IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN DONALDSON of Church Wharf, Chiswick in the County of Middlesex
(a member of the firm of John I. Thornycroft and Co) Steam Yacht and Launch
Builder do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS to be as follows:-
"
In some large ships or vessels where the rudder is operated by a steering engine
worked by pressure of fluid such as steam it is found convenient to provide
steering wheels in different parts of the ship or vessel the arrangement being such
that the distributing valve of the steering engine can be operated from any one of
such steering wheels. To this end shafting and bevel gear have been employed to
transmit the necessary motion from the steering wheels, but such an arrangement
is objectionable in practice where considerable lengths of shafting and frequent
changes of direction are required.
Now according to my invention liquid pressure is employed, for which purpose
each hand wheel is suitably connected with a piston or plunger or pistons or
plungers (in which expressions I here and below include a diaphragm or diaphragms)
working in a cylinder or cylinders connected by pipes with another cylinder or
cylinders containing a piston or plunger or pistons or plungers which is or are
caused to move whenever the liquid in the connecting pipes is displaced or moved
by the piston or plunger or pistons or plungers actuated by either of the steering
wheels.
"
In this way the admission and emission of actuating fluid to and from the
cylinder or cylinders of the steering engine is controlled according to the direction
in which it is desired to steer,-suitable means such as what is technically called a
'hunting screw" being employed to return the distributing valve or mechanism to
its normal position corresponding to the Engine being at rest. In practice it might
happen that owing to leakage of liquid past the pistons or plungers the normal or
central position of the steering wheel indicator would not correspond to that of the
tiller. To enable this to be ascertained I provide a battery or batteries and circuit or
circuits in connection with the tiller and the steering wheels the arrangement
being such that at certain times the tiller during its movement completes or breaks
the circuit. Near each steering wheel I provide a circuit maker and breaker

page_text: whereby the circuit can be closed by the steersman when he desires to verify the
correspondence of his indicator with the position of the tiller. Or I may provide
suitable mechanical arrangements for working the indicator direct from the tiller.
For purposes of adjustment and also to prevent actuation of the pistons or
plungers of the steering wheels not in actual use I connect the pipes leading to
the respective sides of each piston or plunger (or to one side of each of two
connected ones) and provide at one of the junctions a suitable cock or valve which
in one position will close the connecting pipe and in another will close com-
munication of one end of the cylinder (or of one of the cylinders) with the
corresponding end of the cylinder near the steering engine.
Dated this 1st dess of Morab 1901.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: I, JOHN DONALDSON, of Church Wharf, Chiswick, in the County of Middlesex
(a member of the firm of John I. Thornycroft and Co.) Steam Yacht and Launch
Builder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS," and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In some large ships or vessels where the rudder is operated by a steering engine
worked by pressure of fluid such as steam it is found convenient to provide
steering wheels in different parts of the ship or vessel, the arrangement being such
that the distributing valve of the steering engine can be operated from any one of
such steering wheels and my invention has reference to the construction and
arrangement of apparatus by means of which liquid pressure can be advantageously
applied in lieu of shafting and bevel gear such as have been heretofore employed,
to transmit the necessary motion from the steering wheels thus obviating the
objections incidental to the use of shafting and bevel gear where considerable
lengths of shafting and frequent changes of direction are required.
And in order that the nature of my invention and the manner of carrying it into
practical effect may be clearly understood I will describe the same with reference
to the accompanying two sheets of drawings premising that a suitable, liquid
medium for transmitting movement in apparatus according to and for the purposes
of my invention may be produced by mixing glycerine with water in the proportions
of 40 parts or more by weight of glycerine (which should be free from acid, and
as far as practicable from other impurities) to 60 parts of water.
Fig 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating in outline the general arrangement of
a system of steering gear according to my invention comprising a steam steering
engine valve operator A, an apparatus I will call a transmitter (hereinafter
described) at B another at C and connecting pipes D provided with an accumulator
or apparatus to compensate for any loss of liquid that may occur, through leakage.
Figs 1a, 16, 1c, are diagrammatic views hereinafter referred to. Fig 2 is a vertical
section of a transmitter frame or support with its two cylinders and connecting
pipes. Fig 3 is a similar view of a complete transmitter. Figs 4 and 5 are side
and plan or top views respectively of the transmitter shewn in Fig 3.
Fig 6 illustrates a modification in vertical section. Figs 7 and 8 are side and
end views respectively of the steering engine. Fig 9 is a plan or top view of the.
same. Figs 10, 11 and 12 are detail views hereinafter referred to. Fig 13 is a
diagrammatic view of an electric circuit making and breaking device.
