IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Downton of West India Dock Road and Everden
Wimshurst of Grove Road. Victoria Park both in the County of Middlesex
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING APPARATUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Downton and Everden
Wimshurst at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th July
1883.
JOHN DOWNTON of West India Dock Road and EVERDEN WIMSHURST of Grove:
Road Victoria Park, both in the County of Middlesox IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
STEERING APPARATUS
The objects of this invention are to simplify the construction of steam steering
apparatus to render it direct acting to bring such apparatus under the complete
control of the steersman, and to provide a cushioning when the rudder is acted on
by a heavy sea.
In attaining these objects we apply the direct action of the steam for working
the tiller or we may, to suit certain circumstances transmit the power through
chains leading from amidships to the tiller.
Supposing the steam steering apparatus to be situato near the stern of the vessel
we provide a horizontal double acting trunk engine the trunk of which we connect
with the tiller by a link rod. The cylinder being fitted with an ordinary slide
valve will admit steam to either side of the piston and open the exhaust passage
to either side thereof at the pleasure of the steersman the slide valve being operated
by a hand lever
Fitted to the exhaust passage is an exhaust valve which by means of a second
hand lever is brought under the control of the steersman.
Supposing the piston to be in an intermediate position at the time that the
apparatus is required to work the steersman will first move the slide valve to
and fro to admit steam to opposite sides of the piston.. He will then simultaneously
through the hand levers put one side of the piston in communication with the
steam supply pipe and the other side with the atmosphere limiting the discharge
[Pine 31

page_text: of the steam according to the amount of motion desired to be imparted to the
rudder.
If during the action of the apparatus a heavy wave should strike the rudder the
steam on the exhaust side of the piston would act as a cushion and check a too
sudden movement of the rudder.
Connected with the end of the tiller is a second link rod which carries a block
that slides in horizontal guides formed for it on the steam cylinder On the
underside of this block are formed teeth or projections which gear into corre-
sponding teeth or projections carried by a horizontal rock shaft underlying the
link rod. This rod is actuated by a treadle, and a spring serves to rock the shaft
in an opposite direction and hold it in gear with the block.
As this rock shaft has no longitudinal motion it will when in gear with the
sliding block serve to lock the rudder in position, but when thrown out of gear
by the treadle the steam steering apparatus may be put in action in the manner
.above explained.
-
-
As a modification of this apparatus we employ two single acting engines the
cylinders of which are arranged athwart the ship adjacent, say, to the bridge. The
rods of these cylinders we connect with the opposite ends of a rock lever keyed
to a horizontal rock shaft fitted with a chain wheel and also a brake pulley.
Attached to the opposite sides of this chain wheel are chaius which are led over
guide pulleys to the tiller
The engines aro provided with a slide valve as in the first described arrangement
for admitting steam above the pistons and the exhaust. passage is fitted with a
controlling escape valve.
These valves are actuated by hand levers as before explained and serve to
admit steam to the cylinder and discharge it therefrom in a manner suitable for
imparting the requisite axial motions to the chain wheel.
This wheel as it is operated through its rock shaft will impart motion to the
-tiller-through--the chains-and-thos-the-vessel-may-be-steered-from-any-point.
convenient for placing the steersman.
-Passing round the brake pulley is a friction band one end of which is attached
to a fixed bracket and the other to a treadle lever.
By holding the band taut the rudder will be retained in its set position, but on
the steersman releasing his foot therefrom the rudder will be free to answer to the
movement of the steering apparatus

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Downton and Everden Wimshurst in the Patent Office on
the 28th January 1884.
JOHN DOWNTON of West India Dock Road and EVERDEN WIMSHURST of Grove
Road, Victoria Park both in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
STEERING APPARATUS".
The objects of this Invention are to simplify the construction of steam steering
apparatus, to render it direct acting, to bring such apparatus under the complete
control of the steersman, and to provide a cushioning when the rudder is acted on
by a heavy sea.
In attaining these objects, we apply the direct action of the steam for working
the tiller, or we may to suit certain circumstances, transmit the power through
chains leading from amidships to the tiller.
In Sheet I of the accompanying Drawings we have shown an arrangement of
steering apparatus in direct connection with the tiller; Fig: 1 being a plan view,
Fig: 2 a longitudinal section taken through the centre of the apparatus, and Fig: 3
a cross section taken in the line 1. 2 of Figures 1 and 2.
In these figures A is the tiller and B B is a double cylinder horizontal engine
set in a line athwart ship. Working in the cylinders of this Engine is a ram C
which is pierced at its contre to form a seat for a cylindrical block D. The under
face of this block is slotted to enable it to embrace the tiller A and slide freely
thereon as the ram is moved in either direction to work the tiller.
b. b. are the steam ports communicating with the steam chest E¹, in which is
mounted an ordinary D-valve, E, for controlling the supply and discharge of the
steam to and from the cylinders. F is an exhaust valve situate in an exhaust
chamber F1 immediately below the exhaust port f, and above a second chamber F,
which may be considered as an enlargement of the exhaust passage F³ which
opens to the atmosphere the use of this chamber F will be presently explained.
The valves E and F are operated by the steersman through hand levers E*
and F
Supposing the ram C to be in an intermediate position (as shewn in the
drawing) at the time that the apparatus is required to work, the steersman will
first move the slide valve E to and fro to admit steam to the opposite ends of the
ram. He will then simultaneously through the hand levers E and F put one
of the cylinders in communication with the steam supply, and the other cylinder
with the atmosphere limiting the discharge of the steam according to the amount
of motion desired to be imparted to the rudder. It is the better to control the
amount of steam thus discharged that the chamber F is provided. Thus when
the valve F is moved in its seat to the position of Fig: 3 to open a passage for the
exhaust steam, this steam will pass. from the valve chamber Fi and fill the
chamber F but no further escape can take place until the valve is moved back
to the dotted position of Fig: 3 at. which time the chamber F¹ will be in
communication with the atmosphere; thus the cylinder can only be exhausted
by pulsations or by the steersman sliding the exhaust valve to-and-fro several
times.
If during the action of the apparatus, a heavy sea should strike the rudder, the
confined steam at either end of the ram would act as a cushion and check a too
sudden movement of the rudder.
For the purpose of locking the ram, or it may be the tiller, in any desired
position, we fit to the ram a rod G which lies parallel to the ram and is free to

