IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING, INDICATING, AND REGISTERING THE SPEED OF STEAM SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND OTHER MOVING BODIES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Grafton Jones, of 37, Stoke Newington Road, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING, INDICATING, AND REGISTERING THE SPEED
OF STEAM SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND OTHER MOVING
BODIES."
Sealed the 9th March 1877, and dated the 12th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Grafton Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th September 1876.
JAMES GRAFTON JONES, of 37, Stoke Newington Road, in the County of Middle-
sex, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING, INDICATING, AND
REGISTERING THE SPEED OF STEAM SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, RAILWAY CARRIAGES,
AND OTHER MOVING BODIES."
It is well known that a suspended body, such as a pendulum when at rest, will
hang perpendicularly; but when the body to which it is attached is moved
horizontally the suspended weight or pendulum will assume au angle from the
perpendicular, such angle increasing or diminishing according as the speed of the
moving body increases or diminishes.
It is upon the principle of this natural law that apparatus is arranged and con-
structed in accordance with my Invention so as to ascertain, indicate, and register
the speed of a steam ship or other vessel, a railway or other carriage, or other body
moving horizontally For thus purpose a rod or bar is suspended, so as to act as a
pendulum, from any convenient part of a ship, vessel, locomotive, railway carriage,
or other body moving horizontally, the speed of which it is desired to ascertain.
This rod or bar is furnished with a semicircular graduated scale or index, the central
point of rest of the pendulum being zero, the divisions in opposite directions indicating
knots, niiles, or parts of such distances.
Opposite to the suspended bar or pendulum a pointer is fixed, being attached to
the ship or other moving body, such pointer indicating upon or opposite to the
index the degree of angle which the bar or pendulum assumes from the perpendicular
as the ship or other body moves in either direction, the distance from the per-
pendicular relative to the speed being first carefully ascertained and set out upon
the index.

page_text: In place of employing a fixed pointer and moveable index, the pointer may be
arranged to move around the face of a stationary dial.
In order to register the varying speeds of a ship, carriage, or other body moving
horizontally, a pencil or marker may be mounted upon the suspended bar or
pendulum, the point of which peneil or marker is placed in contact with a paper or
other moving surface actuated by clockwork or otherwise, by which a diagram will
be produced, as is well understood, indicating the varying speeds at which the ship
or other body has moved during a given period of time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Grafton Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th March 1877.
JAMES GRAFTON JONES, of 37, Stoke Newington Road, in the County of Middle-
sex, Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING, INDICATING, AND
REGISTERING THE SPEED OF STEAM SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, RAILWAY CARRIAGES,
AND OTHER MOVING BODIES."
It is well known that a suspended body, such as a pendulum when at rest, will
hang perpendicularly, but when the body to which it is attached is moved
horizontally, the suspended weight or pendulum will assume an angle from the
perpendicular, such angle increasing or diminishing according as the speed of the
moving body increases or diminishes
It is upon the principle of this natural law that apparatus is arranged and con-
structed in accordance with my Invention so as to ascertain, indicate, and register
the speed of a steam ship or other vessel, a railway or other carriage, or other body
moving horizontally. For this purpose a rod or bar is suspended, so as to act as a
pendulum, from any convenient part of a ship, vessel, locomotive, railway carnage,
or other body moving horizontally, the speed of which it is desired to ascertain.
This rod or bar is furnished with a semicircular graduated scale or index, the contral
point of rest of the pendulum being zero, the divisions in opposite directions indicating
knots, miles, or parts of such distances
Opposite to the suspended bar or pendulum a pointer is fixed, being attached to
the ship or other moving body, such pointer indicating upon or opposite to the index
the degree of angle which the bar or pendulum assumes from the perpendicular as
the ship or other body moves in either direction, the distance from the perpendicular
relative to the speed being first carefully ascertained and set out upon the index.
In place of employing a fixed pointer and moveable index, the pointer may be
arranged to move around the face of a stationary dial.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a front view of apparatus arranged in accordance with my
Invention. a is a rod, bar, or plate suspended (so to act on a pendulum) from a
beam 6 or any convenient part of a ship or other moving body the speed of which
it is desired to indicate. This rod, bar, or plate has an index or graduated scale a¹
thereon which is intended to indicate knots, miles, or parts of such or other distances.
Opposite or in front of the suspended rod or plate a on the same pin or axis da
pointer c is fixed by means of a set screw c² pointing to zero when the ship or body
is at rest. The bar or plate a being free to move, and the pointer c being fixed, it
will indicate the angle assumed by the suspended bar or plate, according to the
speed at which the ship or body moves.
Figure 2 shows a front view of apparatus arranged to act in accordance with my
Invention in like manner to that previously described, in which the pointer is

page_text: arranged to move around a circular dial mounted as follows:-
- Is a circular dial or
index fixed by pins or otherwise to a back plate el, a space being left between the
dial and back plate for the suspended bar or pendulum fto move between, such bar
or pendulum fbeing clearly shown in Figure 3, in which Figure the dial plate e is
removed.
In order to counteract the "pitching" motion of a ship or vessel the instrument
is suspended upon two parallel rods g, g, suspended and free to move on pins g¹, g³,
fixed to a beam or other part of a vessel as shown in the Drawing It will thus
be seen that when the vessel "pitches" the apparatus will retain its vertical position
and the bar f suspended from the point f carried by the back plate will assume its
relative angle to the dial plate according to the speed at which the vessel is moving.
On the bar fa curved toothed rack is formed which gears into a pinion mounted
on an axis carried by the dial e and back plate e¹, a pointer i is fixed on the axis of
the pinion h in front of the dial, so that any movement of the suspended bar f is at
once transmitted to the pointer i, which clearly indicates the rate of speed upon the
dial.
In order to register the varying speeds of a ship, carriage, or other body moving
horizontally, a pencil or marker may be mounted upon the suspended bar or
pendulum, the point of which pencil or marker is placed in contact with a paper or
other moving surface actuated by clockwork or otherwise, by which a diagram will
be produced, as is well understood, indicating the varying speeds at which the ship
or other body has moved during a given period of time.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details herein described so long as the broad principle of my
Invention is retained, but what I claim 15,-
First. The improved method of ascertaining, indicating, and registering the speed
of steam ships and other vessels, railway carriages, and other moving bodies, by
means of a suspended bar, weight or pendulumn, substantially in the manner herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangement and application of apparatus for
ascertaining, indicating, and registering the speed of steam ships and other vessels
and other moving bodies, substantially in the manner herein-before described and
represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed
In witness whereof, I, the said James Grafton Jones, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.
J GRAFTON JONES. (L.S.)