GB2320325A - Navigators aid - Google Patents

Abstract

The navigators Aid provides the means of plotting co ordinates accurately on a folded or copy section of chart or ordnance map using co ordinates from receivers such as Decca or GPS. The co ordinates are recorded by means of slides fig.3 on the Navigators Aid. The Navigators Aid contains Latitude and Longitude tape scales fig.6 which can seen through a transparent viewer fig.1 which tapes can either be fixed and interchangeable or on tapes held in cassettes fig.5 allowing advance and retard of tapes to suit a single chart or multiple scales to suit various charts. The scales in the viewer are orientated on the chart or map by means of moving pointer tabs fig.4 to a position on the latitude/Longitude position as seen through the transparent viewer fig.1 which correspond to datums marked on the section of chart or map. When the Navigators Aid is orientatd the latitude and Longitude positions are marked, and where they cross is the position plot.

Description

NAVIGATORS AID This invention relates to improving means of plotting co ordinates on sea charts and ordnance maps given from decca and GPS units (Global positioning systems). The invention comes from experience in difficulties plotting positions on folded charts and tracking progress quickly and accurately in difficult circumstances on a medium sized yacht. At this present time to plot latitude and longitude cd ordinates on charts and maps reference has to be made to the scale printed along the perimeter of the chart or map. This involves opening out the chart or map to expose the scales and transfer measurements with dividers to position the plot. Using conventional methods it was until now impossible to plot a position on a chart or map folded with no latitude or longitude scale showing. Using the NAVIGATORS AID as will be described later it will be seen that an accurate plotted position can be marked on a chart or map folded quite small with no latitude or longitude scale on the edges of the chart or map showing.The Navigators Aid can be used on a section piece or copy section of a chart where the bulk of a full chart is not necessary for your needs.

Another advantages of the Navigator aid is that the latitude strip shown on the aid can be used directly between waypoints or present position and destination to read off distance travelled or to travel without having to use dividers to transfer measurements to side latitude scale to convert to distance. 1 As will be seen the NAVIGATORS AID incorporates slides colour coded which can be moved up and down the AID and can be positioned on the latitude and longitude of the AID as you read them from your decca or GPS avoiding written errors when tired or stressed.

The latitude longitude printed scales on the Navigators Aid tapes would be larger, clearer and colour enhanced for easy reading, unlike existing chary and map scales which are sometimes difficult to read in certain lighting conditions. Using the position slides if the previous position co ordinates were left in position on the navigator aid when moving to the new updated position co ordinates an error will be seen imìíiediately if there is a large movement of the slide on the navigators aid from the previous position, bearing in mind your speed,direction and time between fixes.

Using the slides your position is marked on your navigatorsfiaid as opposed to writing it down on a pad or your chart and losing the coordinates or using the wrong ones.

As will be described later it will be seen that the NAVIGATORS aid can be ether loaded with strips of latitude longitude scale to suit your cruisingarea cut to length and coordinated to suit you, and to suit the scale size of charts;and maps you use, or the latitude longitude strips can be loaded on cassette operating independantly inside the body of the navigator aid . An advantage of the cassette is that sthe position of the lat long tape can be moved independantly to correspond with the approximate centre of the navigators aid unit reading the latitude longitude of the area you are ln, thereby reducing if desired the actual overall length of the NAVIGATORS AID unit requirement to something of the order of say 250mm. to 300mm.The latitude and longitude scales move independantly therefore they can be advanced or retarded to suit you as the cruise or your movement progresses The printed latitude, longitude strips would be on different colour background for instant recognition of a latitude or longitude tape.

There will be a necessity to mark a few datum lines corresponding to lat long existing grid lines on your charts or maps but this will only have to be done once in the lifetime of the chart or map and will only take a minute or two to do. The 'datum marks will be used to line up the NAVIGATOR AIDS for quick plotting . A corresponding marker on a slide on the NAVIGATORS AID will be used to line up the NAVIGATORS AID on folded charts with no lat long scales showing.The number of datum markers onw a chart will be governed by the overall length of your Navigators Aid.

The cassettes can be loaded with more than one chart scale on each cassette to suit the area you are cruising.

Strips of Lat long scales large or small scale can be produced to suit any chart or map worldwide and cassettes loaded with continuous strips of latitude longitude to different scales area and charts'map coordinated in areas and in practical lengths to suit the size of cassettes, and coverage for a particular area. For use without casettes single strips to suit any specific chart or map can be produced or cut from the reel of continuous strips.

Additional features could be incorporation such as small motors to advance or retard the tapes quickly between scales if there are a large number of scales held on a single cassette.

This would necessitate the use of small batteries which could also allow an illuminating light enabling the NAVIGATORS AID to be used in the dark, as the light could be of a strength to illuminate the unit and the section of the chart or map being worked on.

GPS is now being used by land based users such as walkers and drivers. The NAVIGATORS AID can be used just as easily by them for plotting co ordinates on ordnance maps in the same way as on sea charts. With the correct lat/long strips loaded in the NAVIGATORS AID to suit the ordnance map in use.

The NAVIGATORS AID can be useful to yachtsmen whodo not possess Decca or gps units as they can still use on a folded chart, for estimated Lat/Long coordinates quickly, which would be useful in an emergency, and the latitude scale on the NAVIGATORS AID can be used for distances between estimated positions, estimated distance run and distance to destination.

Description of the NAVIGATORS AID component parts illustrated with sketches Note: Sketches not to scale Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a section of transparent viewing holder made of dear transparent plastic or some such material that can be extiied to form a shape similar to that shown in Fig. 1 with side slits and slots marked 1 full: length of the extrusion and raised runners marked 2. The length of extrusion supplied would be approx. 112 length or width of standard admiralty charts cut in situ to suit the navigators requirements. The side slits marked 1 would be of dimensions to accept clearance fit of two tapes back to back marked 3 in Fig 6.

