US133385A - nickoll - Google Patents

Description

3Sheets--Sheet1. G. 'READ & J. J. NlCKOLL.

Ships Signals. N0. 133,385. y Patented Nov..-26l, 872.

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Ships Signals. No. 133,385. Patented N0v.2e,1s72.

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Ships Signals.

No. 133,385; Patented N0v.26,'1872..

GEORGE READ, on LEAL, AND JOHN JAMES nioxoLL, or SOUTH HILL HOUSE, eEAvEsENn, GREAT EHrrArN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHIPS SIGNALS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,385, dated November 26, 1872.

for public use a simple practical means Whereby the position of a ship and the course she is steerin g may be indicated to other vessels by means of signal-lamps and semaphores carried aloft, and so constructed and connected to the tiller or rudder that the character and appearance of said signals will beautomatically changed by the movement of the tiller or rudder of the ship, so as to pre! sent, for example, a white light when she is steering straight ahead, a red light when her helm is aport, and a green light when it is to the starboard. To this end the invention consists, first, in the employment of a guide-frame, a cylinder or lens box supported by the frame, and a lamp inclosed within the cylinder or lens box, the cylinder being capable of slidin g in or on the frame and over the lamp, or the lamp being capable of sliding in the cylinder, and the whole being connected to the tiller or rudder by suitable means, for the purpose referred to; and, secondly, in the employment of a system of weights to take up the Slack of the connecting-cords 'and keep them taut at all times, so that the signals will instantly respond to the movements of the helm, all as hereinafter described.

In the daytime instead of lights we employ a semaphore or yard arm, which, being operated in a similar manner from the steering apparatus, its various positions will indicate whether the ship is steering aport, right ahead, or a starboard course; and in order that our said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the drawing hereunto annexed.

Figure l represents a side elevation of the apparatus as placed in position on the foremast of the ship; Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, a front elevation and plan of 'the same; Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively, a front eleva-tion,

plan, vertical, and horizontal sections of the same to a larger scale.

Like letters refer to similar parts in each of these figures.

A, the signaling-cylinder, shown suspended to the stay B, and within which cylinder the lamp C is caused to slide up and down in uniinder is hoisted into ,position and the guidelines tightened by means of a line, H, one end of which is attached to the cross-piece E, and the other rove through the pulley-blocks J K, being then carried down to the foot of the mast, where it is made fast. The bloclr J is provided with a ring, which allows it to be raised or lowered on the stay B at pleasure. In openings in the front part of the cylinder are inserted the lenses L M N, the upper one L being, Say, red, the middle one M white, and the lower one N green. The said lenses are of the usual segmental form, as shown in the sectional plan, Fig. 7, -in-order to allow the rays of light emanating from the lamp to be visible over the requisite arc; or, if preferred, they may be made circular, so 'as to show a light all round. 'Ihel lamp C is constructed as an ordinary ships lamp, by preference circular in plan, and provided with reflectors suited to the arc of the lenses. A guidegroove, O, formed in it, receives a tongue or fillet, I), tted in the cylinder to prevent the lamp turning therein. Holes for the admission of air into the cylinder, to support combustion in the lamp, may be conveniently formed in this llet, which is shown hollow, other holes being out in the back of the cylinder to admit air into the hollow fillet. By this means drafts of air in the cylinder or lamp may be avoided. The lamp is attached to a lanyard, Q, which passes up through the cover B of the cylinder over the pulley-block S fastened to the crosspiece E, and down the mast to near the deck, where it is attached to a line connected with some convenient and suitable moving part of the steering apparatus. This line connected with the steering apparatus may be a single line, such as T, attached at one end to, say, the tiller, as shown, and, being led by guidepulleys, preferably beneath the deck, into a suitable position, has at its other end a balance- Weight, U. The motion of the steering apparatus in moving the rudder to one side Will thus impart tothe line T a movement in one direction, raising the Weight U, and when the rudder is moved to the opposite side the Weight will draw the line in the opposite direction. The lamp-lanyard Q, being attached` to the said line or to the Weight, as shown, will receive a corresponding movement. A Weight, V, may also be applied to the other side of the tiller to eounterbalance the Weight U. It will now be understood thatthe lines Q and T being connected together in such manner that when the helm is amidships the lamp C in the cylinder is suspended opposite to the white lens-any movement of the helm to the starboard or port side will depress or elevate the lamp so as to bring it opposite to the green or red lens, and thus indicate at a distance from. the ship Whether she is steering a starboard, right ahead, or port course and, when desired, the position of the lamp in the cylinder may be indicated to the ot'- icer of the watch by the holes I I I in the back of the cylinder provided with colored glasses corresponding to the lenses. The line T should be attached to that part of the steering-gear that will meve the lamp from the White lens to one of the colored ones before the rudder shall have altered the course of the ship to any material extent, (or, if preferred, it ma-y be so regulated as to shor the light only at the last turn of the steeringwheel either Way.) The relative positions of the lamp and lenses are not altered by the further movement of the rudder in the same direction, by reason, in the one case, of the' lampcoming in contact with the cover R and raising the said cylinder thereby, and, in the other case, by the lamp resting on the spring W, or on the bottom ofthe cylinder the lamp, lanyard Q becoming slack. By these means the lamp can never be moved beyond the lenses. The cover It of the cylinder may be removed to admit the lamp, after which it is t closed and fastened by thumbscrews or staples and Wedge, as shown. Instead of the `single line or rope T and balance-Weight U, I. `1an endless'line and leading pulleys, such as l`X, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, carried `,round `the deck in any convenient manner and esition, or rods and cranked levers or other iitable mechanism, may be employed to imart motionto the lamp; and it will be seen preferred the lamp may be made to rem stationary, and motion only given to the cylinder by similar means to these described for movingqthelamp. One modification of 1th apparatus by which this may be carried tofetl t isgslioyvn in Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11, in

