IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RUDDERS, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME TO CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1831

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
HOWE HOLDSWORTH, of Dartmouth, in the County of Devon, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Nineteenth day of November, in the second year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Arthur Howe Holdsworth, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Arthur Howe Holdsworth, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur Howe Holdsworth,
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, and also in all His said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RUDDERS, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME TO CERTAIN
DESCRIPTIONS OF SHIPS OR VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso that I, the said Arthur Howe Holdsworth, shall cause a parti-
cular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Arthur Howe Holdsworth, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
My Invention consists in so constructing and applying the rudders to ships
or vessels that such rudders may revolve on their axis, and thus, in whatever
direction the ships or vessels may move, the rudder may at all times present
their proper edges or beardings to the water, whereby greater facility will be
obtained in steering, while such rudders so applied will be less liable to be
carried away when struck by a sea, or from the ship suddenly making stern-
way, in consequence of the rudders so applied to the ships or vessels being
enabled so to make a whole revolution on their axis, as will be fully described
hereafter. I would first observe that my Invention applies only to those
descriptions of ships or vessels having but a single stem and stern post, but
does not apply to double or twin bodied ships or vessels which have rudders
placed between them.
I will now proceed to describe the rudder and its application with the
Drawing hereunto annexed, in which Fig. 1 represents parts of the stern of a
vessel having my improvements applied thereto. The axis of the rudder is
detached from the lower part of the stern post; the object of so extending
the rudder beyond the stern post being to keep it such distance as it may
revolve in a complete circle without coming in contact with the stern post.
A represents the heel of the rudder; B, the head of it. The part from B to C
is formed round or circular, tapering slightly towards the head or top. D is a
metal strap or collar, made fast to the transom E or to the stern frame, as
near the hance of the rudder as conveniently can be; and through the strap D
the part B, C, of the rudder passes up. There may be a metal hoop F affixed
on that part of the rudder which comes within the strap D and turns therein.
The head B passes through another metal collar or plate G, affixed in partners
or otherwise to the deck. There is then to be placed one or more washers or
rings H on the plate or collar G, and the rudder is supported and kept to its
place by the pin I, which is passed through a hole formed in the head B to
receive it. K is a continuation of the keel beyond the stern post, in order to
give additional security to the rudder, having at its end a metal socket or
gudgeon L, in which the pintle fixed pendicularly with the axis of the rudder M
It will be seen that the rudder is deprived of the usual pintles; and
the front or bearded part N is cut to a wedge shape. It will also be seen that
turns.

page_text: in order to apply my improvements the stern post of the vessel should be made
to stand at such an angle to the axis of the rudder as will afford the space
required for the rudder making a whole revolution on its axis. In using this
rudder it may be actuated by a tiller and tiller ropes, in which case there
should be a strong pin in the end of the tiller farthest from the rudder; or the
end of the tiller may be turned up, Fig. 3, O, and on such pin or part turned
up a swivel P should be placed, having two eyes, to which the tiller ropes are
attached. Or the rudder may be actuated by means of a pinion affixed on an
upright shaft, working into a horizontal toothed wheel affixed on the head B
of the rudder, such upright shaft having a horizontal steering wheel affixed, as
is well understood, or by any other of the usual combinations of steering
wheels, care being taken that whatever mode be adopted, whether by tiller or
otherwise, a whole revolution can be made by it. In steering a vessel having
my improvements applied to the constructing and fixing the rudder, it will be
necessary that in case it were desired that the ship should make sternway, that
the man at the helm should immediately let go the wheel or steering appa-
ratus; and on the ship moving by the stern, the rudder would revolve on its
axis, and turn into the space left between the stern post and the axis, and be
in a line with the keel, when the man would again take hold of the tiller or
wheel, and would be enabled to cause the rudder to take any angle with the
keel consistent with the new course of the ship; and when the ship or vessel
was again required to make headway, the man would permit the rudder to
revolve into the position shewn in the Drawing. I will here observe, that
such is the nature of my Invention or improvements that the rudder may be
applied to the stem of a ship or vessel properly fitted in the same manner as
applied to the stern, as above described, and that the rudders may be used
together or separately, as occasion may require.
And having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I lay no claim to any of
the parts of which the same is composed; but what I do claim is the con-
structing and applying rudders to ships or vessels in such manner that they
may revolve on their axis, and thus, in whatever direction the ship or vessel
may move, their rudders will always present their proper edges or beardings to
the water, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Howe Holdsworth, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.
A. H. (L.s.) HOLDSWORTH.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1832, the aforesaid Arthur Howe Holdsworth, Esquire, came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.