IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING THE SPEED OF SHIPS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolphe Ernest Ragon, of Bernard Street, Russell
Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING THE SPEED OF SHIPS."-
A communication from Lambert Alexandre
Sealed the 31st March 1857, and dated the 28th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th October 1856.
I, ADOLPHE ERNEST RAGON, of Bernard Street, Russell Square, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING THE SPEED OF
SHIPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in a method of arranging apparatus for indicating
and recording the speed of ships. For this purpose a cylinder is used, in
which a piston works; this piston is exposed to the pressure produced by the
resistance of the water as the ship passes through it. At the back of the
piston is a spring, which becomes compressed to a greater or less degree by
the resistance of the water; the position, therefore, of the piston in the
cylinder depends on the speed at which the ship is travelling through the
water. The piston is connected by a chain and rod passing by a tube into the
ship. The motion of the piston is by suitable gearing communicated to an

page_text: indicator or pointer, which constantly indicates the speed on a dial, and the
speed of the ship is recorded by means of a pencil or marker, the point of
which is in contact with a surface receiving regular motion by clock-work; a
line is thus marked on the travelling surface, and from the nature of this line.
the speed of the ship at any past time may be ascertained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ADOLPHE
ERNEST RAGON, of 46, Bernard Street, Russell Square, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS-Her_most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twonty-eighth day of October, in-the-year-of-our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year-of-Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Adolphe Ernest Ragon, Her special licence that I, the said Adolpho.
Ernest Ragon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Adolphe Eruest Ragon, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to timo 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING THE SPEED OF SHIPS,"
communication from Lambert Alexandre) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon, my executors or administra-
tors, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in 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 I, the said Adolphe Ernest Ragou, 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 consists in a method of arranging apparatus for indicating
and recording the speed of ships. For this purpose a cylinder is used, in

page_text: which a piston works; this piston is exposed to the pressure produced by the
resistance of the water as the ship passes through it. At the back of the
piston is a spring, which becomes compressed to a greater or less degree by
the resistance of the water; the position, therefore, of the piston in the
cylinder depends on the speed at which the ship is travelling through the
water. The piston is connected by a cliain and rod passing by a tube into
the ship. The motion of the piston is by suitable gearing communicated to
an indicator or pointer, which constantly indicates the speed on a dial, and the
speed of, the ship is recorded by means of a pencil or marker, the point of
which is in contact with a surface receiving regular motion by. clock-work; a
line is thus marked on the travelling surface, and from the nature of this line
the speed of the ship at any past time may be ascertained.
And in order that the said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section; Figure 2 is an end view, also
partly in section; and Figure 3 is a horizontal section of apparatus arranged
according to this Invention.
A is a cylinder in which the piston B works; C is a piston rod connected
with the said piston, and passing through the guides D and E; F is a chain
connected at one end with the piston rod C, and at the other end with the
rod G, which passes up the vertical pipo II. At the top of rod G is a box or
frame I, working loosely in the upper part of the pipe II, and containing the
adjusting screws J, by which the effective length of the rod G can be adjusted;
under the bottom of the box I a spiral spring K is placed, which rests at its
lower end on the ring L, which partially closes the pipe II; this spring K may
be placed immediately behind the piston if it is preferred, but in that case it
will be necessary slightly to modify the form of the apparatus. To the top of
the box I the toothed rack M is fixed, and this, as it rises and falls, according
to the variation of the pressure of the water against the piston B, depending
on the speed of the ship, gives motion to the pinion N on the axis of the
pointer O, which indicates on a suitably graduated dial the velocity with which
the vessel is passing through the water. On the stem of the rack M is
mounted a pencil or tracing point P, which marks on a strip of suitably ruled
paper Q; this strip of paper is wound from the bobbin R on to the bobbin S,
both of which receive motion from clock-work contained in the box T, by
means of bands, as is shewn in the Drawing; or other means of communicating

page_text: regular motion to the bobbins R and S may be resorted to. U, U, are rollers
between which the paper passes as it is wound from one bobbin to the other.
It will be readily understood that the line drawn by the point on the travelling
paper registers the speed of the ship during the whole time that the apparatus
is in action.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolphe Ernest Ragon, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
A. RAGON. (L.S.)