IMPROVEMENTS IN RUDDERS AND STERN POSTS, AND IN CONNECTING THE SAME SO AS TO ALLOW OF THE READY SHIPPING AND UNSHIPPING OF THE RUDDER FROM THE DECK
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Hewitt, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Practical Marine Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RUDDERS AND STERN POSTS, AND IN CONNECTING THE SAME SO AS TO ALLOW
OF THE READY SHIPPING AND UNSHIPPING OF THE RUDDER FROM THE
DECK."
Sealed the 26th November 1866, and dated the 29th May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Hewitt at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
May 1866.
I, FRANCIS HEWITT, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Practical
Marine Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RUDDERS AND STERN POSTS, AND IN CONNECTING THE SAME SO AS
TO ALLOW OF THE READY SHIPPING AND UNSHIPPING OF THE RUDDER FROM THE
DECK," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
This Invention has for its object certain improvements in the construction
of rudders for navigable vessels, and in stern posts for the same, and in the con- .
struction of the joints in which the rudder post turns, and which joints may
also be provided with stops to limit the action of the rudder.

page_text: In applying this Invention to, say, an iron vessel, the "main piece" or
rudder post and blade of the rudder are formed in one piece, the "main piece
being formed so as to resemble a round rod or pillar placed on front of the
rudder blade, and the lower end of the main piece of the rudder post extends
below the blade to form a pivot, which takes into a round hole or bearing
formed in the upper surface of the heel of the vessel immediately in rear of
the stern post. The stern post is formed in one piece having welded or
formed thereon two or more lumps, which have vertical passages formed there-
through, and which at the rear ends are slotted to admit the blade of the
rudder to pass therethrough when the same is being shipped. The back of
the stern post it is also preferred should be formed with a round hollow groove
to receive the front of the rudder post or pillar, insuring a good joint between
the rudder and stern post. A mortice hole is formed through the rudder
blade the length of the bearing or bearings (when more than one joint is used
in the length of the rudder blade) so as to enable the same to be turned
within its bearings. The slotted bearing joints on the rudder post in front
of the rudder blade may be enlarged at their sides so as to form a vertical
angular-sided recess having a convex bottom in which that portion of the
blade of the rudder moves. In some cases it is preferred to enlarge the
diameter of the main piece or rudder post at the parts that are encompassed
by the joint bearings, welded to or formed with the stern post, to compensate
for wear and increase the strength of the main piece or rudder post. For
ordinary sized vessels it is believed that one joint in the length of the blade
and one on the main piece immediately above the blade will be found sufficient,
as they can be made of any required length. In lieu of forming the stops on
the joint pieces, clutch pieces or stops can be applied to the under side of
the boss of the lever at the rudder head, or a circular boss may be keyed on
the "main piece" near the head thereof, one side of which is recessed and in
which recess is placed a vertical stop which prevents the rudder being
moved beyond the limit of the recess. The rudder case is formed with
a vertical fore-and-aft passage to allow the blade of the rudder to pass
therethrough when being inserted or withdrawn through the rudder case; or
the head of the "main piece" of the rudder may be socketted on to the lower
portion thereof immediately above the upper joint, by which arrangement,
by removing the head of the "main piece," the rudder may be unshipped
(in some peculiar forms of vessels) without the necessity of taking the same
inboard.
In applying this Invention to a wood or composite vessel it is preferred to

page_text: use broad and extra gripping jaws, in which the "main piece" of the rudder
pieces to the rudder post and dead
To ship a rudder constructed according
turns, and to attach the said grip joint
woods of the vessel by transverse bolts.
to this Invention the same is lifted up immediately above the rudder case,
and lowered down until the lower portion of the main piece of the rudder
enters the hollow slotted groove in the first joint piece; being thus guided it
is then lowered in the required line, on the rudder being let down it
immediately finds its own place and is ready for use. When it is desired to
unship the rudder all that is required is to remove the steering gear, place
the rudder amidships, and draw it up on to the deck.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Hewitt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
HEWITT, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Practical Marine Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Francis Hewitt, Her special licence that I, the said Francis Hewitt,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Francis Hewitt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RUDDERS AND STEEN POSTS, AND IN CONNECTING THE SAME SO AS TO ALLOW OF
THE READY SHIPPING AND UNSHIPPING OF THE RUDDER FROM THE DECK," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis Hewitt, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of. the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and causo the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Hewitt, 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 (that is to say) :-
This my said Invention has for its object certain improvements in the
construction of rudders for navigable vessels, and in stern posts for the same,
and in the construction of the joints in which the rudder post turns, and
which joints may also be provided with stops to limit the action of the
rudder.
In applying this my said Invention to, say, an iron vessel I form the main
piece or rudder post and blade of the rudder in one piece, the main piece
being formed so as to resemble a round rod or pillar placed on front of
the rudder blade, and the lower end of the main piece of the rudder post
extends below the blade to form a pivot, which takes into a round hole or
bearing formed in the upper surface of the heel of the keel of the vessel
immediately in rear of the stern post. The stern post I form in one piece
having welded or formed thereon two or more lumps, which have vertical
passages formed therethrough to admit of the herein-before mentioned main
piece or rudder post to pass therethrough, and which at the rear end are
slotted to admit the blade of the rudder to pass therethrough when the same
is being shipped. The back of the stern post I also prefer should be formed
with a round bollow groove to receive the front of the main piece or rudder
post to insure a good joint between the rudder and stern post. I form a
mortice bole through the rudder blade the length of the bearing or bearings
(when more than one joint is used in the length of the rudder blade) so as to
enable the same to be turned within its bearings. The slotted bearing joints
on the rudder post in front of the rudder blade may be enlarged at their sides
.so as to form a vertical angular-sided recess having a convex bottom in which
that portion of the blade of the rudder moves. In some cases I prefer to
enlarge the diameter of the main piece or rudder post at the parts that are
encompassed by the joint bearings, which are welded to or formed with the
stern post, to compensate for wear and increase the strength of the main piece
or rudder post. For ordinary sized vessels I believe that one joint in the
length of the blade, and oue on the main piece immediately above the blade,
will be found sufficient, as they can be made of any required length. In lieu
af forming the stops on the joint pieces, clutch pieces or stops can be applied

