Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1887
Complete Left, 27th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 9th Mar., 1888
I, JULES MICHEL of No. 90 Boulevard de la Major, Marseilles (Bouches du Rhone).
France, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for indicating the speed of a vessel, this apparatus
consisting of two parts combined together, the one part immersed in the water and
moved through it along with the vessel, and the other part connected with the former
by a tube is of the nature of an aneroid barometer and shews the speed on a dial on
board. The immersed part consists of hollow cylindrical vessel presenting its open
mouth to the water in the direction of motion; at some distance from the mouth the
vessel tapers to a much smaller diameter and in the reduced part there is a nozzle
with its mouth opening to the rear, this nozzle being connected by a small flexible tube
with the indicating apparatus. As the vessel moves through the water at less or
greater speed there is less or more of ejector action on the nozzle, causing less or more
reduction of pressure in the connecting tube and in the aneroid cell of the indicator,
whereby an index is caused to move over a less or greater number of divisions of a
dial graduated for knots or other measures of speed. The immersed part may be in the
water like a log at some distance from the vessel, hauled through the water by a cord;
or it may be attached to the side of the vessel near the prow. In the latter case the
indicator is made with a second aneroid cell communicating with the water to
compensate for variations in immersion of the vessel and of the ejector part of the
apparatus.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JULES MICHEL, of 90 Boulevard de la Major, Marseilles (Bouches du Rhone),
France, Civil 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 :-
My improved apparatus for indicating the speed of vessels is composed of two
distinct parts: 1st the jactuating apparatus properly so called, and 2nd the indicating
apparatus.
The actuating apparatus is immersed in the water, and the indicator is placed either
in the captain's cabin, on the bridge, in the conning tower, or other suitable part of
the vessel. The actuating apparatus may be operated by being drawn through the
water by a cord which may vary in length from 20 to 60 metres. The apparatus in
this case is preferably drawn along on one side of the vessel, so as to avoid the current
of water produced by the motion of the propeller. According to another arrangement
the actuating apparatus may be fixed to the hull of the vessel either on the outside or
on the inside of same. For these different arrangements the apparatus and the indi-
cating dials are identical in principle, except that when the actuating apparatus is
secured to the hull, I employ a compensator which will be hereinafter described.
The following is a description of the construction and operation of my improved
apparatus, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the complete apparatus, the actuating
apparatus being represented as being drawn through the water.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of same, partly in section, the compensator for use when the
actuating apparatus is secured to the hull of the vessel being also shown.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the actuating apparatus, and
Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of same.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the dragging cord and vacuum tube.
The actuating apparatus is preferably made of gun metal and composed of a
cylindrical part C and three conical parts D, E and F, all screwed or otherwise
connected together so that they may be readily disconnected for examination or repair
when requisite. In order to maintain the apparatus in its normal position while being
drawn through the water, and to prevent it rotating, it is provided with horizontal
wings K, and a vertical rib or wing L.
This cylindrical case receives a bollow rod G, which is supported in the centre
thereof by two cross bars H, and the forward end of such hollow rod is made conical and
fits into a small india rubber tube I, which is connected to the dragging rope or cord,
and is cased in linen. This tube, which may be as much as 60 metres in length, or
even more according to the vessel with which it is employed, terminates at the speed
indicating dial, the latter being graduated for knots or other measures of speed.
Supposing the ship to be in motion, the water will pass in at the cylinder C of the
actuating apparatus and pass through the cones; leaving by the rear part j of the case,
at a speed depending upon that of the vessel, and this speed of exit will create a partial
vacuum in the central tube G, such vacuum being transmitted to the indicating dial by
means of the india rubber tube. For indicating apparatus which is actuated by being
hauled through the water the indicator may consist of a vacuum gauge on the Bourdon
or other suitable principle, but with an aneroid box or cell as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2
very exact indications may be obtained from 0 to 25 knots. The box or cell collapses
under the action of a vacuum in the same manner as a bellows, according to the speed

page_text: of the vessel. When the apparatus is drawn along it will always remain at about the
same depth under water, and there is no necessity of taking into consideration
differences of immersion of the vessel, due to variation of load, or to rolling or pitching,
but this is not so when such apparatus is fixed to the hull and consequently compelled
to follow all the differences of immersion. It is, therefore, necessary to provide com-
pensating means in order to avoid false indications on the dial. These means consist
in the employment of a second aneroid box or cell A (Fig. 2) of the same resistance as
the box or cell B, which latter is actuated by the vacuum, and acting through a small
connecting rod upon the toothed sector, gives movement to the pointer or index.
This second box or cell A is connected to a second india rubber tube, similar to the
former, and which dips into the water to the same depth as the actuating apparatus.
By this arrangement the compensation is effected in the following manner :-
Supposing the vessel to pitch to the depth of 1 metre, for example, the vacuum in
box or cell B will be reduced to a certain extent, but the box or cell A receiving a
compression of air equivalent to such immersion of 1 metre, an absolute com-
pensation will be produced, and the pointer will always indicate the true speed of
the vessel.
For apparatus which is fixed to the hull of the vessel the rope or cord to which the
two tubes are secured will only serve to withdraw the actuating apparatus from the
water. The apparatus may be secured to the hull in any suitable manner.
By arranging a small reservoir (preferably of copper and of a capacity of about a
decilitre) near the dial, and leading the vacuum tube thereto, a single actuating
apparatus may be caused to govern 3 or 4 dials on the same vessel.
In order to render the action of the pointer or index more sensitive, I make a very
small orifice for the admission of air into the vacuum tube, such orifice being always
constant and preferably formed in the cock at the point of connection between the
aneroid box or cell and the vacuum tube.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. The improved apparatus for indicating the speed of vessels consisting in a case
open at both ends, and through which water is allowed to pass as the vessel travels
along,
the passage of such water producing a partial vacuum in a tube supported within
such case, and open at its outer end, while its inner end is connected to an indicating
apparatus, so that the vacuum produced will actuate the latter and indicate the speed at
which the vessel is travelling, all substantially as specified.
2. The employment in apparatus for indicating the speed of vessels, of an aneroid
box or cell connected to a tube in which a partial vacuum is produced by the passage
of water through a case in which such tube is supported, the movement of such aneroid
box or cell being transmitted to a suitable indicator, substantially as specified.
3. The employment of a second aneroid box or cell and a tube connected therewith,
in combination with the aneroid box or cell described in the preceding claim, such
second box or cell acting as a compensator when the indicating apparatus is secured to
the hull of a vessel, substantially as specified.
4. The formation of a small orifice for the admission of air into the vacuum tube of
the speed indicating apparatus described in claim 1, for the purpose of increasing the
sensitiveness of an index or pointer which the vacuum produced in such tube is caused
to actuate, substantially as specified.
Dated this 94th dox of Jonn 1888
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.