IMPROVEMENTE, IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND REGISTERING THE PROGRESS AND DIREC- TION OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS THROUGH WATER, AND FOR ASCERTAINING THE TEMPERATURE IN THE HOLDS OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, AND FOR TAKING SOUNDINGS AT SEA
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, ALEXANDER
BAIN, of Charlotte Street West, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing.
date at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of December, in the eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Alexander Bain, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Alexander Bain, my exors,
admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Alexander Bain, my
exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTE,
IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND REGISTERING THE PROGRESS AND DIREC-
TION OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS THROUGH WATER, AND FOR ASCERTAINING THE
TEMPERATURE IN THE HOLDS OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, AND FOR TAKING
SOUNDINGS AT SEA;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said Alexander Bain, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part'

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander Bain, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the three Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say) of my Invention herein
described.
The first improvement consists in ascertaining and registering the progress
of ships and other vessels through water, as shewn in Sheet I. of the annexed
Drawings. Figures 1 and 2 represent a Plan of the apparatus complete, and
shew in what manner it is attached or applied to the ship. Fig. 4 is an
enlarged view of the mechanism of Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 a section of Fig. 4,
Bhewing an inside elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of
the wheelwork of Fig. 2. Figures 3 and 6 the brass cover to close in the
wheelwork. A, in Fig. 1, shews a portion of the upper surface of the bulwarks
of a ship at the stern, a little to one side of the steering apparatus, so as to be
clear of it; B, a portion of the surface of the deck, and B', a brass bar of
about five feet long, more or less, having a vertical axis at C, this axis being
fixed to and supported by the bulwarks of the ship. The use of this axis C is
to allow of the registering apparatus to retain itself always in the line of the
ship's progress, whether the head of the ship happens to be so or not. The brass
bar terminates (at the inward end above deck) in a broad circular plate, which
carries the registering portion of the apparatus, which portion consists of a
brass compass. box D, a peculiarly constructed magnetic needle E, poised in
the usual manner on a brass point projecting upwards from the bottom of the
box. On the bottom of the box, and covering the whole surface, is cemented
a piece of pasteboard, the upper surface of which should be very smooth. On
the top of the pasteboard is laid a similarly sized piece of drawing paper,
previously marked with concentric circles and lines, as shewn at Fig. 4 in the
Drawing, and above it a similarly sized piece of transfer paper, such as is
commonly used in the manifold letter-writing apparatus, but for the sake
of distinctness the transfer paper is not shewn in the Drawing. Note, the
transfer paper can be made in the following manner :-Take lamp black of
commerce, and linseed oil, and an equal part of the spirit of turpentine, mix
them together and work them into a thin paste, then saturate thin writing
paper with it and let the paper dry, when it is ready for use. And for the
same reason the chimbols or outer box of the compass are also not shown, as

page_text: being well understood by compass makers, I deem it unnecessary to shew them.
The thick drawing paper is represented by the white surface having the con-
centric circles, radiating lines, and numbers drawn thereon.
The space
contained between each of the concentric circles represents one mile, and each
space between the radiating lines ten degrees of the compass. E' represents
a coil of insulated copper wire; this wire is encircled in a brass ring F, to
which the chimbols should be attached. A portion of the magnet between
the centre and each end is cut away for the purpose of screwing the brass
sliders K, K. The magnet carries the screwed spindle F', which revolves in
the bearings V, V, and carries the wheel H. At one end of the spindle there
is a right-hand screw, and on the other a left-hand one; the slides K fit
loosely on the spindle, and are made to traverse when the spindle revolves by
means of the points of the small screws I, projecting downwards between the
threads on the spindle. A, Fig. 2, is a light copper tube, having thin brass
vanes fixed to it. This instrument I term the rotator; it is attached by a ring
and universal joint to the first portion of the mechanism B, and this mechanism
is attached by a rope to the brass bar B¹, Fig. 2. One end of the coil of
wire E¹, Fig. 1, is carried along the brass arm B, but insulated from it by
pieces of wood X, and is then continued along the strand of the rope to Fig. 2,
and terminates in the spring Y, but is insulated from the other parts of the
brass work by pieces of wood W; the spring is also insulated in a similar
manner, and the wire Z is attached to the brasswork of the mechanism,
Fig. 2, and is continued in the same manner along the rope and brass arm,
Fig. 1, and terminates in a copper plate T, which is secured to the outside of
the ship under the water line, but if the ship is sheathed with copper it should
be fixed to the sheathing, there being then no necessity for the plate. The
plate T, when used, should present at least six superficial feet of surface to
the water; the other end of the coil of wire E¹, Fig. 1, is continued along to
the plate of zinc E, which should be of an equal size with the copper plate,
also secured to the ship under the water line, but must not be in metallic
contact with the copper except by means of the wires and mechanism, as
herein-after described. Its action is as follows:-So soon as the ship begins
to move the water impinges on the vanes of the rotator, and causes it to
revolve, which gives motion to the wheelwork B, the last wheel of which
has a pin C, which comes in contact with the brass spring Y once in
every revolution. So long as the pin and spring are in contact a current
of electricity passes through the water, plates, and wire in the following
manner, viz., from the zinc through the water to the copper, thence
through the water (as shewn by the arrows, to the mechanism, Fig. 2,