page_text: slide in fixed guides G¹ cast upon or fixed to the cylinders. This rod we notch or
pierce with holes to receive a locking bolt fitted to one of the guides G¹, and
actuated by a hand lever g. as shewn at Fig: 1. This device for locking the ram
will be convenient when from any cause it is found desirable to work the tiller by
hand in place of steam. To provide for this, the tiller is fitted with chains as usual,
and the ram may be disconnected from the tiller by simply removing the cylindrical
block D from its seat..
As a modification of this apparatus we may adapt a pair of single-acting
cylinder engines fitted with the escape valve, to work a rock shaft situate, say,
near the bridge and transmit the motion of this rock shaft through chains to the
tiller
This arrangement is shewn in Sheet II of the drawings. Fig: 4 being a front
elevation partly in section, and Fig: 5 a side elevation partly in section of the
apparatus.
B B is a pair of vertical single acting cylinder engines, the plunger rods b. of
which are connected by chains b¹ with a pulley d. loose on a horizontal rock shaft D
and made fast thereto by a sliding clutch.
This rock shaft is mounted in bearings carried by standards which may
conveniently be cast in one with the steam cylinders. The casting forming the
cover of these cylinders provides also a steam chest for the steam supply and cut-off
valve, and the exhaust valve F is fitted in a space in the casting between the
cylinders; its movement as before serving to admit the exhaust steam to the
chamber and to discharge it therefrom into the exhaust passage.
Keyed to the rock shaft D is a sector D' to which the steering chains are
attached; such chains being led off to right and left and around guide pullies to
the tiller as usual.
The valves E and F are actuated by hand lovers as before oxplained and serve
to admit steam to the cylinders and discharge it therefrom in a manner suitable for
imparting the requisite axial..motions to the sector D¹.
---
This sector as it is operated through its rock shaft D will impart motion to the
tiller through the chains and thus the vessel may be steered from any point on the
deck convenient for placing the steeraman.
'
The rock shaft D may be fitted with a brake pulley having laid around it a
friction band, one end of which is attached to a fixed bracket and the other to
a treadle lever.
By holding the band taut the rudder will be retained in its set position, but on
the steersman releasing his foot therefrom the rudder will be free to answer to the
movement of the steering apparatus.
In order to provide for steering the vessel by hand the sector is formed with
rack teeth and into it gears the pinion i carried by a horizontal shaft I mounted
in bracket bearings attached to the main framing. The pinion i alides on a feather
on the shaft for the purpose of throwing it into and out of gear with the sector
rack teeth. Keyed to the shaft I is a steering wheel I which when the steam
steering apparatus is in uso is thrown out of connection with the rock shaft D by
the sliding of the pinion i. out of gear. Should however the steam steering
apparatus fail from any cause, it will only be necessary in order to bring the
steering wheel into use to slide the pinion i. into gear with the sector rack and to
unclutch the pulley d. on the rock shaft.
It will be obvious that in place of the slide valve F a three way cock or
equivalent contrivance may be employed for opening a passage for the escape of
the exhaust steam to the atmosphere.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in Steam
Steering apparatus" and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect
we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
wo claim
First: The arrangement described with reference to Sheet I of the drawings for
applying the direct action of the steam for working the tiller.

page_text: Secondly. The use of an exhaust valve for bringing the discharge of the exhaust
steam under the control of the steersman in the manner and for the purpose above
setforth
Thirdly: The arrangement described with reference to Sheet II of the drawings
for working the tiller by steam power.
'
In witness whereof we the said John Downton and Everdon Wimshurst have
hereunto set our hands and seals the twenty sixth day of January in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
A
JOHN, DOWNTON
(L.B.)
EVERDEN WIMSHURST (LS.)