Each transmitter comprises a frame or support 1 and a pair of cylinders 2
provided with plungers or pistons 3. These plungers are operated by a projecting
nut 4 that takes on to the screwed portion 5 of a shaft 6 which is provided with a
hand steering wheel 7. By turning wheel 7 one or other of the plungers
(depending on the direction of rotation of the wheel) can be caused to transmit
liquid through the connecting pipe D to the corresponding end of a pair of
cylinders at the steering engine (see A. Fig 1). The accumulator which is designed
to automatically maintain a full charge of liquid in the system of the connecting
pipes D and in the cylinders of the transmitters and those of the valve operator at
the steering engine is shewn (in Figs 3 and 6) as arranged within the frame 1 of a
transmitter.
The accumulator comprises a reservoir 8 of liquid against which a plunger 9 is
caused to press by a spiral spring 10 as shown in Fig 3 or by admitting fluid under
•

page_text: pressure, as for instance steam or water to the under surface of the said plunger
as represented in Fig 6, but other means such as a weight may be used for the
purpose, and the accumulator may be separate from the transmitter.
The reservoir 8 is in free communication with one of the connecting pipes D as
shown at the left hand side of Figs 3 and 6. 11, 11 are tie rods for strengthening
the upper ends of the frame 1. One of these tie rods serves to carry a dial 12
provided with an index or pointer 13 operated by the nut 4 through a pin 14 and
slotted har 15. 2*, 2*, are the cylinders of the valve operator, carried by the
framing 1* of the steering engine shown in Figs 7, 8 and 9. The plungers 3* of
the valve operator cylinders are connected by a screw threaded spindle 16 on which
works a gear wheel 17 provided with a grooved boss 18 into which takes one end
of a lever 19 pivotted at 19*. The other end of this lever 19 is connected to a
rod 20 which in turn is connected to one end of a lever 21 pivotted at 22 the
other end of the lever 21 being connected to the valve rod 23 which governs the
distribution of motive fluid to the cylinders 24 of the steering engine. 25 is the
crank shaft of the engine. This crank shaft is provided with a worm 26 which
gears with a worm wheel 27 carried by a shaft 28 supported by the framing 1*.
29 is a gear wheel loosely fitting the shaft 28 but capable of being rigidly
connected thereto by a clutch 30 arranged to slide on a feather in the shaft. The
wheel 29 gears with the wheel 30 secured to the steering drum 31. 32 is a second
gear wheel or pinion secured to the shaft 28 and so arranged as to gear with the
wheel 17 the breadth of the wheel 32 being such that the wheel 17 may have an
end wise movement with its grooved boss. 18 without passing out of gear with the
wheel 32. 33 is a hand steering wheel carried by a shaft 34 which also carries a
pinion 35 in gear with a loose wheel 36 carried by another shaft 37 arranged below
the shaft 34. The shaft 37 also carries a second gear wheel 38 fast on the shaft.
The wheel 36 may be rigidly connected to the shaft 37 by a clutch 39. The wheel 38
gears with the wheel 29. 40 is a clutch lever provided with double forks for
simultaneously operating the clutches 30 and 39. 41 is a hand wheel for actuating
the distributing valve of the steering engine independently of the transmitters
when desired. This hand wheel is carried by a shaft 42 which also carries a
toothed wheel. 43 in gear with a toothed wheel 44 secured to the spindle 16.
45 is a pivotted catch or lever one end of which takes into a grooved boss on the
wheel 44 to prevent endwise movement of the spindle 16 when necessary.
The form of steam valve I prefer to employ is shewn in the sectional detail
views Figs 10 11.and 12, where 54 is the steam valve arranged to slide upon the
valve face 55 of a steam chamber 56. 57 and 58 are steam ports in the face 55,
and 59 is the exhaust port. 60* is a passage through the valve 54 whereby steam
may pass to the port 57 when it is uncovered. 61 is an opening in the valve
communicating with a second opening 62 therein, through which steam may
exhaust from either of the ports 57 or 58 when these correspond with the
-opening '61.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-Supposing a steering wheel 7 of
one of the transmitters to be operated in the proper direction, liquid will be forced
from one of the cylinders 2, along one of the connecting pipes D to one end of
the corresponding cylinder 2* of the valve operator. The plungers 3*, previously
set free by the withdrawal of the catch or pawl 45 from the grooved boss of the
wheel 44, will be moved longitudinally to a definite extent, the liquid in the other
cylinder of the valve operator being simultaneously forced through its connecting
pipe D to the other cylinder of the transmitter in use. Rotation of the screwed
spindle connecting the plungers is prevented by the teeth of the wheel 44 which
slide between the teeth of the wheel 43, the spindle of which is fixed by a set
screw.