page_text: from the pin in the wheel to the brass spring, thence back through the
other wire, and passes around the compass box as many times as there
are convolutions of wire in the coil, and from thence back to the zinc
plate in the water. Note, the electricity is produced by the zinc and copper
plates being immersed in the water, and connected by means of the wire,
which constitutes the voltaic battery, and so soon as the electricity cir-.
culates in the wire coil it causes that end of the magnetic needle having the
wheel and steel point o, see Fig. 7, to dip downwards. Note, should the wrong.
end of the needle be found to dip, the direction of the current in the wire on
the compass must be reversed, which is easily done by attaching the wire
which was formerly at the zinc to the copper, and the wire which was at the
copper to the zinc, so that the steel spring Z meets with resistance on the
bottom of the box; but the thin spring W being very flexible, the needle is
thereby allowed to dip still farther, until the point O comes in contact with the
transfer paper. This dipping of the magnetic needle produces two distinct
actions, viz. the pressure of the point O on the transfer paper, which leaves
a dot thus ) on the white paper beneath, and the ratchet wheel H is pushed
forward one tooth, and being fixed on the screwed spindle is also carried partly
round, which action causes the brass slides K, K, to traverse a little outwards,
and consequently the pin O, so that when the needle is caused again to dip,
the next dot will be a little nearer to the circumference of the paper than the
first, and so on until the point O arrives outwards at the extreme end of the
needle. The needle should then be lifted off, and the brass slides K, K, taken
back to the centre by unscrewing the small finger screws I, I, a few turns to
withdraw the points out of the screw of the spindle. The slides will be then
easily pushed to the centre, when the screws I, I, should be again screwed
home, when the magnet is again ready; but before it is put in its place the
marked paper should be removed, and a fresh piece put in, with the transfer
paper over it as before, when the apparatus is again ready for action. The
inclination of the vanes of the rotator to its axis, and the wheelwork B, Fig. 2,
should be so calculated in reference to each other (the inclinations of the
vanes shewn in the Drawings I deem to be the best) that the magnetic
needle would make sixty dips while the ship is passing over one mile; and the
inclination of the threads on the screwed spindle, and the number of teeth on
the ratchet wheel, must be so calculated that the brass slides K will traverse
'outwards by the action of sixty dips of the needle, a space equal to the space
'contained between any two of the concentric circles on the paper, so that when
the ship has sailed one mile the point O, see Fig. 7, will be on the circle
No.. 1, and when she has sailed two miles the point O will be on the circle

