APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF THE "IMPROVEMENTS IN RUDDER IN VESSELS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Joseph Westrup, of No. 10, Austin
Friars, in the City of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of
APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF THE
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
RUDDER IN VESSELS."
Sealed the 17th April 1874, and dated the 3rd January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Joseph Westrup
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd January 1874.
I, HENRY JOSEPH WESTRUP, of No. 10, Austin Friars, in the City of
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF THE RUDDER
IN VESSELS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to lamp and semaphore indicating apparatus
connected to and operated automatically by the rudder or helm for the
purpose of shewing at a distance the position of the said rudder or helm,
and consequently the direction in which a vessel is steering. Insuch
apparatus it is necessary that the desired colour of the light exhibited, or

page_text: the position of the semaphore arm, or other indicating medium employed
should be presented and rendered visible in a definite manner as soon as
the rudder shall have been moved from the central position to port or
starboard to a certain extent, whilst any further movement of the rudder
in that direction shall not continue to act upon the lamp, semaphore, or
other indicating medium, nor shall the movement of the rudder back
towards the midship position act to change the colour of or obscure the
light, or alter the position of the semaphore or other indicating medium
until the rudder shall have returned into a certain position.
The object of one part of my Invention is to effect these movements
in a more perfect and reliable manner than has been practised heretofore.
This part of the Invention consists in effecting the required revolution of
the lamp or other indicating medium by means of toothed gearing or
equivalent instruments operated from the rudder preferably by cords or
chains, and so arranged that the driving instrument shall be thrown out
of action by means of a screw, cam, lever, clutch, or other suitable
mechanical device as soon as the lamp or other indicating medium shall
have been moved to the required extent, any further movement of the
rudder in the same direction being inoperative as to such lamp or other
indicating medium, whilst its movement back towards the midship
position is also inoperative thereon until the driving instrument shall
have been thrown into action again by the return of the rudder into a
certain position.
I also effect the same object by means of a cord or chain operated
from the rudder, and having upon it a knot or knots, or an enlargement
or enlargements which engage or engage with certain guide wheels and
peculiarly shaped forks or projections in connection with the lamp or
other indicating medium in order to turn it to the required extent,
disengaging itself or themselves therefrom during the rest of the motion
of the rudder to that side, and re-engaging therewith at the proper time
on the return of the rudder towards the midship position to turn the
lamp or other indicating medium back again.
When necessary I employ a brake or locking apparatus to retain the
lamp or other indicating medium in position when the driving means
are thrown out of action and until such driving means are again required
to act.
Heretofore, when revolving lamps with fixed shades, or revolving
shades and fixed lamps or semaphores have been used for indicating the

page_text: position of the rudder these lamps and shades or semaphores have been
attached to the mast or other points of support, and have been difficult
to adjust and handle. The object of another part of my Invention is to
obviate this inconvenient mode of arrangement and to enable those
instruments to be handled from the deck. I effect this by adapting to
such lamps, shades, or semaphores running and guiding tackle whereby
they may be hoisted or lowered from the deck and maintained in
position without the necessity of going aloft to attach or detach them
whilst the necessary rotatory movement may be imparted to them when
in position by the apparatus forming the first part of this Invention, or
by any other means that may be found suitable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Joseph Westrup in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JOSEPH WESTRUP, of 10, Austin Friars, in the City of London, Gentle.
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Joseph Westrup, Her
special license that I, the said Henry Joseph Westrup, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Joseph
Westrup, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times.
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF THE RUDDER
IN VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Joseph Westrup, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
.

page_text: the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Joseph Westrup, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, and the Drawings therein referred to
(that is to say) :-
-
My Invention relates to lamp and semaphore indicating apparatus
connected to and operated automatically by the rudder or helm for the
purpose of showing at a distance the position of the said rudder or helm,
and consequently the direction in which a vessel is steering. In such
apparatus it is necessary that the desired colour of the light exhibited, or
the position of the semaphore arm, or other indicating medium employed
should be presented and rendered visible in a definite manner as soon as
the rudder shall have been moved from the "midship" position to
"port" or starboard to a certain extent, whilst any further move-
ment of the rudder in that direction shall not continue to act upon the
lamp, semaphore, or other indicating medium, nor shall the movement
of the rudder back towards the "midship" position act to change the
colour of or obscure the light, or alter the position of the semaphore or
other indicating medium until the rudder shall have returned into a
certain position.
"
The object of one part of my Invention is to effect these movements
in a more perfect and reliable manner than has been practised hereto-
fore. And to this end I employ a cord or chain operated from the
rudder, and having upon it a knot or. knots, or an enlargement or
enlargements which engages or engage with certain guide wheels and
peculiarly shaped forks or projections in connection with the lamp or
other indicating medium in order to turn it to the required extent,
disengaging itself or themselves therefrom during the rest of the motion
of the rudder to that side, and re-engaging therewith at the proper time
on the return of the rudder towards the "midship" position to turn the
lamp or other indicating medium back again.
In Sheet 1 of the Drawings Fig. 1 represents a side elevation partly a
in section of a revolving signal lamp, with its outer case or shade;
Fig. 2, a front elevation of same; Fig. 3, a sectional plan of the case or

