IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' WINDLASSES AND OTHER LIKE "
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lister, junior, Master Mariner, and Thomas
Gilbert Garrick, Agent, both of Sunderland, in the County of Durham,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' WINDLASSES AND OTHER LIKE
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lister and
Thomas Gilbert Garrick at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 24th June 1859.
We, WILLIAM LISTER, junior, Master Mariner, and THOMAS GILBERT
GARRICK, Agent, both of Sunderland, in the County of Durham, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' WIND-
LASSES AND OTHER LIKE APPARATUSES APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE STEERING OF SHIPS,"
to be as follows:-
The windlass consists of two separate barrels (at each side) working in
opposite directions by means of friction rollers, the main barrel having two
grooves in it, and the other having one; the chain is taken over one groove in
the main barrel underneath, and round the groove in the other barrel, then
underneath and round the other groove in the main barrel, and out at the
hawse hole, thus giving two and a half turns round the windlass with the
chain, and preventing all fleeting and surging, as the chain never moves out

page_text: of the groove. The motion of the windlass in large vessels is derived from a
wheel with spiral cogs running loose on a capstan spindle, and carried round
in one direction by means of pauls attached to the spindle, and taking into a
wheel on the centre of the windlass spindle, this we call the purchase wheel,
and the wheel on the capstan spindle we call the driver. The purchase wheel
runs between two paul bits sufficiently apart to allow a disconnection at each
side of the wheel on a spindle of its own, working in centres formed in the
ends of the windlass spindles, each side of the windlass runs in bearings on the
paul bits; this arrangement allows of one or both sides being connected or
disconnected at pleasure, thus when one side only is in use, the other may be
disconnected, and the chain always lies in its place ready for use; or when
necessary to slack away chain it is disconnected, and thus allows chain to run
out, the speed being regulated by a brake acting on the friction roller of the
main barrel. By the application of three small cog wheels beneath the driver
we obtain double power without any alteration in the connecting power, it
being only requisite to reverse the motion of the capstan on the deck. Again
by the application of machinery in the capstan head we obtain the third or
quick purchase, thus having three different powers, the driver itself being the
medium when carried round at the same speed as the capstan spindle. In
small vessels where the capstan cannot be applied, we use side levers in
connection with the purchase wheel.
With slight modifications the machinery may be applied to capstans, cranes,
winches, and all purposes where chains or ropes are used for raising or hauling,
also to ships' rudders and steering apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Lister and Thomas Gilbert Garrick in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 24th December 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
LISTER, junior, Master Mariner, and THOMAS GILBERT GARRICK, Agent, both
of Sunderland, in the County of Durham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said William Lister and Thomas Gilbert Garrick, Her special
licence that we, the said William Lister and Thomas Gilbert Garrick, our
3

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William
Lister and Thomas Gilbert Garrick, 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 SHIPS' WINDLASSES AND OTHER LIKE APPA-
RATUSES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE STEERING OF SHIPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said William Lister and Thomas Gilbert Garrick, or one
of us, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our
or their, or one of our or 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 William Lister and Thomas Gilbert
Garrick, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
The windlass consists of two separate barrels (at each side) working in
opposite directions by means of friction rollers, the main barrel having two
grooves in it, and the other having one; the chain is taken over one groove in
the main barrel, underneath and round the grove in the other barrel, then
underneath and round the other grove in the main barrel, and out at the
hawse hole, thus giving two and a half turns round the windlass with the
chain, and preventing all "fleeting" and "surging," as the chain never moves
out of the grooves. The motion of the windlass in large vessels is derived from
a wheel with spiral cogs running loose on a capstan spindle, and carried round
in one direction by means of pauls attached to the spindle, and taking into a
wheel on the centre of the windlass spindle; this we call the purchase wheel
and the wheel on the capstan spindle we call the driver. The purchase wheel
runs between two paul bits sufficiently apart to allow a disconnection at each
side of the wheel on a spindle of its own, working in centres formed in the
ends of the windlass spindles, each side of the windlass runs in bearings on the
paul bits. This arrangement allows of one or both sides being connected or
disconnected at pleasure; thus when one side only is in use the other may be
disconnected, and the chain always lies in its place ready for use; or when
necessary to slack away chain it is disconnected, and thus allows chain to run

