Improvements in Steering Machinery.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 19th Apr.,
1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering Machinery.
I, ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Rosebank Iron Works, Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention
to be as follows, that is to say :—
My said Invention has for its object the constructing or combining and arranging
of steering machinery in an improved manner.
In carrying out my Invention I arrange two or more cylinders to be worked with
steam or other suitable motive fluid upon the rudder head or tiller, or upon a frame
moving with the rudder head, and I cause the cylinders by means of a crank shaft and
suitable gearing to actuate a pinion which is in gear with a toothed rack curved
concentrically with the rudder head and fixed to the deck or other part of the ship.
The action of the pinion on the rack causes the pinion with the parts carrying it, to
move to one side or the other and thereby turn the rudder as required. The cylinders
may be placed horizontally, one on each side of a frame in the position of an after
tiller; or they may be vertical or inclined with the crank shaft in the line of the
after tiller.
In place of a pinion and toothed rack a sprocket pinion may be arranged to act on a
pitch chain the ends of which are fastened to the deck on each side with spring boxes to
relieve shocks due to heavy seas; or a winding drum may be arranged to act upon
block and wire-rope tackle similarly attached to the deck. The sprocket pinion or
drum may be actuated by worm and wormwheel instead of spur or bevil gearing.
The controlling valve of the motor apparatus is arranged to be worked by a
controlling piece which is moved to one side or the other into a position corresponding
with the desired position of the rudder, the details being arranged so that on the
rudder reaching the desired position, the movement of the motor apparatus causes the
controlling piece to be then, relatively to it, in the normal or neutral position,
the motive fluid being consequently shut off.
by means of a handing wheel or lever near it,
apparatus or of chains, cords, rods, or geared
some other more or less distant point.
Dated this Twentieth day of June 1889.
The controlling piece may be moved
or by means of hydraulic telemotor
shafting, actuated on a bridge or at
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering Machinery.
I, ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Rosebank Iron Works, Edinburgh, in the County
of Mid Lothian, North Britain, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object the constructing or combining and arranging
of steering machinery in an improved manner.
In carrying out my Invention I arrange two or more cylinders, to be worked with
steam, or other suitable motive fluid, upon the rudder head or tiller, or upon a frame
moving with the rudder head, and I cause the cylinders, by means of a crank shaft
and suitable gearing to actuate a pinion which is in gear with a toothed rack curved
concentrically with the rudder head, and fixed to the deck or other part of the ship.
The action of the pinion on the rack causes the pinion with the parts carrying it to
move to one side or the other, and thereby turn the rudder as required.
The

page_text: cylinders may be placed horizontally, one on each side of a frame in the position of
an after tiller; or they may be arranged in any other convenient manner. In place
of a pinion and toothed rack, a sprocket pinion may be arranged to act on a pitch
chain the ends of which are fastened on each side; or a winding drum may be
arranged to act upon wire or other ropes and tackle blocks or pulleys. The pinion, or
sprocket pinion, or drum, inay be actuated through spur, or bevil, or worm and
wormwheel, gearing, or any suitable combination thereof, there being in all cases
introduced a spring device or devices to give relief from shocks due to heavy seas.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood, I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings, to be
hereinafter referred to, and representing one example or modification of my improved
steering machinery.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is a plan, and figure, 2, is a vertical section of the
machinery, the same or like parts being marked by the same reference letters and
numerals in both figures.
The rudder head, A, has fixed on it an iron frame, B, extending aft in the position
of an after tiller; and on this frame, B, there is fixed a pair of steam cylinders, C,
and a box-like casting, D, having in it bearings for a crank shaft, E, which is worked
in a usual manner from the steam cylinders. The crank shaft, E, has fast on it a
worm, F, which gears with a wormwheel, G, on a vertical spindle, H, held in bearings
in a forked part at the after end of the tiller frame, B. The wormwheel, G, is not
itself fast on the spindle, H, but turns that spindle by means of a clutch comprising a
combined adjustable and spring device. The worm wheel, G, is made with a cylin-
drical flange, G 1, within which there is a clutch ring, J, made with an arm and
boss; J 1, by means of which it is fixed on the spindle, H, the ring being cut through
or divided at a point diametrically opposite to the arm. To one point of the ring, J,
there is fixed a laminated or other suitable spring, J 2, extending inwards with its
other end bearing on the boss, J 1. The other point of the ring, J, has fixed to or
formed on it a block internally screwed to receive a screw pin, J 3, arranged to
bear upon the other point of the ring, this screw pin, J3, being adjustable
by means of a small worinwheel on it with which there gears a worm, J 4, adjustable
by means of a lever key or small handwheel. When the steam machinery is in use
for moving the rudder, the clutch ring, J, is by means of the screw pin, J 3, expanded
so as to be tight in the flange, G1, of the wormwheel, G; it is not however
expanded too tightly, but so that if from a sea striking the rudder a severe strain
acts on the parts the clutch ring will slip and the parts will be relieved. As soon as
the extra strain ceases to act the spring, J 2, will make the clutch ring expand again
and become as tight as before.
