Position of a Ship's Rudder.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1888
Position of a Ship's Rudder.
I, JAMES BONELLE WILLIS of 1 Mill Lane, Mile End, Portsmouth in the County
of Hants, Draughtsman and Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows
་་
The apparatus is a step by step telegraphic instrument which dwells on each step
and travels rapidly between them.
The contacts are made by a spring contact maker fixed to a radial arm which as it
revolves carries the contact maker over a ring of alternate conducting and insulating
surfaces and thereby makes or breaks the circuit by which the signals are repeated on
a suitable receiving instrument having a similar step by step movement.
Concentric with this ring there is a fixed cylindrical surface against which a spring
bolt on the radial arm bears. In the cylindrical surface there are holes or notches
one for each conducting or insulating surface. When the bolt comes to one of these
holes it is forced into it by its spring and the radial arm cannot be moved further until
the bolt is withdrawn. For this purpose the bolt carries a friction roller which bears
upon a double cam surface connected to the rudder so that it is caused to revolve as
the rudder is turned. When the cam has revolved through a certain angle the bolt is
raised by it out of the hole.
The radial arm and the cams are connected together by two spiral springs wound in
opposite directions so that the radial arm always tends to turn with the cams but when
it is prevented from so doing by reason of its bolt being in a hole one of the spiral
springs is wound up whilst the other is unwound. Immediately the radial arm is
again free to do so on the bolt being raised it is rapidly turned by the spring and
tends to resume its normal position between the cams-A fly is connected to it to
prevent its moving too fast and causing undue shocks when arrested on the bolt
dropping into a hole.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Telegraphic Apparatus suitable for Indicating the
Position of a Ship's Rudder.
I, JAMES BONELLE WILLIS, of 1 Mill Lane, Mile End, Portsmouth, in the County
of Hants, Draughtsman and Engineer, 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 :-
The apparatus is a step by step telegraphic transmitting instrument which dwells on
each step and travels rapidly between them thereby establishing contacts of uniform
duration.
The contacts are made by a spring contact maker fixed to a radial arm which as it
revolves carries the contact maker over a ring of alternate conducting and insulating
surfaces and thereby makes or breaks the circuit by which the signals indicated by the
movements of the arm are repeated on a suitable receiving instrument having a similiar
step by step movement.
Concentric with this ring there is a fixed cylindrical surface against which a spring
bolt on the radial arm bears. In the cylindrical surface there are holes or notches one
for each conducting or insulating surface. When the bolt comes to one of these holes
it is forced into it by its spring and the radial arm cannot be moved further until
the bolt is withdrawn. For this purpose the bolt carries a friction roller which
bears upon a double cam surface connected to the rudder by suitable intermediate
gearing so that it is caused to revolve as the rudder is turned. When the cam
has revolved through a certain angle the bolt is raised by it out of the hole.
The radial arm and the cams are connected together by two spiral springs wound in
opposite directions so that the radial arm always tends to turn with the cams but when
it is prevented from so doing by reason of its bolt being in a hole one of the spiral
springs is wound up whilst the other slips. Immediately the radial arm is free on the
bolt being raised it is rapidly turned by the spring and tends to resume its normal
position between the cams. A fly is connected to the arm by gearing to prevent its
moving too fast so that the electric contact may be maintained for a suitable short
interval of time and so that undue shocks when the arm is arrested on the bolt dropping
into a hole may be avoided.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF TAR DRAWINGS

page_text: Figure 4 is a separate view of the ring E.
Figure 5 is a section on the line y y Figure 3.
A is the spring contact maker which is fixed to the radial arm B-C C₁ are alternate
conducting surfaces and insulating surfaces or spaces. In the middle of each
conducting surface C is a hollow (and over one or other of these the contact maker A
always stands when at rest. D is a spring bolt moveable radially upon the arm B, its
nose D enters notches E¹ E' in the fixed ring E. The bolt D carries a friction
roller D which is acted upon by the double cam F F1 (see Figure 5). The cam
pieces are fixed to one face of the disc G the other face having upon it the pinion H
which is geared with an arc of teeth fixed upon the rudder so that it moves with it at
any suitable relative speeds; if the indicator be required to indicate the inclination of
the rudder by steps of five degrees gear of 12 to 1 will be suitable.
The disc G carries the tube G¹ which is free to turn on the fixed axis H¹. The
spring barrel B' to which the arm B is fixed is able to turn upon the tube G¹. I l'are
two spiral springs coiled in opposite directions each is attached at one end to the
barrel and at the other to a ring loosely surrounding the tube G' but on each ring is
a tooth or projection resting against a corresponding tooth or projection on the tube G¹.
When the tube G¹ turns it carries one of the rings round with it leaving the other
free. One spring is thus wound when the tube turns in one direction and the other
when the rotation is in the contrary direction. J is a toothed wheel and this also is
fixed to the barrel B¹ so that it revolves with the radial arm B and contact maker A.
The wheel J gears with the pinion K to which the fly L is fixed. This fly controls the
speed at which the contact maker A moves. M M are two springs forming part of a
bell circuit which is closed only when the springs are in contact. J1 J1 are cam like
pieces on the wheel J which in passing press the springs together but which allow the
springs to separate when the bolt D engages. The bell rings as each step is made and
stops as the step is completed. This indication assists the helmsman.
It will be observed that the contact maker is locked and remains stationary until by
the movement of the wheel G the springs are sufficiently wound and then the cam
withdraws the bolt and a definite movement of one step is made by the contact maker.
A single spring may serve to connect the wheel J and the radial arm but it is preferable
to employ a pair of springs.
This apparatus may be used advantageously with the step by step receiver described
in my specification No. 800 in the year 1887.
The gear in the receiver may be so speeded that the index makes seven eights of a
rotation around the dial whilst the rudder passes from "hard a port" to "hard a
starboard."
It is obvious that although the apparatus is particularly suitable for indicating the
inclination of a ships rudder it will also serve to indicate in like manner the position and
the movement to and fro of any other instrument with which it may be connected by
gearing in the manner described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination substantially as described of a revolving contact maker with a
pair of spiral springs coiled in opposite directions and connecting the contact maker
to the part whose movement is to be signalled.
2. The combination substantially as described of a revolving contact maker; a spring
connecting the contact maker with a part whose movement is to be signalled; and a
bolt withdrawn by the movement in either direction of the said part when the spring
is sufficiently wound thereby liberating the contact maker and permitting it to move a
step.
3. The combination substantially as described of a revolving contact maker; a
spring or springs connecting the contact maker with a part whose movement is to be

page_text: signalled; a bolt withdrawn by the movement in either direction of the said part; and
a fly or equivalent speed regulator controlling the contact maker when liberated by
the bolt.
4. The combination of parts consisting of the contact maker A; contacts CC;
the arm B; the bolt D on the said arri; the notch ring E; the disc or part G
moving to and fro with the rudder or other instrument; the double cams F F¹ with-
drawing the bolt and the spring or springs II' coupling the part G with the contact
maker.