Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 12th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 17th Feb., 1888
I, DUNDAS WILLIAM PORTEOUS, of 55 Back Sneddon Street, Paisley, in the County
of Renfrew, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its objects, to secure more effectually, either automatically or
otherwise, the rudders of ships generally, and steam ships more particularly; and to
relieve the machinery employed for actuating the rudder from all undue strains and
shocks; also to reduce the wear and tear in said machinery.-The apparatus I employ
for these purposes, consists of one or more cylinders placed in suitable position
relatively to a crosshead or tiller fastened to the rudder stock.-The said cylinder or
cylinders being fitted with one piston or plunger each, which is or are connected to
said crosshead or tiller by suitable means.-When one cylinder is employed, a con-
nection is made between both ends, or when more than one cylinder, between one end
of each, by suitable piping. In the most convenient and suitable position in this
piping one or more valves is or are placed, so arranged and connected to the aforesaid
machinery that on actuating said machinery to move the rudder as required, the said
valve or valves open a passage through the aforesaid piping to the ends of the afore-
said cylinder or cylinders, connected thereby. And said cylinder or cylinders and
piping being filled with water, oil, glycerine or other suitable fluid, thus allow the said
rudder to be moved in accordance with requirements. But on the actuating machinery
being stopped, when arranged automatically, the aforesaid valve or valves immediately
close, and thus the said fluid is prevented from passing through said piping and the
rudder is effectually locked in any position; also the said actuating machinery is
relieved from any strain or shock from the action of water in motion on the rudder.
When the aforesaid valve or valves are not arranged to work automatically-it is
only necessary to close said valve or valves by any suitable means by hand or foot, in
order to hold the rudder securely in any position and relieve the said actuating
machinery from strain or shock.
If desirable one or more loaded relief valves may be placed where suitable, either
on aforesaid cylinder or cylinders or on aforesaid piping. The load on said relief

page_text: valve or valves being capable of being regulated to correspond to any desired pressure
of aforesaid fluid in aforesaid cylinder or cylinders or piping.-In the event of the
pressure of part of said fluid confined in one portion of the apparatus, from the effect
of some blow on the rudder, exceeding the pressure corresponding to the load on said
relief valve or valves, one or more of said relief valves will open and allow part of
said fluid confined under great pressure in said portion, to pass to another portion of
the apparatus in which the pressure of the confined fluid is less. And the apparatus
is thus relieved in some measure from the shock of the blow on the rudder.
Improvements in the Means of Holding the Rudders of Vessels.
I, DUNDAS WILLIAM PORTEOUS, of 55 Back Sneddon Street, Paisley, in the County
of Renfrew, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its objects, to secure more effectually, either automatically or
otherwise, the rudders of ships generally and steam ships more particularly; and to
relieve the machinery employed for actuating the rudder from all undue strains and
shocks;
also to reduce the wear and tear in said machinery.
The apparatus I employ for these purposes consists of one or more cylinders placed
in suitable position relatively to a crosshead or tiller fastened to the rudder-stock.
The said cylinder or cylinders being fitted with one piston or plunger each, which is
or are connected to said crosshead or tiller by suitable means.-When one cylinder is
employed a connection is made between both ends, or when more than one cylinder
between one end of each by suitable piping. In the most convenient and suitable
position in this piping one or more valves is or are placed, so arranged and connected
to the aforesaid machinery, that on actuating said machinery to move the rudder as
required, the said valve or valves open a passage through the aforesaid piping to the
ends of the aforesaid cylinder or cylinders connected thereby.-And said cylinder or
cylinders and piping being filled with water, oil, glycerine or other suitable fluid thus
allow the said Rudder to be moved in accordance with requirements. But on the
actuating machinery being stopped, when arranged automatically, the aforesaid valve
or valves immediately close, and thus the said fluid is prevented from passing through
said piping, and the rudder is effectually locked in any position; also the said actuating

