AN IMPROVED SHIP'S LoG
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Edwards, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Provision dealer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SHIP'S
LoG." A communication.
-
Scaled the 24th March 1857, and dated the 27th September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th September 1856.
I, JOSEPH EDWARDS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention of "AN IMPROVED SHIP'S Loo," (a
communication,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing a ship's log in the following
manner: The log is formed of two principal parts, the "dial log" and the
"log ship." The dial log consists of a short cylinder or barrel, the axis whereof
projects beyond each side thereof, and to each of such said projecting parts a
convolute spring is fixed by one end, the other end being securely fastened to
a case; these two cases are connected together at the lower part thereof by a
hollow piece of metal, the upper part whereof is formed enlarged for that
purpose; a sliding rod fits loosely within the said hollow piece of metal, and
has a chain fixed to the upper end thereof, the other end of said chain being
also fixed to the short cylinder or barrel firstly above mentioned. The lower

page_text: the usual way.
0
MODE OF OPERATING.
In using the above improved log the log line has simply to be connected to
the dial log by the hook at the bottom thereof; the log ship is then thrown
overboard, the dial log being either fixed on board ship or held in the hand.
The effect of thus constructing a log ship is this: according to the rate at which
the vessel is going in like manner the log ship will meet with more or less
resistance from the water as it passes through the same, and operating upon
the chain which is around the barrel of the dial log, will wind up the springs
at each side thereof, and by fixing a hand on the axis of the said barrel, and
having a dial with numbers thereon representing knots, miles, and fractional
parts of the same, or other measures of distance, the rate of going of the ship
will thus be registered, a pall and ratchet preventing the hand from going back
.except when desired. The log ship is loaded to ensure its floating below the
surface of the water, and there is a sliding scale on the log ship, with a hollow
conical-shaped vessel at top thereof, for preserving the buoyancy of the log ship.
In fine weather the hollow vessel should rest on the top of the log ship; should
the wind be fresh, the slide must be raised one degree or division on the scale;
and should the weather be stormy, the slide must be raised two divisions, so as
to allow the log ship to be more under water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
EDWARDS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting. :
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
.reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Edwards, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Edwards,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the said
Joseph Edwards, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
SHIP'S LOG," upon the condition (amongst others) that I; the said Joseph
Edwards, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing.under
my, or their, or one of their bands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal.
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the.
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Edwards, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in constructing a ship's log in such a manner as that
the dial log and the log ship are distinct and separate from each other when.
out of use, and apart from each other when in use, that is to say, the "dial.
log" or mechanism which I employ for indicating the rate of going or way,
that a vessel is making in passing through the water, instead of the indicating.
mechanism being placed beneath the surface of the water for that purpose, as
heretofore commonly practised, I propose to place it either on the taffrail, the
cabin table, or other part of a ship suited to the convenience of the captain or.
the owners of such vessel, so that the speed at which the vessel is going may,
be easily ascertained. The log ship I attach by a line to the aforesaid dial
log, so that in using my improved ship's log nothing is required to be overboard..
but the log ship, and the necessity for hauling up the log ship for ascertaining.
the speed of the vessel, as commonly practiced, is by this Invention rendered
unnecessary.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now.
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same.
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing hereunto.
annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon,
respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure. 1 is a front elevation of that portion of my improved ship's log which

