IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robinson Mulley, of 10, Lockyer Street,
Plymouth, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING
SHIPS OR VESSELS."
Sealed the 2nd April 1861, and dated the 27th December. 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robinson Mulley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th December 1860.
I, WILLIAM ROBINSON MULLEY, of 10, Lockyer Street, Plymouth, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS.
FOR STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in applying auxiliary rudders or wings to act in con-
junction with, or in case of necessity, independently of the main rudder of the
ship or vessel, whereby, in the first place, the steerage power of the same is
increased, and in the latter, the safe steering of the ship or vessel is provided
for. To effect this, I purpose to fix on the bottom of the ship or vessel below
the water line two or more auxiliary rudders or wings, in such position as to
act independently of and without effecting the action of the main rudder of the
ship or vessel, and of such proportions as will enable the ship or vessel
to be steered by them in case of damage being done to disable the main
rudder, and I construct them in such a manner that the several parts will
twist or move independently of the head piece or bolt upon and by which

page_text: they bang and turn, so that the whole will readily adapt itself to the shape of
the ship's bottom at the part to which it is fixed, and to avoid any impediment
to the sailing of the ship or vessel, recesses may be made of the same depth as
the thickness of the rudder or wing, that when the same is brought home it
will form part of the figure of the ship or vessel, and thereby leaving no
objectionable projection beyond the same.
I propose to make the rudders or wings of iron or other metal, of separate
bars, plates, or angle irons, either to have an eyehole bored or formed at one
end, and at the opposite end a pivot or projection to keep in the end piece
where they will turn, except the top and bottom bars, which are connected to
the end piece and form a kind of frame for the support of the rest, or the head
post may be formed with the top bar in one piece, with the top and bottom
bearings or pivots upon which the whole turns and the intermediate pieces
connected with it, and the end piece with pivots, to admit of the whole being
twisted, to keep the rudder to the form of the ship when home. The head of
the rudder or wing is kept to the side of the ship or vessel and to its proper
place by the usual couplings or straps and steps for the upper and lower pivots
to work in.
The rudder or wing is moved by a rod or bar from within side of the ship
working through the side of the same in a packing box, which will allow the
rod to work freely through it, and at the same time stop the passage of the
water; motion is given to the-same-by-a-common-steering-wheel-connected-by-
vertical and horizontal shafts to either rack or gear work, with suitable wheels
and pinions.
In order to provide for the varying form or position of the rudder or wing
where it is necessary for the same to be twisted into the form of the ship, a
bolt is fixed to the upper corner of end piece and passes through a socket
formed in the side, also by a spring fixed on the side rod pressing against the
lower part of the end piece.
I also propose to use an indicator to each rudder, to show the distance the
same may be from the ship when in use. It is also intended that the auxiliary
rudders be worked in conjunction with and under the same orders as the main
rudder, and in case the auxiliary rudders are placed at some distance from the
main one, at the bow for instance, the order may be transmitted through pipes
or by some understood signals.
I wish to be understood that I do not confine myself to mode or modes I
have described to construct or work the auxiliary rudder wings, the Invention
consisting in the application of auxiliary rudders or wings to be applied to the
'bottom or sides of ships or vessels under the water-line, in such a position that

page_text: they can be worked without interfering with the action of the usual ship's
rudders, and in aid of or without it, and so constructed that they will twist
and adapt themselves to the form of the ship or vessel where they are
applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said William Robinson Mulley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th June 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBINSON MULLEY, of 10, Lockyer Street, Plymouth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord! One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Robinson Mulley, Her special licence that I, the said William
Robinson Mulley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Robinson Mulley, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robinson Mulley, 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 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 I, the said William Robinson Mulley, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following. statenient thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in applying auxiliary rudders or wings to act in con-
junction with, or in case of necessity, independently of the main rudder of the
ship or vessel, whereby, in the first place, the steerage power of the same is
increased, and in the latter, the safe steering of the ship or vessel is provided
for. To effect this I purpose to fix on the bottom of the ship or vessel below

page_text: the water line, two or more auxiliary rudders or wings in such position as to
act independently of and without affecting the action of the main rudder of the
ship.or vessel, and of such proportions as will enable the ship or vessel to be
steered by them in case of damage being done to disable the main rudder, and
I construct them in such a manner that the several parts will twist or move
independently of the head piece or bolt upon and by which they hang and turn,
so that the whole will readily adapt itself to the shape of the ship's bottom at
the part to which it is fixed; and to avoid any impediment to the sailing of the
ship or vessel, recesses may be made of the same depth as the thickness of the
rudder or wing, that when the same is brought home it will form part of
the figure of the ship or vessel, and thereby leaving no objectionable projection
beyond the same.
I propose to make the rudders or wings of iron or other metal of separate
bars, plates, or angle irons, either to have an eyehole bored or formed at one
end, and at the opposite end a pivot or projection to keep in the end piece,
where they will turn, except the top and bottom bars, which are connected to
the end piece and form a kind of frame for the support of the rest, or the head
post may be formed with the top bar in one piece with the top and bottom
bearings or pivots upon which the whole turns, and the intermediate pieces
connected with it and the end piece with pivots, to admit of the whole being
twisted, to keep the rudder to the form of the ship when home. The head of
the rudder or wing is kept to the side of the ship or vessel and to its proper
place by the usual couplings or straps, and steps for the upper and lower
pivots to work in.
The rudder or wing is moved by a rod or bar from within side of the ship
working through the side of the same in a packing box, which will allow the
rod to work freely through it and at the same time stop the passage of the
water; motion is given to the same by a common steering wheel connected by
vertical and horizontal shafts to either rack or gear work, with suitable wheels
and pinions.
In order to provide for the varying form or position of the rudder or wing
where it is necessary for the same to be twisted into the form of the ship, a
bolt is fixed to the upper corner of end piece, and passes through a socket
formed in the side, also by a spring fixed on the side rod pressing against the
lower part of the end piece.
I also propose to use an indicator to each rudder to shew the distance the
same may be from the ship when in use. It is also intended that the auxil-
iary rudders be worked in conjunction with and under the same orders as the
main rudder, and in case the auxiliary rudders are placed at some distance

page_text: from the main one, at the bow for instance, the order may be transmitted
through pipes or by some understood signals.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to mode or modes I
have described to construct or work the auxiliary rudder wings, the Invention
consisting in the application of auxiliary rudders or wings, to be applied to the
bottom or sides of ships or vessels under the water line, in such a position that
they can be worked without interfering with the action of the usual ship's
rudders, and in aid of or without it, and so constructed that they will twist
and adapt themselves to the form of the ship or vessel where they are
W. R. MULLEY. (L.S.)