IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIERRE
RENE GUERIN, of Havre, in the Republic of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of
March (One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine), in the twelfth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Pierre Rene Guerin, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Pierre Rene Guerin, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Pierre Rene Guerin, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Pierre
Rene Guerin, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Pierre Rene Guerin, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-

page_text: being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents an elevation and plan of the apparatus. Two screws
A and B are formed on the steering wheel shaft, one right-handed the other
left-handed, on each of which traverses a nut C, prepared with pins or any
other contrivance to receive the joints D, D, these joints being provided with
ears, to which are attached the rods E, E, the other end of these rods being
connected with the double joints F, F, which joints are made to turn upon
the columns G, G, they being securely fixed to the cross head H on the rudder
post. It is therefore evident that as the nuts C, C, traverse the screws, the
rods E, E, will cause the rudder to be turned in whatever direction may be
required. The columns are connected at top by the cross stay K. It is not
essential that the connection between the nuts C, C, and the joints D, D,
should be the same as shewn on Drawing. The pins of the nuts may pass
quite through the joints, and be secured on the outside with nuts, if thought
proper, or in any other way most convenient. The connecting rods also may
be round, square, or any other section, and formed of one or more rods,
according to circumstances.
Figure 2 represents a perspective view of the apparatus. This arrange-
ment is precisely the same as Figure 1, the Drawing being merely intro-
duced to shew the stays or braces A, A, for the purpose of steadying the
rudder, which might be used in some instances for large vessels.
Figure 3 represents a plan and elevation of the apparatus. This apparatus
is the same as Figure 1, but is introduced for the purpose of shewing that
it does not signify to the steering of the vessel where the wheel is placed, or
in what position the screw is placed, as the apparatus itself may be worked by
either chains, ropes, or shafts. The screw in this instance is placed athwart
ship, or transversely, the communicating power being taken from the wheel by
chains, ropes, or shafts, and may therefore be placed in the most convenient
position possible, either by being carried through the hold, or underneath any
deck, or almost in any position.
Figure 4 represents a plan of the apparatus. By this method the rudder
is worked by means of a long nut A, which traverses the screw B, the screw
being on the same shaft as the steering wheel. Two arms C and D are con-
nected to the nut and also to the cross head E on the rudder post, crossing each
other. It will therefore be seen that as the nut A works along the screw, the

page_text: arms will be moved in contrary directions, and so cause the rudder to
revolve.
Figure 5 represents a plan of the apparatus. A is a lever fixed by a band
to the rudder post E, having a slot at the one end. The nut B, which is
made to traverse the screw C, formed on shaft of steering wheel, is prepared
with a pin D, upon which may be placed a small friction wheel, which would
work in the slot of lever A, therefore as the nut receives motion, so will the
lever A be moved in the direction of the nut, and of course will turn the
rudder.
Figure 6 represents a plan of the apparatus. It consists of one centre
steering shaft A, upon which is fixed a toothed wheel, (these teeth may be
placed digonally on the rim, or they may be ordinary spur wheel teeth;
the Drawing shews the former); this working into a similar toothed wheel fixed
upon screw shafts B, B, placed on either side, causes the nuts C, C, to traverse
in contrary directions to each other. The connecting rods D, D, are attached
to the nuts, and also to the cross head on rudder post, as previously
described.
Figure 7 represents a plan and elevation of the apparatus. In this arrange-
ment the steering wheel shaft A is provided with a right and left handed screw
B and C, on which work the two nuts D, D, baving long arms formed on
them, which are jointed at their extremities, and to which are connected the
rods E, E, being slightly cranked or bent, to allow the rudder head to clear
the screw shaft. These rods E, E, being also connected to the cross head or
rudder post, will turn the rudder as they themselves are put in motion by the
nuts. F, F, shew an arrangement for hanging the rudder; the upper part of
the box being firmly screwed or keyed to the rudder post, is made to work on
friction rollers or balls contained in the lower box G, G, which is securely
fastened to the deck.
Figures A and B shew another arrangement which may be adopted for
hanging the rudder. In this case the carriage C, C, containing ten rollers,
(six being placed horizontally and four vertically,) is firmly secured to the
deck, the weight of the rudder being taken by the vertical rollers through
the medium of the ring or band D, D, which is fixed to the rudder post,
the under side of ring being faced to work smoothly upon the rollers. An
angle ring E, E, is also fixed to rudder post, which works against the hori-
zontal rollers, as shewn. This section is made angular, so that the lower
part of the angle may prevent the deck being washed by the sca.
Figure 8 represents a plan and elevation of the apparatus. In this case
the steering wheel is placed a little out of the centre of the vessel. The shaft
A, besides the steering, which has two spiral grooved barrels B and C fixed

