Tips Steering Gear
Year: 1897

page_text: Tips Steering Gear,
I, ROBERT RICHARDSON, of 9 Grace Drive, Govan, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to improvements in and relating to ships steering
gear, whereby the ordinary quadrants, chains, and toothed gear are dispensed with,
and greater safety, lightness, and durability are attained.
Instead of using heavy power transmitting chains running a short distance with
great strain on them, as heretofore, according to my improvements I use small
wire ropes running a great distance and with small strain on them, and the screw
gear at after end of vessel is always kept in operation, whether steering from there
or from midship.
The steering wheel shaft at midship may be coupled to or form the continuation
of a crank shaft of a diagonal double cylinder engine, and the winding barrel be
mounted on this shaft. The hand wheel would be mounted by a collar boss loose
on this shaft, and clutches would be fitted on shaft so as to put either the engine
or the hand steering wheel into gear as desired.
By a modified arrangement the barrel would be formed in two separate parts
mounted loose on the shaft and the ends of each wire rope respectively connected to
these, and these barrels would have ratchet teeth formed on their adjacent faces
and be operated by spring pawls mounted on a disc secured to steering shaft, so
that while the one is winding the other is unwinding the wire rope. The auto-
matic motion for operating the controlling valve of engine may be taken from the
hand steering wheel or from a smaller wheel in the usual manner.
The wire ropes would travel round guide pulleys on each side of vessel from the
midship barrel, to a barrel mounted on the shaft of the ordinary screw gear at after
end of vessel, so that this screw gear is always working. A hand steering wheel
would be mounted loose on this shaft, and be instantaneously put into or out of
gear with same by a clutch when so desired.
The barrel at after end of ship would have the two ropes wound on it, and a
crescent or like shaped guide would be mounted on a rod underneath the barrel,
so as to freely, travel on rod and separate the two ropes from contact on barrel. The
guides of the nuts of screw gear are preferably made double the ordinary length,'
and the connecting rods to crosshead attached at the centre of these guides.
By a modified arrangement the screw gear is dispensed with and separate barrels
used for the wire ropes mounted on a shaft placed athwartship and having a screw
worm formed or fitted on it. This worm would gear into the teeth of a toothed
quadrant fitted over the tiller head and so actuate the latter.
Dated the 5th day of March 1897
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Ships' Steering Gear.
I, ROBERT RICHARDSON, of 9 Grace Drive, Govan, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
This Invention has reference to improvements in and relating to ships' steering
gear, whereby the ordinary quadrants, chains, and toothed gear are dispensed with,
and greater safety, lightness, and durability are attained.
Instead of using heavy power transmitting chains running a short distance with
great strain on them, as heretofore, according to my improvements I use small
wire ropes running a great distance and with small strain on them, and the screw
gear at after end of vessel is always kept in operation, whether steering from there
or from amidship.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of carrying same into
practice may be properly understood, have hereunto appended an explanatory
drawing representing a plan view showing my improved steering gear applied on
Loard ship.
Referring to said Drawing:-
The steering wheel shaft A at amidship may be coupled to or form the continu-
ation of the crank shaft of a diagonal double cylinder engine as indicated, and the
winding barrcl B be mounted on this shaft A. The hand wheel C would he
mounted by a collar boss loose on this shaft A and ordinary clutches may be fitted
on shaft so as to put either the engine or the hand steering wheel C into gear as
desired.
The wire ropes a a¹ would preferably be made to travel round guide pulleys b
on each side of vessel from the midship barrel B to which their ends are attached
to a barrel ]) mounted loose on the shaft E of the ordinary screw gear at after end
of vessel, so that this screw gear is always working when the vessel is being steered.
A hand steering wheel F would be mounted loose on this shaft E and be instan-
taneously put into or out of gear with same by a clutch E¹ which engages with
either the hand wheel F or the barrel D as is required.
The barrel D at after end of ship would have the two ropes a a¹ wound on it
their ends being attached in the usual manner. The guides G G of the nuts of
screw gear are preferably made double the ordinary length, and the connecting
rods G to crosshead G3 attached at the centre of these guides. This arrangement
may be applied to ordinary double screw gear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said In-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1:
The method of steering ships, consisting in the combination and use of wire
ropes between the winding barrel on shaft at midship, and a barrel mounted on the.
shaft of the ordinary screw gear at after end of vessel, substantially as set forth.
Dated 3rd day of December 1897.