Electrical Steering Gear.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th May, 1892-Accepted, 11th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Electrical Steering Gear.
We, GEORGE SYLVESTER GRIMSTON, of Claremont, Glenluce Road, Westcombe
Park, and ALFRED HERBERT DYKES of 3 Mount Terrace, Charlton, both in the
County of Kent, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
Our invention relates to steering gear which is controlled by the transmission of
electrical currents as determined by the movement of a hand steering wheel. For
this purpose, an electric motor situated near the rudder is arranged to drive always
in one direction a bevil wheel, gearing with two opposite bevil wheels either of
which by means of an electro-magnetic clutch can be engaged with a shaft from
which through suitable speed-reducing gear the chain barrel is driven. The coils
of the electro-magne ic clutches are connected by conductors to an electric switch
which, in middle position, makes no contact for either clutch, but which, when
moved by a hand steering wheel to the one side or the other, closes the circuit of
the one or the other clutch, and thus the motion of the electro-motor is transmitted
to the chain barrel causing it to turn in the one direction or the other and move
the rudder to port or starboard as the case may be. The switch is, through a
differential lever or otherwise, connected to the chain barrel as well as to the hand
steering wheel in such a manner that when the barrel has turned through a greater
or less part of a revolution, as determined by the hand wheel, the switch is moved
back to the middle position opening the circuit of the clutch which had been in
action, whereupon the movement of the rudder stops. When the hand steering
wheel and switch are near the chain barrel, the differential action is mechanically
conveyed, when they are in a distant part of the vessel it may be communicated
electrically. The clutches, instead of being themselves magnetic, may be moved
into and out of gear by electro-magnets or solenoids having their coils connected to
the switch. In order to retain the chain barrel and rudder in any position to
which they may have been moved by the electromotor, the speed reducing mechanism
may include worm gearing, or a third magnetic or magnetically moved clutch which
cannot revolve and which is engaged with the motor shaft when both the other
clutches are disengaged. Instead of applying the electromotor to move the chain
barrel as above described, it may through suitable speed. reducing gear move the
rudder head.
Dated this 22nd 2 of T--11001
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Electrical Steering Gear.
We, GEORGE SYLVESTER GRIMSTON, of Claremont, Glenluce Road, Westcombe
Park, and ALFRED HERBERT DYKES, of 3 Mount Terrace, Charlton, both in the
County of Kent, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to steering gear which is controlled by the transmission of
electrical currents as determined by the movement of a hand steering wheel. For
this purpose, an electro-motor situated near the rudder is arranged to drive, always
in one direction a bevil wheel, gearing with two opposite bevil wheels either of

page_text: which by means of an electromagnetic clutch can be engaged with a shaft from
which through suitable speed reducing gear the chain barrel is driven. The coils
of the electromagnetic clutches are connected by conductors to an electric switch
which, in middle position, makes no contact for either clutch but which, when moved
by a hand steering wheel to the one side or the other, closes the circuit of the one
or the other clutch, and thus the motion of the electro-motor is transmitted to the
chain barrel causing it to turn in the one direction or the other and to move the
rudder to port or starboard as the case may be. The switch is, through a
differential lever or otherwise, connected to the chain barrel as well as to the
hand steering wheel in such a manner that when the barrel has turned through 1
a greater or less part of a revolution, as determined by the hand wheel, the switch
is moved back to the middle position opening the circuit of the clutch which had
When the hand
been in action, whereupon the movement of the rudder stops.
steering wheel and switch are near the chain barrel, the differential action_is
mechanically conveyed; when they are in distant parts of the vessel, it may be
communicated electrically. The clutches, instead of being themselves magnetic,
may be moved into and out of gear by electro magnets or solenoids having their
coils connected to the switch. Instead of applying the electromotor to move the
chain barrel as above described, it may through suitable speed reducing gear move
the rudder head.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is an elevation and Fig. 2 is a plan of
electrical steering gear according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the hand steering or switch wheel and
Fig. 4 is a plan of the switch contacts.
Referring first to Figs. 3 and 4, the hand steering wheel W by means of worm
gear turns more or less round a rubber or brush E and an index over a disc carrying
three contact segments A B and C.
The brush E is always in contact with A and it may be turned to make contact
with either B or C, or with neither when it is over an insulating part of the disc
between B and C. The segment A is connected through a contact D₁ with one
terminal of a source of electricity, and the segments B and C are connected through
contacts D2 D' respectively with two magnetic clutches in the steering gear,
Figs. 1 and 2 to which we shall now refer. A segment F fixed on the rudder
head is connected by ropes or chains to a barrel G having on its axis a worm
wheel H gearing with a worm on a cross shaft J.
This shaft by toothed wheels at each end gears with two other cross shafts K
and K on which are two bevil wheels L' L' with magnetic clutches by which
the one or the other of these wheels is engaged with its shaft K' or K. These
clutches may be of the kind described in the Specification No. 6793 of 1890.
The bevil wheels L' L' are always in gear with a bevil pinion on the shaft of
an electro motor M, the armature of which is kept continually revolving by con-
nection with a dynamo machine or other source of electricity.
When, by means of the switch described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4, the
brush E is brought over the segment B or C the wheel L'is clutched to its shaft K¹
or the wheel L' to K and the barrel G is thus driven in the one direction or the
other moving the rudder to port or starboard as the case may be.
By means of bevil gear N driving an upright spindle, the disc of the switch
carrying the segments B C is caused to turn proportionally to the movement of the
barrel G, and thus the segment B or C with which E made contact is moved from
under E until the insulating part between the segments comes under the brush.
The circuit of the magnetic clutch which was in operation being thus opened, the
barrel G stops, and the rudder remains in the position to which it had been moved.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
Electrical steering gear consisting of an electro motor having its armature

page_text: continually revolving in one direction, bevil gear with two magnetic clutches whereby
the armature is made to drive in either direction (according as the one clutch or
the other is excited) a barrel connected by ropes or chains to a segment on the
rudder head, a switch whereby the circuit for either magnetic clutch can be closed,
and whereby the circuit is opened when the rudder has completed the desired
movement, substantially as described.
Dated him at 1-
M 1900
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.