Improvements in or connected with Search-light Projectors.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 30th Aug., 1894
.omplete Specification Left, 30th May, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Search-light Projectors.
We, JOHN BROKENSHIRE FURNEAUX of Victoria Works Gateshead, in
the County of Durham, Engineer and HENRY WALKER of Victoria Works
aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to enable the director in the conning-tower or
other suitably protected part of a battle-ship to control a search-light projector
situate at some other part of the ship, without the assistance of another person at
the projector itself, thus obviating, in time of action, the exposure of a man at,a
dangerous position.
To this end the arms or standards in which the projector proper is pivotted, are
secured on a platform which, in order that the direction of the rays from the
projector shall not vary with the vertical inclination of the ship, is mounted on a
suitable gimbal-frame and carries a weight sufficient to keep it approximately in a
horizontal position notwithstanding the rolling and pitching of the ship so that the
height at which light is cast on an object will be affected only, or approximately
so, by the vertical motion of the centres of gravity of the platform. The
horizontal and vertical adjustments of the projector are effected through suitable
gearing carried by the platform and operated by an electric motor or motors
also carried by the platform, the operation of the said motor, as well as that of the
gearing, being controlled by a suitable switch or switches in the conning-tower or
other protected place.
By the substitution of a search-light projector according to this invention for
the hand-regulated projectors at present in use a director will be enabled to control
the movement of the projector from the conning-tower according to desire; and the
only attention normally required at the search-light itself will be that occasionally
necessary for adjusting and renewing the carbons.
An arrangement of apparatus according to this invention is as follows:-
The aforesaid platform is mounted on rollers arranged to run on a suitable path
on the gimbal-frame aforesaid and its vertical axis is kept in position by another
set of rollers arranged to run on a flange of the gimbal-frame.
For the purpose of turning the lamp hood about its vertical axis, that part of
the gimbal-frame carrying the platform is provided with a rack which is adapted
to be connected by suitable speed reducing gear under the control of an electrically
operated clutch with a vertical shaft arranged co-axially with the search-light and
to be rotated by means of an electric motor, which, together with the said gear,
clutch, and shaft is mounted in suitable framework suspended from the said
platform.
Underneath the motor there is secured to the said framework a weight which
is so proportioned as approximately to keep the platform in a horizontal position
in the gimbal-frame, whatever may be, within certain fixed limits, the inclination
of the ship.
The inclination of the hood in a vertical plane is regulated by means of, a
toothed segment suitably secured to the hood and adapted to be connected by
suitable gearing and speed reducing mechanism, under the control of an
electrically operated clutch, with the vertical shaft aforesaid. Each clutch. is
or may be a friction clutch adapted to be operated by a sleeve arranged to slide ou

page_text: the said shaft and to be actuated by an electro-magnetic device comprising a
solenoid with core suitably connected to the corresponding sleeve. The solenoids
are connected by separate circuits to suitable two-way switches placed in the
conning-tower, these circuits having a common return through the armature of
the motor. The field of the motor is arranged to be constantly excited, so that
upon putting one of the switches into the position for, say, rotating the hood
clockwise as seen in plan, the current will pass through the corresponding solenoid,
putting its clutch into gear, and through the armature of the motor in the
direction for producing the required motion of the reducing gear.
As during the operation of rotating the hood, the whole of the working parts
revolve with it, a set of five contact-rings are provided; two of these contact-
rings serve for the current for exciting the field of the motor, a third for the
current for effecting the horizontal rotation, a fourth for effecting the vertical
rotation, and the fifth for the return of the last mentioned two currents.
A resistance may be arranged to be inserted in the wire attached to the fifth
of these contact-rings in order to enable the speed of the motor to be adjusted
during working and so give the operator complete control over the various
movements of the projector.
The gimbal-frame is carried by a support that is or may be of such a shape as
to enclose and protect the various parts carried by the platform.
han th Analista
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in or connected with Search-light Projectors.
We, JOHN BROKENSHIRE FURNEAUX, of Victoria Works, Gateshead, in
the County of Durham, Engineer, and HENRY WALKER, of Victoria Works
aforesaid, 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 object of this invention is to enable the director in the conning-tower or
other suitably protected part of a battle-ship to control a search-light projector
situate at some other part of the ship, without the assistance of another person at
the projector itself, thus obviating, in time of action, the exposure of a man at a
dangerous position.
To this end the arms or standards in which the projector proper is pivoted, are
secured on a platform which, in order that the direction of the rays from the
projector shall not vary with the vertical inclination of the ship, is mounted on a
suitable gimbal-frame and carries a weight sufficient to keep it approximately in a
horizontal position notwithstanding the rolling and pitching of the ship, so that the
height at which light is cast on an object will be affected only, or approximately
so, by the vertical motion of the centre of gravity of the platform. The horizontal
and vertical adjustments of the projector are effected through suitable gearing
carried by the platform and operated by an electric motor or motors also carried
by the platform, the operation of the said motor, as well as that of the gearing,
being controlled by a suitable switch, or suitable switches in the conning-tower or
other protected place.
