New or Improved Instrument or Apparatus for Indicating the "Rule of the Road" at Sea.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 8th Jan., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Instrument or Apparatus for Indicating the
"Rule of the Road" at Sea.
I. VERNON LAMONNERIE DELVES BROUGHTON, of 108 Fenchurch Street, in the
City of London, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
In order to avoid collision of vessels at sea, certain rules and regulations have been
established involving the use, at night time, of lights of various colours, and part of
the education of a seaman consists of a knowledge of how to steer and otherwise
manage or direct his ship in order to avoid collision with another whose lights appear
in a given direction with reference to the course of his own ship and to the direction
of the wind with reference to the same. The rules and regulations established for a
seaman's guidance in these matters is called the "rule of the road," and being
necessarily somewhat complicated they are difficult to learn, and retain in the memory,
and are liable to be forgotten or mistaken at critical moments; and the object of my
invention is to produce an instrument or apparatus by manipulating which a person in
charge of a ship can ascertain, with great facility without an effort of memory, what
particular manoeuvre should be performed with regard to his own ship in order to
avert collision with another whose lights may be visible when the wind is blowing
from a certain direction. For this purpose I employ the following arrangements :-
A circular plate or card is arranged to turn on a centre on a second plate or card
of circular or other suitable shape. The circumference of the upper or moveable plate
or card is divided into say sixteen equal divisions representing points or directions of
the wind with regard to a vessel the outline of which is by preference depicted at the
centre of such plate or card, and which vessel may be supposed to represent that upon
which the observer is placed; but of course an arrow or other arbitrary figure
representing the centre line of such vessel will be sufficient for the purpose if
preferred. Four openings are made in the upper plate or card, and on the lower
plate are marked certain symbols or indications in such manner that when the upper
plate or card is turned into certain positions, one or more of these symbols or

page_text: indications will appear through the openings in the said upper plate or card. An
arrow or other suitable pointer is marked on a convenient part of the lower plate so
that any point of the circumference of the upper plate can be set thereto. This arrow
or pointer indicates the direction of the wind. It will now be understood that if the
upper plate or card be set so that the division on its circumference corresponding to
the direction in which the wind is blowing with reference to the ship coincides with
the arrow or pointer marked on the lower plate or card, the symbols or indications
which appear through the openings in the upper plate or card will show how the ship
should be manoeuvred in order to avoid collision with another ship whose light appears
in a certain direction and of a certain colour.
Tables of directions, signals and so forth, may be marked on either the upper or
lower plate or card for the guidance of the observer.
The instrument or apparatus will be found useful as an aid to learners as well as for
practical use on board ship.
Dated this 9th day of January 1888
V. L. D. BROUGHTON.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London,
Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Instrument, or Apparatus for Indicating the
"Rule of the Road" at Sea.
I, VERNON LAMONNERIE DELVES BROUGHTON, of 108 Fenchurch Street, in the
City of London, Master Mariner 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying two sheets of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
In order to avoid collision of vessels at sea certain rules and regulations have been
established, involving the use, at night time, of lights of various colours, and part of
the education of a seaman consists of a knowledge of how to steer and otherwise
manage or direct his ship in order to avoid collision with another the lights of which
appear in a given direction with reference to the course of his own ship, and to the
direction of the wind with reference to the same. The rules and regulations
establislied for a seaman's guidance in these matters is called the "rule of the road,"
and being necessarily somewhat complicated they are difficult to learn and retain in.
the memory, and are liable to be forgotten or mistaken at critical moments; and the
object of my invention is to produce an instrument or apparatus by manipulating
which a student or person in charge of a ship can ascertain with great facility, without
an effort of memory, what particular manoeuvre should be performed with regard to
his own ship, in order to avert collision with another the lights of which may be visible
when the wind is blowing from a certain direction. For this purpose I employ the
apparatus shown in the Drawings in which Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus,
Figure 2 a partial section of same on line X B of Figure 1, Figure 3 a partial section
of same on line B Y of Figure 1, and Figure 4 a view of the lower part of the
apparatus with the upper part removed.
A circular plate or card A is arranged to turn on a centre B on a second plate or
card of any suitable shape. The circumference of the upper or moveable plate or
card A is divided into say sixteen equal divisions representing points or directions of
the wind with regard to a sailing vessel the outline of which D is by preference
depicted at or near the centre of the plate or card A, and which vessel may be
supposed to represent that upon which the observer is placed but of course an arrow
or other arbitrary figure representing the centre line of such vessel will be sufficient
for the purpose if preferred. Eleven of the equal divisions on the circumference of
the plate or card A are marked respectively as shown in Figure 1 with the words
"Port tack" "Port beam" "2 points abaft port beam," "4 points abaft port beam,"
2 points on port quarter," "aft," "2 points on starboard quarter," "4 points abaft
starboard beam," "2 points abaft starboard beam," "Starboard bean," and "Starboard
tack" or other words of similar import indicating the direction of the wind with
reference to the ship at D. Openings E, F, G, H, I are made in the upper plate or
card A at different distances radially from the centre B; and on the lower plate C
"