Fig 2 shows one of two stop ends made of suitable material which are a push fit at ether end of the transparent extrusion. The purpose of the stop ends are to prevent tapes marked 3 from falling out sideways or slipping out of end of transparent viewing holder.

Fig 3 shows one of four slide markers (two ether side of Navigator aid) made of dear plastic or some such material with a fine marker line in the centre of slide marker. The slide marker with a positive resistance against accidental movement is designed to slide along the outside flanges of the viewing holder. When LaV Long tapes marked 3 are in their respective slots on the transparent viewing holder, the slide-markers are used to mark the latitude longitude coordinates obtained from Decca or GPS' by sliding along extrusion to the respective positions on Lat/Long tapes that can be seen though the transparent extrusion.The slide markers enable the navigator to record the coordinates without writing them down. You can leave the markers in position on the Navigator aid until your next DeccalGPS position fix and if the new co ordinates require dn unusually large position change it will alert you to a possible fault with receiver or present or previous co ordinate readings.

Fig. 4 shows one of four moving pointer tabs (two either side of the navigators aid) which nun along the raised runners marked 2( resistive fit) Pointer tabs are colour coded to match the Lat/Long tapes respectively.The pointer tabs are slid along the runners marked 2 to a position on the latlLong tapes repectively marking the datum position you have marked on the chart or map. This allows the navigators aid to be lined up in the correct position on a folded chart or map in the correct LatlLong alignment quickly without reference to the printed side and end scales on the chart or map.

Fig. 5 shows a set of casssettes which hold reels of strip Latitude longitude tapesThe Latitude longitude strips operate independantly to each other between the two cassettes controlled by four knobs (two on each cassette to advance and retard each tape independantly as your geographical position changes. the,cassettes are a push fit on the end of the extrusion transparent viewing holder.An advantage of using the cassette system is that a shorter extrusion can be used and hence a shorter Navigators aid to be used, as you are able to advance and retard the section of latitudelLongitude you are working with in the transparent viewing holder,to suit position on chart or map.. Spare cassettes not in use can be held in 'c' clips marked 4 which holds the cassettes together and could also be labeled with a contents list.Latitude 1 Longitude strips are side fed into the slots running along each side of the transparent viewing holder, slack in the latllong tapes taken up and the cassettes pushed onto the ends of the transparent viewing holder.

Fig. 6 shows Latitude and Longitude strip tapes, scales printed on non-stretch fibreglass tape, plastic or treated water proof paper or some such suitable material. The background colour of the Latitude tape a different colour than the Longitude tape .To prevent any confusion further colour coding could be used for the printing of full degrees and minutes of latitude and Longitude highlighted in different colours.

As an extra safeguard arrows marked5 are placed at regular intervals along the tape to show orientation of Navigators aid when used for instance *jon chart of Morecambe Bay as shown Longitude is right to left and latitude bottom to top; The scale for the chart marked 6 is repeated at regular intervals along the tape which corresponds with the chart or map scale. The chart location 'and chart number marked 7 is also repeated at regular intervals along the tape.

Strip tapes not cassette loaded are cut down to suit the extrusion possibly crosswise in half and loaded back to back in the extruded translucent viewing holder so that both sides of the viewing holder can be used which will cover the whole or most of the chart that you want to cover.The other safeguard against disoriantating the Navigators Aid on the chart or map is that the degrees and minutes are marked oriantated to, he read the correct way up and not sideways on. Strip tapes for the Navigators aid can be supplied to cover single charts or continuous strips covering a number of popular chart scales,, area co ordinated. If the navigator would consider himself to be more comfortablewith a smaller navigators aid a single chart could be loaded on the cassettes.

Latitude / Longitude strips could be produced to cover any geographical area in the World to suit any chart or map.

Fig.7 shows a perspective view of the Navigators aid of the type not cassette loaded with the latitude and longitude strips loaded in the transparent viewing holder.

Fig. 8 Shows a perspective view of Navigators Aid using;icassettes at both ends of the transparent viewing holder and the longitude and latitude tapes loaded in the cassettes passing through the slots loaded in the transparent viewing' :holder.

Claims (10)

1) The Navigators Aid Latitude and Longitude scales which can be advanced and retarded independently between cassettes fixed to a transparent viewing holder allowing a minimum length of Navigators Aid, with maximum of chart or map coverage for plotting latitude and longitude co ordinates obtained from receivers such as Decca or GPS (Global positioning systems).

2) Plot and position fixing on paper charts or maps, sections,copies of part charts or maps ,or folded charts or maps with no latitude or longitude necessary to be visible, using a navigators aid as described.

3) Recording co ordinates from receivers such as Decca and GPS by means of slide markers on transparent viewing holder positioned to indicate position co ordinate on corresponding Latitude or Longitude scale showing through the transparent viewer.

4) A navigators aid such as described and illustrated means of measuring distances between two points on any scale of chart or map without transfering measurement to convert to distance.

5) The use of pointer tabs aligned with datum marks on charts and maps to orientate the instrument in the correct position on the charts or maps to produce meaningful data, on and from a Navigators Aid such as described and illustrated.

6)Broader scales on tapes independent from the chart or map allowing clearer numbering and colour enhancement.

7) The means of cutting into sections a spare chart or a copy of a section of chart to size you need removing superfluous bulk and using an instrument such as the Navigators Aid with an independent scale to provide an accurate plot.

I; 8)111umination of plotting instrument and section of chart or map being worked, with a built in light such as on a Navigators Aid.

9) An extrusion transparent viewerwith a removeable interchangeable strip scale as described and illustrated.

10) The Navigators Aid as described and illustrated.