By the substitution of a search-light projector according to this invention for
the hand-regulated projectors at present in use, a director will be enabled to
control the movement of the projector from the conning-tower according to desire;
and the only attention normally required at the search-light itself, will be that
occasionally necessary for adjusting and renewing the carbons.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shows partly in central vertical section and partly in elevation a search-.
light projector, mounted and controlled according to this invention.
Fig. 2 shows the projector and connected parts partly in side elevation, and
partly in central vertical section, taken in a plane at right angles to Fig. 1.
1 is an ordinary search-light projector pivoted as usual in arms or standards 2
secured upon a platform 3. This platform is provided on its underside with
rollers 4 arranged to run on a circular path 5 on the gimbal-frame, which comprises
an annular part 6 pivoted at 6* in a ring 6 that is pivoted at 6° in a fixed support 6%,
the two parts 6, 6b being pivoted so as to turn about axes at right angles to each
other as usual. The vertical axis of the platform is kept in position by a second
set of rollers 7 carried by the platform and arranged to run against the inner 'side
of a vertical flange 8 of the part 6 of the gimbal-frame, a rim 3* on the platform
extending around the outside of the said flange.
For the purpose of turning the lamp-hood about its vertical axis, the annular
part 6 of the gimbal-frame carrying the platform is provided with a circular rack 9
which is arranged to be connected through suitable speed-reducing gear comprising
a pinion 10 reduction gear 10" and bevel wheels 10 under the control of an
electrically operated clutch 11, with a vertical shaft 12 that is arranged co-axially
with the search-light projector and is adapted to be rotated by means of an electric
motor 13, which, together with the said speeding reducing gear, clutch, and shaft,
is mounted in a framework 14 suspended from the underside of the platform 3.
Underneath the motor 13 there is secured to the framework 14, a weight 15 which
is so proportioned as approximately to keep the platform 3 in a horizontal position
in the gimbal-frame, whatever may be, within certain fixed limits, the inclination
of the ship.
The inclination of the lamp-hood in a vertical plane is effected by means of a
toothed segment 16 suitably secured to the hood and adapted to be connected with
the vertical shaft 12, through gearing comprising toothed wheels 17, 17* on an
axle 17b, carried by one of the arms or standards 2, toothed wheel 17° carried by
the platform, and speed-reducing mechanism comprising a toothed wheel 18,
reduction gear 18 and bevel wheels 18 under the control of an electrically
operated clutch 19. Each of the clutches 11 and 19 is, in the example illustrated,
a friction-clutch adapted to be operated by a sleeve 20 arranged to slide on the
shaft 12 and to be actuated by an electro-magnetic device comprising a solenoid 21
with a core 22 connected by a clutch lever 22" to the corresponding sleeve 20.
The reduction gears 10 and 18" are of any suitable or known kind each enclosed
in a casing fixed in the frame 14. The friction-clutches 11 and 19 are also of
ordinary known construction. The solenoids 21 are connected by separate circuits
to suitable two-way switches placed in the conning-tower, these circuits having a
common return through the armature of the motor 13. The field of the motor is
arranged to be constantly excited, so that upon putting either of the switches into
the position say the one for, rotating the lamp-hood clockwise, as seen in plan, the
current will pass through the corresponding solenoid 21, putting its clutch into
gear, and through the armature of the motor in the direction for producing the
required motion of the reducing-gear.
27* fixed
As during the operation of rotation the hood horizontally, the whole of the
working parts revolve with it, a set of five contact-rings 23.. 27 are provided,
these rings being secured to a support of insulating material fixed to the frame-
work 14 and against which bear corresponding spring contacts 23"
to an insulating support 28 that is secured to a hollow carrier 29 fixed to the part 6
of the gimbal-frame. Two of the contact-rings, viz. 23 and 24 serve for the
current for exciting the field of the motor, a third 25, for the current for effecting
the horizontal rotation of the lamp-hood, a fourth 26, for that for effecting the
vertical rotation, of the lamp-hood and the fifth 27, for the return of the last
mentioned two currents.
A resistance may be arranged to be inserted in the wire attached to the

page_text: contact-rings 27 in order to enable the speed of the motor to be adjusted during
working and so give the operator complete control over the various movements of
the projector.
The annular support 6ª for gimbal-frame is carried by a support 30, which, in
the example illustrated, is of such a shape as to enclose and protect the various
parts suspended from the platform 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
j
1. A search-light projector wherein the arms or standards in which the projector
proper is pivoted, are secured upon a platform that is mounted to travel on a
gimbal-frame and is provided with a weight sufficient to keep its axis vertical, the
horizontal and vertical' adjustments of the projector being effected through gearing
carried by the platform and operated by an electric motor also carried by the
platform, the operation of the gearing and motor being controlled by a switch or
switches in a conning-tower or other place at a distance from the projector,
substantially as herein described.
2. The combination with a search-light projector, of apparatus constructed
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
"and shown in the accompanying drawings, whereby the projector can be operated
Trom a distant place as set forth.
from a distant place as set forth.
Dated this 30th day of May 1895.
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.'