring 6 is more or less overcome and the line
runs out, the friction between the periphery of the disc 4 and the line being
diminished by the rollers 5 &c. as aforesaid.
As the disc 4 is fixed to the spindle 2, and as this spindle is connected to the
spring 3, the pressure of the line acting principally upon the peripheral roller 5* and
then also upon the periphery of the disc 4, will at the same time act upon the
spring 3, which, in proportion to this pressure is contracted more or less, and
correspondingly turns the spindle 2 firmnly connected thereto. The degree of such
turning is indicated by a hand or pointer 17 attached to the spindle and moving upon
a dial. On this dial one can read the degrees of water-pressure for the moment
acting upon the float, and thus the rate of speed may be directly ascertained.

page_text: It will thus be seen that when the line is passing over the first roller 5ª, this roller
is set in motion and turns, by means of toothed wheels 8 and 9, the wheel 10,
indirectly regulated by the anchor 12, and this wheel 10 in its turn actuates the
counter, as above stated. The period during which a certain portion of the pressure
line is running out, being proportional to the degree of the pressure acting upon the
float, the counter will indicate the average rate of speed during the same period and
thus one can easily calculate the distance run. The wheel 8 may be set in rotary
movement by any of the peripheral rollers 5, though it has been supposed here that
it is connected to the first roller 5, over which the line passes out from roller 7,
for the reason that said roller 5 is in contact with the line over a greater
portion of its periphery, and thereby chance of the rope slipping without rotating the
roller is lessened.
.
The log line when passing over the roller 5ª, turns the disc 4 according to the
resistance between the water and the float which disc being firmly connected to the
spindle 2, the degree of resistance and therefore speed is indicated by the hand 17.
Now the roller 5ª will at the same time rotate when the line runs out, and this
movement, is transmitted, as stated, by intermediate toothed wheels and a regulating
escapement device of ordinary construction, to the counter, which may be of any
usual construction.
The two fold operation of the device is as follows:-
The counter will operate from the time the float is thrown overboard until the line
has completely run out. By noting the time that it takes to run out, or the time
taken for a definite length or number of fathoms of rope to run out, the actual speed
of the vessel at that time can be ascertained and therefore the distance run in a
specified time. On the other hand the pointer 17 will indicate the water pressure
acting at any moment upon the float; and thereby the rate of speed may be
ascertained or indicated on the dial:
The anchor device may be substituted by any other regulating mechanism, as it
only has for its purpose to prevent the line from running out too fast.
The log line may be fixed to and wound directly upon the disc 4, in which case
the spring 6, the roller 7 and friction rollers 5, as well as the clockwork and the
counter 16 may be dispensed with, and the speed indicated only by the pointer or
hand 17 and dial.
The float 18 consists of a piece of rope, plaited or twisted so as to present an
uneven surface, of about three feet in length and connected to the log line by means
of a swivel to prevent twisting or "kinking" of the log line.
Such a rope float has the advantage of following the contours of the waves on
account of its flexibility, and besides, from the numerous and uniform depressions
and the protuberances of its surface, it offers the water a great many frictional contact
points the pressure of water having, however, no power to interfere with the progress
of the vessel. In consequence thereof the springs of the indicating apparatus may
be comparatively weak and sensitive.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. Log indicating-apparatus comprising a casing provided with a spindle, as 2, and
pointer, said spindle being connected to a spring, as 3, and discs, as 4 and 7, upon
the latter of which the log-line is wound, in combination with friction rollers 5
and transmission and clockwork mechanism acting upon a counter 16, the log-line
being connected to a plaited or twisted float substantially as described.
2. A flexible float consisting of rope plaited or twisted so as to present numerous
and uniform depressions and protuberances on its surface thereby offering an extended
surface and numerous points of frictional resistance to the water, substantially as
described.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete ship's log

page_text: and speed indicating apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
D
2212 1
1005