page_text: are marked certain symbols or indications, as shown in Figure 4, in such manner that
that when the upper plate or card A is turned so that one or other of the eleven
divisions, marked with the words above given, coincides with the arrow or pointer
marked with the word "wind" on the part K secured to the lower plate C, one or
more of these symbols or indications will appear through the openings E, F, G, H, I
in the said upper plate or card A.
It will now be understood that if the upper plate or card A be set so that the
division on its circumference, corresponding to the direction in which the wind is
blowing with reference to the ship, coincides with the arrow or pointer marked
"wind
on the part K of the lower plate or card C, the symbols or indications which
appear through the openings E, F, G, H, I in the upper plate or card A will show how
the ship should be manoeuvred in order to avoid collision with another ship whose
light appears in a certain direction and of a certain colour.
The symbols on the lower plate Care of three different forms, cach form indicating
a. particular manoeuvre or action to be performed by the ship D. In the instrument
shown the symbol in the form of a star signifies "keep clear," the symbol in the form
of a plain circular disc signifies "stand on," and the symbol in the form of a circular
ring with a disc inside signifies "Procced with caution.". These symbols are shown
with their significations on the face of the moveable plate or card A as shown in black
in Figure 1 or on some other conspicuous part of the apparatus for the sake of easy
reference.
Some of the symbols are in the real apparatus coloured red, others green, and others
ylow (to indicate white) corresponding to the colours of the various lights used. In
the Drawings hereto annexed, the colour red is indicated by the symbol being dotted
all over, the colour green by the symbol being cross hatched, and the colour yellow or
white by the symbol being left plain.
It will be seen that the circular concentric rows E, F, G, H, and 12 of symbols
on the lower plate C, Figure 4, correspond respectively to the openings E, F, G, H
and I in the upper plate A.
Assuming now that the wind is 2 points on the starboard quarter of the ship on
which the observer is placed, the upper plate A is turned on the centre B by the
ring until the division of the upper plate A marked "2 points on starboard quarter"
corresponds with the arrow marked "wind" at the bottom of the apparatus as shown
in Figure 1. The result of this is that a green star-shaped symbol appears through
the opening E. a red disc-shaped symbol through the opening F, a green star shaped
symbol through the opening G, a red ring and disc symbol through the opening H, a
green star-shaped symbol at the left hand side of the opening I, and a red ring and
disc symbol at the right hand side of the opening I. The meanings of the symbols
appearing at the various openings are as follows:-Assuming as before explained that
the ship D represents the ship upon which the observer is placed and that the wind is
blowing with reference to the ship in the direction indicated, if a green light be
visible from the ship say about 2 points before the port beam the star-shaped symbol
at the opening E indicates that the ship D should "keep clear"; if a green light be
visible from the ship say about 4 points before the port beam the star-shaped symbol
at the opening G indicates that the ship D should keep clear if a green light be
visible ahead the star shaped symbol at the left hand side of the opening I indicates
that the ship D should "keep clear"; if a red light be visible ahead the ring and disc
symbol at the right hand side of the opening I indicates that the ship D should
proceed with caution"; if a red light be visible from the ship say about 4 points
before the starboard beam the ring and disc symbol at the opening H indicates that
the ship D should proceed with caution"; and if a red light be visible say about
2 points before the starboard beam the disc-shaped symbol at the opening F indicates
that the ship D should "stand on."
66
Similarly, if it be desired to ascertain what should be done in the case of lights
appearing in similar directions with reference to the ship D when the wind is blowing
from another direction with reference thereto, the plate A is turned until that division
of it which corresponds to that direction of the wind coincides with the arrow marked

page_text: ፡፡
wind," and there then appear through the openings E, F, G, H and I others of the
symbols marked on the lower plate C, which indicate what is the proper manœuvre to
be performed in each case.
It will be understood that the number of symbols on the plate or card C, and the
number of openings in the plate or card A may be increased if desired without
departing from my invention. The instrument illustrated in the Drawings is
arranged to elucidate more particularly those cases which require a special effort of
memory, and are therefore somewhat difficult and confusing to a student or seaman.
Other cases which are provided for by the simple rule of the road, viz.-"Green to
green or red to red, Perfect safety "Go ahead"-are not provided for in the
instrument because they do not require any special effort of memory.
Tables of directions, signals and so forth may be marked on any suitable part of the
apparatus for the guidance of the observer, for example the various lights, or com-
binations of lights, indicating a sailing trawler, a drift net fisher, a telegraph ship, a
disabled ship and so forth, may be printed on the face of the plate A as shown
in Figure 1, the manoeuvre to be performed by the ship D in order to observe the
"rule of the road" in reference to such lights being indicated by the shape of the
symbols, as for the other manoeuvres above described.
The instrument or apparatus will be found useful as an aid to learners as well as for
practical use on board ship.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The new or improved instrument or apparatus for indicating the "rule of the road"
at sea consisting of a lower plate C with symbols marked thereon, and of an upper
moveable plate or card A revolving over the said plate C and having openings E, F,
G, H, I, through which the symbols on the lower plate Care visible when the said
upper plate or card A is turned into a position on the lower plate C corresponding to
the direction of the wind with reference to the ship, all arranged, combined and
indicating substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the Drawings
hereto annexed.
V. L. D. BROUGHTON.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London,
Agent.