An Improved Indicator or "Tell-tale" for Use on Steam or other Power Propelled Ships.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 27th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Indicator or "Tell-tale" for Use on Steam or other
Power Propelled Ships.
I ROBERT WILLIAM YARDLEY, of The Hollies, Wilmslow, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of an automatic indicator or
for indicating either on the bridge or other desired part of a vessel propelled by
steam or other power the movements and direction of the engine or engines either
by day or night.
The apparatus (which is an electric indicator) may be attached to one or more
of the cylinders, steam chests, or pipes or to any other suitable part of the engine
connecting the same to the steam supply or other source of power such as water or
air under pressure by means of pipes; a portion of the apparatus is also connected to
the "weigh-shaft" of the engine.
The first part of the apparatus consists principally of a small cylinder in which
works a piston actuated by the steam, water, or compressed air which drives the
engine. The rod of this piston acts through an insulating piece on a switch lever the
other end of which as the piston rises or falls makes or breaks contact with a spring
contact piece. The second part of the apparatus consists of a double switch lever
acting on two similar spring contact pieces through insulating pieces, one on each
side of a lever, the other end of which is connected by a link to a stud screwed or
otherwise fixed to the "weigh-shaft" of the engine, or to any other suitable part of
the reversing gear.
The spring contact pieces are electrically or galvanically connected to slides
provided with different colored glasses or lenses working in front of electric lamps
mounted in a suitable box or receptacle placed on the bridge or other convenient part
of the vessel, and the movement of these slides causing a corresponding alteration in
the color of the lights will at all times indicate whether the engine or engine is (or
are) moving "ahead" or astern."
"
Dated this 21st day of December 1896
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Indicator or "Tell-tale" for Use on Steam or other
Power Propelled Ships.
I ROBERT WILLIAM YARDLEY, of The Hollies, Wilmslow, in the County of Chester,
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:-
This invention relates to the construction of an automatic indicator or "tell-tale "

page_text: for indicating, either on the bridge or other desired part of a vessel propelled by
steam or other power, the movements and direction of the engine or engines, either
by day or night.
The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to
the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
The improved apparatus (which is an electric indicator) may be attached to
one or more of the cylinders, steam chests, or pipes, or to any other suitable part
of the engine, connecting the same to the steam supply, or other source of power
(such as water, or air under pressure) by means of pipes; or the apparatus may be
worked by the vacuum if desired; a portion of the apparatus is also connected to the
weigh shaft or to any other suitable part of the reversing gear.
Fig. 1 on the annexed drawings is an elevation (partly in section) of my improved
apparatus, Fig. 2 is an end view, and Fig. 3 a plan view of the same.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the bridge fittings, which would be required for a pair of
engines (port and starboard).
The first part of the apparatus may be mounted in the engine room, and consists
principally of a small cylinder a which may be supported by a bracket b attached to
the engine column or other convenient fixed part of the frame. In this cylinder a
works a piston 1 (or an elastic diaphragm may be used if preferred) which is
actuated by the steam, water, compressed air, or other power which works the engine,
the cylinder a being in communication therewith through the tube or connection c.
The rod d of the piston acts through an insulating piece e on one end of a switch-
lever the other end of which, as the piston 61 rises or falls, makes and breaks
contact with a spring contact piece g, or the piston rod or its equivalent may act upon
another form of switch if preferred.
The switch lever frocks on a pillar h which is connected by a wire to the
dynamo or other source of electric current, this pillar and the other parts of the
apparatus being insulated by being. mounted on a slab * of vulcanite or other
insulating material.
The second part of the apparatus consists of a double switch preferably in the form
of a lever i rocking on a pink and electrically connected by a wire through its
metallic support to the spring contact piece g. This double switch lever i acts upon
two similar spring contact pieces m and n.
An insulated pin o on the lower arm of the double switch lever i works in a slot at
the upper end of a lever p the lower arm of which is connected by a link q to a
stad screwed or otherwise fixed to the "weigh-shaft" of the engine or to any other
suitable part of the reversing gear.
The spring contact pieces m and n may be electrically or galvanically connected to
slides provided with different colored glasses. or lenses (or other indicating devices)
working in any known manner by means of electricity in front of electric lamps
mounted in a suitable 'box or receptacle placed on the bridge or other convenient part
of the vessel, and the movement of these slides causing a corresponding alteration in
the color of the lights or otherwise will at all times indicate the position of the
reversing gear, and consequently whether the engine or engines, is (or are) moving
"ahead or "astern.'
Or the spring contact pieces.m and n may be connected to lamps placed behind
colored glasses or lenses 1 or their equivalent mounted in a box or receptacles (as
shewn at Fig. 4) the indication being given by the illumination of either the
lamps or the lamps r 1 according to which of them is put on the circuit by the
action of the double switch lever, the whole of the bridge fittings being in this case
stationary.
The lever p.is drawn in a vertical position but it will be understood that when the
engine is going "abead "it will be moved into the position indicated by the dotted
line u and the double switch (lever i will be in connection with the spring contact
piece n, and on the other hand when the engine is reversed the lever p will be

page_text: pushed into the position indicated by the dotted line and the double switch lever i
will be brought into connection with the spring contact piece m.
If the steam or other power is "off" and the engine ceases working, the weight t
on the switch lever f, will fall and break the connection between the dynamo and the
spring contact piece g as shewn at Fig. 1, and the electric current will not pass to
the double switch lever i and the lamps will not be illuminated.
I would remark in conclusion that I do not wish to confine myself to the exact
details of the mechanism described so long as the chief features of my invention are
adhered to namely an electric indicating device connected by suitable switches to the
power employed to drive the engine and to the weigh shaft or other suitable part of
the reversing gear.
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. An electric indicator or "tell-tale" for use on steam ships which consists
principally of a small cylinder and piston, or elastic diaphragm actuated by the steam
(or other source of power which drives the engine) in such a way as to make or break
contact between the dynamo and a double acting switch lever in combination with two
spring contact pieces; the said double switch lever being connected to a stud on the
"weigh-shaft" or other part of the reversing gear of the engine by a link or
otherwise so that the movement of the said gear shall cause the switch lever to have
metallic contact with one or the other of such contact pieces; which are respectively
connected to an indicating slide or slides or to an electric lamp in a box or other
holder mounted on the bridge or other convenient part of the vessel; the whole
being so arranged that the color or other indication exhibited shall indicate whether
the engine (or engines) is (or are) moving "ahead" or "astern" substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
2. An electric indicator or "tell-tale" consisting principally of a switch actuated
by the steam or other power driving the engine, in combination with a double-acting
switch actuated by the "weigh-shaft" or other suitable part of the reversing gear,
and so connected to a suitable electric indicator, as to indicate when the engine is
in motion and the direction in which the engine is moving, substantially as herein-
before described.
Dated this 6th 1907
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.