US1064608A - Lock control. - Google Patents

Description

C. P. BURT.

LOCK CONTROL.

APBLIGATION FILED APR. 27, 1912.

Patented June 10, 1913.

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LOCK CONTROL.

APPLICATION rum) APR. 27, 1912.

1,064,608, Patented June 10,1913.

uvmlroz fl/mrieqf? Fart 1M 6mm CHARLES I. BURT, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

LOCK CONTROL.

T 0' all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. BURT, a citizen of the United States, residin at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and tate of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lock Controls, of which the following is a specification.

It is well known that, in bringing a power driven vessel to a standstill, such as when coming to anchor or into a dock, frequent signals are passed between the officer in charge on deck and the oflicer located in the engine room. These signals, which are made for the purpose of indicating to the engineer the rate of speed at which it is desired to have the motor turn in a certain direction, are, in many cases, made in rapid succession. Thus, while the engine is turning in one direction a signal may be given to the engineer to cause the engine to turn in a reverse direction and, just after the parts have been arranged to enable the motor to turn as indicated, this last signal may be followed by a signal to have the motor turn as at first. Now, in the operation of what is known as reversing, the valves are arranged in new or different positions with respect to those which they previously occupied and while effecting this new arrangement, it is frequently necessary to have recourse to what is known as jockeying. This jockeying is invariably made use of when, with the motor running in one direction, a signal is made to run in the reverse direction and the operation, which consists in oscillating the reversing lever between what is known as the neutral point and the point where it must be moved in order to arrange the valves in the positions desired, is performed chiefly for the purpose of admitting steam to the proper end of the cylinder.

VVit-h the foregoing in view and when a number of rapidly succeeding signals are made such as from ahead to astern and then again to ahead, it can be easily imagined how the engineer may. as be frequently does, become mentally confused while jockeying the reversing lever and finally move the same to a position in opposition to that required.

Heretofore, so far as known, no construction has been provided for preventing the securing of the reversing lever when adjusted to a position in opposition to that required. It is true that what are known as telltales, in the shape of audible sig-v nals, have been proposed and, in some few Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1913.

Application filed April 27, 1912. Serial No. 693,698.

cases, used to indicate when certain controllers and the like have been erroneously adjusted but these have no control whatever on the operation of the controlling devices and in some instances are rendered practically useless by the noise of the operating machinery. Thus, the absence of means for preventing the securing of reversing mechanism when the same has been erroneously adjusted, and the impraetioability of telltales, have led me to provide a device, the general object of which is to prevent the locking or securing of the reversing mechanism of a motor when this mechanism has been arranged in opposition to a required position. And to this end the invention consists in a device which, if desired, may form a part of an engine room telegraph so that when a signal is made to have the motor turn in a required direction the device will, in unison with the signaling apparatus, operate to render inoperative that portion of the reversing inechanisms locking device which is arranged in opposition to the position in which the reversing mechanism must be adjusted in order to comply with the signal.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a contracted side elevation. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the cutout. Fig. 5 is a detail section showing certain of the contacts of the reversing quadrant and the means for closing the circuit. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing certain of the contactsof the annunciator and the means for closing the circuit.

Tnasmuch as the number and the positions of the various deck annunciators of a vessel depend on the size and type or character of the vessel, such as when the vessel is a man of: war, or a freight or a passenger vessel, I do not deem it necessary to illustrate nor to specify these various arrangements, since to do so, would not materially aid one skilled in the art to a better understanding of my invention than may be obtained from the present drawings and description. Therefore, the present arrangement shown in the drawings togetherwitlr the following description must be taken as simply illustrative of one embodiment of my invention. And the number, shape and size of the parts shown mayQwithin the scope of the claims, be modified to conform to the requirements of the vessel in which the invention is to he installed.

ln the embodiment shown in Fig. l the device is employed in connection with a vessel having only one engine room and one deck annunciator. However, I contemplate the use of this device with a vcssel'having a plurality of deck annunciators connected to a single engine room annunciator, also with a vessel having a plurality of engine rooms and a common annunciator for the same connected to one or more of the deck annunciators, and further with a vessel having a plurality of engine rooms each having its own annunciator connected to one or more deck annunciators, whereby, to admit of its being operated either simultane ously with or inde 'iendently of the other engine room annunciators.