page_text: No. 2, and so on. Now it is evident that as the magnetic needle is free at all
times to traverse on its axis like an ordinary compass needle (except at the time
when it is made to dip by the electricity), and having all the magnetic properties
of an ordinary compass needle, it will in like manner indicate the direction as
correctly as the ordinary compass would, and when made to dip it will always
register the direction as well as the distance which the ship has progressed at
the time, and in this manner the ship will register the path through which
she has passed on her voyage, as shewn by the dotted line W, Fig. 4.
Fig. 9 shews the
My second improvement relates to the progress a ship or other vessel has
made in passing through the water, and is also shewn in Sheet I., Figures 8,
9, 10, and 11. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of a rotator. A shews the
mechanism of an index in section fixed into the end of the tube H, over which
there is cemented (water-tight) a glass B. At the back of the index in the
interior of the tube is a small circular weight fixed on the end of the stem C;
this stem is fixed to and carried by the first pinion of the index; this pinion
should be placed (as shown) exactly in the centre, between the sides of the
tube, so that the small weight on the stem C, when the rotator revolves, shall
be always at the same distance from the sides of the tube.
back plate of the mechanism, with the stem C and weight.
position of the wheelwork, having the front plate removed.
sents the dial or front plate, where the distance passed over by the ship is
shewn. The complete apparatus, when attached to a rope, is thrown over-
board at the stern of the vessel, and as soon as the vessel begins to move
through the water the rotator begins to revolve; but the small weight on the
stem C continues to hang downwards, and does not revolve with the rotator; this,
with the action of the rotator, gives motion to the other wheelwork, according
as the ship moves through the water, and thereby indicates the distance passed
over. Note, the index to be calculated to suit the vanes of the rotator.
Fig. 10 shews the
Fig. 11 repre-
My third improvement consists in registering the direction of ships and
other vessels through water by means of the apparatus shewn in Sheet 2.
Fig. 1 and 3 represents the compass apparatus, suspended on jumbals, and
similar in every other respect to the compass apparatus already described and
shewn in Fig. 1, 4, and 7, Sheet I., except that the spaces between the con-
centric circles in this case show time instead of distance. Fig. 2 is an ordinary
balance timepiece or chronometer (having a portion of the dial removed), for
the purpose of transmitting a current of electricity through the wire on the
compass at given intervals of time. Fig. 4 represents a portion of the water
in which the ship or vessel is supposed to be sailing; and C and Z are the
copper and zinc plates, which must be secured to the ship, as herein-before

page_text: described. The action of the apparatus is as follows:-So soon as one of the
metal pins E in the minute wheel of the timepiece comes in contact with the
free end of the metal spring D2, which is otherwise insulated from the
mechanism by the piece of hard wood B, a current of electricity instantly
travels from the zinc plate Z, Fig. 4, through the water to the copper plate C,
through the wire D to the screw Es of the compass apparatus Fig. 1 (the
outer box being made of wood), through the spiral spring F around the inner
compass box, as many times as there are convolutions of wire. (Note, the
wire should be well insulated by cotton or silk, so that the several convolutions
cannot come in contact with each other, nor with the compass box, or any
other metal.) It then travels through the other spiral spring F to the time-
piece, through the wire D³, and into the mechanism through the spring D³,
and one of the pins E which happens to be in contact with the spring. From
the timepiece it travels back to the plate Z, through the wire D', and thus
completes the circuit, when every action herein-before described in explaining
Figs. 1, 4, and 7, takes place in Fig. 1. Note, for the purpose of arranging
the several parts of the apparatus, so as to produce the desired effect correcly,
I proceed in the following manner :-I arrange the apparatus in the time-
piece so as that it will transmit an electric current through the wires once
every five minutes, which makes twelve dots on the paper in the compass in
an hour; then at equal distances from the centre, with every twelfth dot, I
draw with a drawing compass (in ink) a circle, so that the circles are all con-
centric to each other, and at equal distances. The paper so drawn upon will
answer all instruments made to the scale of the first one; and this method is
equally applicable to the registering apparatus herein previously described,
except that distance must then be marked instead of time.
My fourth improvement consists in ascertaining and registering the progress
of ships and other vessels through water by means of the apparatus shewn in
Sheet II., Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. A, Fig. 1, represents that part of the ship
corresponding to that described in Sheet I.; and the registering apparatus is
attached to and carried by means of a vertical axis at E, which is so arranged
as to allow of a horizontal spindle passing through it; see Fig. 3. A shews
a portion of the surface of the deck. B, the apparatus in which the distance
and direction are registered. This apparatus consists of a brass plate attached
to and carried by the metal tube D. On the brass plate is fixed by screws a
brass bridge E, in which the spindle of the roller F revolves, more distinctly
shewn in Figs. 4 and 5. In the top of the bridge is a brass pin, projecting
upwards, on which the magnetic needle G is poised (compass fashion).. The
magnetic needle carries the brass circle H, on which the numbers, similar to

