Improvements in Steering Gear.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering Gear.
I, ALEXANDER WILSON, of the "Strand' Williamstown, in the Colony
of Victoria, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention which relates to steering gear for navigable vessels has for its
object to dispense with the use of rods, chains and pulleys and like devices in trans-
mitting the power of a steam or other engine or handing wheel to the tiller or
rudder of the vessel, water or other liquid under pressure conveyed by piping from
hydraulic cylinders operated from the steam engine or handing wheel to hydraulic
cylinders arranged to actuate the tiller being the medium employed under my
invention.
A hydraulic cylinder or cylinders is or are fitted at a convenient position in
proximity to a steam or other steering engine or handing wheel on deck and
furnished with a ram or piston which is operated to traverse the cylinder by means
of a screw worm wheel or other gearing on or from the crank shaft or other shaft
driven by the engine or by the handing wheel.
The opposite ends of the hydraulic cylinder or cylinders are connected by piping
to a cylinder or cylinders in proximity to the rudder said cylinders being similarly
furnished with rams or pistons connected by a sliding crosshead or like means to
the tiller or by gearing to the rudder head. The several cylinders and the pipes
are charged with water, oil or other liquid and motion of the rams acted on by the
engine or handing wheel is thereby communicated to the rams connected to the
tiller or rudder head, the movement of the rudder being thus effected and controlled
by the steam or other steering engine or handing wheel, any movement towards
port or starboard producing a corresponding movement of the rudder whilst the
same water or other liquid less waste caused by leakage is used continuously.
Small relief rams suitably weighted may be provided on the hydraulic cylinders
to relieve the rudder at any time from undue strains occurring for example in heavy
seas the rudder being returned thereby to its normal position when the strain is
relieved.
Small valves may be fitted in the cylinders for the purpose of supplying any
waste caused by leakage and pipes or passages provided with valves may also be
furnished for transferring part of the liquid from one end of the cylinders to the
other or from cylinder to cylinder to automatically prevent inequality of register
between the rams actuated by the steering engines or handing wheel and the rams
acting on the tiller.
Dated this Fifteenth day of January 1891.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering Gear.
I, ALEXANDER WILSON of the " Strand," Williamstown, in the Colony of
Victoria, Engineer, 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 :-
This invention which relates to steering gear for navigable vessels has for its

page_text: object to dispense with the use of rods, chains and pulleys and like devices in
transmitting the power of a steam or other engine or handing wheel to the tiller
or rudder of the vessel water or other liquid under pressure conveyed by piping
from hydraulic cylinders operated from the steam engine or handing wheel to
hydraulic cylinders arranged to actuate the tiller being the medium employed
under my invention.
As represented in the accompanying drawings in side elevation at Figure 1 and
in horizontal section at Figure 2 the improved apparatus comprises a hydraulic
cylinder A or separate cylinders which is or are fitted at a convenient position in
proximity to or combined with a steam or other steering engine B or a handing
wheel C on deck and furnished with a ram or piston D which is operated to
traverse back and forth within the cylinder by means of a screw E and worm
wheel F and worm F¹ or other gearing on or from the crank shaft G or other shaft
driven by the engine B or by spur gearing H from the handing wheel C.
The opposite ends of the hydraulic cylinder A or cylinders are connected by
piping to a similar cylinder or to separate cylinders J J in proximity to the
rudder, said cylinders J J being similarly furnished with rams or pistons K K
connected by a sliding cross head L or like means to the tiller M or by gearing to
the rudder head N. The several cylinders A J J and the pipes I I are charged
with water oil or other liquid and motion of the ram D or rams acted on by the
engine B or handing wheel C is thereby communicated to the rams K. K connected
to the tiller M or rudder head N, the movement of the rudder being thus effected
and controlled by the steam or other steering engine B or handing wheel C any
movement towards port or starboard producing a corresponding movement of the
rudder whilst the same water or other liquid less waste caused by leakage is used
continuously.
Small relief rams 0, 0, suitably weighted or acted on as shewn by springs P P
may be provided on the hydraulic cylinders J J to relieve the rudder at any
time from undue strains occurring for example in heavy seas the rudder being
returned thereby to its normal position when the strain is relieved.
Small valves may be fitted in the cylinders for the purpose of supplying any
waste caused by leakage and pipes or passages provided with valves may also be
furnished for transferring part of the liquid from one end of the cylinders to
the other or from cylinder to cylinder to automatically prevent inequality of register
between the rams actuated by the steering engines or handing wheel and the rams
acting on the tiller.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved hydraulic steering gear
hereinbefore described with reference to the annexed drawings.
2. In steering gear the combination of a hydraulic ram or rams actuated
from a handing wheel, steam engine or other motor and a hydraulic ram or
rams arranged to act on the tiller or rudder post, power being transmitted from
one ram or set of rams to the other by liquid contained in pipes substantially as
described.
3. In steering gear of the class set forth the provision of relief rams on the
cylinders of the rams acting on the tiller or rudder post substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
Dated this Fifteenth day of October 1891.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.