Improvements in Apparatus for Steering, Propelling, and Retarding the Motion of Boats, Ships, and other Vessels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1892-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Steering, Propelling, and Retarding
the Motion of Boats, Ships, and other Vessels.
I, THOMAS BRIDGES HEATHORN of 10 Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, in the
County of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
-
This invention has for its object the construction of apparatus whereby boats,
ships, and other vessels may be propelled, retarded, and steered with great facility,
and is applied to the double rudders with which vessels made in accordance with
this invention are furnished.
To carry out this invention I make a bed plate of iron and fix it upon a deck or
platform near the stern of the vessel. This bed plate has mounted upon it in suitable
bearings a shaft which carries a toothed wheel. The toothed wheel gears into a
pinion which is keyed to a shaft beneath, mounted also in suitable bearings and
upon one extremity of the latter shaft, there is a vertical mitre wheel which gears
into a horizontal mitre wheel. The wheels are capable of being thrown into and
out of gear by means of a clutch that is moved by a spring lever. The vertical
shaft to which the horizontal mitre wheel is fixed has upon it above the bed plate
a toothed wheel. This wheel gears into two other toothed wheels, one on either
side of it, and the arbors of which also carry eccentrics. The eccentrics are
furnished with straps fixed to rods which are pivotted at a certain point to extension
rods. These extension rods work through guides attached to a frame fixed to the
bed plate. The extension rods are also slotted and receive the ends of a cross head.
To the vertical part of the cross head are fixed two bars which are connected together
by a pin that passes through plates having curved slots therein.
To the lower part
of each of the upright shafts to which the plates with curved slots are attached,
there is a chain pulley fixed, and a corresponding chain pulley is fixed to the upper
part of each rudder post. Round each of the chain pulleys there passes a chain
provided with rods, straps, and tightening screws.
It will be understood that upon applying hand, steam or other suitable power to
the shaft first mentioned the mitre wheels and the central toothed wheel will revolve
as will also the toothed wheels on each side of it. The result is that a to and fro,
or longitudinal movement will be given to the extension rods. This movement will
cause two bars to vibrate and the chain pulleys to make a partial revolution at each
stroke of the extension rods. Whatever motion is given to the bars is transmitted
through the chains to the chain pulleys attached to the rudder posts, and consequently
a rapid vibratory or oscillatory motion the extent of which is limited by a stop, is
given to each rudder, which in this case forms the propelling as well as steering
apparatus.
In the event of it being necessary to reverse the rudders or for the purpose of
retarding the motion of the vessel, a lever pivotted at or near its centre is made by
thrusting it to the left, to operate upon a bar which is fixed to the cross head, and
may be considered as a continuation of the lower vibrating bar. This action has
the effect of drawing forward the curved or slotted plates and causing the pulleys
to make nearly half a revolution, the result being that the rudders become reversed.
For the purpose of steering the vessel I use the following apparatus in conjunction
with the propelling apparatus that I have already described. To the bed plate I
fix two vertical plates and connect them together. On one side I mount an ordinary
steering wheel upon an arbor that passes through the plates, and upon the same
arbor and between the upright plates there is a chain wheel, which carries a chain.
This chain passes under two rollers and round two pitch chain pulleys, and the

page_text: pulleys upon being turned give motion to screws which work into curved and toothed
racks, fixed to the frame. As this frame is pivotted upon the upright shaft it is
clear that any movement given to the racks will cause the frame to revolve partially
upon its centre carrying with it the wheels and eccentrics. To give ease to the
motion rollers may be placed between the frame and the support.
It will be observed that any movement of the steering wheel will cause the frame
together with its wheels and eccentrics to turn upon its centre, and thus give motion
to the extension rods and through the chains, and chain wheels, to the rudders, thus
causing each rudder to turn to port or starboard as desired.
As it may be found necessary at times to lock both the propelling and steering
gear 1 attach a crank to the upright arbor or spindle to which the central toothed
wheel is fixed, and upon which the frame turns. The pin of the crank works
through a slot in a bar, which bar has at its opposite end a toothed quadrant. This
quadrant is moved by a handle which is fixed to a pinion that gears into the toothed
quadrant so that on adjusting the position of the crank by the handles, a locking
appliance is brought into action, and locks the whole apparatus thus preventing
movement either one way or the other.
Dated this 25th day of April 1801
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Steering, Propelling, and Retarding
the Motion of Boats, Ships, and other Vessels.
I, THOMAS BRIDGES HEATHORN, of 10 Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, in the
County of London, Gentleman, 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 has for its object the construction of apparatus whereby boats,
ships and other vessels may be propelled, retarded, and steered with great facility,
and is applied to the double rudders with which vessels made in accordance with
this invention are furnished.
