IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING GEAR
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN SOULSBY NICHOLSON of 54 Charlotte Street North Shields in the County
of Northumberland Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING GEAR to be as follows :-
My Invention consists in the application and arrangement of what is known as
Differential Gear, combined with Improvements for making a most powerful and
effectual Steering Gear, for the purpose of Steering Sailing Ships and Steam Vessels.
My Invention consists of the following parts viz Two Cast Iron A shaped frames.
with circular shaped heads. Those frames are fastened together, a certain distance
apart, with 3 screwed stay bolts, on two of these bolts a loose pulley runs, between
the said frames. On the inner side of the circular head of one of the frames, is formed
a projecting rim toothed on its internal edge with fourteen teeth, in the centre of
the circular head of the other frame a boss is formed on which a loose chain wheel
runs, on one side of the said Chain Wheel, a projecting rim is formed & toothed on
its internal edge with sixteen teeth, this rim being of the same size as the rim on
the frame head, and it runs close to it. There is also a toothed wheel with thirteen
teeth on its external edge, this wheel is twice the thickness of either of the afore-
said toothed rims and is geared into both, and it runs loose on an eccentric wheel
fixed on the axle of the machine, the said axle runs on the centre of the heads of the
aforesaid frames, and has a hand Steering Wheel fixed on its end.
In connecting the aforesaid Gearing to the Rudder, the middle of a piece of chain
is hung over the chain wheel, the two ends is passed under the two loose pulleys,
between the frames and then to the sides of the vessel.
It is then conveyed to a part opposite the tiller. In connecting the chain to the
tiller, a ball shaped Socket or block with a hole in its centre is made to slide on the
outer portion of the tiller, it has a pin on its upper & under side, on the ping two
curved bars, with holes on their centre, swings, the two ends of the Chain are
fastened with bolts, between the ends of the said curved bars on each side of the
tiller, by those means whatever position the tiller may be in the Chain is moving
in a straight line across the vessel at a right angle to the line of her keel.
In the operation of Steering by hand the eccentric on the axle of the Steering
Wheel makes the external toothed wheel roll around the toothed rims of the frame
head and Chain Wheel, the rim on the frame head being fixed, & the Chain Wheel

page_text: being loose and its rim having two more teeth on it, causes it to revolve in the
same direction as the eccentric, a distance equal to the two teeth or any number
of teeth it may have in excess of the frame head rim on each revolution of the
eccentric.
I thus attain great power and increased facility in moving the rudder, in either
direction the Steering Wheel may be turned and when any reverse strain comes on
the Chain it has little effect to cause any recoil of the Steering Wheel as is well
understood from this arrangement. The boss on which the Chain Wheel runs is
for the purpose of relieving the quick running axle of the Steering Wheel of the
strain or load that comes on the Chain Wheel in the operation of Steering. This
Steering Gear may be operated by motive power as well as by hand.
Dated this 29th day of March 1884.

page_text: Figure 1 is a view of the Steering Gear in Elevation.
Fig 2 view of the Gear in Vertical Section.
Fig 3 & 4 Inner sides of the frame heads.
Fig 5 Plan of Tiller with ball Shaped Socket.
Fig 6 is an Elevation of Ball Shaped Socket and Curved bars. The same letters
indicate the same parts in all the figures.
My Invention consists in the application and arrangement of what is known as
Differential Gear combined with improvements for making a most powerful and
effectual Steering Gear for the purpose of Steering Sailing Ships and Steam
Vessels.
My Invention consists of the following parts.-Two Cast Iron A shaped frames
with circular shaped heads A P
These frames are fastened together a certain distance apart with three screwed
stay bolts B B B. On two of these bolts a loose pulley C C. runs between the said
frames. On the inner side of the circular head of one of the frames A is formed a
projecting rim D toothed on its internal edge with fourteen teeth. In the centre of
the circular head of the other frame P a boss E is formed on which a loose chain
wheel F runs. On one side of the said Chain Wheel a projecting rim G is formed
toothed on its internal edge with sixteen teeth, this rim being of the same size as
the rim on the frame head and it runs close to it. There is also a toothed wheel H
with thirteen teeth on its external edge, this wheel is twice the thickness of either
of the beforementioned toothed rims D G. and is geared into both and it runs loose
on an eccentric wheel I fixed on the axle of the machine, the said axle runs on the
centre of the heads of the before mentioned frames and has a hand Steering wheel J
fixed on its end.
In connecting the aforesaid Gearing to the rudder, the middle of a piece of
chain K is hung over the Chain Wheel, the two ends is passed under the two loose
pulleys C C. between the frames and then to the sides of the Vessel, it is then
conveyed to a part opposite the tiller M. In connecting the Chain K to the
tiller M. a ball shaped socket or block L with a hole in its centre is made to slide
on the outer portion of the tiller M. it has a pin on its upper and under sides.
these pins two curved bars N N with holes on their centre swings.
On
The two ends of the Chain K are fastened with bolts between the ends of the
said curved bars N N. on each side of the tiller M. these means whatever
position the tiller M. may be in the Chain K is moving in a straight line across the
Vessel at a right angle to the line of her keel
In the operation of Steering by hand the eccentric I on the axlo of the Steering
Wheel J makes the external toothed Wheel H roll around the toothed rims D G of
the frame and Chain Wheel, the rim D on the frame licad being fixed, the Chain
Wheel F being loose and its rim G having two more teeth on it than the rim D on
the frame head causes it to revolve in the same direction as the eccentric I, a
distance equal to the two teeth or any number of teeth it may, have on it in excess
of the frame head rim D.

page_text: I thus attain great power and increased facility in moving the rudder in either
direction the Steering Wheel J may be turned and when any reverse strain comes
on the Chain K it has little effect to cause any recoil of the Steering Wheel J as is
well understood from this arrangement.
The boss E on which the Chain Wheel F runs is for the purpose of relieving the
quick running axle of the Steering Wheel J of the strain or load that comes on the
Chain Wheel G in the operation of Steering. This Steering Gear may be operated
by motive power as well as by hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is the arrangement of what is known as Differential Gear combined with
the improvement Boss E Fig 2 & 3 and Sliding Socket L with curved bars N N
Fig 5 & 6, for making a most effectual Steering Gear for the purpose of Steering
Sailing Ships & Steam Vessels as the same is herein before set forth and described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
}
& Damba 1001.