IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RUDDERS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Richard Devereux Bingbam, of Sunny-
hill, Parkstone, in the County of Dorset, late a Captain in Her
Majesty's Service, Bengal Cavalry, for the Invention of " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RUDDERS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Richard,
Devereux Bingham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 23rd July 1874.
I, THOMAS RICHARD DEVEREUX BINGHAM, of Sunnyhill, Parkstone,
in the County of Dorset, late a Captain in Her Majesty's Service,
Bengal Cavalry, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RUDDERS," to be as follows:-
:-
-
I make the ordinary rudder hollow, so as to receive the blade next.
mentioned. I prefer to use the new pattern rudder. On the upper part
of the rudder I place a slot, in which a blade of the shape of the rudder
is hinged, so as to work up and down by means of a double joint working

page_text: in a slot. This blade is loaded or weighted at the lower extremity. By
a suitable tackle or gear this blado can be raised or lowered. By being
raised the rudder is practically clongated and power gained; when
lowered the blade closes into the rudder, and will cease to act.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Richard Devereux Bingham in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 23rd January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RICHARD DEVERAUX BINGHAM, of Sunnyhill, Parkstone, in the County
of Dorset, late a Captain in Her Majesty's Service, Bengal Cavalry, send :
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing dato the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Пerself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas Richard Devereux Bingham, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Richard Devereux Bingham, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Richard Devereux Bingham, my oxecutors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thercafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, excrcise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
RUDDERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas :
Richard Devereux Bingham, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six g
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Richard Devereux Bingham,

page_text: tho same is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the
following statement thereof, referenco being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, that is to say :—
My Invention consists of a double sliding-bladed rudder for steering
vessels of any kind, whether steam or sailing vessels.
The general
principle consists in the ordinary rudder (which I prefer to make of
what is called the new pattern), except that instead of being solid it is
made of two similar pieces, placed side by side, so as to coincide with
one another, but having an intervening space. In this intervening spaco
is fitted a plate of galvanized iron, or other suitable metal or substance,
of such dimensions that it can slide between the two blades of the
ordinary rudder. This inner blade is hinged, "pivoted," or slotted to the
ordinary rudder, in manner herein-after described, in such manner that
it can be drawn out or extended beyond the ordinary rudder without
being entirely detached from it, thus forming an increased "area of
resistance" to the water when the vessel is turning, and thereby
increasing the rapidity of its turning, and securing greater command
over the vessel. The inner blade is drawn out or extended by iron rods,
ropos, or pulleys, or by cogs working on endless screws, or by eccentric
· motion, as licrcin-after described, or any other convenient mode.
In the Drawings accompanying this Specification Figure 1 shows the
action of the sliding blades A as pivotted or rather slotted to the rudder
on both sides. The action of these slots, marked B and B'in the sketch,
is intended to guide and also to stiffen and strengthen the blade when
"out" and in action. By the slacking off of the wire rope C (fastened
to the upper part of the sliding blade, as shown in the Drawing) from a.
cleat on deck, the blade by its own gravity (and tendency to slide out- .
wards) drops out as far as the slots will permit and remains in the
position drawn until no longer required, when by the action of hauling
in the wire rope and pulleys the blade is drawn into its place again¸ and
secured by the screw of slot B. The lower slot B¹ at the bottom of
rudder is cut (as shewn) in a different direction, and its object is to give
by a downward sliding action an increase of grip and support, &c., i.e.,
of "stability" to the lower end of the sliding blade, which thus slides
"towards" the stern post, taking a deeper grip insido the rudder. The
wire rope travels through a "hollow rudder head," and runs over a
pinioned wheel, and is secured by a cleat on the deck, or by any other.
convenient means. The hinges of the rudder are purposely largely

page_text: increased in width and strength to take up the extra strain of a larger
area of rudder. Strengthening pieces are also attached, which are
shown at D.
Figure II. is a modified form, with the addition of a "pivot" at the
bottom of the rudder in lieu of a slot, on which the sliding blade works
in sliding in and out. Its special advantage over the lower slot B', in
Figure I. exists in its greater strength and "freedom of action," and
being more simple, whilst still retaining a great "point d'appui " and
a pivot of great strength, and in which I am not limited as to size or
strength. I substitute for the pulleys and blocks shown in Figure I.
the "wire rope" C, which passes round the fixed wheel E working on a
pivot, and passing up through the rudder head is again passed round a
similar wheel in the rudder head, and then taken cither to a "purchase"
or to the steam winch, and made fast after the sliding blade is hauled in.
D, D, are the strengthened binges as before.
1
Figure III. is a side clevation of the sliding blade working upon one
solid "pivot" nearly at or in the centre of the divided rudder. The
rudder is drawn with a part cut away in order to show more clearly the
mode of working. It will be seen that the outer or circular edge of
this sliding blade is fitted with tooth and cogs, which work in connection
with an endless screw O of a sharp pitch, the shaft of which passing
through a hollow "hexagonal" shaped rudder head is regulated by a
circular wheel lying horizontally and fitted with the usual spokes, and
by turning this wheel it will be at once seen that its action through the
shaft acts upon the outer disc and cogs of the blade itself, and causes it
to revolve upon its pivot, and forces the clongated lower edge of tho
blade to leave the socket of the rudder, and to rise gradually until it
assumes the various positions shewn at A, A, A, and A. The various
positions and radii of the blade are given by dotted lines A³, A², A³, Aª,
the latter of which is the blade when completely "homo" and fitting
into the rudder, and "out of sight," and out of harm's way, and when
fully extended at A. In this Drawing the "slide slots" B, B, arc retained
merely as a precaution in the event of any accident occuring; they
will secure the sliding blade against shifting by the "tightening up
of the screws, and would render impossible any motion of the blade,
which they most firmly lock when necessary, and in any position
required. They therefore are used in this form more as a safety and
"
"

page_text: precautionary measure than as if actually required for stability and
"stiffness" of the blade.
The "sliding blade" in Invention is completely protected when "out
of action," and lies inside the rudder itself, which it only tends to
strongthen, and at a moment's notice it is available by a few turns of a
wheel upon the deck or upon "rudder head," and this is of some
importance, as it does not involve any extra hands, the man at the wheel
being able to work this with case with the disengaged hand whilst
steering with the other.
"
"
With respect to the "hollow rudder head" above mentioned, we effect
this by putting a “collar” on to the rudder head and shaft, and con-
necting it with the head of rudder by screws and discs of india-
rubber, wood, or by any "non-conducting" material, so as to stop all
galvanic action, as would be the case with gun metal pivots or collars,
and for this special provision is made throughout for all hinges and slots,
pivots, and bearings, and all the latest appliances are noted with this
object in view, and in order to ensure the "non-corrosion" of the parts
working under water.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim as my Invention a double
bladed sliding rudder for steering vessels, constructed and actuated
substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Richard Devereux Bingham,
have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-third day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.