IMPROVEMENTS IN GYROMETERS FOR MARINE ENGINES OR OTHER MOTORS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GYROMETERS FOR MARINE ENGINES OR OTHER MOTORS." A communication
from abroad by the Firm of Schäffer and Budenberg, of Buckau-Magdeburg,
Prussia
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Morgan-Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th February 1878.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GYROMETERS FOR MARINE ENGINES OR OTHER MOTORS."
A communication from abroad by the Firm of Schäffer and Budenberg, of Buckau-
Magdeburg, Prussia.
•
This apparatus, which is represented in the two accompanying Drawings, has for
its purpose to control exactly the working of a marine engine, and to inform the
captain of the ship as to its working at any time.
The apparatus is adapted to be mounted upon the captain's deck, and by inspect-
ing the dial thereof he ascertains at any time,-
Firstly. Whether the engine is at work or not.
Secondly. Whether it is going ahead or astern.
Thirdly. The time of the day or the night.
Fourthly. The total number of revolutions of the engine.
And, fifthly. The number of revolutions of the engine per minute.
:
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Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a cross section of the gyrometer through a A, B, Figure 1
Figure 2, a plan of same.
And Figure 3. Sheet 2..an outside view of the dial

page_text: These three Figures show in the clearest way the construction and the working
of the apparatus.
The remaining Figures represent the details.
Figures 4 and 5 show the driving parts of the apparatus.
The two superposed ratchet wheels s, s', have for their purpose that the apparatus
always turns in the same direction as well in the forward as in the backward motion
of the engine.
•
Figures 6 and 7 represent a safety mechanism which will be referred to here-
after.
Figure 8 shows a ratchet wheel &² having for its purpose to coil the two springs
with which the two indicator gears R and R' are provided.
Figure 9 shows the gears of the safety mechanism driven by means of pinion c,
as well as the gears for the mechanism counting the strokes driven by means of the
bevil wheel d.
Figure 10, twice the full size, shows the connection of the clock work with the
electro-magnets x, x, Figure 2.
Figure 11 shows the general framing of the apparatus in section.
And Figure 12 the direct driving mechanism of counter Z, sec Figure 2.
The working of the apparatus will be understood by referring to the accompanying
Drawings, conjointly with the following Specification.
The driving shaft a, Figures 1 and 4, of the gyrometer is so connected with the
screw propeller shaft of the engine that each revolution of the latter corresponds to
one revolution of said shaft a. The forward and backward motion of the engine
is transmitted to shaft a of the apparatus by means of a ratchet arrangement, con-
sisting of two ratchet wheels s and s¹, into which two pawls enter, and by means
of an arrangement of gears in the proportion of 100 to 1, in such a way that the
said shaft a will constantly turn from left to right, like the needle of a clock.
The shaft a is provided with a needle 2, Figure 3, which indicates upon the dial,
firstly, whether the engine works or not; and, secondly, whether it is going
ahead or astern.
The gear R² is mounted upon the shaft b in such manner that it either turns
with same or runs loose on it by means of an arrangement hereafter referred to and
shown at Figures 1, 6, and 7, and therefore when the shaft b turns from left to right
this gear R² is carried with it, as above mentioned.
In the dials n and n¹ of the two indicator wheels R and R¹ are adapted two
spiral springs in such a way that the same are coiled by the rotation of shaft b,
effected by a ratchet wheel s2, Figure 8, and when requisite these springs impart a
motion from left to right to the wheels R and R'. The indicator wheels R and R¹
are liberated and geared according to the working of the apparatus by the two pawl
levers h and h¹, Figure 2, which constitute at the same time the anchors of two
electro-magnets.
Figure 10 shows a clock, the minute wheel of which is provided with a glass
disc g, and a platina plate p let into same, and represents therefore a current
breaker. Upon the edge of this glass disc are two springs and fl made of
platina, which slide upon said edge of the disc, and which can be adjusted by
means of two small eccentric pins i and i'.
When the clock is working, a transmission of galvanic current is produced by
the contact of said platina plate with the small spring f. As soon as this takes
place, the anchor h is attracted by the electro-magnet x, and thereby the indi-
cator wheel R is liberated. The spiral spring n coiled upon shaft b becomes
loose, and drives the stop y of wheel R from left to right against the
stop y¹, of wheel R¹. The upper wheel R has an opening provided with a
pointer, whereas R¹ has a scale divided into 100 parts, one division of which
corresponds to one rotation of the engine. Therefore the result of a motion
given to stops y and y' would bring back the wheels R and R' to nought.
After the lapse of about two seconds, the platina plate p and spring f of the
clockwork come out of contact, the current is interrupted, and the anchor h stops

page_text: the indicator wheel R, but a current takes place immediately upon p and fl being
in contact, so that the anchor abandons the ratchet wheel and sets the scale
wheel R in motion by the action of the coiled spring until arrested with the so-
called stop y' by the stop K of wheel R. After two more seconds have gone by
and f¹ and are out of contact, the scale wheel R' is stopped by throwing back
the anchor At this point the scale wheel R' will remain stationary for about 56
seconds, so that meanwhile the number of revolutions per minute which the engine
has made during the past minute may be read off, whereupon the same action will
again take place.
The secondary parts of the apparatus should now be described. Wheel R² is
provided with a safety mechanism which comes into operation whenever, for any
reason whatever, the magnets should not act, so that the apparatus should not be
liable to any damage; should this wheel R² make more than one revolution, the
stop k pivotting towards one side is turned down by stop y' of wheel R¹, whereby
at the same time the framing fixed upon wheel R2 will be pushed back far enough
to disconnect the shaft b from the wheel R2, and therefore b remains stationary.
The turn down stop takes back its original position after the stop y' has passed by,
so that when the magnets come again into action the apparatus will continue to
work regularly.
Motion is transmitted to an ordinary counter Z by means of the bevel gear d,
Figure 9, of the shaft w, Figure 2, and of the pair of bevel gears d', d², which
counter Z indicates therefore the total number of revolutions of the engine.
All the parts of the apparatus which are not referred to are only of secondary
importance.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I
claim as my Invention, the general construction and arrangement of the mechanism
in connection with electro-magnets and clockwork, as above described and illus-
trated in the accompanying Drawings, by means of which one single dial plate
indicates whether an engine is working or not, in which direction it is turning,
the time, the total number, of revolutions. made by the engine, as well as the
number of revolutions made during any given fraction of time, the same being
applicable to marine or other steam engines or motors.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)