CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON CAPSTANS AND APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREWITH
Year: 1832

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BROWN, of Margaret Street, Commercial Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Rigger, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Fourteenth day of February, in the third year of His
reigu, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Brown, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Brown, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Brown, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON CAPSTANS
AND APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREWITH;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said James Brown, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Brown, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-

page_text: Drawing mereunto, and to the nga mare mor
say) -
:-
My improvements in capstans and apparatus to be used therewith consist
of certain combinations of mechanical means for obtaining power to capstans,
as will be fully described hereafter.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1 represents a capstan having my improvements applied thereto.
Fig. 2 represents a plan of the capstan head, the top or cover being removed
for the purpose of exposing the mechanical combinations for producing power
to the capstan more clearly to the view. Fig. 3 represents a capstan con-
structed according to my improvements, the mechanical means of obtaining
power to the capstan being somewhat different to those shown in Figs. 1
and 2. Fig. 4 is a plan of Fig. 3, which is also shown uncovered, that the
internal arrangement of the mechanical means contained in the capstan head
may be more clearly seen and understood. It will be desirable here to
observe, that the same letters of reference serve to denote the same parts in
each of the Figures of the Drawing.
But first of the capstan represented in Figures 1 and 2. a is the drum or
body of the capstan, which turns on the perpendicular shaft or spindle 6;
this shaft or spindle is affixed to the deck or other situation according to the
intended use, and is so fixed as to be prevented turning. c is the capstan
head, which I usually construct of cast iron, and consists of the outer frame ć
and the cross braces d, as will be clearly seen in the Figures 1 and 2. This
drum head c, d, is keyed and wedged to the spindle or shaft b, having
a square
head, by the keys or wedges e, e, and thus is the capstan-head affixed to the
shaft or spindle b, and is consequently stationary, the capstan head not being
in any way affixed to the drum or body a of the capstan. f is a screw affixed
on the shaft g, there being a recess h cast at the back of the capstan-head to
receive the screw f, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. The shaft g turns in
bearings on each side of the capstan-head, but the bearings on each side of
the capstan are elongated, to allow of the shaft 9 being slided along when it
is desired to put the screw out of gear. i, i, are plates placed on each end of
the shaft g; the object of these plates is to hold the screw in gear when
required, and this is effected in the following manner :-In each of the plates i
is formed a circular hole, through which pass the ends of the shaft, g. There
is also a slot k cut towards the other end of the plates i, through which a screw
bolt 7 passes, and is made fast' to the frame c of the capstan head, this screw
1

page_text: bolt having a head, which projects beyond the slot k, and thus hold the plate
at that end. m is a handle by which this plate is raised when it is desired to
throw the screw out of gear. In Fig. 1 the screw is represented as being in
gear, consequently, when it is desired to put it out, it will only be necessary
to raise the ends of the plates i by the handles m, by this means the screw
bolts will be at the bottom of the slot, when the plates i may be forced back
sufficiently. to put the screw out of geer, when the plates i may be lowered
by the handles m, and they will be retained in this position. It will be
evident to again put the screw into geer the plates must be again raised, and
then slided forward and brought down to the position shown in Fig. 1. The
screw takes into and drives the toothed wheel n,. which is affixed to the
drum or body of the capstan. The two ends of the shaft g are squared for
the purpose of receiving winch handles, as is shown by dotted lines. By this
application of a screw, together with a toothed wheel, within a fixed and
stationary head of. a capstan, a very powerful though slow action can be
obtained to the drum or body of the capstan, and thus enable a few hands to
raise very heavy weights; as will be evident to all who are acquainted with
the nature of applying a screw to a toothed wheel. When quicker revolution
is desired to the drum or body of the capstan, it will be necessary to throw
the screw out of geer and bring the pinions o, o, into work. These pinions are
affixed on spindles p, p, which have their bearings in recesses cut or formed
in the centre part of the capstan head, as is shown in the Drawing in Figs. 1
and 2; the other ends of the spindle p, p, pass through slits formed in the
framing c of the capstan head and pass through the plates q, these plates
being affixed to the frame c by means of two screw-bolts r, r, one of which
being withdrawn permits the plates 9 turning on the other; and thus raising
the teeth of the pinions out of geer when desired. s is a horizontal toothed
wheel affixed on the top of the drum or body of the capstan, as is clearly
shown in Fig. 2. Into this wheels the pinions work, the shafts or spindles p
being also opened to admit of winch handles, as is shown by dotted lines; by
this arrangement a quick action may be obtained to the drum or body of the
capstan, and the power may be proportioned to the work to be done.
Figs. 3 and 4 represent a capstan having four pinions similar to those
described in Figs. 1 and 3, working into a similar horizontal toothed wheel,
and as the various parts are indicated by the same letters of reference as those
already described, it will not be necessary to go again into that description,
as the construction of this capstan will be evident, it differing only in not
having a screw, but in place thereof there are two additional pinions.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-

page_text: forming the same, I would have it understood that I lay no claim to the
various parts separately of which the same is composed, they being separately
well known and in use. But what I claim as my Invention is,―
First, the application of the screw f to a fixed stationary capstan-head, for
the purpose of driving the drum or body of the capstan; and,
Secondly, in applying one or more pinions to a fixed and stationary capstan
head, for the purpose of driving the drum or body of the capstan, as above
described, whereby great facility is obtained in the working of capstans, and
at the same time great power may be obtained to such capstans.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and think thro