The longitudinal movement of the plungers 3* and connected spindle 16 causes
the teeth of the wheel 17 to slide between those of the wheel 32 which being now
fixed prevents the wheel 17 rotating. The sliding of the wheel 17 operates the

page_text: distributing valve of the steering engine through the lever 19, rod 20, lever 21 and
-valve rod 23 as will be readily understood; and thus starts the engine. The crank
shaft 25 being thus set in motion rotates the steering drum 31 through the worm 26
worm wheel 27, shaft 28, wheel 29 and, wheel, 30 the gear wheel 29 being fixed to
the shaft 28 when the clutch 30 is in the position shown in Fig 7. The wheel 32
being also set in motion by the shaft 28 causes the wheel 17 to rotate and travel
back along the screwed spindle 16 whereby the lever 19 is returned to its normal
position, and the engine stopped until again set in motion. During the just above
described operation the wheel 36 is loose upon the shaft 37 the clutch 39 being in
the position shewn. When it is desired to operate the steering drum 31 by hand
independently of the engine the clutches 30 and 39 are to be moved to the right
by the clutch lever 40 whereby the wheel 36 will become fixed to the shaft 37
whilst the wheel 29 will be set loose upon its shaft 28 and become an idle wheel.
The drum, 31 may now be rotated by the hand wheel 33 through the shaft 34,
wheels 35 and 36, shaft 37 wheels 38 29 and 30 as will be readily understood.
When it is desired to start the engine independently of the transmitters the
plungers 3* are to be first locked by the catch lever 45 and the hand lever 41
then rotated whereby the spindle 16 will be caused to revolve by the wheels 43
and 44. The wheel 17 being prevented from rotating with the spindle 16 by the
now fixed wheel 32 works along the said spindle, operating the lever 19 and
starting the engine as before.
In practice it might happen that owing to leakage of liquid past the plungers
their normal or central position as indicated by the index or pointer 13 would not
correspond to that of the tiller. To enable this to be ascertained I provide an
electrical arrangement shown diagrammattically in Fig 13 and comprising a
battery 45* and circuit 46 in connection with the tiller 47 the arrangement being
such that at a certain time or times the tiller during its movement may complete
or break the circuit. This is effected by providing the tiller with a pin 48 so
arranged as to come into contact with a contact spring 49 when in its central
position. This contact spring is attached to one end 46A of the line wire the other
end 46B being in electrical communication with the pin 48. 50 is a circuit maker
and breaker arranged at one side of a galvanometer 51, placed in the circuit; a
circuit maker and breaker and a galvanometer being arranged near each steering
wheel. By these means the circuit can be closed by the steersman when he desires
to verify the correspondence of his indicator with the position of the tiller. To
enable the necessary adjustments to be made between any pair of plungers and the
tiller and to permit of the plunger of a transmitter not in actual use being removed
without affecting the tiller I connect the pipes leading to the ends of the respective
cylinders and provide at the junction a suitable cock or valve such as a three-way
cock (shewn in Figs 1ª 1b 1°) which in one position closes communication between
the two cylinders of the transmitter and opens one of them to one of the pipes D
and in another position shewn in Fig 1b closes communication between one of the
pipes D and the transmitter and opens communication between the two cylinders
of that transmitter.
Or in lieu of the three-way cock 52 a valve 53 shown in Figs 1, 2, 3 and 6 may
be employed.
By opening either of these valves 52 or 53 the two cylinders of any one of the
transmitters may be placed in direct communication thereby allowing of the
plungers being operated by their steering wheel 7 to any desired extent until the
central positions of the plungers and tiller correspond when the three-way cock 52
must be placed in the position shewn in Fig le or the valve 53 must be closed as
the case may be. 53 is a hand pump to supply liquid to compensate for any loss
that may occur by leakage..
It is to be noted that no claim is made herein generally to the use of liquid for
transmitting movement to operate the valves of steering engines but only to such
apparatus for the purpose as are constructed applied and arranged substantially as
herein before described.

page_text: 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 :-
G
1. The use in connection with a steering engine worked by fluid pressure of
apparatus such as hereinabove described and illustrated for operating the dis-
tributing valve (or välvés) of such engine by means of liquid from a steering wheel
or wheels.
2. The use in connection with the steering apparatus of the electrical device
applied and operating as described for the purposes specified.
Dated this 20th day of November 1884