IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MODE OF STEERING VESSELS IN ORDER TO PREVENT COLLISIONS AT SEA, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Ahronsberg, of 9, Palmerston Road, Southsea, in the
County of Hants, Watchmaker and Jeweller, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OF STEERING VESSELS IN ORDER TO PREVENT COLLISIONS
AT SEA, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
led the 21st October 1876, and dated the 28th April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Ahronsberg at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1876. :.
ISAAC AHRONSBERG, of 9, Palmerston Road, Southsea, in the County of Hants,
Watchmaker and Jeweller. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF STEERING VESSELS
IN ORDER TO PREVENT COLLISIONS AT SEA, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
My Invention has for its object the adaptation and application to ships and other
vessels of a screw propeller fitted on a transverse shaft at both the bow and the
stern end of the vessel in such a manner as to admit of the said screw propellers
being worked by steam power controlled by means of lever's placed so as to be
conveniently handled from the bridge or other part of the vessel required. For
this purpose a circular opening is intended to be formed at the bow and another at
the stern end of the vessel in order to receive a screw propeller, the axis of which is
mounted transversely or at right angles to the shaft of the screw intended to propel
the vessel in a forward direction. The said screw propellers at the bow and stern
end of the vessel are capable of being driven so as to move the two ends of the
vessel in opposite directions and thereby effect its turning as required. The said
bow and stern propellers may be driven by means of cranks, bevil wheels, or other
suitable gear connected with the prime mover, or in large vessels with separate
cylinders or engines. The hand levers for controlling the movements of the bow
and stern propellers are connected with gear for acting on these propellers in the
direction required, either by the, agency of shafts or, when separate engines are
employed, by the agency of apparatus for working the slide valves of such cylinders
or engines respectively. The said hand levers are so placed as to be under the
personal direction of the navigating officer, who will thus be enabled to set the
levers in operation and thereby act on the bow and stern propellers without the
loss of time ordinarily caused by the necessity of signalling to another. This power
of acting directly on the said propellers or steering apparatus will afford increased
[Price Gd.]

page_text: security against the danger of collision at sea, and render large ships more
manageable.
The above described bow and stern. propellers may also be arranged so as to be
driven both in the same direction, in order to move the vessel sideways for mooring
or other purposes if required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Isaac Ahronsberg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th October
1876.
ISAAC AHRONSBERG, of 9, Palmerston Road, Southsea, in the County of Hants,
Watchmaker and Jeweller. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF STEERING VESSELS
IN ORDER TO PREVENT COLLISIONS AT SEA, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
My Invention of "Improvements in the Mode of Steering Vessels in order to
Prevent Collisions at Sea, and Apparatus therefor" has for its object the adaptation
and application to ships and other vessels of a screw propeller fitted on a transverse
shaft at both the bow and the stern end of the vessel, in such a manner as to admit
of the said screw propellers being worked by steam power controlled by means of
levers placed so as to be conveniently handled from the bridge or other part of the
.vessel required. For this purpose a circular opening is intended to be formed
at the bow and another at the stern end of the vessel, in order to receive a screw
propeller, the axis of which is mounted transversely, or at right angles to the shaft
of the ordinary propelling screw. The said screw propellers at the bow and stern
end of the vessel respectively are capable of being driven so as to move the two
ends of the vessel in opposite directions, and thereby effect its turning as required.
The said bow and stern propellers may be driven by means of cranks, bevil wheels,
or other suitable gear connected with the prime mover, or in large vessels with
separate cylinders or engines. The hand levers for controlling the movements of
the bow and stern propellers are connected with gear for acting on these propellers
in the direction required, either by the agency of shafts or, when separate engines
are employed, by the agency of apparatus for working the slide valves of such
cylinders or engines respectively. The said hand levers are so placed as to be
under the personal direction of the navigating officer, who will thus be enabled
to set the levers in operation, and thereby act on the bow and stern propellers
without the loss of time ordinarily caused by the necessity of signalling to another.
