Improvements in and Connected with Launches and other Vehicles Driven by Electric Primary Batteries and Motors.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th June, 1889-Accepted, 10th Aug.,
1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Connected with Launches and other Vehicles
Driven by Electric Primary Batteries and Motors.
We, JOHN SHERRIN and JOHN VAUGHAN SHERRIN, both of Codrington Road,
Ramsgate, in the County of Kent, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this Invention, to be as follows:-
The batteries are arranged on each side in the launch or other vehicle, and under
seats arranged there so as to take up no necessarily available space in the middle.
The batteries are supplied with the exciting liquid or liquids from a tank or tanks
placed at a higher level in the stern or fore part of the vessel and provided with a
cock or cocks and pipes running along the lower inner sides of the batteries; we also
provide downgoing pipes with cocks for emptying the liquid or liquids out of the
batteries. These cocks are placed close together. The battery cells are by preference
of the following construction :-Each cell is in plan, by porous partition walls, divided
off into a number of compartments, every alternate one for a zinc element and a
carbon element. Each cell has also, on each side, a compartment for liquid which,
by a hole at top and another at bottom, communicates with each of the compartments
containing the zinc and carbon elements respectively. The lateral compartments
All the aforesaid
communicate with the supply pipes from the supply tanks.
compartments are closed above by covers with conical edges and by preference made
hollow for the sake of lightness. The cells and covers are by preference made of
vulcanite, ebonite, or the like. Instead of a chamber on each side of the height of the
cell we may provide shallow concave lateral chambers along the bottom and these may
form half pipes of gutta-percha or the like, and part of the pipes leading to the
aforesaid liquid supply pipes, cach being provided with a wooden or other tap. The
motor is placed in the bottom of the launch. For reversing the motor we employ
three fixed contacts arranged in a row in connection with two one-armed levers
united to a common handle whereby the inner side of one lever and the outer side of
the other lever may be brought in contact with one side of the middle contact, and
the inner side of one of the outer contacts. Suitable electrical connections are made
between the lever fulcrums, the batteries, and the field of the motor, and between the
contacts, and the brushes. The surfaces brought into contact are grooved or provided
with conical teeth or ridges which can interlock, so as to give many points of contact.
The launch motor spindle works in ball-bearings, arranged for end thrust, and passes
out through a stern-tube having fore and aft ball-bearings, the balls (or rollers) working
between a shoulder on the spindle and a gland or flange, a stuffing-box being provided
at the aft bearing.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Connected with Launches and other Vehicles
Driven by Electric Primary Batteries and Motors.
We JOHN SHERRIN and JOHN VAUGHAN SHERRIN both of Codrington Road
Ramsgate in the County of Kent Electrical Engineers 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 :-
In order that our invention may be readily understood we will describe the same
877

page_text: with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1 is a sectional side view
of an electric launch constructed according to same, Figure 2 a plan of same and
Fig. 3 side elevation and Fig. 3A an end view of a modified arrangement of driving
machinery. Fig. 4 is plan, Fig. 5 sectional side view and Fig. 6 transverse section of
a battery and Fig. 7 plan of a row of batteries Fig. 8 is side view and Fig. 9 plan of
a battery filling appliance. Fig. 10 is a plan of the reversing gear. Fig. 11 is a side
view and Fig. 12 an end view of a commutator and brushes. Figure 13 is a
longitudinal section of the stern tube.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the batteries A A are arranged on each side in the launch
(or other vehicle) and under seats placed there so as to take up no necessarily available
space in the middle but this we do not claim per se as being new. The batteries are
supplied with the exciting liquid or liquids from the tanks B and G which are placed
at a higher level in the stern or fore part of the vessel and provided with cocks having
attached thereto flexible tubing b and g to be used with an appliance for filling the
batteries with the liquids as required. This appliance is shewn separately in
Figs. 8 and 9. We also provide cocks for emptying the liquids out of the tanks or
trays wherein the batteries stand.
The battery cells are of the construction illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 and are by
preference made of gutta percha. Each cell A is by porous partition walls F divided
off into a number of compartments every alternate one for a zinc element Z and a
carbon element C. Each cell has also on each side a compartment D and E respectively
for the liquids which by a hole d or e near the top and another d¹ or e¹ at the bottom
communicates with the compartments containing the zinc and carbon elements C and Z
respectively. c. c are pieces of gutta percha affixed all round the bottom edges of
the carbon plates C, and the zinc plates have similar pieces, all in order to keep them
steady in place.