page_text: the power of the spring, as herein-after described. Figure 4 is an edge view
of the wheel-work of the dial log, a portion of the casing being removed for
'that purpose. Figure 5 shews the arrangement and disposition of the-wheel-
work situated between the face of the dial and the casing that contains the
main spring, &c. Figure 6 is an elevation of the mechanism that I employ
for preventing the indicating hands of the dial from moving backwards except
at the 'will of 'the person in charge of the log. Figure 7 is a top plan view of
a stand into which the dial log is placed when in use, said piece being fixed
to the taffrail or other part of a ship. Figures 8 and 9 exhibit two views of
my improved log ship. At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar
letters of reference to denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts appear
or can be seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
A, A, is a metal case, to which are affixed upright pieces of metal B, B,
enclosing and supporting the following parts:C, a hollow cylinder or barrel,
the ends of which are closed and fit loosely upon a spindle D, the end d of
which is formed square to receive a key for adjusting the power of a convolute
spring contained within the barrel C; one end of said spring is fixed to said
barrel, and the other end to the axis D, upon which it moves in a circular
direction. E is a chain, fixed by one end into the outside of the barrel C, the
other end having a spring hook F connected thereto, as also a pin or stude
(shewn at Figures 1 and 2), the point whereof takes into a hole in a piece of
metal G, by which the hook F is prevented from being drawn within the
case A. H, h, and I, i, are ratchet wheels and palls; those marked H, h, are
employed for holding the spring in the barrel when adjusted, and those
marked I, i, are for holding the barrel as it is pulled round by the action of
the log ship upon the chain E, as herein-after fully explained. K is a toothed
wheel fixed to the barrel C; this wheel takes or gears into a pinion k mounted
upon a spindle L suitably supported. 6 is another wheel, also fixed upon the
spindle L, and employed for transmitting motion to a train of wheels and
pinions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8. The wheel 6 is fast upon the spindle L, and the
wheel 5 works loose upon the fixed stud 9. The wheel 5 is made with a long
collar, over which passes and works loosely the wheel 8; this wheel gears into
the wheel 7, and receives its movement through the pinion 3, which is fixed
on the wheel 4; this pinion drives the wheel 2, and the wheel 1 which is fixed
to the wheel 2 drives the wheel 7, and this wheel drives the wheel 8, to which
is affixed the short-hand N, which indicates miles upon the dial plate O, as at
Figure 1. The long hand P fits upon the square 'end of the long collar of the
wheel 5, and this hand is employed for indicating fractional parts of miles.
I now proceed to describe the construction of the log ship exhibited at

page_text: Figures 8 and 9, and the effect thereof upon the dial log when in use. I make
the log ship of lead, iron, or other suitable hard substance, and in the form of
nearly one quarter of a circle, as at Figure 9. (9, 9, 9', are short chains,
securely connected by one end to the log) ship and by the other end to a ring r;
this ring is connected to an universal swivel hook s, to which is also fixed one
end of the log line; the other end of said line is made in a loop, which upon
being placed on the spring hook connects the log ship with the dial log.
I would here observe that an important feature in the construction of the log
ship consists in having the chain q¹ shorter than the chains q, q, for the purpose
of maintaining the log ship when in the water at an angle of about 45 degrees
with the horizon, so that when in use, and passing through the water at the
rate of more than six knots an hour, the log ship shall present its surface at an
angle to the current, which operating thereon effectually keeps it below the
In using my improved ship's log the log ship has simply to be thrown over-
board, the dial log being on the taffrail or other part of the vessel, and the
hands thereof at zero. The effect of thus constructing a log ship is this:
according to the rate at which the vessel is going in like manner the log ship
will meet with more or less resistance from the water as it passes through the
same, and pulls the chain E off the barrel C, around which it is wound,
thereby imparting motion to the wheel-work and hands, and indicating the
speed at which the vessel is going. It is necessary, however, in taking the
state of the log to first press upon the button t, shewn at Figure 6, by which
the pall i will be thrown out of the teeth of the ratchet wheel I, thus allowing
the spring in the barrel to go back and the chain to be wound upon the
barrel C should the speed of the vessel have slackened, as also to allow the
chain to be entirely wound up when the dial log is out of use and the log ship
is disconnected therefrom. I would here remark that, as the power of the
spring would undergo a change in different climates, changes of temperature,
and other causes, it will be found desirable to test the same from time to time.
I have found the following method answer well in practice:- Suppose the
log ship to weigh about three pounds, and to be suspended out of the water
from the chain of the dial log, I lift the pall h out of the ratchet H and
operate upon the square part of the axle D with a key until the spring and
weight counterbalance each other or nearly so. And as regards the size of
the log ship, I have found the dimensions marked on the Drawing answer.
well.

page_text: Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said-
Invention of "An Improved Ship's Log," together with the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in
conclusion, that what I claim as my Invention, intended to be secured to me
by the above in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
Firstly, making the dial log or indicating mechanism apart from the
"log ship," whereby the log ship only is required to be under water..
Secondly, I claim the mechanical arrangement and combination of parts:
which constitute the "dial log," as above described.
Thirdly, I claim the mode set forth and described with reference to
Figures 8 and 9. of slinging the "log ship" at an angle of about 45 degrees;.
for the purpose of preventing said log ship" from rising out of the water.
when in use, as above.stated..
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Edwards, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our
. Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
ALEX PRINCE, Jun',
Office for Patents,
JOSEPH EDWARDS. (L.S.)
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.