IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE-ENGINE TELEGRAPHIC AND INDICATING APPARATUS.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Shaw, of the Neptune Engine Works, Low Walker
on Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE-ENGINE TELEGRAPHIC AND INDICATING
APPARATUS.
33
Sealed the 12th August 1879, and dated the 18th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Shaw at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th February 1879.
JOHN SHAW, of the Neptune Engine Works, Low Walker on Tyne, in the County
of Northumberland, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE-ENGINE TELEGRAPHIC
AND INDICATING APPARATUS.”
This Invention has for its object to improve marine-engine telegraphic and
indicating apparatus so as to render it more useful and reliable than heretofore, and
to make it independent of the omissions or errors of those who have to execute the
orders transmitted by it.
In carrying out the Invention, any known kind of telegraphic apparatus for
transmitting orders from the bridge or deck of a steamer to the engine room may
be used, and may have combined with it reply apparatus to be used by the engineer
for returning signals, whereby the captain or other person in cominand may be
informed of the execution of his orders.
My Invention consists, under one modification, in connecting the reply.mechanism
of the telegraphic apparatus to the way shaft, or valve-motion handing lever, or
other equivalent part of the engine, so that when the engineer executes an order
transmitted to him by the telegraph the consequent adjustment of the valve gear
will automatically cause the transmission of a signal to a dial or indicator on the
bridge or on deck showing what has been done in execution of the order. There
may be separate details by which the engineer can send reply signals, or a clutch
may be introduced to admit of the engineer disconnecting the apparatus from the
engine and manipulating it himself.
According to a second modification the main shaft of the engines is connected by
toothed gearing and shafting, or by cords or bands of wire, or other suitable material,
to the spindle of a small crank or index, which may be fitted in immediate connection
with the telegraphic transmitting or sending mechanism on the bridge or on deck,

page_text: or in a conspicuous position near such mechanism. This indicating crank or index
will be stationary or rotate in one direction or the other with the engines, and will
thus at all times, when in gear, show exactly what the engines are doing. The
connecting gearing or bands may be provided with a clutch or other engaging and
disengaging mechanism, so that the indicating crank or index can be disconnected
from the engine shaft when it is thought desirable, and a handle may be geared or
connected thereto to admit of its being worked by hand when disconnected from
the engine shaft.
A crank or index which, as in the arrangement last herein before described, shows
by its rotation in one direction or the other the corresponding rotation of the
engine shaft may be used instead of existing reply arrangements for the purpose of
being operated on by the engineer.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Shaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th August 1879.
JOHN SHAW, of the Neptune Engine Works, Low Walker on Tyne, in the County
of Northumberland, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE-ENGINE TELEGRAPHIC
AND INDICATING APPARATUS."
My said Invention has for its object to improve marine-engine telegraphic and
indicating apparatus so as to render it more useful and reliable than heretofore, and
to make it independent of the omissions or errors of those who have to execute the
orders transmitted by it.
In carrying out my Invention, any known kind of telegraphic apparatus for
transmitting orders from the bridge or deck of a steamer to the engine room may
be used, and may have combined with it reply apparatus to be used by the engineer
for returning the signals, whereby the captain or other person in command may be
informed of the execution of his orders. My Invention consists in the application
of automatic reply apparatus which may be arranged to be quite independent of
the engineer, such automatic reply apparatus showing the pilot or officer in charge
not merely that the engineer is aware of his order but also exactly in what manuer
and how soon the orders he transmits by the telegraph are actually carried out, the
apparatus comprising a pointer which indicates the adjustments of the valve gear
that take place on the orders being executed. Or in a modified arrangement a
pointer on a dial in view of the pilot or officer in charge moves with the engine
shaft and shows the direction of rotation and the actual speed of that shaft.
The details of the apparatus for carrying out my Invention may be modified in
various ways to suit various arrangements of marine engines and other circum-
stances, but, in order that the improvements may be properly understood, I will
proceed to particularly describe, with the aid of an accompanying Sheet of explana-
tory Drawings, a simple and convenient modification which is suitable for many
In these Drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same
or like parts wherever they are repeated.
cases.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a plan of the dial with
telegraphing handles and other parts fitted on the bridge or deck of a steamer in a
position conveniently accessible to the pilot or officer in charge. Figure. 2 is a
sectional elevation showing the pedestal which has the dial, Figure 1, at its top, and
also showing parts in the engine room and the connecting parts. The apparatus
shown in the Drawings for transmitting orders from the pilot or officer in charge to
the engine room is of a simple well known kind, consisting of a pair of handles A, A,
with a pointer moving over a dial B and communicating by light shafts C, D, E,
and bevil gear with a pointer moving over the indicating dial G in the engine
room.
The automatic reply apparatus comprises an index or pointer H above the
forwarding dial B, this pointer being on the upper end of a rod passing through the
shaft C made tubular for the purpose. A lever J is fixed on the lower end of the
rod which projects below the bottom end of the shaft C, and from the ends of this
lever J wires or corks K pass over guide pulleys to a lever L fixed on the
way shaft
of the engines. Screw couplings M are provided for tightening the cords or wires K.
With this arrangement it follows that whenever the engineer by means of the
handwheel N moves the way shaft so as to adjust the valve gear in either direction
to any extent, the adjusting movement is communicated by the lever L, cords K,
lever J, and rod to the pointer H above, and by the consequent movement of this
pointer H the pilot or officer in charge at once learns whatever is done with the
engines.
There may be separate additional details by which the engineer can send reply
signals; or a clutch may be introduced to admit of the engineer disconnecting the
reply apparatus from the engines and manipulating it himself.

page_text: According to another modification, the main shaft of the engines is connected by
toothed gearing and shafting, or by cords, or bands of wire, or other suitable mate-
rial to the spindle of a small crank or index, which may be fitted in immediate
connection with the telegraphic transmitting or sending mechanism on the bridge
or on deck, or in a conspicuous position near such mechanism. This indicating
crank or index will be stationary, or rotate in one direction or the other with the
engines, and will thus at all times when in gear show exactly what the engines
are doing. The connecting gearing or bands may be provided with a clutch or
other engaging and disengaging mechanism so that the indicating crank or index
can be disconnected from the engine shaft when it is thought desirable. A crank
or index which is in the arrangement last herein before described, shows by its
rotation in one direction or the other the corresponding rotation of the engine shaft
may be used instead of existing reply arrangements, for the purpose of being
manipulated by the engineer.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The combination with marine-engine telegraphic and indicating apparatus of
automatic reply mechanism, substantially such as is hereinbefore described.
2. The connecting of the main shaft of marine engines with a crank or index on
the bridge or on deck, which index, by its simultaneous movements, shows those of
the engine shaft, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The constructing or arranging of those parts of reply telegraphs which the
engineer manipulates, in a manner allowing him to cause an indicating crank or
pointer to move like the engine shaft and show the effect of the orders he receives
as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Shaw, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.