An Improvement in Electric Apparatus for Engine Room Signalling and like purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 30th Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Electric Apparatus for Engine Room Signalling
and like purposes.
We, SIDNEY MAROW EARDLEY-WILMOT of 23 Cranley Gardens, South
Kensington, Retired Captain Royal Navy, WALTER THOMAS WRIGHT
THACKERAY, of 195 Buckingham Palace Road, in the County of London,
Engineer, SYDNEY HOARE of 41 St. Georges Road in the County of London,
Gentleman, and KEITH RONALD MACKENZIE, of Bembridge, Isle of Wight,
Gentleman, 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 :-
This invention relates to signalling apparatus such as is employed on shipboard
for communicating from the bridge or other locality to the engine room, and to
apparatus for like purposes, and consists in certain electrical appliances for
rendering more certain obedience to the signals transmitted. Apparatus of this
kind was described in the Specification No. 8302 of 1888, and the present
invention is directed to an improvement in this apparatus which will now be
described.
37
"
The bandle of the transmitting instrument is, according to this invention,
arranged to work a commutating switch which, according as the transmitting index
points to "stop or to any of the orders "ahead," or to any of the orders "astern
completes an electrical circuit including a battery, a bell on or near the trans-
mitting instrument, a bell at or near the receiving instrument, and one or other of
tbree spring contact plungers arranged beside the weigh shaft or other reciprocating
part by which the valves of the engine are worked.
When an order is transmitted, the bells are rung and continue to ring until the
weigh shaft is moved so as to stop the engine or to cause it to move ahead or astern
as the case may be.
When it is moved in obedience to the order, a cam stud on the weigh shaft
pushes the appropriate spring plunger so as to break contact, and thereupon the
bells cease to ring and the officer who transmitted the order is thus apprised that
the order is obeyed. As the engines may be stopped by closing the steam valve
without moving the weigh shaft we prefer to provide another spring contact plunger
acted on by the valve when it is closed.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing is a diagram shewing, by way of example,
the electrical connections according to this invention from a transmitting
instrument A, which may be situated on the bridge, to the engine room.
Fig. 1 shews a modified arrangement of the commutating switch.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan and Fig. 3 is a front view, partly in section, of the
weigh shaft and spring contact plungers.
On the spindle a of the transmitter A, or it may be on a spindle a' geared to it
as shewn in Fig. 14, is fixed an insulated metal arm a². On a plate B are fixed
three insulated outer metallic segments b¹³ ³ and an inner segment b*. When
the transmitter spindle a or a' is moved so as to bear on one of the segments 61 62 63
it electrically connects that segment to the inner seginent 6. These segments are
connected by wires as shewn in Fig. 1 to a battery D, a bell E on or near the
transmitter A, a bell F in the engine room and to three plungers ggg and a
egment g. On the weigh shaft G is fixed a cam study which according as the
shaft is turned to one or other of its three positions corresponding respectively to
го

page_text: 66
stop," "
"
ahead," or astern" pushes the appropriate one of the plungers g²²
out of contact with the segment g thus opening the circuit and causing the bells to
cease ringing. A fourth spring contact plunger g is preferably arranged to be
moved out of contact with a plate g' when the steam valve is closed.
Electrical connections such as are above described might obviously be applied to
signalling instruments for other purposes, as for instance to direct steering, the
cam stud being in that case fixed on the rudder shaft and the three
plungers gly being appropriated respectively to the signals "port" "starboard
and "amidships."
Although we have shewn only three contact plungers, obviously a greater
number might be used, the switch being suitably arranged for them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
In combination with a signal transmitter, a commutating switch, an electrical
connection to a battery, bells and spring contact plungers operated substantially in
the manner and for the purposes set forth.
VIS
o ay
coruary
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.