60 AUTOMATIC STEERING. 
Plate 12 shows a diagrammatic application to an actual steering gear. These switches 
operate the motor, either forward or reverse, which, in its turn, operates the gear. 
THE Present :—lIs there any other member who desires to say something on this 
paper? 
Me. WitiiAm W. SmitH, Member:—Mr. Rogers stated that the resistance in a particu- 
lar case would be reduced about 16 per cent by automatic steering. 
Mr. Rocers :—I beg to state that I did not make any such statement as that— 
Mr. SmitH:—I beg your pardon. 
THE PreEsIDENT:—Didn’t you say that the power was increased 16 per cent? 
Mr. Rocers:—I said that Mr. Sperry’s paper stated that that saving had been made. 
THE PRESIDENT :—I thought you were one of Mr. Sperry’s men when you started out, 
and it was not until you had gotten quite away along that I found you had a rival system. 
Mr. Rocers:—Mr. Sperry gave the specific resistance of the rudder as 9,300 pounds, 
which figure represents about 16 per cent of the available energy of the power plant. 
Mr. SmitH :—I ask if the author or Mr. Rogers, either of them, could give us an esti- 
mate of about how much resistance could be saved under average seagoing conditions between 
magnetic steering and automatic steering. If they could give us such an estimate, it certainly 
will be of much value. 
ComMMANDER H. S. Howarp (C.C.), U.S. Navy, Member:—Mr. Sperry’s paper is of 
particular interest to those of us in the Bureau of Construction and Repair, where we have 
followed with care all proposed schemes for automatic steering and all developments along 
such lines. I feel that Mr. Sperry is to be congratulated upon the excellent results which he 
has obtained. 
There is one point upon which further information would be appreciated. In any system 
such as this, in which the effort to return a ship to its course depends upon absolute deviation 
from that course, it would seem that the steering gear would keep the rudder over until the 
ship had regained the intended course. Her head would then, due to inertia, keep swinging 
beyond this course, which at once would cause the steering gear to operate to move the rud- 
der to the other side. In other words, with this type of automatic steering, it would seem 
that the ship would steer a sinuous course, the steering gear constantly hunting to keep the 
ship on the proper mean course. 
Although the preceding seems to be the natural deduction from what is understood of 
the arrangement of automatic steering gear described, the curves of performance do not 
show such a result. 
I should like to ask whether any means for correcting, such a hunting action of the 
steering gear was employed or whether any such means is considered necessary. _ 
Mr. Mirts:—In connection with Mr. Rogers’ statement I would like to point out that 
when he goes to sea with his apparatus he will find out a lot of things he does not know now. 