in Fig. 1, 1 indicates the telegraph which includes the deck and engine room annunciators S and 6 which are of usual construction and connected by the flexible elements 7. in rperating this system and assuming the dial hands are pointing to Stop, the handle 9 of the deck annuuciator is moved to that panel. of the dial 10 whose legend indicates the required speed. This will have the effect of moving the pointer 11 mounted on the arbor 12 of the engine room annunciator 6, to a legend in one of the divisions of the dial 123 corresponding to the legend indicated by the handle on the deck annunciator 5. This done, the operator in the engine room moves the operating handle 14 around to the pointer lltan-d this movement of the handle 14 causes the pointer 15 on the deck annunciator to coincide with the handle 9 thereof. When the pointer of the engine room annunciator moves as just described an audible or other suitable signal is made in the engine room and when the pointer on the deck annunciator coincides with the handle, a corresponding signal is made to those on deck, thus indicating that the signal from deck has been received in the engine room. As the arbor 12 of the engine room annunciator isturned as previously described, movement is imparted to a cutout a which is suitably connected to the arbor 12. The cutout a is adapted, when moved in one direction, to render inoperative or to prevent coaetion between the elements of the lock ing device of the reversing mechanism 1) when the lever 16 of the said reversing mechanism is moved in the same direction as the cutout a and sutliciently far so as to set the valves. If, however, lever is moved in a direction opposed to the direction of movement of the cutout a then coaction of the said locking devices will be permitted when the lever is moved sufliciently far so as to adjust the valves. The

the adjusting connection between the arbor and the cutout a, is such as not to materially disturb the position of the cutout a with respect to the locking device when the pointer 11 on the engine room annunciator is moved to indi cate the various speeds in one direction, but when the parts are operated so that the engine room indicator is moved to any panel indicating a certain speed in the opposite direction, then the cutout a will he moved so as to prevent coaction of the-l cking device of the reversing mechanism when the lever 16 thereof is moved so as to set the valves in a position which would cause the motive fluid to turn the motor in the same direction as before the signal to reverse was made.

Any preferred form of connection may be established between the arbor and cutout a for operating the said cutout in the manner just described. Since the form or type of this connection will depend in most cases on the relative positions of the engine room annunciator and the cutout a, and also on the number of engine room annuuciators used, I do not intend to limit myself to the specific form of connection about to be described.

Referring now to the drawings the crank 17 is suitably connected to the arbor 12 so as to turn therewith. The crank may be a rranged on any suitable portion of the arbor such as at one end thereof and bevond one face or dial of the annunciator. The rod 1-8 connects the crank 17 with a walking beam 19 which turns on an axle 90 connected to any suitable form or support. A link 21 connects the walking beam with the cutout a. The cutout a mav be of any suitable material such as metal and of any suitable form such as'an inverted A. T he pointed end portion of the cutout a is adapted to turn on an axle 22 and is centered with the quadrant 23 which is rigidly held by any preferred means such as by the axle Q2. Portions 24- 24 of the end surfaces of the sides 25-25 of the cutout coincide with the outer surface of the curved side 26 of the quadrant 23. The portions 27-27 of the end surfaces of the sides 25-25 slope with respect to the portions 2-t24 and act as cams for disengaging the latch 28 from the keepers or notches 2929 at the opposite end portions of the curved side 26.

The quadrant 23 may be of any preferred type such as that sho vyn n the drawings, wherein it will be seen that the quadrant is made up of spaced sections between which the reversing lever 16 is secured to any suit able support such as the axle 22 and is adapted to turn independently of the cutout a. The keepers 29 of one section of the quadrant aline with the keepers of the other section and the lower end of the latch 23 projects beyond the quadrant. 23, whereby,

to enable the surfaces 24 and27 to contact therewith.

