IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Pickup, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING
APPARATUS."
Sealed the 28th November 1854, and dated the 14th June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Pickup at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th June 1854.
I, JAMES PICKUP, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING
APPARATUS" to be as follows:-
It consists in a peculiar adaptation of the action of a screw to communicate
the requisite motion to the rudder, such adaptation having for its principal
object the reduction of the entire apparatus to a smaller compass and more
convenient form than has heretofore been effected by the application of the
screw to the same purpose. I adopt, to this end, the following general mode
of construction:-Upon the rudder head I fix a strong metallic cap, from
which project upwards two studs, opposed to each other, in a direction across
the vessel when the rudder is in a central position. Between the two studs,
and axially with the vessel, I carry a horizontal shaft, in requisite bearings,

page_text: and upon it I mount the steering wheel. This shaft passes through the centre
of a hollow screw, and is fitted with a longitudinal key, so that the scrow may
revolve with the shaft when the latter is turned, but may at the same time be
free to slide thereon lengthwise. On each side of the screw is mounted a
horizontal link, cach link having a cross slot, into which the studs before
mentioned respectively enter. The ends of the links are bent at right angles,
and one end of one of them forms a nut, in which the screw works, its other end
being drilled to receive the shaft, in order to constitute a guide to its motion;
the other link has eyes at both ends, through which the shaft passes, but the
internal distance between its two eyes is precisely the length of the screw,
which it accordingly embraces longitudinally. By this arrangement, when
the shaft is turned by means of the steering wheel, one link will be traversed
in one direction, while the other will be compelled to have a motion the
contrary way. Thus, through the intervention of the studs passing through the
slots, the rudder will be caused to move on its axis, and this in a direction
corresponding to the direction in which tho steering wheel is turned. Instead
of using cross slots in the links, the pins on the rudder cap may have their
attachment to the latter, through the medium of connecting rods. It will also
be readily understood that there may be many other varieties in the mechanical
details of the above described mode of construction, while at the same time
the general features of the Invention are retained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Pickup in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
PICKUP, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Pickup, Her especial liceuce that I, the said James Pickup,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Pickup, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEERING APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Pickup, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Pickup, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawing (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in the peculiar adaptation of the action of a screw
to communicate the requisite motion to rudders in steering vessels, such
adaptation having for its principal object the reduction of the entire apparatus
to a smaller compass and more convenient form than has heretoforo been
effected by the application of the screw to the same purpose. I adopt, to this
end, the following general mode of construction (sco Drawing annexed hereto,
which shews several modifications, and in which the same letters and figures
of reference are used on similar or corresponding parts):-Upon the rudder
head (a), I fix a strong metallic cap (6), from which projects upwards two
studs (6), opposite to each other, in a direction across the vessel (at right
angles to the keel), when the rudder is in a central position (in a line with
the keel). Between the two studs (61), and axially with the vessel, I carry
a horizontal shaft (c), in requisite bearings (c¹), and upon it I mount the
steering wheel (at c). This shaft (c) passes through the centre of an hollow
screw (d), (a screw thread cut on the convex surface of a cylinder,) and is
fitted with a longitudinal key (³), so that the screw may revolve with the
shaft when the latter is turned, but may be free at the same time to slide
lengthwise. On each side of the screw is mounted a horizontal link (c and e'),
each link (see Figs. 1 and 3) having a slot (c), into which the studs (6'), before
mentioned, respectively enter. The ends of the links are bent at right angles,
and one end of one of them (c) forms a nut (e'), in which the screw (d) works,
its other end being drilled to receive the shaft (c), in order to constitute a
guide to its motion. The other link (c) has eyes (c) at both ends, through which
the shaft (c) passes, but the internal distance between its two eyes is precisely
the length of the screw (d), which it accordingly embraces longitudinally. By
this arrangement, when the shaft (c) is turned by means of the steering wheel,

page_text: one link will be traversed in one direction, while the other will be compelled to
have a motion the contrary way. Thus, through the intervention of the
studs (6) passing through the slots (e), the rudder will be caused to move
on its axis, and this in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the
steering wheel is turned. Instead of using cross slots (e) in the links (c and e'),
as shewn in Figs. 1 and 3, (which shews different arrangements of the same
modification of mechanism,) the pins on the rudder cap (b) may have their
attachment to the latter through the medium of connecting rods (f), as shewn
by Fig. 2. The advantages of the arrangements already shewn and described
may be obtained by making the screw (d) fixed or solid with the shaft c, but
in this case the shaft will partake of the end motion of the screw, and carry
with it the steering wheel, if fixed upon it, which would be objectionable; to
remedy this, the steering wheel would have to be made fixed, and the end of
the shaft would require to be formed with parallel squares (or the sliding key
arrangement), so that revolving motion could be conveyed to it by the wheel,
at the same time leaving the shaft at liberty to slide through the boss of the
steering wheel longitudinally. In all screws hitherto used to give motion to
the rudders in steering vessels, the threads formed on the screws have been
of the class known as "square," and in the modifications of my improved
screw steering apparatus I have shewn square-threaded screws which may
be used, but I apply and prefer to use for this purpose the thread known as
the "V thread," (as represented by Fig. 4,) and which I have found to possess
several advantages over the square-threaded screws; the thread is stronger
and the nuts wear less than those having square threads, and as I put theim
on in halves (see Fig. 4 and 5), they can be tightened, so as to take away
all "play" at any time, which thus dispenses with the necessity for new nuts
to accomplish this purpose, which are required when square-threaded screws
are employed.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and modes
in which it may be carried into effect, and may here remark that it may
be modified in its mechanical details and its construction; therefore I wish
it understood that I claim as my Invention, the mode of actuating the
rudder in steering vessels by a single screw, having its axis on a fixed shaft (a
shaft having only a revolving motion), producing a double or balanced action,
and bearing all the strain within itself, as herein-before described, so long as
the peculiar features of my Invention are retained.
Secondly, I claim the use or adaptation of single screws, acting in the
manner described in the preceding claim, when the screw is fixed or solid with

page_text: its axis, and its objectionable end motion is obviated, by causing it to slide
through the boss of a fixed steering wheel, as herein-before described.
Thirdly, I claim as my Invention, the use or application of screws for the
purpose of steering vessels, having threads of the class known as "V" threads,
and the arrangement of the nuts or female screws in combination with such
threaded screws, in two halves, so that they may be tightened to remove
play, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth
day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-four.
JAMES PICKUP. (LS.)