Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1887
Complete Left, 26th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 29th Nov., 1887
I, RICHARD ROOD, 2 Winchester Road, Portswood, Southampton, Master Mariner,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in an instrument or log for indicating the speed of vessels
by registering the same on a horizontal plate worked by a single spring balance and
a line of from 20 fathoms upwards, according to the size of the vessel with lead
plummet in proportion. The plummet is towed in the water and the indicator can be
held in the hand or fixed as may be most convenient. The action is practically
instantaneous. The instrument or log can be placed under the deck with a wire
attached to it, leading to the trail line, to indicate the speed of the said ship below.
C
1007
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, RICHARD ROOD, of 2, Winchester Road, Portswood, Southampton, 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:
My invention relates to an improved instrument or log chiefly designed for registering
the speed of vessels.
Instruments of this class as heretofore constructed are usually designed to be
dragged through the water and are thereby liable to be lost for instance by becoming
entangled with wreckage, timber, baskets, weeds or other floating objects, also in most
cases a considerable time has to elapse before the speed can be ascertained.
The chief object of my invention is to provide a registering instrument which can
be retained aboard a vessel so that there is very little likelihood of its being lost over-
board and whereby the speed of the vessel can be at once ascertained. To this end
the said invention comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation of an instrument constructed according to
my invention and
Figure 2 is a section of the same on the line x, x, figure 1.
a, is a metal caso which as shewn comprises two circular tubes a¹, a³, adapted to
slide one within the other and each closed at its outer end b.
C,
is a spiral spring which is located in the case a, and firmly secured at one end c¹,
to the part a¹, of the case. As shewn the end of the said spring is hooked into an
opening formed in the shank d, to which a ring e, is attached. The other end of the
said spring is attached to a plate f, as shewn in Figure 1, which plate projects through
the end of the part a³, of the case and has an opening or perforation 9, to which a
line can be attached.
The plate, bears at f¹, upon the inside of the end b, of the part a³, of the case
so that if the spring is expanded the part a³, will be caused to slide within the
part a¹.
h, is a finger or pointer which is secured to the part a³, of the case and passes
through a slot i, in the part a¹, upon the edge of which is marked a scale of miles or
knots.
To the perforation 9, in the plate f, is attached a cord or line to which a plummet
or weight of egg shape or other desirable form is secured.
The operation of my improved log or instrument is as follows, that is to say, the
ring e, is firmly secured to some fixed part of the vessel where the scale can be easily
seen or it can be held in the hand and the plummet is then thrown overboard. The
pressure of the water upon the plummet as it is drawn forward with the ship causes
the expansion of the spring c, whereby the part a³, of the case a, is caused to move

page_text: within the part a¹, the index finger 1, indicating upon the scale the speed of the
vessel.
It is to be understood that the graduations of the scale are dependent upon the
strength of the spring and the weight of the plummet.
Although I have described the use of a spiral spring any other suitable form of
spring or its equivalent can be used therefor, for instance an elliptical spring could
be employed the motion of the two parts of the spring relatively to each other being
utilized to move a hand over a scale. Also instead of making the case round in
transverse section as hereinbefore described it may be square or of any other desirable
form.
My improved instrument besides serving to indicate the speed of a vessel may also
be used to indicate the speed of a current in which a vessel is lying. It also serves
for ascertaining when the ballast or cargo of a vessel is in proper trim and also what
effect is produced by the spreading or lowering of sails as, owing to its sensitiveness
and to its accessibility the variations of speed caused by the shifting of the ballast or
cargo or the raising or lowering of a sail being immediately indicated.
Another great advantage is that in case the line becomes entangled in wreckage or
the like the only loss liable to occur is that of the plummet.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. An instrument or log for indicating the movements relatively to each other of a
ship or vessel and the water in which the same floats, the said instrument comprising
a spiral or other spring or its equivalent adapted to be more or less strained according
to the pressure of water upon a plummet or weight attached by a line to one end of
the spring or its equivalent the other end of the said spring or its equivalent being
designed to be held or fixed in any suitable manner in combination with a scale and
pointer, substantially as described.
2. The improved instrument or log constructed substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawing.
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