SHIPS' COURSE RECORDER
Year: 1885

page_text: I, CARL FRANZ EMANUEL BERG of N° 18 Matthaeikirchstrasse, Berlin, Ger-
many, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for a
"SHIPS' COURSE RECORDER" to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a Ships course Recorder, which has the purpose of
registering on a paper, drawn by a clockwork at an equal rate, a diagram, which
shall be the true representation of the course the ship has taken.
Fig. 1 represents such a diagram in which all those lines parallel to the middle
line M M indicate the ships course due to the direction, of which the length
represents the time of duration elapsed. The reading off of the diagram is effected
by means of a figure, like Fig. 2, ruled on a piece of glass; of which the radius ON
equals the distance between the centreline of the compass rose and the centreline
of the colour flask F, Fig. 3 & 4. This figure is placed on the paper such, that the
middleline M M coincides with the line N Ô S. N being directed to the
commencement of the diagram. All courselines, i.e. those parallel to the middle-
line receive their respective N or S character from the circular arc from which
they extend. f. inst: corresponds the circular arc with a portion of the semi
circle E NW, the courseline is northerly, or with a portion of the semi
circle ES W the courseline is southerly. f. inst., courseline 2, N; 3, N Wb W;
4, N W 6 N; 5, S Eb S; 6, S E.
Such a diagram may be recorded in two different ways. The first of it is by
the application of a coloured liquid, transferred upon the paper by a suitable
arrangement, Fig. 3 & 4, and the second, by the application of a small punch,
which at certain intervals of time punches little holes in the paper.
Fig. 3; CC is the compass rose with the colourflask F. This flask is pressed
at certain intervals of time by the disk H against the paper and leaves a mark on
it. The paper P P is drawn by a clockwork at an equal rate.
Fig. 4, shows the arrangement by which the coloured liquid is transferred upon
the paper by means of a revolving disk D. The disk turns freely in the colour-
flask, and is kept in rotation by the paper drawn above it, with which it is in

page_text: constant contact through the lever L. As it is necessary that the position of the
axle of the disk remains unaltered to the drawn paper, the following device has
been invented by me. A wheel w₁ is clinched to the compassbearer; the two
wheels w, and w, are turning freely in the compassrose, but are in gearing with
the wheel w₁.
As all the three wheels are of the same pitch and diameter, it
follows, that by whatever movement. of the compassrose the axle of the disk D
will keep its position to the paper unaltered.
To mark out the diagram a punch may be used instead of the colourflask, which
is acted upon in a similar manner as in Fig. 3.

page_text: t :
I, CARL FRANZ EMANUEL BERG of N° 18 Matthäikirchstrasse Berlin, Germany,
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 invention relates to a Ships course Recorder which has the purpose of
registering on a paper, drawn by a clockwork at an equal rate, a diagram, which
shall be the true representation of the course the ship has taken.
Is a registering arrangement fixed normal to a compassrose, such, that the
centreline of it passes through a point of the magnetic axis of the compassrose,
and is this made to write on a card, turning freely on the rotating axis of the
same rose. Then, on turning the card in the direction from N to E, a circular arc
is described on it which runs from N to W, and if turned further from E to S, an
arc is described from W to S. Again, the turning of the card from N to W is
represented by an arc from N to E, and from W to S by such a one from E to S.
Thus, if the card is bisected by a line joining N and S; all the easterly points are
registered on the left hand side, i.e. westerly half of the card, and the westerly
points on the right hand side i.e. easterly half. Again, is the card turned from
E to W over N, Fig. 1; the registering arrangement markes out all the northerly
points of the compassrose; or from E to W over S the arrangement markes out all
the southerly points of the rose-This is only possible, when the centreline of the
registering arrangement passes through a point of the magnetic axis of the
compasrose. If now N and S being connected by a straight line, and all the equal
distant points of the northerly half with those of the southerly half, likewise,
a figure is obtained by means of which the course of a vessel may be read off,
which has been registered in a similar manner on a paper, drawn at an equal
rate, Fig. 1.
Such a diagram, bearing the easterly points on its westerly side and its
westerly points on its easterly side, will be apt to mislead the practical seaman.
To avoid this, the paper is drawn above the compassrose, and the diagram is
registered on its under side. On reading off the diagram, the paper has to be
inverted, and consequently the points of the reading glass are thus made to
correspond with those of the compassrose.
Fig. 2, represents such a diagram in which all those lines parallel to the middle
line M M indicate the ships course due to the direction, of which the length
represents the time of duration. The reading off of the diagram is effected by
means of a reading glass like Fig. 1, of which the radius ON equals the distance
between the centreline of the compassrose and the centreline of the registering
arrangement, Fig. 3. The reading glass is placed on the paper such, that the
middleline M M coincides with the line Ñ O S. N being directed to the
commencement of the diagram. All courselines i.e. those parallel to the middle-
line receive their respective N or S character from the circular arc from which
they extend; corresponds the circular are with a portion of the semi-circle E. N. W.
the courseline is northerly, or with a portion of the semi circle E S W the

page_text: .
courseline is southerly. Fig. 1 and 2-Fig. 3 & 4 shows a registering arrangement
in a compassrose, by which a coloured liquid is transferred upon the paper through
a revolving disk D. The disk turns freely in the colourflask F and is kept in
rotation by the paper P, P drawn above it at an equal rate. The disk is in
constant contact with the paper through the lever L. As it is necessary that the
position of the axle of the disk remains unaltered to the drawn paper, the following
device has been invented by me. A wheel w, is clinched to the compassbearer;
the two wheels w₁, w, are turning freely in the compassrose, but are in gearing
with the wheel w₁. As all the wheels are of the same pitch and diameter, it
follows, that by whatever movement of the compassrose, the axle of the disk D
remains its position to the paper unaltered. A store of the paper P, P is kept
on the roller S, and is drawn from there, underneath the plate by the two
rollers R, R, and again rolled up on the roller R..
From the roller R, the paper can be removed at will.
The roller R, is driven by a clockwork.
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
For the porpose of registering on a paper drawn by a clockwork at an equal
rate, a diagram, which shall be the true representation of the course the ship has
taken, the application of a registering arrangement fixed to a compassrose such,
that the centreline of the registering arrangement passes normal through a point
of the magnetic axis of the same rose.
Dated this 07th day of T.1- 1996