In order that the invention may be easily understood drawings are attached
hereto of which the following is a brief description:
Fig. 1 is a plan of the apparatus, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side elevation of it.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation, drawn to a larger scale, of that part of the steering
gear operated upon directly by the steering wheel, the view being taken
through 1, 2, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a similar view drawn to the same scale as Fig. 3, and taken through 3, 4
of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus applied to the stern of a boat or a
ship having a counter, and shows approximately the position such apparatus might
occupy with respect to the stern of the vessel. The propeller is shown in reversed
position in dotted lines. In this view a screw propeller is also shown in dotted
lines, as such screw may be used as an auxiliary to the apparatus I employ..
To carry out this invention I make a bed plate A, A, A, of iron and fix it upon
a deck or platform near the stern of the vessel. This bed plate has mounted upon
it in suitable bearings B, C, a shaft D which carries a toothed wheel E. The
toothed wheel E gears into a pinion F which is keyed to a shaft G mounted also
in suitable bearings H and 1. Upon one extremity of the shaft G there is a mitre
wheel which gears into another mitre wheel K. The wheel J is capable of being
thrown into and out of gear by means of a clutch L that is moved by a catch
lever M. The vertical shaft to which the mitre wheel K is fixed has upon it, above
the bed plate, a toothed wheel N. This wheel N gears into two other toothed
wheels and P, the arbors of which also carry eccentrics Q and R. The

page_text: eccentrics are furnished with straps S and T fixed to rods U and V, the rods being
pivotted at W, W, to extension rods X and Y, which work through guides Z, Z,
attached to the frame u. The extension rods are slotted as seen at band receive
the ends of the cross head c. To the vertical part of the cross head are fixed
two bars ee which are connected together by a pin which passes through the
slots in the slotted plates gg. To the lower part of each of the upright shafts to
which the slotted plates gg are attached there is a chain pulley / fixed.
sponding chain pulley is fixed to the upper part of each rudder head.
cach of the chain pulleys h, hand i, i there passes a chain i provided with rods kk,
straps 1, 1, and tightening screws at m, m.
с
A corre-
Round
It will be seen that upon applying hand, steam, or other suitable power to the
shaft D the mitre wheels J and K and the toothed wheel N will revolve, as will
also the toothed wheels O and P and eccentrics Q and R. The result is that a
to and fro, or longitudinal movement will be given to the extension rods X and Y.
This movement will cause the crosshead c and the bars e, e, to vibrate and the chain
pulleys to make a partial revolution at each stroke of the extension rods. What-
ever motion is given to the chain pulleys his transmitted through the chains to the
chain pulleys and consequently a rapid vibratory or oscillatory motion, the
extent of which is limited by a stop, is given to each rudder, which in this case
forms the propelling as well as the steering apparatus.
In the event of it being necessary to reverse the rudders, for the purpose of
retarding the motion of the vessel, a lever n pivotted at o is made, by thrusting it
to the left, to operate upon a bar p which is fixed to the crosshead. This action
has the effect of drawing forward and rotating the slotted plates 9, 9, and causing
the pulleys and consequently i to make nearly half a revolution, the result being
that the rudders become reversed, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, and the
crosshead e works in the opposite ends of the slots >>.
plate
For the purpose of steering the vessel I use the following apparatus in con-
junction with the propelling apparatus that I have already described. To the bed
I fix two vertical plates r and s Fig. 2, and connect them together. On one side
mount an ordinary steering wheel t upon an arbor that passes through the plates.
Upon the same arbor and between the upright plates there is a chain wheel, which
carries a chain 5 Figs. 1 and 3. This chain passes under two rollers 6 and 7, and
round two pitch chain pulleys 8 and 9, and the pulleys upon being turned give
motion to screws 10 and 11, which work into curved and toothed racks 12 and 13
fixed to the frame 14. As this frame is pivotted upon the upright shaft 15 it is
clear that any movement given to the racks will cause the frame to revolve
partially upon its centre, carrying with it the wheels O and P and the eccentrics Q
and R. To give ease to the motion, rollers may be placed between the frame 14
and the support 16.
It will be observed that any movement of the steering wheel will cause the
frame 14 together with its wheels and eccentrics to turn upon its centre, and
thus give motion to the extension rods, and through the chains and chain
wheels and i to the rudders, thus causing each rudder to turn to port or starboard
as desired.
As it may be found necessary at times to lock the propelling mechanism when
not in use,
I attach a crank 17, to the spindle 15 to which the wheel N is fixed and
upon which the frame turns. The pin of the crank works through a slot in the
slotted end 18, of the quadrant 19. The quadrant is moved by a hand lever 20
attached to the pinion 21 which gears with the quadrant. The object of this
attachment is to bring the slotted end of the quadrant into the proper position so
that the locking appliance 23 may be rotated into the position shown by the dotted
lines when the plates 23 enclose the slotted lever 18 and prevents its further
motion. This securely locks the whole apparatus, so that the vessel can be steered
whilst the propelling gear is out of action. The drawing shows the apparatus in
the proper position for locking.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
Apparatus for propelling, steering and retarding the motion of boats, ships
and other vessels made and arranged as herein described and shown on the
drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1892.
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicant.