US3164016A

US3164016A - Speed indicator

Info

Publication number: US3164016A
Application number: US91201A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert C Dinsmore
Original assignee: Dinsmore Instrument Co
Current assignee: Dinsmore Instrument Co
Priority date: 1961-02-23
Filing date: 1961-02-23
Publication date: 1965-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 1982-01-05

Description

United States Patent C) 3,164,016 SPEED INDICATOR Robert C. Dinsrnore, Flint, Mich, assignor to Dinsmore Instrument Company, Flint, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 91,201 2 Claims. (Cl. 73-182) This invention relates to a speed indicating device for water propelled craft.

The use of a Pitot tube for speed indication of vehicles moving through fluid is known. The problem in connection with water vehicles is to prevent destruction of the tube when the boat strikes an obstacle in the water or when it might accidentally or intentionally be beached.

The present invention contemplates a structure to prevent damage to the speed indicator from obstructions and contact with other solid objects.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which utilizes the gravity weight of a Pitot tube in addition to an optional spring for holding it in speed recording position, the device being readily movable into a protected well when there is a possibility of contact with a damaging object.

Other objects and features of the invention relating to details of construction and operation will be apparent in the following description and claims.

Drawings accompany the disclosure and the various views thereof may be briefly described as follows:

FIGURE 1, a sectional view through the bottom of a water vehicle showing the general arrangement of the parts.

FIGURE 2, a front view of the Pitot tube showing the front elevation of the parts.

FIGURE 3, a bottom view of the clamp means for the supporting element.

FIGURE 4, a bottom view of an optional device to serve as a protective and supporting element.

Referring to the drawings:

The wall of a vessel 10 is shown having an opening 12 in which is mounted an inverted cup or well member 14 having an outside supporting flange 16 which is screwed to the bottom of the boat by screws 18.

Suitable sealing gaskets

20 and 22 are provided around the well and above the flange, the well being located to be in the fluid medium supporting the vessel.

A Pitot tube 24 having an L shape has a forward extending arm 26 exposed to the fluid through which the boat is moving in the direction of the arrow A. At the top of the Pitot tube is a flexible tube 28 which extends through a hole 30 in the well 14. This tube is sealed in the well and leads to a dial indicator device 32 of the type now used for speed indication. The portion 34 of the tube which passes through the wall of the well is preferably of metallic nature so that it could be welded, soldered, or otherwise securely sealed into the wall. The flexible tube 28 can be a plastic material or rubber which can be suitably secured to the tube portion 34 and to the Pitot tube 24 by a slip fit. It is preferably arranged in a coil in the well. The support for the Pitot tube and also guard consists of a substantially V-shaped single piece of spring wire or its equivalent in the form of slender funicular element of form sustaining nature which is fastened at each end 36 to the tube 24. The spring then extends downwardly below the Pitot tube and outwardly in the wing portions 38 and then forward in guard portions 40 which meet in a bight portion 42 hinged in a small mounting bracket 44, held to the bottom of the boat by screws 46 forward of the well 14.

With the construction shown, it will be seen that the Pitot tube would be resiliently positioned below the boat supported by the resilience of the coil tubes 28 and guarded by the

arms

40 and 38 of the spring guard. Any obstruction striking the guards would move the Pitot tube up into the well 14 protecting it from injury and the passing of the obstruction would permit the device to move down into a reading position again.

In FIGURE 4 an optional construction is shown in which the guard arms 50 which compare with the guard arms 40 of FIGURE 1 are angled through side flanges 52 in the supporting bracket 54 in a pivotal relationship at 56. The bight of the arms 50 is formed in a coil 58 which bears against the bottom of the boat to limit the downward motion of the guard arms 50. If it is desired to add resilience to the guard arms, the coil 58 can be clamped against the bottom of the boat by a small clamp 60 held by a screw 62. As shown by the dotted lines, the clamp can be moved out of a position where a free action is desired on the part of the guard arms 50.

