Method and apparatus of measuring direction and distances of reflecting objects

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR THE RECORDING OF OBJECTS ENCOUNTERED ALONG THE COURSE OF A SHIP BY THE REFLECTION OF COMPRESSIONAL WAVES PRODUCING ECHOES RETURNED TO SAID SHIP, IN COMBINATION, AN ARRAY OF DIRECTIONAL TRANSDUCERS ARRANGED TO COVER A FORWARD SECTOR BY THEIR ADJOINING DIRECTIONAL PATTERN LOBES, A PLURALITY OF RECEIVING AMPLIFIERS, A LIKE PLURALITY OF STYLI ENERGIZED BY THE OUTPUT OF RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID RECEIVING AMPLIFIERS, SAID STYLI BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED TO MOVE IN SYNCHRONISM AROUND THEIR COMMON CENTER OF ROTATION WITH THE TIPS OF SAID STYLI BEING DISPOSED ON A SPIRAL, MEANS FOR SYNCHRONOUSLY ROTATING SAID STYLI IN ANGULAR CONFORMITY TO THE VARYING DIRECTION OF RECEPTION OF COMPRESSIONAL WAVE ECHOES, A RECORDING STRIP OPPOSITE SAID STYLI FOR RECEIVING MARKINGS WHEN SAID STYLI ARE ENERGIZED FROM SAID RECEIVERS, SAID MARKINGS BEING IN CORRESPONDENCE TO THE DISTANCE OF SAID OBJECTS WHOSE ECHOES ARE RECEIVED, AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FEED OF THE RECORDING STRIP TO BE IN A CONSTANT RATIO TO SAID SHIP''S SPEED, SAID RATIO BEING THE RADIUS OF ROTATION OF EACH STYLUS TO THE DISTANCE FROM WHICH ECHOES ARE RECEIVED THEREBY.