AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND RECORDING THE SPEED OF SHIPS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Massey, of 4, Birchin Lane, in the City of
London, and Thomas Savage, of 19, Soley Terrace, Pentonville, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND
RECORDING THE SPEED OF SHIPS."
Sealed the 12th January 1858, and dated the 8th October 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Massey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
October 1857.
We, TномAS MASSEY, of 4, Birchen Lane, in the City of London, and
THOMAS SAVAGE, of 19, Soley Terrace, Pentonville, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAIN-
ING AND RECORDING THE SPEED OF SHIPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement on the apparatus known
as Massey's patent log, which consists of a train of toothed wheels contained
in a case, and receiving motion from a screw mounted on an axis projecting
through the case; this axis has connected with it a screw apparatus so con-
structed as to rotate when drawn through the water, thus giving motion to the
train of wheels by which the number of revolutions made by it is recorded.
The screw apparatus or rotator, as it is called, is connected to the axis of the
screw which drives the train of wheels by means of a short piece of cord,

page_text: made fast at the end to a metal rod a few inches long, and this short netal
rod is attached to the axis of the screw by a universal joint; and to prevent
pieces of seaweed catching in the joint, so as to make the axis fast to the parts
of the apparatus which do not rotate, a fixed shield projecting over the uni-
versal joint has been employed; but in practice this is not found to obviate the
difficulty, as seaweed sometimes becomes entangled in the joint, and then gets
wound up into a lump which fills the shield. Now our Invention consists in
mounting a bell-formed shield on the rotating axis, so that should the sea-
weed become entangled in the joint and get wound up as before explained so
as to fill the shield as the joint and shield revolve together, no inconvenience
will result therefrom, and the shield will effectually prevent any piece of weed
becoming entangled with the joint, and also with the other parts of the
apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Massey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
MASSEY, of 4, Birchin Lane, in the City of London, and THOMAS SAVAGE, of
19, Soley Terrace, Pentonville, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight bundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Massey and Thomas Savage, Her special licence that we the
said Thomas Massey and Thomas Savage, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Massey and Thomas Savage,
our 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPA-
RATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND RECORDING THE SPEED OF SHIPS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Massey and Thomas Savage,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or
their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same was to be performed, and cause 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 we, the said Thomas Massey and Thomas Savage,
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, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object an improvement on the apparatus known
as Massey's patent log, which consists of a train of toothed wheels contained
in a case, and receiving motion from a screw mounted on an axis projecting
through the case. This axis has connected with it a screw apparatus so
constructed as to rotate when drawn through the water, thus giving motion
to the train of wheels by which the number of revolutions made by it is re-
corded. The screw apparatus or rotator, as it is called, is connected to the
axis of the screw which drives the train of wheels by means of a short piece
of cord made fast at the end to a metal rod a few inches long, and this short
metal rod is attached to the axis of the screw by a universal joint; and to
prevent pieces of seaweed catching in the joint so as to make the axis fast to
the parts of the apparatus which do not rotate, a fixed shield projecting over
the universal joint has been employed; but in practice this is not found to
obviate the difficulty, as seaweed sometimes becomes entangled in the joint,
and then gets wound up into a lump which fills the shield. Now our Inven-
tion consists in mounting a bell-formed shield on the rotating axis, so that
should the seaweed become entangled in the joint and get wound up as before
explained, so as to fill the shield as the joint and shield revolve together, no
inconvenience will result therefrom, and the shield will effectually prevent
any piece of weed becoming entangled with the joint, and also with the other
parts of the apparatus.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a side view of a log, and Figure 2 shews part of an edge
view of the upper end of the log, in order to point out how it is preferred to
attach the eye to which the log line is attached. a is the moveable eye to
which the log line is attached, and this eye is affixed to the upper end of the
log by being forked, as is shewn. The screw bolt 6 is passed through the
holes in the forked parts a¹, a¹, and through the hole in the upper end of the
log, and such screw bolt is fixed by the screw nut 6'; the other end of the

page_text: screw bolt is cranked as shewn at 62; or the bolt may be fixed by a cotter or
other convenient means. Near the lower end of the axis c, to which the
weight is attached by a short cord, but above the universal joint c¹ which
is shewn by dotted lines, there is a bell-shaped guard d affixed, which rotates
with the axis e by which the universal joint c¹ of the axis c is protected, as will
be readily understood by reference to the Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Massey and Thomas Savage
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
THO MASSEY. (L.S.)
THOS SAVAGE. (L.S.)