The aforesaid compartments D and E are closed above by covers H with conical
edges and by preference made of gutta percha or cork. The middle covers I are by
by preference of gutta percha and the carbon plates are sealed in them. The zinc
plates Z have each an upper lug which passes through the cover I.
The carbon plates Care connected by a clamp C' and are at the top on one side cut
off slanting at 2 to make room for the cross connections. The cells are also as
shewn in Fig. 7 arranged with this slanting part on opposite sides alternately, whereby
we save wire connections. The filling appliance Figs. 8 and 9 consists of two pipes
which are clamped together and at their outlet ends are spread apart to correspond
with the distance between the cell compartments D and E so as to fill them both at the
same time if the cocks are both opened, and connected to the flexible supply pipes b
and g from the respective tanks B and G.
The motor N is placed in the bottom of the launch in figure 1. Or for launches of
smaller size or where the screw has to be geared down we place it as in figure 3 and
communicate motion to the propeller shaft K by endless chain working from a sprocket
wheel L on the motor shaft and a rubber lined pulley M on the propeller shaft whereby
we ensure adhesion and noiseless action.
For reversing the motor we employ as shewn in figure 10 three fixed contacts OP
and Q arranged in a circular row in connection with two contact levers R working at
one end on fulcrum terminals R¹ and at the other end connected to a handle R² on a
nonconducting link R³ so that the under side of the contact levers R may be brought
in contact with the middle contact P and one of the outer contacts 0 or Q. The
contact levers R are made of suitable springy metallic material to ensure contact,
and we provide ebonite blocks between the contacts O P and Q. Suitable
electrical connections are made as shewn between the fulcrum terminals R', the
batteries, and the field of the motor and between the contacts O P and Q and the
brushes.
.
The improved commutator shewn in figures 11 and 12 and specially suitable for
reversing consists of a number of sector pieces equal in number to the number of
coils of the armature; these sectors are of gun metal or the like and are insulated
by intermediate mica sheets. These parts are held together by a nut s' and washer.³

page_text: with brown paper or other suitable insulation around the central tubular bolt sª
and under the washer 2 and the heads of the tubular bolt. Furthermore the
mica sheets are coated with a thick shellac solution, and the brown paper pieces are
soaked therein and after the commutator has been put together it is submitted to
heat and the nut s¹ tightened up gradually as required. We thus obtain perfect
insulation in a convenient manner and the whole combination of parts sets as a
strong solid block which is then finished in the lathe. The brushes act on the face
of the commutator and cover about to of the surface so as to cut out one or
more of the armature coils whereby we ensure a perfect and smooth action in
reversing and under varying conditions of load and speed and that without any
sparking, whereas if the brushes were to act on the edge instead of the face such
a large part of the commutator could not conveniently be acted upon and the
acting ends or edges of the brushes would when reversing be apt to turn up or
bend. The brushes t are as shown curved so as to extend in about a half circle so that
a long length of brush takes up little room and we obtain also great flexibility in a
small space. These brushes do not as the ordinary brushes need adjustment for varying
speed and load but merely occasionally for wear.
The propeller shaft K works in ball bearings arranged for end thrust. It passes out
through a stern tube T figure 13 having fore and aft ball bearings U and V. The
balls V work between a ring T¹ working loose against a shoulder on the shaft and
a gland-or flange X which is capable of adjustment by a screw or screws ✗1
relatively to a plate X2 which is bolted to the transom X³ or other part of the vessel.
The balls U at the other end of the stern tube work between a flange T2 on the shaft.
and a loose ring T3 against the packing in the stuffing box Y which is thus capable of.
being tightened up as required by means of the screw or screws X¹. By means of this
arrangement we may disperse with a separate thrust bearing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First-The general arrangement or combination of battery supply tanks B and G,
with batteries A, motor N and propeller shaft S with combined thrust bearing and
stern tube substantially as described and shown.
Second-The construction of two liquid battery having lateral compartments and
elements arranged and combined substantially as described and shewn, also the appliance
shown and described for replenishing them.
Third-The construction of reversing gear shown on the drawings.
Fourth-The construction of commutator consisting of sectors equal in number to
the number of coils on the armature such sectors being held together by nut and
washers on a tubular bolt with suitable insulating pieces and cementing material in
combination with brushes acting on a large part of the face of such commutator at
diametrically opposite points substantially as described and shown.
Fifth The construction of stern tube with ball bearings for end thrust shown on
the drawings.
ת
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.