page_text: machinery is relieved from any strain or shock from the action of water in motion on
the rudder.
When the aforesaid valve or valves are not arranged to work automatically it is
only necessary to close said valve or valves by any suitable means by hand or foot, in
order to hold the rudder securely in any position and relieve the said actuating
machinery from strain or shock.
If desirable one or more loaded relief valves may be placed where suitable, either on
aforesaid cylinder or cylinders or on aforesaid piping. The load on said relief valve
or valves being capable of being regulated to correspond to any desired pressure of
aforesaid fluid in aforesaid cylinder or cylinders or piping. In the event of the
pressure of part of said fluid confined in one portion of the apparatus, from the effect
of some blow on the rudder, exceeding the pressure corresponding to the load on said
relief valve or valves, one or more of said relief valves will open and allow part of
said fluid confined under great pressure in said portion, to pass to another portion of
the apparatus in which the pressure of the confined fluid is less.-And the apparatus
is thus relieved in some measure from the shock of the blow on the rudder.
Having thus described the nature of my invention, I will proceed more particularly
to describe the manner in which the same is or may be performed or carried out in
practice-reference being made to the three sheets of drawings hereto appended, that
is to say. In the drawings similar parts are referred to by the same letters.-
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate an arrangement of the apparatus having one cylinder, in
connection with a hand steering gear.-Figures 3 and 4 shew an arrangement of the
apparatus having two cylinders, in connection with a hand steering gear and Figures 5
and 6 shew an arrangement of the apparatus having two cylinders, in connection with
a steam steering gear.
In Figures 1 and 2. The cylinder A fitted with the piston B and piston rod C is
so placed that the sliding block D, fitted to slide on the tiller E securely fastened
to the rudder-stock F, is connected to the piston rod C by the swivel bearing G.-The
two ends of the cylinder A are connected by the piping H and the valve I, all filled
with suitable fluid.-The spindle of the valve I is connected by the lever J to the
nave K of the steering wheel.-The nave K of the steering wheel has a screw thread
formed in it which fits a screw thread formed on the main screw shaft L of the steering
gear.-M, M, are two strong volute springs adjusted on either end of the nave K.-
Thus on turning the steering wheel it advances a short distance along the shaft L and
one of the springs M is compressed, at the same time the valve spindle of I is moved
so as to open a passage for the flow of fluid along the piping H.-On liberating the
steering wheel, the compressed spring M reacts on the nave K and causes it to move
along the shaft L and at the same time move the spindle of the valve I so as to close
the passage along the piping H and so lock the piston B in the cylinder A and thus
hold the rudder in any position and relieve the machinery of the steering gear from
any undue strain or shock from the action of water in motion on the rudder.-
N, N are loaded relief valves placed on the piping H, one on either side of the
valve I, each relief valve N being connected by an overflow pipe O to the piping H
on the other side of the valve I; so that in the event of the pressure of the fluid
confined on one side of the valve I being greater than the pressure corresponding to
the load on the relief valve N on the same side of valve I, the valve N will open
and allow a portion of the confined fluid to pass through the pipe O to the other side
of the valve I, and thus relieve the apparatus from excessive pressure in one portion.-
I do not confine myself to this arrangement of the apparatus with one cylinder-as
the cylinder A might be placed either aft or forward of the rudder-stock F, and have
its piston rod C projecting through at both ends.-The two ends of the piston rod C
being connected to the sliding block D on the tiller E by links or other suitable
means.
In Figures 3 and 4. The two cylinders A, A are fitted with plungers B, B, which
are connected by means of the swivel bearing G to the sliding block D, fitted to slide
on the tiller E securely fastened to the rudder stock F.-One end of each cylinder A
is connected by the piping H to the valve I, the spindle of which is connected by the

page_text: lever J to the nave K of the steering wheel-fitted on a screw on the shaft L and
having two volute springs M, M adjusted at either end. All arranged so, that on
turning the steering wheel one spring M is compressed and at the same time a passage
opened through the valve I for the flow of fluid through the piping H; and on freeing
the steering wheel, the compressed spring M reacts on the nave K and causes it to
move along the shaft L and at the same time close the valve I and thus lock the
plungers B, B in the cylinders A, A; hold the rudder in any position and relieve the
steering gear from strains or shocks from the action of water in motion on the rudder.
In Figures 5 and 6, A, A are the cylinders with their plungers B. B, connected to
the sliding block D, on the tiller E securely fastened to the rudder-stock F. One end
of each cylinder A being connected by the piping H to the valves I. I. the spindles of
which are connected to the spindle P of the reciprocating valve of the steam steering
engine by means of the crosshead R and lever J. All arranged so that on starting
the steering engines Q, the reciprocating valve spindle P moves the spindles of the
valves I. I. so as to open a passage along the piping H for the flow of fluid;-and on
the steering engines Q coming to a state of rest the valve spindle P moves the spindles
of the valves I. I. so as to close the passage through I. I and thus lock the
plungers B. B in the cylinders A, A, hold the rudder in any position and also relieve
the machinery of the steering gear from any undue strain or shock from the action of
water in motion on the rudder.-N, N are loaded relief valves placed one on each
cylinder A, and each having an overflow pipe O connected with the other cylinder-
arranged so that in the event of the pressure of fluid confined in one cylinder A
exceeding the pressure corresponding to the load on the relief valve N, the valve N
will open and allow a portion of the confined fluid to pass into the other cylinder and
thus relieve the apparatus from excessive pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
An apparatus for holding rudders, having one or more cylinders filled with suitable
fluid acting on piston or plungers, connected to a crosshead or tiller fastened to the
rudder-stock; a connection being made between each end in the case of one cylinder
being employed, or when more than one cylinder, between one end of each, by suitable
piping, having one or more regulating valves suitably situated and connected to the
machinery for actuating the rudder; also when desirable one or more relief valves
placed where convenient-all, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Tenth day of January 1888.