page_text: upon it, the grooves in one barrel being right-handed, and in the other left-
handed. A chain or rope is attached to each of these barrels, and from them to
the cross head or rudder post D, therefore, as the shaft revolves, one barrel will
wind the chain up and the other let it off, and so cause the rudder to be moved.
Figure 9 represents a plan of the apparatus. In this arrangement a spur
wheel is fixed upon steering wheel shaft A, working into wheels on worm
shafts B, B, the worms of which work a large worm wheel C, being securely
fixed to rudder head D, cause the rudder to turn.
Figure 10 represents a plan of the apparatus. By this arrangement
motion is communicated from the steering wheel to the rudder in the following
manner, viz-Upon the steering wheel shaft A is fixed a spur wheel B, which
gears into two other spur wheels C and D, one on either side. These two
spur wheels are attached to two shafts E and F, upon each of which a screw is
formed, for the purpose of receiving the nuts G and H, which, as the screws
revolve, will of course traverse them horizontally, and as the screw shafts turn
in contrary directions one to the other, so likewise will the nuts traverse in
opposite directions (the threads of the screws being cut to the same hand).
Connecting rods I and K, which are prepared for the purpose, are attached to
these nuts, and also to the cross head in rudder post L, which cause the
rudder to be moved as desired.
Figure 11 represents a plan of the apparatus, In this arrangement a screw
A is formed on the shaft which carries the steering wheel, giving motion to the
worin wheel B, which is fixed to a vertical shaft. On this vertical shaft a
rod C is secured, having a joint at each end equidistant from the centre, to
which are attached the connecting rods D and E, which rods are again attached
to the cross head F on rudder post.
Figure 12 represents a plan of the apparatus. A is the steering wheel
shaft, having the screw B formed upon it. C is a nut working on the screw.
The action of this arrangement is thus, viz',-that as the screw B is made to
revolve, the nut C traverses the same, up or down, according which way it
turns. This nut is prepared with a joint on either side, to which are affixed
the levers D and E, made to move upon fixed centres or pins at F and G.
The connecting rods H, H, are attached to these levers at the points K, K,
and also to the cross head on the rudder post; it will therefore be seen that as
one of these connecting rods H is made to move in one direction, the other
connecting rod H must move in a contrary one, thus giving the required
motion to the rudder.
Figure 18 represents a plan of the apparatus.
shaft A is fixed a right and left handed screw B.
Upon the steering wheel
Two forked levers C and
D are made to work upon fixed pivots E, E, the fork of one being fixed in