page_text: to the under side of the boss of the lever at the rudder head, or a circular
boss may be keyed on to the main piece near the head thereof, one side of
which is recessed, and in which recess is placed a vertical stop which prevents
the rudder being moved beyond the limit of the recess. The rudder case I
form with a vertical fore and aft passage to allow the blade of the rudder to
pass therethrough when being inserted or withdrawn through the rudder case,
or the head of the main piece of the rudder may be socketted on to the lower
portion thereof immediately above the upper joint, by which arrangement on
removing the head of the main piece the rudder may be unshipped (in some
peculiar forms of vessels) without the necessity of taking the same inboard.
In applying this my said Invention to a wood or composite vessel I prefer
to use broader and extra gripping jaws in which the main piece of the rudder
turns, and to attach the said grip joint pieces to the rudder post and dead-
woods of the vessel by transverse bolts. When the whole of the rudder post
and blade of the rudder are formed in one piece, thus requiring a slot or
opening through the counter of the vessel, I use a pair of flat plates placed
elge to edge, and bolted to the deck to cover the opening when the rudder is
in position. The forward ends of these plates are formed with semicircular
perforations so as to encompass the rudder post, as will be seen on reference
to the Drawings, Figure 10.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood
I have hereunto annexed Drawings illustrating two modifications of my
improvements applied to iron vessels.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stern post and rudder of an iron vessel,
which said stern post with its joint pieces are forged in one piece, and the
rudder is also forged in one piece; Figure 2 is a back elevation of the same,
shown partially in section; Figure 8 is a side elevation of my improved
rudder forged in one piece; Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the stern post
and upper joint piece; Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the stern post; and
Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the stern post and lower joint piece;
Figure 7 is a section of the stern post and upper joint piece, showing the
rudder shipped; Figure 8 is a horizontal section of the stern post and rudder;
and Figure 9 is a horizontal section of the stern post, lower joint piece, and
rudder, showing the slot opening through the rudder blade to enable the
rudder to be turned on its vertical axis, as indicated by the dotted lines;
Figure 10 is a top view or plan of the twin covering plates for closing the
slotted openings for passing the rudder through the counter of the vessel;
Figure 11 is a side elevation illustrating another modification of my improved

page_text: rudder and stern post. The stern post in this modification with the joint
pieces are also forged in one piece, and the blade of the rudder and rudder
post immediately in front thereof is also forged in one piece, and is provided
with a square or other suitably shaped head, on to which is fitted the upper
part of the rudder post by means of a socket joint; Figure 12 is a side eleva-
tion of the rudder blade and rudder post or main piece, which is forged in
one piece; Figure 18 is a horizontal section, taken through the socket joint
of the stern post or main piece; Figure 14 is a horizontal section of the
stern post and rudder; and Figure 15 is a horizontal section of the stern
post and rudder taken through the lower joint piece.
To ship a rudder constructed according to this my said Invention I lift the
same up immediately above the rudder case, and lower it down until the lower
portion of the main piece of the rudder enters the hollow slotted groove in
the first joint piece; being thus guided it is then lowered in the required
line. On the rudder being let down it immediately finds its own place, and
is ready for use. When it is desired to unship the rudder all that is required
is to remove the steering gear, place the rudder amidships, and draw it up on
to the deck.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
to the relative proportions or dimensions of the several parts herein-before
described and set forth and illustrated, as it will be readily seen that the same
may be considerably varied without departing from the Invention; but what
I claim is,-
First, forming or forging the stern post and joint pieces in one piece,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and
set forth.
Secondly, forming or forging the rudder in one piece, substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
Thirdly, forging the rudder blade and the main piece or rudder post
immediately in front thereof in one piece, the same having a suitable head
above the rudder blade to receive the upper part of the main piece or rudder
post formed with a socket joint, substantially in the manner and for the
· purposes herein-before described and set forth.
Fourthly, the peculiar form of joint pieces for attaching the rudder to the
stern post when forged in one piece with the stern post, substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.

page_text: And, lastly, the peculiar form of joint for attaching the rudder to the stern
post be the same formed in one or more pieces, and attached by bolts or
otherwise when applied to wood, composite, or iron vessels, substantially in
the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Hewitt, have bereunto set my
band and affixed my seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
FRANCIS (L.S.) HEWITT.