which it will be seen that a cylindrical shade, Y, incloses the circular burner of the lamp C. This shade is composed of colored glasses similarly to the lenses of the cylinder before described, and is operated from the steeringgear by the line Q. In this case the lamp G reniains stationary in the enveloping lantern A, which is provided with one clear or White lens, M', and, the parti-colored shade Y being moved up and down around the burner, similar effects are produced to those before described, in which the lamp is moved inside the cylinder. It' it is desired not to exhibit a white light when the helm is amidships the white lens may be omitted and the cylinder or cylindrical shade left solid or opaque between the red and green lenses. Figs. l and 2 also show a semaphore or yard arm arranged and operated so as to indicate in the daytime the movements of the rudder. A1 is the semaphore-arm centered on a pin and placed in some conspicuous position en the fore part of the ship, as on the mast. Q1 Q2, lanyards attached one to each side ofthe center thereof;

these lanyards are led down and connected to the endless line X, or to the Weighted line T before described, in such manner that the motion of the rudder shall elevate, as shown, that arm of the semaphore which corresponds to the side of the ship toward which the helm Vis put over, and thus indicate the direction she is taking or is about to take.

Instead et' applying the before-described apparatus at the mast-head, one such may be appliedto each side ofthe ship, and, bein g connected with the steerin ggear, will indicate in a more l efficient manner than the present regulation lights the position a ships helm may bein at any moment by so arranging the lenses that the color visible shall be that which accords with the side to which the helm is put over, and when so applying the apparatus We prefer to usea mast-head or position light, the front of which shows White and the starboard and port sides green and red, respectively, for the purpose of indicating the general direction a ship may be taking. The apparatus is also applicable to ships riding at anchor wherein the helm is sometimes lashed, say to port, the cable being at sheer on port bow, thus giving to another ship a chance of anchoring in a clear berth on the starboard side.

It Will be readily understood that this apparatus is applicable to a variety of purposes Where signaling is required, as for example1 in harbors, to indicate to a ship about to enter the course she should follow, by simply moving the lamp in the cylinder opposite to the colored lens, indicating the direction to which the ships helm should be put over. Also, by employing a suitable notation and code corresponding to the colors and position of the lenses in the cylinder, any required messages or signals may be transmitted, Whether on sea or land; and for this purpose several cylinders and lamps `may be employed, with the lenses arranged and combined in any suitable manner, the lamp being moved in the cylinder by hand or by mechanical means, as may be preferred.

We claim as our invention- The guide frame or lines, the lens box or cylinder, capable of a vertical movement in or upon the said fra-me or lines, and the lamp, capable of a vertical movement relatively to the lens box or cylinder and to the guide-frame or lines, when combined with each other and with the tiller or rudder and connecting-lines,

substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The Weights U V, arranged in .guides and combined with the automatic signal apparatus, herein described, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our hands this 13th day of July, 1872.

GEORGE READ,

Chief Ocer R. N. JOHN JAMES NIOKOLL. Witnesses:

H. C. DAVEY, F. FINcH.

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