Improvements in Steering-gear for Vessels.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1892-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering-gear for Vessels.
We, ROBERT JOHN VICTOR, of Providence, State of Rhole Island, U.S.A.,
Engineer, CLARENCE LADD DAVIS, of 80 Broadway, New York, State of New
York, U.S.A., Attorney-at-Law, & HENRY HUBERT DE VOS, of 20 Lincoln
Street, Jersey City, State of New Jersey, U.S.A., Patent Agent, 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:-
In all vessels the harder over the rudder is put the greater is the force exerted
thereon by the water, and in the ordinary form of steering gear now in use, the
greater the force required to be exerted by the helmsman to put and keep the
rudder in such position; by reason of which, although one man could easily keep
the vessel upon a straight course, with the rudder amidships, it is frequently
essential to keep a second man at the wheel to render assistance when it becomes
necessary to put the rudder hard over.
The object of this invention is to provide a steering gear of simple and cheap
construction, by which the leverage upon the rudder will be increased the further
the same is moved from the amidships position, and which will fully overcome the
difficulty before mentioned, and this is done in the manner described in the following
Specification, of which the accompanying drawings form à part, wherein similar
numerals of reference designate like or equivalent parts wherever found throughout
the several views, and in which
:-
Figure 1, represents a top plan view of the stern portion of a vessel provided
with this improved steering-gear,
Figure 2 a side view thereof,
Figure 3 a top plan view of a modified form of the construction shown in
Figs. 1 and 2,
Figure 4 a side view of the form of construction shown in Fig. 3, and
Figure 5 a detail of a portion of said improved steering-gear.
Referring to the drawing, Figures 1 and 2: the numeral 1 designates the
rudder-stock, and 2, the tiller, which is rigidly attached thereto in any desired
manner. Some little distance from the rudder-stock 1, and secured firmly to the
deck, is a stud 3, on which is pivoted, a lever 4, which extends toward the rudder-
stock, preferably underneath the tiller 2 as shown. In the outer end of this lever 4,
and preferably passing through the same, is a pin 5, which is secured to a gib or
gibs 6, preferably by being pivoted therein, which gibs 6, are so arranged as to slide
freely along the tiller 2, preferably in a slot 7, as shown. The pin 5, is preferably
made of a square form where it passes through the lever 4, which is preferably
provided with an elongated slot, in which are placed pieces of soft rubber or
other suitable material, 8 (see Fig. 5) upon which any strain brought upon the
Opin 5, will be received; and secured in any desired manner either to the lever 4,
or to the pin 5, are tiller ropes 9, by which the device is operated in the usual
manner.
If desired curved bars 10, may be fastened upon the deck, or a groove of the
same form may be cut therein, in which may rest and travel the lower end of
5 the pin 5.
The operation of the device is as follows: Power being exerted upon the tiller-
ropes 9, in any well known manner, the pin 5, acts upon the tiller 2, through the
gibs 6, and the same is made to move accordingly, by which, at the same time that
the tiller 2, is describing a segment of a circle in one direction, the lever 4, to which
bis secured the pin 5, is described a segment of a circle in the opposite direction, and

page_text: the pin 5, forces the gibs 6, to slide along the tiller 2, toward the outer end thereof,
thus increasing at every outward movement of the tiller the leverage exerted by
the pin 5, through the tiller 2, upon the rudder-stock 1.
The rubber buffers 8, (see Fig. 5), on each side of the pin 5, in the lever 4,
serve to catch and lessen the strain upon the entire mechanism, caused by waves
striking against the rudder, which otherwise, especially when the tiller and
lever 4, are in the position shown in dotted lines, might possibly be broken or
injured.
In the modified form of construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the device is shown
as adapted for use upon sailing vessels where the hand-steering-wheel is placed
at the rudder-stock, and it is desired to do entirely away with tiller-chains or
ropes. In this form of device, the lever 4, is in the form of a quadrant having gear
teeth 11, meshing with a pinion 12, mounted upon a shaft 13, to which is attached
the hand steering-wheel 14, the pin 5, being attached to the quadrant, in the same
manner as to the lever 4, in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and if desired having
the rubber buffers 8, as shown in Fig. 5.
The operation of this modified form of device is precisely similar to that of
the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and hereinbefore more particularly described, the
action of the pinion 12, upon the gear-teeth 11, of the quadrant 4, causing the pin 5,
to traverse the same segment of a circle, and slide along the tiller 2, in the slot 7,
as does the movement of the tiller-ropes in the form of construction shown in
Figs. 1 and 2.
In this modified form of construction shown in Figs. 3, and 4, the gibs 6, are
omitted as they are not absolutely essential, and may be omitted if desired in either
form, as the pin 5, sliding along the slot 7, will bring about the desired result without
the intervention of said gibs 6.
The forms of device shown and, described, really constitute a compound tiller,
consisting of two parts, one of which is rigidly secured to the rudder-stock, and the
other pivoted at some distance therefrom, the two being united by a sliding
pivotal connection, and this is the preferable form, although in some instances it
may be found advisable to omit the lever 4, and use simply the guiding track or
groove 10, for the pin 5, as it is only necessary to compel the pin 5, to traverse a
segment of a circle in the opposite direction from that traversed by the end of the
tiller 2, in order to bring about the desired result, and it will be seen that the
pivoted lever 4. the quadrant used in place thereof, or the track 10, will either, if
used, act as a guide, to cause the pin 5, to traverse the segment of a circle as above
described.
It is evident that many changes in the construction, combination and arrange-
ment of the parts of this improved steering-gear may be made without departing
from the scope of the invention, and the same is not limited to any particular form
or mode of constructing the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a steering-gear for vessels, the combination with the tiller, of a slide, or its
equivalent, adapted to slide along the same through which motion is transmitted to
the tiller, and a guide for causing said slide to traverse the segment of a circle, in
an opposite direction to that traversed by the tiller, when the same is moved,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a steering-gear for vessels, a compound tiller consisting of two parts one
of which is rigidly secured to the rudder-stock, and the other pivotally connected
with a support, the two parts being connected by a sliding connection, and means
for transmitting motion to the pivoted part, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown on the drawings annexed.
3. In a steering-gear for vessels, the combination with the rudder, of a compound-
tiller consisting of two parts, one of which is rigidly attached to the rudder-stock,

page_text: and is provided with a longitudinal slot, and the other pivotally connected with a.
support, and means for transmitting motion to the pivoted part; the part attached
to the rudder-stock extending toward the support, and that connected with the support
extending toward the rudder-stock, and being provided with a pin adapted to slide in
the slot in the other part, substantially as herein before described and shown on the
drawings annexed.
4. In a steering-gear for vessels, the combination with the rudder, of a compound-
tiller consisting of two parts one of which is rigidly attached to the rudder-stock,
and is provided with a longitudinal slot, and the other pivotally connected with a
support, and means for transmitting motion to the pivoted-part; the part attached
to the rudder-stock extending toward the support, and that connected with the support.
extending toward the rudder-stock, a pin passing through the part pivoted to the
support into the slot in the part secured to the rudder-stock and adapted to slide
along the same, and a guiding slot, as 10, for the lower end of the pin, substantially
as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings annexed.
5. The general arrangement and combination of parts of the steering gear for
vessels, substantially as herein before described and shown at Figs. 1 and 2 and
under a modified arrangement at Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 1st day of March 1892
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.