page_text: the right-hand screw, and of the other in the left-hand screw, so that as the
shaft A revolves the levers C and D are made to approach or recede from
each other, according to the way in which the steering wheel is turned, there-
fore, by attaching connecting rods F, F, to the extreme ends of these levers
C and D, and likewise to the cross head on rudder post, the rudder is made to
revolve whichever way may be desired.
Figure 14 represents a plan of the apparatus. A. is the steering wheel
shaft upon which is formed the screw B, which gives motion to the two worm
wheels C and D. Upon each of these worm wheels is fixed a pin eccentric
with the shaft, to which are attached the connecting rods E and F, the other
ends being fixed to the cross head on rudder post, and as the motion given to
the worm wheels by the screw causes the connecting rods to traverse in
opposite directions, the rudder is caused to move in the direction required.
Figure 15 represents a plan of the apparatus in which a bevil wheel A is
fixed on the steering wheel shaft B, which gives motion to another bevil wheel
C keyed on a vertical shaft. Upon this same shaft is also fixed a spur wheel
D, which gears into two other spur wheels E and F, one on either side. To
the shafts of these two spur wheels E and F are attached eccentrics G and
HI, the rods of which are fixed to the cross head on rudder post K, and it is
evident that as the spur wheel E and F revolve, the eccentric rods will travel
in contrary directions, which means the proper motion will be given to the
rudder.
Figure 16 represents a plan of the apparatus. By this arrangement a
bevil wheel A is fixed on steering wheel shaft, and works into corresponding
bevil wheels B and C, fixed on cross shaft D. On each of these wheels B
and C is fixed a pin eccentric with the shaft which works the connecting rods
E and F, they being also attached to the cross head G on rudder post.
Figure 17 represents a plan of the apparatus. In this arrangement a bevil
pinion A is fixed on the steering wheel shaft B, which pinion gears into the
bevil wheel C, which is fixed on the shaft D. At each end of this shaft Da
spur pinion E and F is fixed, working into the two racks G, G, these racks
being attached to the cross head on rudder post by means of the rods H, H;
but as it is necessary in order to turn the rudder. for the racks to traverse
in different directions, one of them is placed over and the other on the under-
side of the pinions E and F.
Figure 18 represents a plan and two elevations of the apparatus. By this
arrangement the position of the steering wheel is altered from the ordinary
method, being placed at right angles to it. A is the steering wheel shaft, upon
which is fixed a worn B working into a worm wheel C, which is provided

page_text: with two pins D, one on either side. To these pins are attached the con-
necting rods E, E, by means of the swivel joints F, F, which connecting rods
are also attached to the joints G, G, of cross head on rudder post by similar
swivel joints H, H, by the action of which arrangement it will be seen that the
required motion is communicated to the rudder. Figure A is merely another
description of cross head, applicable when the rudder is hung on.
Figure 19 represents a plan of the apparatus. A is the steering wheel
shaft, on the end of which is fixed a bevil pinion B gearing into a bevil wheel
C on the cross shaft D. At each end of this cross shaft is an eccentric E, to
which is attached one end of the connecting rod F, the other end being secured
to the joint G of the cross head on rudder post.
Figure 20 represents a plan of the apparatus. A is the steering wheel
shaft,. upon which the screw B is formed; the nut C (which is provided with
an arm on either side, in which are long slots) is made to traverse the same.
Motion is communicated from this nut to the levers D, D, by means of the
pins E, E, working in the slots; and as the fixed centres of the levers are in
different positions, one being at the end of the lever, as at F, and the other in
the middle, as at G, as will the connecting rods H, H, which are attached to
the levers and also to the joints of the cross head on rudder post, be made to
move in opposite directions, and thus give the required motion to the rudder.
Figure 21 represents a plan of the apparatus. The principle of this
arrangement is the same as Figure 10, being merely introduced to shew that
the connecting rods may be prepared with joints, as at A, A, and that the con-
nection between them and the cross head on rudder post may be made by
means of the joints B, B. These joints of course may be applied to any other
arrangement if thought desirable.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Rene Guerin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
PIERRE RENÉE (L.s.) GUERIN.
Taken and acknowledged by Pierre
Reno Guerin (party hercto), at
Havre, in the Republic of France,
this 26th day of September, 1849,

page_text: This is the Specification referred to in the Affidavit of Henry Grissell, sworn
before me, this 28th day of September, 1849.
D. DREW.
I, Henry Grissell, of Eagle Wharf Road, Hoxton, in the County of Middle-
sex, Engineer, make oath and say, that I am well acquainted with the hand-
writing of Mr. Guerin, whose signature is attached to the Specification of a
Patent granted to him and marked A; and that the Specification was taken
by me to the office of Mr. Featherstonhaugh, the British Consul at Havre,
and that it was signed by Mr. Guerin, in my presence; and I verily believe
the signature of of Mr. Featherstonhaugh to be his signature, and I know him
to be the British Consul at Havre.