Oct. 30, 1928.
1,689,292 _
H. w. O’NEILL
NAVIGATION DIRECTING SYSTL
Filed June 25, 1923
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Wye/Wan‘
Patented Oct. 30, 1928.
UNITED STATES
1,689,292 ‘
PATENT OFFICE.
HENRY W. O’NEILL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC
COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N‘. Y., A CORPORATION OF N EW YORK.
NAVIGATION-DIRECTING SYSTEM.
Application ?led June 25, 1923. Serial No. 647,494.
This invention relates to navigation direc diately above the submerged conductor.
tion systems and more particularly relates
Referrlng to the drawings, Fig. 1 repre
to a system for piloting vessels by means of sents the normal position of-a vessel with re
a submerged cable or conductor.
10
60'
the vessel with respect to the submerged con
ductor.
A second object is to provide visible means
which will not only inform the navigator of
the distance between the vessel and the cable
but also will indicate the direction in which
the vessel should be guided in order to ap
65
proach the cable.
-
These objects are accomplished in accord
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spect to a single submerged conductor placed -
An object of this invention is to provide along the course it is desired the vessel should
visible means for indicating the relation of follow. Fig. 2 represents an arrangement
which includes a differential galvanometer.
to be used in guiding a. ‘vessel along a sub
merged cable. Fig. 3 is a modi?cation of
Fig. 2. in which separate galvanometers or
de?ecting means are employed. Fig. 4 is a
modi?cation of Fig. 2 in which the di?'eren
tial galvanometer in Fig. 2 is made unneces
sary. Fig. 5 illustrates the normal position
of a vessel with. respect to a metallic circuit 70
ance with one form of this invention by pro or closed loop submerged conductor and Fig.
viding a plurality of means oppositely ,dis 6 represents the normal position of a 'vessel
posed on the vessel and selectively responsive with respect to a double submerged oon-'
to the signaling frequency current in the ductor grounded at the ends remote from the
submerged cable. The receiving means may,
for example, comprise two inductance coils
Referring to Fig. 1, a vessel 10 is disclosed
shore.
75
~ 7
mounted on opposite sides of the vessel and and it is desiredthat the vessel 10 should be _
25
30
35
arranged to be responsive to the magnetic steered along a course following a sub
?eld set up by the signaling currents in the merged conductor 11 which is connected at its
cable. The signaling current induced in each shore end to a generator 12 and at its other 80
of the two inductance windings may be am end is grounded through a large capacity 13, i
pli?ed to any suitable degree by vacuum tube the ground may be, ‘for example, the external ‘
ampli?ers, for example, after which the sheath of the conductor which is provided
amplified signal from each inductance wind for-protection purposes. Two detecting coils ,
ing is passed through a suitable recti?er and 14 and 15 arepprovided on opposite sides of
the exciting winding of a galvanometer or the vessel to enable the navigator to deter
other indicating instrument. The galva mine the relative' position of the vessel 10
nometer may, for exam le, have two exciting with respect to the. submerged conductor‘ 11.
One form of the apparatus which may be
windings, the signal rom one inductance
bein impressed upon one' of the exciting connected to the coils 14 and 15 is shown in to
win ' gs and the signal from the other in
Fig. 2. The detecting coil 14 is shown con- ~
ductance being impressed upon the other ex
citing winding. If, with such an arrange
nected to a suitable ?lter and amplifying
means for selectively amplifying to any de
ment the submerged cable is symmetrically sired degree the particular frequency im
40
located between the two inductances the sys_ pressed upon the conductor 11 by the source
tem may be so adjusted that the reading of 12. The currents detected ‘by detecting coil
the galvanometer will be zero due to the fact 14 after ampli?cation are impressed upon the
that the currents through the‘ two exciting anode 16 and cathode 17 of a vacuumtube
windings of the galvanometer are equal and recti?er 18 and the recti?ed current passing
45
opposite. If now the vessel should be in such between these electrodes is impressed upon
a position that the two detecting inductances the exciting winding 19 of a differential
are located on the same side of the cable, there galvanometer 20. The current present in de
will be a de?ection of thegalvanometerneedle tecting coil 15 after ampli?cation is im
100
in one direction or the other depending upon pressed upon the exciting winding 21 of the
which of the detecting inductances. is nearer galvanometer in series with the anode 22 and m5
the‘ submerged cable. It therefore follows cathode 17 of the recti?er 18. The system _
that by observing the magnitude of the may be readily'adjusted so that when the
de?ection of the galvanometer needle as vessel is immediately above the conductor 11
well as its direction, the vessel may be and coils 14 and 15 are symmetrically situated
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guided substantially along a ' course imme
with respect to the submerged conductor 11,
110
1,689,292
2
ampli?ed are impressed through a
the currents in the windings 19 and 20 of the tively
transformer
33 upon a double recti?er vacu
galvanometer neutralize each other and give um tube 34 which
recti?es both half-waves
a zero scale of de?ection of the galvanometer
of
the
detected
currents.