In Fig. 2 the parts are shown as positioned for full speed astern. Assuming now that the vessel is moving astern as indicated and it becomes necessary to change the direction of progressive movement had by the vessel to full speed ahead, the oflicer at the deck annunciator operates the handle thereof as previously described and this will have the effect of moving the cutout from the position shown by full lines in Fig. 2 to that shown by dotted lines in the same figure. Now it will be observed that while the cutout is moving to the position shown by dotted lines, one of the surfaces 27 will izontact with the latch 28 and as the movement of the cutout continues the said latch will be disengaged from its keeper. whereby, and owing to the tendency of the valves to move to the neutral, the reversing lever will, through its connections with the valves, be likewise movedtoward the neutral notch or keeper 30. It is assumed, however, that during this automatic movement of the reversing lever the same is not held by the engineer. Now as the surface 27 which disengaged the latch, moves beyond the keeper the latch will be prevented from entering the said keeper by the presence of the surface 24. This position of the cultout (I. however, will not prevent the jockeying of the reversing lever between the cutout keeper and the intermediate nor between the latter and the keep-er at the opposite end portion of the curved side 26. But after jockeying if the engineer moves the reversing lever so that the latch thereof will overlie the cutout keeper andthen releases the reversing lever. the same will invariablv move to the neutral notch or keeper 30. This, of course, will indicate to the engineer that he has moved the reversing lever in the wrong direction so that in order to lock the same he will have to move it to the keeper remote from the cutout keeper and this last named direction is that in which the lever must be moved in order to set the valves as inferred from the signal. In order to further indicate an erroneous adjustment of the-reversing lever to the engineer and to the oflicer on deck, I make use of audible signals 36-36 which are, by preference, operated electrically and the circuits of which are closed whenthe lever is adjusted to a position other than that re quired. By preference I adapt certain of the elements ofrmy invention as previously described for closing the electric circuits at predetermined times. Since the parts may be adapted in any suitable manner to close the circuit it will be understood that the'description of the following construction is I,

simply illustrative of one embodiment of the construction and disposition of the circuit closing means. The metallic strips cc are connected to and insulated from the engine room annunciator 6. These strips are suitably connected with a suitable source of electric energy 6 and have portions 31-31 insulated from each other as at 32. The sockets drl on the quadrant 23 comprise spaced metallic portions 3333 insulated from each other as at 34. The circuit closer 35 connected to the reversing lever 16 comprises a metallic plate the ends of which project beyond the sides of the lever so that when the parts are positioned as shown by full lines in Fig. 2 one end portion of the circuit closer will extend into one of the sockets If and when the lever is moved to an opposite position, the other end of the circuit closer will enter the other of said sockets.

The bells 36 36 are connected together by conductors 42--42, and conductors 37-37 connect the bells with one jaw of one of the sockets (Z and with a portion of one of the contact plates (1, the other portion of the said Contact plate c being connected to the other jaw of the said socket by a conductor 38. The bells 36 36 are also connected by means of conductors 3939 with a portion of the other contact plate 0 and a jaw of the other-of said sockets, and the conductor 40 connects the other portion 31 of the last named contact plate 0 with the other jaw of the last named socket d.

Now when the contact plates (2 are arrangtdas shown and the crank 17 provided with means such as a strip 41 to contact with the portions ilk-31 of the said plates, it will be seen that when the said contact piece bears, for instance, on the portions 31-31 to the right in Fig. 2 and the reversinglever moved to the position shown by full lines in said figure, the circuit will he closed and the alarm sounded, thus additionally indicating an erroneous adjust ment. It will be observed, however. that when the lever is moved to the position shown by full lines in the said figure the circuit, by virtue. of the position of the crank 17, will not be closed even though one end of the circuit. closer 35 is in the adjacent socket (1. Thus it 'Will be seen that the closing of the circuit not only depends the crank and pointer 11, it is manifest that the parts can only be locked. and the closing of the circuit prevented when the re versing lever is adjusted as required.

In conclusion it may be stated that al though I :have shown and described the device as adapted for use in connection with a ship, nevertheless, I do not intend to re-

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