page_text: shade with the lamp removed, showing certain parts situated below the
lamp. Similar letters refer to like parts in each of the Figures.
A is the case or shade in which the lamp revolves, having an opening
B in the front part thereof, through which the light of the lamp is
visible when one of its lenses is brought to coincide with it. C is the
lamp preferably of a circular form with red, green, and white lenses,
each subtending say one-third of the circumference, or instead of a
white lens a blank opaque shade may be used to obscure the light. The
lamp is placed in the case or shade A, and rests upon a turning plate D
shown in detached plan at Fig. 4, a pivot E fixed to the under side of
the plate D fits into a socket or step F fastened to the bottom G of the
case or shade A, and forms the centre on which the plate D revolves.
H is a grooved pulley turning freely on the exterior of the socket or step
F, and so adapted as to revolve free from contact with the plate D, so as
to prevent the latter from being turned by frictional contact with the
former. I is a cord taking into the groove of the pulley H, the ends
thereof being connected to the rudder or helm as hereafter explained.
On the cord I is the knot or enlargement J, and on the plate D are
formed the forks or projections K, K³, shaped and disposed in a peculiar
manner suitable for bringing about the result to be hereafter described.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The lamp C rests upon
the plate D, being guided into and maintained in the proper position
thereon by means of suitable guides, such as L and M in Fig. 4. In
the position of the plate D shewn in Fig. 4, with the forks or projections
as shewn in black dotted lines, the lamp C would have its white lens or
blank space, as the case may be, coinciding with the opening B in the
case or shade A corresponding to the "midship" position of the helm or
rudder. On the helm or rudder being moved, say to "port," the cord I
will be drawn in the direction of the arrow turning the pulley H, but
the latter being loose on the socket or step F the cord will have no effect
upon the table D, or the lamp upon it until the enlargement J on the
cord comes against the fork or projection K. When this takes place the
further movement of the cord will cause the knot or enlargement J to
act upon the fork or projection K so as to turn the plate D until the
forks or projections K, K', assume the position shown in red dotted lines
Fig. 4, the lamp C being thereby turned with the plate D one-third of a
revolution, so as to bring the red coloured lens opposite the opening B
in the case or shade A, suitable stops being provided to prevent its going

page_text: too far. The further movement of the helm or rudder then draws the
knot or enlargement J clear of the fork or projection K, and no further
movement of the lamp will take place until the helm or rudder, being
returned towards the "midship" position, the knot or enlargement J in
its backward movement comes against the splayed portion of the fork or
projection K¹ in red dotted lines, returning the plate D into or nearly
into the normal position shewn by the black dotted lines K, K³, in
Fig. 4, and consequently restoring the lamp nearly to the position from
which it started with its white lens or blank space, as the case may be,
opposite the opening B in the case or shade A.
The movement of the helm or rudder to "starboard" will cause the
knot or enlargement J on the cord I to turn the table D, and con-
sequently the lamp, by means of the fork or projection K¹ in the reverse
direction, until the said forks or projections K, K', assume the position
shewn in green dotted lines Fig. 4, when the green colored lens will be
brought opposite the opening B in the case or shade A, the further
movement of the helm or rudder in the same direction and its return to
the central position being inoperative on the lamp until the knot or.
enlargement on the cord comes in contact with the splayed portion of
the fork or projection K in green dotted lines in Fig. 4 similarly to the
action above described for the "port" movement of the helm or
rudder.
It will be understood that the play of the knot or enlargement J
between the two forks K and K¹ is for the purpose of allowing the small
movement of the rudder which is generally inoperative to alter the
course of the ship without moving the lamp, so as to avoid a false
indication by reason of the colored lens becoming partially visible or
partially obscured before the ship has actually altered her course. The
amount of movement of the helm or rudder required to effect the
requisite movement of the lamp will be dependant upon the length of
the radial part of the forks or projections K, K¹, the still further move-
ment of the helm or rudder, or the "over run as it is called in this
class of apparatus taking place as before explained independently of the
lamp and its turning plate D.
"
In order to prevent any rotary movement of the lamp other than that
imparted to it by the cord it is desirable to cause the plate D to turn
somewhat stiffly by applying in any convenient manner, such as by a
friction clip to the pivot sufficient frictional resistance to hold it securely