The galvanometer
needle. When, however, the course of the 35 is so connected between the
of each 70
vessel happens to be changed so that the (11S recti?er and the mid-point of cathode
eaclisecondary
tance between detecting coil 14 ‘and the sub
merged cable is less than the distance between winding of the two transformers that the cur
the detecting coil 15 and the submerged cable,
the current in winding 19 of the galvanometer
10 will be greater than the current in winding
rent recti?ed by tube 31 passes through the
galvanometer in one direction while the cur
rent recti?ed by tube 34 passes through the
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20 so that the needle of the galvanometer Wlll galvanometer in the opposite direction. With
such an ‘arrangement the de?ection of gal
be de?ected in a de?nite direction indicating
15
vanometer 25 will be substantially zero when
clearly that the vessel is off its course and the the
submerged cable 11 is centrally located
cable lies in such a direction that detectlng
with
respect to the detecting coils 14 and 15
coil 14 is nearer to it than coil 15. Similarly
if the vessel should happen to deviate from while the de?ection of the galvanometer will
80
its course such ‘that coil 15 becomes nearer to be in one drection or the other when the sub
the submerged cable than coil 14 the current merged cable becomes nearer to one of the
20
(1: Cal
in winding 21 of the galvanometer will ex detecting coils. The operation of the. sys
ceed the current in winding 19 and the needle tem is therefore essentially the same as that
in detail in connection with Fig.
of the galvanometer will consequently be de described
?ected in the oppoiste direction. The navi 2 except that the differential galvanometer
gator of the vessel will therefore be enabled is not required.
In each of the systems shown in Figs. 2,
to steer along the course followed by the sub
3
and
4, a source of voltage 36 is employed so
merged cable 11 merely by noting the direc
tion and magnitude of the de?ection of the arranged that its positive pole is connected to
the cathode of the recti?er while the negative
galvanometer needle. The systemdescribed pole
is conected to the anode of each recti?er.
therefore, is‘ important in the navigation of This
source of counter-potential 36 is prefer
vessels in harbors, for example, where the
channel is narrow or unfamiliar to the pilot ably employed to prevent ?uctuations of the
or in the case of fogs or at night-time when galvanometer needle due" to the ?uctuating
the land marks usually relied upon by the space current which tends to be produced in
pilot are not visible. The arrangement de the recti?er tube even when no signaling cur
scribed would therefore eliminate the neces rents are being received by the detecting coils
sity of lighted buoys along a river or other 14 and 15. The ?uctuating space current re
narrow channel.
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95
100
ferred to ap ears to be inherent in all space
Fig. 3 is a modi?cation of Fig. 2 which discharge tulies having heated ?laments and
functions in a similar manner except that two is due, in part, at least, to the space charge
40
45
galvanometers 24 and 25 are employed indi
vidual to the two detecting coils 14 and 15 in
e?'ect commonly referred to as the .“Edison
effect”. This phenomenon was ?rst referred
stead of the single differential galvanometer to in the patent to_Thomas A. Edison, No.
employed in Fig. 2. The signaling current 307,031, issued October 21, 1884. This space
detected by coil 14 is impressed upon gal charge effect may vary widely in different
vanometer 24 while the current detected by tubes, even when they are of the same type,
coil 15 is impressed upon galvanometer 25. and also will not be symmetrical with respect
When the submerged cable is symmertically to the two sides of the same tube, in the case
11')
located between the two detecting coils the of tubes such as shown in the drawing. Due
magnitude of the de?ection will be the same to this effect, then, a space current may be
for both galvanometers 24 and 25 while the produced in the recti?ers 18, 31 and 34 and 115
de?ection will be greater in one or the other be effective ‘in causing ?uctuations of the
when the submerged cable at any instance galvanometer needles when no plate battery
becomes nearer one detecting coil than the is used, and no signaling variations are being
other. , Fig. 3 therefore functions to inform impressed on the tubes. As, in systems of the
the navigator by a comparison of the de?ec type covered by this speci?cation, the order 120
tions of the galvanometers 24 and 25 of the of magnitude of the current-s to be detected is
direction the vessel should be steered in order com arable to that of the currents produced ‘
to follow substantially the submerged con by t is space charge effect, unless means are '
provided for neutralizing the undesired cur
ductor 11.
In the system shown in Fig. 4 the currents rents, the galvanometer indications often
detected by coil 14 after being selectively am times may be untrustworthy.
The polarity of the source of potential 36
pli?ed, are impressed through a suitable
when connected in the circuits in the manner
ti?er tube 31 which recti?esboth half-waves shown in the ?gures is such as to charge the
of the detected current. Similarly the cur plate of the recti?er in a negative sense so
rents detected by coil 15 after beingselec as to oppose the space charge effect. It has
transformer 30 upon the double vacuum rec
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130
3
1,689,292
been found that the amount of this negative
It is to be understood that various modi?
potential, in general, need only roughly ap cations of this invention may be made with
60
proximate the electromotive force of the space out departing any wise from the spirit of
charge in order to nullify the effect of the un this invention as de?ned in the appended
desired ?uctuations in space current produced claims.
thereby. The use of the source 36 therefore
produces a much more reliable indication in
H)
20
the galvanometer than would be the case it
these undesired ?uctuations were permitted,
since these undesired ?uctuations might in
some cases entirely mask the true magnitude
and direction of the de?ection of the galva
The invention claimed is z,
1. A navigation directing system for a
65
vessel comprising a conductor carrying a
current of a certain frequency, a receiving
circuit comprising two coils oppositely dis
posed on the vessel in a ?eld of force ema
nating from said conductor, means for selec
tively amplifying the currents induced in said
70
nometer needle produced by the signal re
ceived from the submerged cable.
coils by the current in said conductor, a full
It is to be understood, of course, that other, wave vacuum tube recti?er for rectifying the
visible indicating means may be employed if ampli?ed currents, a differential galva
desired as a substitute for the galvanometer nometer having one winding connected in cir
described in connection with the particular cuit ‘with one space path'of said recti?er so
embodiments shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4:.
as to be responsive to the recti?ed currents
The selective ampli?cation by the use of ?owing therethrough, and having a second
electric wave ?lters, for example, is of im winding connected in circuit with the other
75
taneously impressed upon the submerged con therein, for stabilizing the indications of said
85
portance not only in suppressing foreign po space path of said recti?er so as to be respon 80
tentials due to sources other than the currents sive to the recti?ed currents ?owing there
in the submerged cable but is also of con through, and a source of potential connected v
- siderable utility when, for example, a plu in circuit with both space paths of said rec
rality of signalin frequencies are simul ti?er so as to oppose the recti?ed currents
Kt
ductor 11, where one si
aling frequency is
designed to be receive
by one vessel, an
galvanometer.
,
'
2. In a ‘navigation directing system in
other frequency being adap-ted to be received which the current induced in two coils oppo
by a second vessel for its navigation. A plu sitely disposed on a'vessel, by the current in
rality of submerged cables 11 may also be an external. conductor, gives an indication
90
employed in the same harbor, each submerged of the deviation of the vessel from its course,
35
cable being connected to a source of alter
nating current of a different fre uency where
a circuit comprising means for amplifying
the currents induced in said coils, a full wave
by each cable may be employe for guiding. recti?er of the two-element type, ‘for recti
di?'erent vessels or for guiding the same ves
fying:said-ampli?ed currents, said recti?er .
sel along different channels.
having as its only source of plate'voltage in
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.
This invention, of course, is not limited in the direction to produce current?ow therein,
40
its use to a submerged conductor of the type said ampli?ed currents a plied thereto, a dif
shown in Fig. 1 but may be usedv with various . ferential galvanometer aving one ‘winding
types of submerged conductors. 'For ex connected incircuit with one space path of
45
rent 38 by a path entirely metallic in which ing its other winding connected in circuit
case it may be desirable to place the detecting with the other space path of said recti?er so
coils 39 and 40 at the front and ‘rear of the as to be'responsive to the recti?ed current
50
55
100
am le, in Fi . 5, the submerged conductor said vrecti?er so as, to be responsive to the
37 1s connects to a source of alternating cur ‘recti?ed currents ?owing therein, and hav- .
vessel to be guided. The same location of the ?owing therein, and ‘a source of potential
detecting coils 39 and 40 may be desirable common to the'two space paths of said recti
in case the source of alternating-current is - ?er, andv so ' poled and of such magni
connected to two grounded cables 41 and 42V tude. asto nullify the effects on the in
connected in parallel as shown in Fig.- 6.
' dications of said galvanometer of locally de
The double conductor arran ement ofFigs. velopeclcurrents due to the inherent charac
5 and 6 may be employed to advantage in the teristics ofsaid vacuum tube recti?er.
navigation of rivers where instead of ‘sub ' In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe
merging the conductors they may be support by name this 19th day of June, A. D., 1923.
ed along the banks in the'form. of an open:
I
HENRY w. O’NEILL.
wire line circuit.
105'
110
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