page_text: those on a compass card, are engraved.
On the under side of the brass circle
are similar figures, cut in type, to correspond with those marked on the top.
The roller F is wound round and filled with silk ribbon charged with carbon,
similar to the transfer paper already mentioned, and clean white paper cut to
the same breadth as the carbonized ribbon. The ribbon and the paper are
wound on the roller by means of the finger screw k, which is a portion of the
spindle of the roller F, leading from the mechanism F; in the interior of the
metal tube a spindle R, which carries the wheel S, and works the wheel I
that is on the spindle of the roller O; the roller P presses spring-tight on the
roller o, and is thereby carried around with it. The carbonized ribbon and
paper pass between the rollers O and P, so that when they revolve they draw
the ribbon and paper gradually from off the roller F, and it then falls down
on the brass plate beneath. Note, the ribbon is not shewn in the Drawing for
the sake of distinctness. The action of this apparatus is as follows:-As the
ship proceeds on her voyage, the rotator, Fig. 2, being in the water, revolves,
and by the plaited copper wire line H, which is of great length, gives motion
to the wheelwork Q, which again gives motion by means of the long spindle R
and bevilled wheels S, I, to the rollers O and P; but in the wheel S there are
pins, which, as it revolves, lift the hammer pin V; and as soon as the pins in
the wheel pass and are clear of the pin V, the hammer falls and strikes the
brass circle immediately beneath, which causes the type under that part of the
circle to strike against the carbonized ribbon, and leave an impression of the
type on the paper underneath. At all other times the hammer is kept clear
of the brass circle by means of the spring W, and by this means the brass
circle is always free to be carried round by the magnetic needle, according to
the direction in which the ship is going, so that the progress and direction are
continually marked on the paper. As the same figures are marked four times
on the brass circle it becomes necessary to have other marks to denote the
respective quadrants of the circle; I have therefore marked all the figures
from north to east with one dot, from east to south with two dots, from south
to west with three dots, the remaining quadrant having simply figures, so that
by these dots the direction is ascertained, and by the figures the degrees of
that direction. Note, dots similar to those referred to are cut on the types
below, and are printed on the paper along with the figures. The paper is
marked with cross lines, and the spaces between those lines represent miles,
which shews the distance, the direction being shown as already described.
The teeth of the wheelwork and size of the rollers O, P, together with the
inclination of the vanes of the rotator, must be so calculated that, during the
time the ship is passing over a mile of space the paper will be drawn forward

page_text: a space equal to that between the lines. For the purpose of making the
apparatus register correctly I proceed in the following manner :-I work the
apparatus on a canal, or any other place where the distance is previously well
known; and as the apparatus registers a mile of water I mark the paper
accordingly in miles, the
spaces on the paper being exactly what the
instrument has shown when passing through a known mile of water.
Figures 6, 7, and 8, shew my fifth improvement, which relates to the ascer-
taining the temperature in the holds of ships and other vessels. A, Fig. 6, is
a piece of wood of about twelve inches in length by four inches in breadth.
into the wood and fixed to it by. the
R is a cast-iron tube, which is partly let
strap C. D is a small tube of soft iron screwed into the tube R', the tubes
being then filled with mercury up to the word "safe;" the surface of the
mercury at mean temperature should be at the height of the dotted lines on
the small tube marked "safe." A, Figures 7 and 8, represents a section of a
ship. The instruments, Figures 7 and 8, are placed on deck, and the instru-
ment Fig. 6 in the hold. Z is a zinc plate secured to the outside of the ship,
and immersed under the water line. C is a copper plate similarly situated,
but at a little distance from the zinc plate, so that no metallic contact can take
place between them except by the wires. In Fig. 8 are shewn two semicir-
cular magnets R, having similar poles opposite each other, and carried by the
brass bar P, which moves on a centre at T; around the poles of the magnets
(but free from them) are coils of insulated copper wire, cemented or otherwise
fixed to the back of the case; one end of the wire is let down the outside of
the ship and attached to the zinc plate Z, and the other end of the coil is led
down into the hold and attached to the stud R, which is insulated from the
tube by a wooden collar. The stud terminates in a point in the interior of
the small iron tube, but does not touch it. Another wire from the copper
plate is taken in through the side of the ship, and terminates in a metal stud
attached to the tube R'. The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Should
the temperature in the hold of the ship or vessel become elevated and
approaching to danger, the heat would cause the mercury in the tube to
expand so much as to cause the mercury in the small tube to rise to the top
and come in contact with the point of the brass stud R, and so soon as that
takes place a current of electricity would circulate through the wire and cause
the magnet R, Fig. 8, to be deflected to the right. The spindle of the
magnet carries the pointer O, shewn in Fig. 7, which would then point to the
word "dangerous," thus giving notice on deck that an undue elevation of
temperature in the hold had taken place.
My sixth improvement consists in certain methods of taking soundings at

