US1377427A - Signaling the position of a ship's helm - Google Patents

Description

R. S ONElL.

SIGNALING THE POSITION OF A SHIPS HELM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. n. 1920.

1,377,427. Patented May 10, .1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET i.

R. s. ONEIL. SIGNALING THE POSITION 01 A SHIPS HELM- APPLICATION HLED FEB. 11. 1920- 1,377,427, Batented May 10, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W, fifwy/ 3% @264 .15 I V sociated with the rudder movement ma I arm connected directly to and moving with the rudder post but a diflicultywhich has RoboLrrr STUART o'NEr 'oFLoNDoN, ENGLAND] To all coii om ai mail concern: Q

Be it known that I, RoDoLrH STUART 7 O Nm-a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of London, England, have inventedcertain new and *useful I'mprovements in and-Connected with Signalin the Position of a Ships Helm, of which the'following is a specification. a

This invention relatesto improvements in) and connected with signaling theposition 7 of a ships helm, and has reference to apparatus for enabling a captain or helmsman at all timesto informhimself as to thepositionfof the ships rudder'iat any mo ment; of that character'where a switch as crates with stationary contacts 'to make circuits to signalingfllamps or indicators 10-1 cated in the wheel house or otherdesired po sitionfon the ship.

In such apparatus it is important-that there shall be no possibility of error in con- 'veying to the signal indicator the position a of the rudderand for thisreason it is n'ecessary to connect the contact switch with the rudder post or steering member so that any want of alinement orbacklash efiect will not i be communicatedto the'switch in such a manner asto interfere with the contact efiect required to operate the signaling device correctly. For this, purpose accordlng to my invention a flexible joint is interposed as the connecting link between the rudder postv and the switch as hereinafter described.

It has been suggested to provide a switch been experiencedin practice arises from the fact that the rudderimoves longitudinally of its axis to some extent and it is diflicult .to insure correct contact between the moving switch arm and its cooperating stationary contacts. The important feature of my present invention is the'connection of the f moving member of the switch to the rudder post through a connection adapted to trans mitthe torque of the rudder directly but to accommodate itself to the axial movements of the rudder post.

In the accompanying drawings I have" illustrated my invention, Figure 1 being a diagrammatic elevation of the connection of the rudder to the contact drumor brush and also the electrical connections to the in dicator. I, v a

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Application filed etail-5 1, 1920. Serial vno. 357,890 j J sIe- ALINo-{uns rosrrron or A SHIPS I Fig- 2 is a detail of the rudder Pa and connectionsg a i Fig. 3 is a section on line3+3,' Fig. 2.

V Referring to the drawing; the numeral 1 designates the rudder postcwhich is connected-by arod 2 and universalcouplings 3 and 4 tea contact drum '5. The member mountedin a bearing 3? in or uponthe rudder post a keyor feather 3 being provided the rudderand also arranging said member for sliding movement and a spring'3 is provided to give a spring mountingito the member "3. The said key is'hereqshown as Patented ma @1921. 7

' s er the universal coupling 3 is slidably to'insure rotation ofsaid member 3 with c f f m'ovablein a slot3 in oinesideof the member- 3 vThis arrangement of mounting is I important infpracti'ce in order a compen 'sate for relatlve -aX1al movements between the rudder post and the contact drum. The

contact drum 5 has itscontacts arranged to correspond-with certain positions of the a rudder.

For'the, present is only necessaryto considerthree positions correspond H ing to the central position of theirudder and positions both to port and"starboard.

Thecontact drum 5 moves with the rudder postl', and I provide a pair of contacts 7 and 8, one corresponding to port and theother to itst arboard. These contaets'7 and 8 are arranged on the drum on either side of the central position and one or othr of them contact either7 or 8 to complete the circult of an electric lamp or indicator7 or 8 respectively each of a particular color,

serves, by cooperation with a stationary With the rudder inprecisely the central po- 7 sition neither of the drum'cont'acts Tand 8 will engage their respective cooperating staa tionary contacts 7 and 8 and no fresh indication will be given, but'any deviation of the rudder from'the central position willcause the drum contacts 7 and 8 andin one or other of the cooperating contacts 7 orv8 and one Q or otherjof the lamps 7'" or 8 will-be illumi contact to be made between oneor other of V nated or one or other of two indications 3 color and that associated with the starately either of the lamps becomes illuminated the helmsman or other person pro vided with indication lamps will know that d the rudder has moved from the central posig made. The lamp or indicator signal associated with the port? contact 7 may be one board contact 8 another so that immediwhite light or n light at all, five degrees to;

starboard,by green light, five degrees V 7 table contact makerof electric signaling ap- This principle can of course beindefinitely' extended and further contacts and lamps 'or indicators may be provided to indicate further "positions of the rudder. For example the central positionm'ay be indicated by to port? red light, fifteen degrees starboard by a combined green" and white, fifteen degrees to ;:port by a combined red and'white, While hard over on theport side may be indicated by two red lights and hard over onfthe starboard side by two green lights. These various positions are indicated by'reason of drum contacts9 connected together in'lp'airs cooperating with stationary" contacts 10, throughwhich circuits to indicator coils (or lamps 11 are established.

Thus the various actual positions mentioned of the rudderwill be signaled. Q

It has been notedthat the central position of the rudder may be indicated by a white light or indicator and in the diagram this lamp or indicator is designated 6-. Current passespto'the drum-from the positive line; to the stationary contact 6? with which the. drum contact 6 cooperates. In the central v positionof the rudder a stationary contact 6 'coincidesewith adrum contact and when the rudder moves, say five degrees, in either direction the drum contact-becomes separated from-the stationary contact and the white ,light goes vout, a colored light beingsubstituted. I 1 v What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A connection "for use between the ro-j ing a rod, universal couplings at the ends of the rod, one for attachment to such contact maker, a slidable member attached to the other coup1ing,a bearing for atta'chment to the rudder post and in which said slidable member is" mounted for sliding movement and for turning movement therewith, to

permit axial movement between the contact maker andthe rudderpost. 1 r

2. A connect'on for use between the rotae tact maker, a slidablemember attached to' the other coupling, a bearing forattachment to the rudde post and in which said slidable member is mounted for sliding movenient and-.for turning movement therewith,

to permit axial movementbetweenthe con- V tact maker andfthe' rudder post, and aspring between the opposingfaces of the slidable member and bearing; a I 3. A connection for usebetween the rotatable contact maker of electric signaling apparatus and a ships rudder post, comprising a rod, universalcouplings at the ends of the rod, cone for attachment to such contact maker, a-slidable member attached to the other coupling, a'bearing for attachment to the rudder post and in which said slidable member is mountec liforv sliding movement and for turning movement therewith, to permit axial movement between? the coning having'longitudinal grooves ,in the .in-. tenor of its side faces and said bearing havingfkeys engaging said grooves,and a spring between said bearing and slidable member.

.tact maker and the rudder post, said ,beary In witness whereof I afii'xv my signature. 1

RODOLPH: shim ONEIL.

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