IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING ENGINES.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Muir and James Caldwell, both of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, for
Tumontion of 66 IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING ENGINES.'
the Invention of
f 66 IDROVEMENTS IN
STEAM STEERING Engines.
Sealed the 6th January 1874, and dated the 10th July 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Muir and
James Caldwell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents with.
their Petition, on the 10th July 1873.
We, HUGH MUIR and JAMES CALDWELL, both of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING
ENGINES," to be as follows, that is to say:
-
This Invention has for its object to improve and simplify the con-
struction of steam steering engines, and to render them convenient in
use, and not liable to derangement.
In one modification embodying the improvements a pair of cylinders
fixed in inclined positions on a bed plate are connected to one crank on
a horizontal shaft carrying at its front end a single eccentric for working
the valves of both cylinders, and having at its other end a clutch for

page_text: engaging it with the steering gear. By means of the clutch the crank
shaft turns a pinion which gears with a ring of internal teeth formed or
fixed on a hand steering wheel; and this and a second steering wheel
are fixed on a shaft which actuates a steering barrel by means of a
pinion and spur wheel, or which may be connected to screw or other
known steering gear. A frictional brake wheel is fixed on the steering
wheel shaft with treading levers at each side, and these levers are fixed
on shafts extending forward to the front of the engines, where additional
treading levers are fixed on them, so that the brake can be worked either
at the steering wheels or at the front of the engines. The valve eccentric
of the engines is movable round the crank shaft to an extent determined
by stops, and is formed with an elongated boss and with a pinion which
is in gear with an intermediate wheel carried on a stud, whilst this
intermediate wheel is in gear with a spur wheel on the engine handing
shaft. This shaft has fixed on it a small steering or handing wheel, or
it may be connected by bevil wheels and shafts or pulleys with chains
and rods to a handing shaft at a distance from the engines.
When the steering is being effected by the engines the steersman turns
the handing shaft as required, and thereby turns the valve eccentric into
a position for admitting steam to the engines. The consequent action
of the engines restores the relation between the crank shaft and the
eccentric unless the steersman continues to turn the eccentric in pro-
portion as the movement of the engines allows him to do so. The
arrangement is thus such that the engines move in precise accordance
with the movement imparted to the handing shaft.
The engine cylinders may be arranged horizontally, or in any
convenient position, and may be connected to separate cranks if
preferred.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Hugh Muir and James Caldwell in the Great 30
Seal Patent Office on the 9th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HUGH
MUIR and JAMES CALDWELL, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineers, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Hugh Muir and James Caldwell,
Her special licence, that we, the said Hugh Muir and James Cald-
well, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Hugh Muir and James Caldwell, our 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
STEAM STEERING ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that.
we, the said Hugh Muir and James Caldwell, our executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Hugh Muir and James Caldwell,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object to improve and simplify the
construction of steam steering engines, and to render them convenient
in use, and not liable to derangement.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, we hereunto append two Sheets
of explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing
a set of steering engines as made with our improvements. In these
Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
Figures 1 and 2, on Sheet 1 of the Drawings, are a plan and a side
elevation; and Figure 3, on Sheet 2, is an end elevation. The machinery
is carried by a sole plate 1 bolted down to the ship's deck, and by >

page_text: bearers 2 bolted to the deck and to the sole plate 1. A pair of cylinders 3
are fixed in inclined positions to a pair of frame standards 4 bolted to
the sole plate 1, and are connected to one crank 5 on a horizontal
shaft 6 carried in bearings in the two frame standards 4, and in a third
frame standard 7 parallel to the other two, the three being connected by
tie rods 8 having on them tubular struts between the standards. The
crank shaft 5 has on its front end a single eccentric 9 for working the
valves of both cylinders 3, whilst at its back end it carries a clutch 10
for engaging it with the steering gear. This clutch 10 being moved by
means of a forked lever 11 acted on by a screw spindle 12, which has a
hand wheel fast on it, and is carried between the after and middle
standards 7, 4. The clutch 10 engages with a clutch piece 13 formed
in one piece with a pinion 14, which gears with a ring 15 of internal
teeth formed or fixed on a hand steering wheel 16; and this and a
second hand steering wheel 17 are fixed on a shaft 18, which actuates a
steering barrel 19 by means of a pinion 20 and spur wheel 21, or which
may be connected to screw or other known steering gear. The shaft of
the steering barrel 19 is carried in bearings in a pair of frame standards 22
bolted to the bearers 2 and to the deck, and connected by tie rods 23.
The shaft 18 of the hand steering wheels is carried in bearings in the
standards 22, and in a bearing in the larger standard 7; and it has fixed
on it a frictional brake wheel 24, the strap of which is connected to
treading levers 25 at each side. These treading brake levers 25 are fixed
on shafts 26 extending forward to the front of the engines, where addi-
tional treading levers 27 are fixed on them, so that the brake can be
worked either at the steering wheels 16, 17, or at the front of the
engines. The valve eccentric 9 of the engines is movable round the
crank shaft 6 to an extent determined by stops, as will be understood
from Figure 4, which is a transverse section as at the eccentric. The
eccentric 9 is formed with an elongated boss and with a pinion 28, which
is in gear with an intermediate wheel 29 carried by a stud 30, whilst
this intermediate wheel 29 is in gear with a spur wheel 31 on the
engine handing shaft 32. This shaft 32 is mounted on a pedestal 33
bolted on the sole plate 1, and has fixed on it a small steering or handing
wheel 34; or it may be connected by bevil wheels and shafts, or by a
pulley 35 with chains and rods to a handing shaft at a distance from
the engines. A vertical shaft 36 with an index 37 is shown in con-
nection with a dial 38 on the top of the pedestal 33 for showing steering
orders.

page_text: When the steering is being effected by means of the engines the
steersman turns the handing shaft 32 as required, and thereby turns the
valve eccentric 9 into a position for admitting steam to the engines, so
as to produce motion in the required direction. The consequent action
of the engines by making the crank shaft 5 overtake the eccentric 9
restores the relation between them unless the steersman continues to
turn the eccentric in advance in proportion as the movement of the
engines allows them to do so. The arrangement is thus such that the
engines move in precise accordance with the movement imparted to the
handing shaft 32.
The engine cylinders may be arranged horizontally, or in any
convenient position, and may be connected to separate cranks if
preferred.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we have to state that we do not restrict
ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that
what we believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
arranging or combining together of the parts of steam steering engines
in the improved manner, substantially as herein described and
delineated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Hugh Muir and James Caldwell,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
(L.S.)
HUGH MUIR.
JAMES CALDWELL. (L.S.)