The use of the strand or funicular element such as the thin wire for the guard elements avoids any planing effect which would tend to lift the tube out an effective reading area and prevents disturbing ripples or pressures in the month end of the Pitot tube. The light construction of the entire assembly balanced against the resilience of the tube coil 28 affords stability for the tube with ample protection against damage. The tube is supported by the funicular or filamentous V-shaped element which holds it between the general plane of the V and the walls of the vessel. The tube 28 physically associates the Pitot tube with the walls of the vessel and also pneumatically connects the Pitot tube passage to the interior of the vessel.

I claim:

1. A speed indicator mechanism for water craft which comprises:

(a) means forming in the bottom of said craft a recess open to the supporting fiuid for said craft and sealed from the interior of the craft,

(b) a Pitot tube to be suspended adjacent said recess and movable from a position within said recess to a position below the bottom of said craft,

(0) supporting means for said tube comprising a resilient tube in said recess mechanically connected at a distal end to said Pitot tube and adapted to be pneumatically associated therewith and with a registering indicator within the craft on the other end and mechanically supported at said other proximal end in said recess, said resilient tube having a length bent upon itself and disposed in said recess such that it serves as a resilient expanding and contracting moving mount for said Pitot tube to permit the tube to be displaced into the recess or supported below it, and

(d) means to guide and guard said Pitot tube comprising an extending element mounted at one end on said craft forward of said Pitot tube and fastened to said Pitot tube at the other end to guide said Pitot tube into and out of said recess, said last means depending below said tube at one portion to protect the \3 tube against contact with foreign objects in the supporting fluid.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which said means to guide and guard said Pitot tube comprises a form sustaining funicular element having a shape flaring outwardly and downwardly of said tube to a point below and spaced on either side of said tube and extending up- Wardly and forwardly at an angle to a fixed position on the bottom of said craft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fowler Apr. 1, 1913 Harvey Dec. 30, 1930 Sveudsen Nov. 17, 1931 Harvey Jan 12, 1932 Zink Jan. 10, 1933 Diehl June 24, 1941

Claims

1. A SPEED INDICATOR MECHANISM FOR WATER CRAFT WHICH COMPRISES: MEANS FORMING IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID CRAFT A RECESS OPEN TO THE SUPPORTING FLUID FOR SAID CRAFT AND SEALED FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE CRAFT, (B) A PITOT TUBE TO BE SUSPENDED ADJACENT SAID RECESS AND MOVABLE FROM A POSITION WITHIN SAID RECESS TO A POSITION BELOW THE BOTTOM OF SAID CRAFT, (C) SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID TUBE COMPRISING A RESILIENT TUBE IN SAID RECESS MECHANICALLY CONNECTED AT A DISTAL END OF SAID PITOT TUBE AND ADAPTED TO BE PNEUMATICALLY ASSOCIATED THEREWITH AND WITH A REGISTERING INDICATOR WITHIN THE CRAFT ON THE OTHER END AND MECHANICALLY SUPPORTED AT SAID OTHER PROXIMAL END IN SAID RECESS, SAID RESILIENT TUBE HAVING A LENGTH BENT UPON ITSELF AND DISPOSED IN SAID RECESS SUCH THAT IT SERVES AS A RESILIENT EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING MOVING MOUNT FOR SAID PITOT TUBE TO PERMIT THE TUBE TO BE DISPLACED INTO THE RECESS OR SUPPORTED BELOW IT, AND (D) MEANS TO GUIDE AND GUARD SAID PITOT TUBE COMPRISING AND EXTENDING ELEMENT MOUNTED AT ONE END ON SAID CRAFT FORWARD OF SAID PITOT TUBE AND FASTENED TO SAID PITOT TUBE AT THE OTHER END TO GUIDE SAID PITOT TUBE INTO AND OUT OF SAID RECESS, SAID LAST MEANS DEPENDING BELOW SAID TUBE AT ONE PORTION TO PORTECT THE TUBE AGAINST CONTACT WITH FOREIGN OBJECTS IN THE SUPPORTING FLUID.