page_text: sea, as shewn in Sheet III., in which Fig. 9 represents the lead and apparatus
in the act of being heaved. A, the lead; B, a brass frame, in which the
rotator C revolves. The rotator has a screw cut on the upper end of its
E is a
spindle which works in the teeth of the small wheel D, and drives it.
brass plate (seen transversely) to which the pin I is fixed for the purpose of
preventing the rotator from revolving when the apparatus is being drawn up
out of the water. G is the rope to which the apparatus is attached. In the
rope G there are two wires, and these two wires are kept separate by means of
the strands of the rope.
One of the wires is attached to the brasswork of
the apparatus and the other to the fixed end of the spring K; the other. ends
of these wires terminate in the coils of wire A, A, Fig. 11; these coils are
reels of insulated copper wire. B represents two semicircular magnets fixed
on the brass bar G, which bar is carried by the spindle E. On the under end"
of this spindle is a piece of kneed brass, which carries the click lever C. A
plan of the reels of wire and magnets is shewn in Fig. 10. The wires are
arranged and fixed to the zinc and copper plates in the water in the manner
described in the former apparatus; the action of the apparatus is as follows:-
So soon as the lead is heaved and begins to descend in the water the vanes C,
Fig. 9, begin to rotate, carrying the screwed spindle which gives motion to
the small wheel D; this wheel has a pin projecting outwards, which comes in
contact with the spring L once for each revolution of the wheel; so soon as
the pin and spring come in contact a current of electricity passes through
the wires and also through the reels of wire A, A, Fig. 2, which is joined to
them, and which causes the magnets to be deflected to the right; this action.
causes the click C to push the ratchet wheel one tooth forward, but so soon
as the spring I, Fig. 1, is clear of the pin the electricity ceases to pass through
the wire, the circular magnets are drawn back to their former position by the
attraction of the magnetic bar above, in doing which the click C passes over
one tooth of the ratchet wheel to be ready when the current is again estab-
lished to push it forward, and in this way the mechanism is worked on the
deck; the mechanism must be so calculated that the distance the lead descends
is indicated on the three small dials Fig. 4, which represents the index
apparatus complete.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I am
acquainted with for performing the same, I would remark that several parts of
the apparatus herein-before described as illustrative of my Invention have
been previously known and in use, I hereby declare that I disclaim all such
previously known parts, except their application to the purposes of my said
Invention; but I do declare that what I do claim is,―

page_text: First, the use of suitable apparatus worked by electric currents, produced
in the manner herein-before described, for ascertaining and registering the
progress of ships and other vessels through water.
Second, I claim the use of the mariners' compass needle, or other suitably
made magnets, for the purpose of registering the direction of ships. and other
vessels when passing through water.
Thirdly, I claim the use of the chronometer or timepiece to register at
certain intervals the indications of the mariner's compass, for the purpose of
recording the direction of a ship or other vessel when passing through the
water.
Fourthly, I claim the method shewn in Sheet I., Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11,
herein-before described for protecting the indices of ships' logs from the water
by placing them inside the rotator, which also simplifies the apparatus.
Fifthly, I claim the use of suitable apparatus, worked by electricity, for
indicating the temperature in the holds of ships or other vessels at sea.
Lastly, I claim the use of suitable apparatus, worked by electricity, produced
in the manner herein-before described, for taking soundings at sea.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Bain, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.