page_text: out, the speed being regulated by a brake acting on the friction roller of the
main barrel. By the application of three small cog wheels beneath the driver
we obtain double power without any alteration in the connecting power, it
being only requisite to reverse the motion of the capstan on the deck. Again
by the application of machinery in the capstan head we obtain the third or
quick purchase thus having three different powers, the driver itself being the
medium when carried round at the same speed as the capstan spindle. In
small vessels where the capstan cannot be applied, we use side levers in
connection with the purchase wheel.
With slight modifications the machinery may be applied to capstans, cranes,
winches, and all purposes where chains or ropes are used for raising or
hauling.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a front elevation of a windlass
constructed according to our Invention; Figure 2 is a plan through the line
a, b, of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section.
A, A', are two barrels mounted on spindles c, c, and working in bearings
formed in the side frames B, B, and the central or main supports C, C¹. A
vertical section of one of these barrels is given on a larger scale at Figure 4.
The spindles c, c, also carry friction rollers D, D¹, which revolve against similar
rollers E, E', mounted on spindles d, d, which work in bearings formed in the
uprights or supports F, F. These friction rollers are shewn with a smooth
surface, but wedge and groove rollers can be employed; G, G, are other
barrels mounted on the spindles d, d. The main barrels A, A', have each two
grooves e, e¹, formed on them, while the other barrels G, G, have only one
groove formed on each of them. The chain cable is passed, say, first over
the groove e' in the main barrel A' underneath and round the groove f in the
barrel G, then back underneath and round the groove e in the main barrel
A, and out at the hawse hole. The same arrangement applies to both the
barrels A and A', but for the sake of clearness only one chain cable is shown
in Figure 2. H is a purchase wheel, free to revolve on the ends of the shafts
c, c, which carry the barrels A, A¹, and friction rollers D, D¹. This wheel H
gears into and is driven by a cogged wheel I, the teeth in which are by
preference cut spirally to gear with similar spiral teeth formed on the purchase
wheel H. The wheel I is mounted on a vertical shaft K, to which rotary
motion is imparted through a capstan L. The purchase wheel H is cast with
a hole through its centre in which the shafts c, c, revolve. h, h, are clutches,
free to slide on the shafts c, c, by which the purchase wheel H is connected or
disconnected, as may be required from the shafts c, c, in order that only one or
both of the barrels may be caused to revolve; or instead of this arrangement,

page_text: a stout shaft is placed through the centre wheel, having a hole turned in to
receive the side shafts, which are connected or disconnected by sliding the
clutches off or on the joints.
Figure 5 is a view of so much of a windlass as will be necessary to show the
application of three small cog wheels beneath the driver. The shaft K, which
carries the driver I also carries a bevel wheel J at its lower part. This wheel J
gears into another wheel J¹ on a shaft, which carries a cog wheel M, which
takes into teeth formed on the under side of the driver I. This wheel M
carries the driver round at half the speed at which it travels when the capstan
is turned the opposite way; it is never disconnected, as the teeth in the
wheels I and J are cut in opposite directions, so that whichever way the
capstan is turned one set of teeth holds whilst the other set slips.
Figure 6 is a view of a centre wheel we use in connection with a lever
windlass, and more particularly adapted for windlasses fitted to small vessels.
A is a paul lever or quadrant loose on the boss of the wheel B, which wheel is
formed with internal and external teeth C and D. The quadrant A carries
three or more pauls E, which take into the internal teeth C, whilst three other
pauls F take into the external teeth D. G is a bearing at each side of the
centre wheel, in which the windlass axle is supported; H is a clutch for
throwing the windlass in or out of gear; I is a lifting rod or lever linked to
the quadrant, which receives motion from the cross head and side hand levers
in the usual manner. The power and speed at which the centre wheel is
caused to revolve, and with it the windlass are regulated by shifting the lever I
nearer to or further from the centre round which the quadrant works. The
power and speed of the purchase are varied by forming the cross head with a
slot or slide along each side. The top of the lifting rod is in the form of a
T-bolt, so that it can be attached to or removed from and have its position
regulated in the cross head at pleasure, without removing any bolts.
Since the filing of our Provisional Specification, we have ascertained that
the application of our Invention to the steering of ships, although quite
practicable, is not of sufficient utility to warrant our laying any claim to such
application.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,-
First, the construction of windlasses with two separate barrels (at each
side), having two grooves formed on one barrel, and one on the other barrel,
both arranged and worked as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Second, the employment in windlasses of central carriages or bearings, as
berein-before described, for the purpose of preventing or reducing vibration.
Third, the employment of a wheel with spiral cogs, for the purpose of com-
municating a rotary motion to the windlass barrels, as herein-before described,
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, the employment of a central internal and external toothed wheel for
small windlasses, and the method of driving the same, as herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth, the application of the machinery herein-before described to capstans,
cranes, winches, and all purposes where chains or ropes are used for raising or
hauling.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Lister and Thomas Gilbert
Garrick, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third
day of December, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
WILLIAM LISTER.
(L.S.)
THOMAS GILBERT GARRICK. (L.S.)