This power of acting directly on the said propellers or steering apparatus will
afford increased security against the danger of collision at sea, and render large
ships more manageable.
The above described bow and stern propellers may also be arranged so as to
be driven both in the same direction, in order to move the vessel sideways for
mooring or other purposes if required.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to describe
more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the parts of apparatus above
referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an elevation showing a vessel with my improved apparatus applied
thereto; Fig. 2 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of the steering screw propeller
fitted at the bow of the vessel; Fig. 3 is a plan or horizontal view of the same;
Fig. 4 shows the same propeller as driven by cranks; Fig..5 represents the steering
propeller at the bow as driven by a worm and worm wheel; Fig. 6 shows the
gearing for reversing the action of the said propellers, and Fig. 7 represents the
hand levers for .controlling the action of the bow and stern propellers. In these
several Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

page_text: A is a steering propeller fitted so as to work in a circular opening at the bow end.
of the vessel; B is a similar propeller fitted in a similar manner at the stern
end thereof; each of these propellers is mounted on a transverse shaft as shewn
at C in Fig. 3; D, D, are two longitudinals hafts supported as shown and connected
at one end with the steering propellers A and B, and at the other end with the
main shaft by means of bevil gear E, or the shafts D, D, may be driven directly by
small independent engines fitted respectively at the bow and stern of the vessel.
By means of this arrangement the two steering propellers A and B can be caused
to revolve in opposite directions when required, so as to turn the ship or vessel as
on a pivot. The bevil gear E can also be set in motion when required by means of
the hand levers shewn at F. These levers it will be seen are intended to be placed
so as to be conveniently handled from the deck or other suitable part of the ship or
vessel. They are indicated at Fig. 7 as arranged in such a manner that on pushing,
for instance, the lever F¹ the ship is steered in one direction, and by pushing F² it
is steered in the other direction, while by acting on F³ the propellers A, B, will
be caused to revolve in the same direction (instead of in opposite directions as
before), and force the ship through the water laterally in either course as required.
This is accomplished by means of a connection of wheels at,E, shown more in detail
at Fig. 6. In this Figure the two longitudinal shafts D, D, are shown with bevil
gear at their ends, connected with bevil and spur gear on two vertical shafts,
thereby forming a train of gearing for communicating motion from one shaft to the
other; and the change of motion is effected as required, by putting one of the shafts
into gear with the bevil wheel on one or the other vertical shaft, thereby trans-
mitting motion from one longitudinal shaft to the other, either in the same direction
or in opposite directions, as may be required.
In Figures 2 and 3, the steering propeller is shown as driven from the longi-
tudinal shaft D, by means of bevil gear, while in Fig. 4 it is shown as driven by
cranks, and in Fig. 5 by means of a worm and worn wheel, but it may be otherwise
driven if preferred.
In Figures 2 and 3 is also shown a covering of basket work or other suitable
openwork for the bevil gear to protect it from fouling as required. In these
Figures the shaft D is shown as passing through a stuffing box, and in Fig. 4
through a sliding water-tight valve.
From the foregoing description it will be evident that by acting on the lever F¹
or F2, the ship or vessel may be at once steered in either direction, thereby rendering
the vessel more manageable at sea and giving security from the danger of collision,
and when it is desired to move the ship or vessel sideways, this may be effected by
acting on the lever F³.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as of my Invention is--
First. The general arrangement and combination of the parts of apparatus described,
adapted for steering the ship or vessel by acting directly on the steering propellers
through hand levers in the manner described.
And secondly. The mechanism or apparatus described whereby the steering
propellers may be worked through the hand lever, so as to move the vessel sideways
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Ahronsberg, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
1
Witness,
ALAN MILLS,
Palmerston Road, Southsea,
Bookseller & Publisher.
ISAAC AHRONSBERG. (L.S.)