page_text: in position when the knot or enlargement J is not acting on the forks or
projections K, K¹.
The ends of the cord I are connected to the helm or rudder by being
hooked to the endless cord, as shewn at Fig. 7, Sheet 2, wherein N
represents the said endless cord in connection with and operated by the
helm or rudder in the manner now well understood, and O the ends of
the said cord I.
It will be readily understood that instead of the lamp revolving as
inside a case or shade as above described, a shade with suitably disposed
colored or white glasses or blank opaque spaces may be caused to revolve
outside the lamp by the apparatus above described.
The turning plate, with forks or projections operated by a cord as
above described may be adapted to other forms of indicating media
besides the lamp or shade, such, for example, as a semaphore arm, for
which purpose it will be made to operate vertically instead of hori-
zontally, and proper means must be taken to balance the semaphore arm
or to otherwise maintain it in position when elevated. This may also be
done by a friction brake applied to its axis, or by ratchets and clicks.
Heretofore when revolving lamps with fixed shades or semaphores
have been used for indicating the position of a rudder, these lamps and
shades or semaphores have been, so far as I am aware, permanently
attached to the mast or other points of support, and have consequently
been difficult to adjust and handle. The object of another part of my
Invention is to obviate this inconvenient mode of arrangement, and to
enable those instruments to be handled from the deck. I effect this by
adapting to such lamps, shades, or semaphores running and guiding
tackle whereby they may be hoisted or lowered from the deck and main-
tained in position without the necessity of going aloft to attach or detach
them, whilst the necessary rotary movements may be imparted to them
when in position by the means and apparatus herein-before described, or
by any other means that may be found suitable.
In Sheet 2 of the Drawings Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of the
apparatus I prefer to employ for this purpose when using a revolving
lamp inside a stationary shade or a revolving shade outside a stationary
lamp. Fig. 7 a front elevation of same.
A* represents the mast of a ship; B*, the "top" or cross-trees" or
other permanent part suitable for the attachment of the apparatus; C,

page_text: the lamp and shade arranged as described in reference to Figs. 1 to 4,
Sheet 1; I, I, representing the cord for rotating the lamp connected to
the endless cord from the rudder, as already explained; D*, D*, two
arms fixed to the "top" or "cross-trees," against which the lamp case
bears and is steadied; Ex is a kind of cradle (shown to a larger scale in
Figure 5, Sheet 1) in which the lamp and its case or shade are placed; the
holes F*, F*, in the arms of the cradle springing over the studs G*, G*,
in the side of the lamp case (see also Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1) the studs
H*, H*, in the lamp case coming against the lower part of the cradle,
as shown at Figure 6; cords J, J, are attached at one end to each of the
upper ends of the cradle. These cords pass over corresponding pulleys
in the arms D*, D*, the other ends thereof being connected to a distant
bar or bridle K*, from the centre of which another cord L passes under
a pulley M, and being carried up is fastened to the middle of the lower
and
side of the cradle as shown. The cradle Ex, cords J, J, bridle K*,
cord L thus constitute an endless guide frame in which the lamp is
suspended, the peculiar form and arrangement of the cradle being
intended to cause the lamp to tilt forward as it goes. up in order that
its top may not foul the arms D*, D*, the hauling up being effected by
the cords J, J, until the lamp is nearly up to its proper position, when
the line N* attached to the bail of the lamp case is hauled taut and
secured, bringing the lamp vertical and straining the guide cords J, J,
& L, so as to hold the lamp securely against the arms D*, D*. If
preferred a fixed flat board may be used instead of the arms D*, D*, for
the lamp to rest against.
Figure 8 shows the arrangement when using a semaphore arm; R, R,
are guide lines secured at their bottom ends to the deck or other con-
venient place and triced up by means of a block and fall marked S, and
distance or bridle piece T; U is a plate provided with eyes at the corner,
through which the guide lines R, R, pass. The plate U has centred
upon it the semaphore, which is raised to "port" or starboard" by
the cords I, I, attached to the arms V, V, the other ends being con-
nected to the rudder in a manner similar to that described in reference
to Fissures 6 and 7.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would have it under-
stood that what I claim as my Invention is,―
First. The construction, arrangement, adaptation, and use of apparatus
for effecting and regulating the movements of lamps or other indicating
media in relation to the motion of the rudder, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of the Drawings.
Second. The means of and apparatus for hoisting, lowering, and
guiding into position revolving lamps, shades, semaphores, or other
indicating media, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
by Figures 5, 6, 7 & 8 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Joseph Westrup, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Third day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.