IMPROVED STEERING APPARATUS, AND IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER APPARATUS FOR WORKING THE SAME, THE SAID IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR WORKING, WINDING, HOISTING, OR BEING ALSO APPARATUS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Carnegie Kirk, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED STEERING APPARATUS, AND IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER APPARATUS
FOR WORKING THE SAME, THE SAID IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER APPARATUS
APPLICABLE FOR WORKING, WINDING, HOISTING, OR
BEING
ALSO
APPARATUS."
OTHER
Sealed the 29th October 1872, and dated the 28th June 1872..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Carnegie Kirk
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th June 1872.
I, ALEXANDER CARNEGIE KIRK, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
5 North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED STEERING APPARATUS, AND IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER
APPARATUS FOR WORKING THE same, THE SAID IMPROVED MOTIVE-POWER APPARATUS

page_text: BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR WORKING WINDING, HOISTING, OR OTHER APPARATUS,"
to be as follows, that is to say. :-
This Invention comprises various improvements in steering apparatus
and in motive-power apparatus for working the same, and the improve-
ments in motive-power apparatus are also advantageously applicable for
working, winding, hoisting, or other apparatus. Thus when the improved
motive-power apparatus is provided on board ship for working steering
apparatus it may also be used when required for working winches or
other separate machines. The improved motive-power apparatus may
also be used with advantage either on board ship or on land, wherever
it is desirable to work one or more machines at a greater or less distance
from the source of the power, and particularly when the machine or
machines work only at intervals and not continuously.
In one modification of the improved steering apparatus a cross head
lever or double tiller is fixed on the rudder stock, and each end of this
lever is connected to the piston of a differential double-acting hydraulic
cylinder. This arrangement renders, the force applied to turn the rudder
almost exclusively torsional and devoid of side thrust, and allows of the
cross head lever being made small, of the hydraulic cylinders being made
with short strokes, and of the entire apparatus being rendered more
compact and convenient than heretofore. Each cylinder is made
differential by applying a trunk or large piston rod of about half the
area of the piston to one side of the piston, and the trunk end of the
cylinder is always in communication with the water or liquid under
. pressure by which the apparatus is worked, the action being obtained by
admitting the liquid to or allowing it to escape from the other end.
The manual control of the steering apparatus is obtained by arranging
an ordinary steering wheel or equivalent appliance to act on a valve or
valves regulating the admission or exit of the liquid under pressure into
or from the larger ends of the hydraulic cylinders.
The necessary passages are arranged in a valve chest which is made
to move in concert with the rudder either by being fixed directly on the
rudder stock or by being connected thereto in any convenient way.
The steersman moves the valve or valves or a cam or equivalent detail.
acting on the valve or valves into a position corresponding to that which
. he wishes the rudder to assume, and the rudder in taking up that position
moves the valve chest into a position which restores the mean or neutral

page_text: relative position of the valves or cam and thereby terminates the
action.
The valves employed are by preference simple conical valves opened.
against the pressure by rods entering the valve chest through stuffing
boxes, but slide or other valves may be used if preferred.
These improved valve details are also applicable to hydraulic starting
and reversing apparatus for large engines, and may of course also be
used with one double-acting cylinder or with two single-acting cylinders,
and the cylinder or cylinders may be applied close to or at any convenient
distance from the rudder.
The water or liquid for working the steering apparatus has the
necessary pressure imparted to it by a set of steam pumps, the delivery
pipe from the pumps being led directly to the valve chest of the steering
apparatus. In a similar way pipes or branch pipes are led from the
steam pumps to winches or to any machine that is to be worked by
liquid under pressure. In other words the motive power is obtained by
means of a steam engine, and is transmitted therefrom by being commu-
nicated through pumps to water or other liquid, which liquid proceeds
along piping to the steering or other apparatus to be worked.
accumulator or equivalent apparatus used in existing arrangements is
not required, and the great inconvenience on board ship of the weight
and bulk of such apparatus is avoided.
The
The action of the steam pumps is controlled by that of the steering or
other apparatus worked by the liquid under pressure, and when the
liquid is shut off from such apparatus the pumps stop simply because
the liquid has no cgress. The pressure however of the steam is
maintained on the piston or pistons of the pump engines, and on the
valves of the steering or other apparatus being opened the resistance
becomes reduced to what the pumps can overcome, and they at once
start into action.