Improved Electrical Steering Gear.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 26th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL .SPECIFICATION.
Improved Electrical Steering Gear.
We, GEORGE SYLVESTER GRIMSTON, of Claremont, Glenluce Road, Westcombe
Park, and ALFRED HERBERT DYKES, of 3, Mount Terrace, Charlton, both in
the County of Kent, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to electrical steering gear which is of the following
description. On each side of the rudder head is mounted a horizontal screw shaft
the thread of the one being right handed and the thread of the other left handed.
Each of these shafts is fitted with a nut which can travel along a horizontal guide
and which has a vertical pin engaged in a slipper fitted to slide in a radial slot of
an arm projecting from the rudder head. Thus according as these screws are
turned in the one direction or the other, the rudder is turned to port or starboard
as the case may be. Each of the screw shafts has at one end a bevil wheel which
is always in gear with one of two bevil wheels. Both these latter bevil wheels are
fitted on a cross shaft with a magnetic clutch in each case, so that according as the
coil that excites the one or the other is put in circuit with a source of electricity
the one or the other screw shaft is driven by its bevil gear. At the other end of
each screw shaft is a sprocket wheel, and these sprocket wheels are connected by a
chain so that when the one screw shaft is driven by its magnetic clutch the other
screw shaft is driven in the same direction.
The chain, besides connecting the sprocket wheels on the two screw shafts, passes
also partly round a sprocket wheel on the axis of a steering wheel by which, when
neither magnetic clutch is in operation, the screw shafts can be turned in either
direction, and thus the steering can be effected by hand.
An electromotor situated centrally over the rudder head works by worm gear,
the cross shaft which carries the magnetic clutches and bevil wheels. The armature
of this motor continually revolving in one direction, when the one clutch or the
other is engaged, the rudder is caused to move to port or to starboard as the case
may be. The engagement of the one or the other clutch is determined by the
movement of a switch situated on the bridge or in another convenient position on
the vessel. On turning this switch by a hand wheel, which moves an index to port
or starboard, a contact is made with the one or the other of two segments, by which
a current of electricity is transmitted to the one or the other of the two clutches.
When in obedience to this transmission the rudder .moves, its movement is trans-
mitted. through suitable gearing to the switch so as to move out of contact the
segment which was in contact, and thus to render the clutch inert, so that the
rudder then remains in the position to which it had been moved..
Dated this 2nd day of May 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants...

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Electrical Steering Gear.
We, GEORGE SYLVESTER GRIMSTON, of Claremont, Glenluce Road, Westcombe
Park, and ALFRED HERBERT DYKES, of 3 Mount Terrace, Charlton, both in
the County of Kent, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to electrical steering gear which we shall describe referring
to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 is a side view, Fig. 3 is a section on the line Z Z of
Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a front view, Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are respectively an elevation and
plans of the electric switch mechanism.
On each side of the rudder head A is mounted a horizontal screw shaft B B³ the
thread of the one being right handed and the thread of the other left handed.
Each of these shafts is fitted with a nut C C' which can travel along a horizontal
guide D D and which has a vertical pin engaged in a slipper fitted to slide in a
radial slot of an arm E E' projecting from the rudder head. Thus, according as
these screws B B' are turned in the one direction or the other, the rudder is turned
to port or starboard as the case may be. Each of the screw shafts has at one end
a bevil wheel F F¹ which is always in gcar with one of two bevil wheels G G¹.
Both of these latter bevil wheels are fitted on a cross shaft with a magnetic
clutch H H' in each case, so that, while the shaft revolves, according as the coil
that excites the one or the other of the clutches H His put in circuit with a
source of electricity, the one or the other of the screw shafts B B¹ is driven by the
bevil gear G F or G' F'.
At the other end of each screw shaft is a sprocket wheel K K', and these
sprocket wheels are connected by a chain L so that when the one screw shaft is
driven by its magnetic clutch the other screw shaft is driven in the same direction.
The chain L, besides connecting the sprocket wheels K K', passes also partly round
a sprocket wheel M on the axis of a steering wheel M', by which, when neither of
the magnetic clutches H H is in operation, the screw shafts B B¹ can be turned
in either direction, and thus the steering can be effected by hand.
An electromotor N situated centrally over the rudder head works by worm
gear N' N, the cross shaft which carries the magnetic clutches H H' and bevil
wheels G G. While the armature of this motor revolves in one direction, when
the one clutch or the other of the clutches H H' is engaged, the rudder is caused
to move to port or to starboard as the case may be. The engagement of the one
or the other clutch is determined by the movement of an electric switch (such as is
shewn in Figs. 5, 6 and 7) situated on the bridge or in another convenient position
on the vessel, this switch being arranged and operating as described in our previous
Specification No. 12525 of 1891. On turning this switch by a hand wheel w
operating by worm gear, which moves an index i to port or starboard, a contact is
made by a rubber or brush e connecting a segment a with the one or the other of
two segments b and c, by which a current of electricity is transmitted to the one or
the other of the two clutches H H. When, in obedience to this transmission, the
rudder moves, worm gear Q worked from the spindle of the sprocket wheel M and
shafts and gear P transmit proportionally the movement of the rudder to the disc
of the switch carrying the segments a b c so as to move out of contact the one of the
two segments be which was in contact bringing the insulating material which
separates the segments into coincidence with the rubber e.
The clutch H or H' which was operating is thus rendered inert, so that the
rudder then remains in the position to which it had been moved. An index R, also
worked by the worm gear Q, shews the position of the rudder. The steering

page_text: wheel M' is loose on the spindle of the sprocket wheel M with which it can be
clutched by turning a nut M².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Electrical steering gear, wherein a pair of screw spindles, threaded respectively
right and left, both having nuts engaged with opposite arms on a rudder head, are
connected by chain gear and are turned in the one direction or the other according
as the one or the other of two bevil wheels gearing with wheels on the screw
spindles is engaged by a magnetic clutch to a cross spindle driven by worm gear
from the armature of an electro motor, substantially as herein described.
2. In combination with the electrical steering gear above referred to a hand
steering wheel which can be clutched to the chain gear of the screw spindles,
substantially as described.
3. In combination with the steering gear above referred to the switch whereby
contacts are made by hand for directing a current of electricity to either of the
magnetic clutches, and the gearing and shafting connecting the switch to the
steering gear whereby the contact is automatically broken when the rudder has
moved to the desired position, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of January 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.