The spindle, H, has fast on it a pinion, K, which gears with a toothed arc-shaped
rack, L, made with a flange, L 1, by means of which it is bolted to the ship's deck.
When the pinion, K, is turned by means of the steam machinery it rolls along the
rack, L, and moves the tiller frame, B, along with it.
The machinery details, excepting the pinion, K, and the steam cylinders, C, are all
contained within the box-like casting, D, which is provided with a close cover, D 1,
made with one or more sinall openings each fitted with a cover, D 2, so that the parts
are completely enclosed and protected from sea water and other matters. The piston
rods, C 1, and valve rods, C2, pass into the box through stuffing boxes; and all the
parts in the box are kept constantly well lubricated by oil distributed to them from a
reservoir, M, the oil draining into a depression in the bottom of the box from which
it is pumped up into the reservoir again, when the machinery is in motion, by a
small pump, N, worked by a rod, N 1, and bellcrank lever, N 2, actuated by one of the
valve rods, C 2.
Steam may be led to and from the cylinders, C, by any convenient arrangement of
jointed or flexible piping; I however prefer to fix a bracket, P, on the tiller frame, B,
such bracket being provided with passages or pipes communicating with the valve
casings of the cylinders, C, and having stuffing boxes, P1, P2, above the rudder head, A,
and in the axis of the rudder. The steam pipe, P 3, is entered into the upper stuffing

page_text: box, P 1, and the exhaust pipe, P 4, is entered into the lower stuffing box, P2; and the
arrangement allows of the angular movements of the tiller frame, B, with the fewest
and simplest joints for the pipe connections.
The controlling valve of the motor apparatus is arranged to be worked by a con-
trolling piece, which is moved to one side or the other into a position corresponding
with the desired position of the rudder, the details being arranged so that on the
rudder reaching the desired position, the movement of the motor apparatus causes the
controlling piece to be then relatively to it, in the normal or neutral position, the
motive fluid being consequently shut off. The controlling piece may be moved by
means of a handing wheel or lever near it, or by means of hydraulic telemotor
apparatus, or of chains, cords, rods, or geared shafting, actuated on a bridge or at
some other more or less distant point.
In the modification of the controlling mechanism shown in the drawings the con-
trolling valve rod, Q, is moved by a lever, Q 1, which is itself moved by means of a
nut and a screwed spindle, Q 2. This spindle, Q 2, is carried in bearings on the tiller
frame, B, and has on its forward end a bevil pinion, Q 3, which gears with a bevil-
toothed sector, Q 4, arranged to turn loosely on the rudder head, A, and made with
an arm, Q5, to which the controlling movements are applied by a rod, Q 6, actuated
through telemotor apparatus, or in any other convenient way. When the sector, Q 4,
is turned froin its middle position to one side or the other, it makes the pinion, Q3,
rotate and move the controlling valve; and when the motor apparatus moves the
tiller frame, B, with the rudder into the corresponding position, it carries the
pinion, Q3, with it and in doing so makes it rotate so as to move the controlling
valve back to its middle position. In another modification there is substituted for the
toothed sector and pinion, a simple lever suitably centred on the tiller frame, B, so as
to be movable horizontally, and having one end or arın connected to the rod, Q, of
the controlling valve, whilst the other is connected to the telemotor or other actuating
apparatus. When the lever is moved by the actuating apparatus it turns on its centre
on the tiller frame, B, as a fulcrum and shifts the controlling valve as required; and
when the tiller frame, B, moves by the action of the motor the previously actuated end
of the lever acts as its fulcrum and it is moved so as to return the controlling valve
to its middle position.
For the purpose of moving the rudder by, hand when steam or other motive fluid
is not available the tiller frame, B, is, in the modification shown in the drawings,
made with a forward extension in the form of a toothed sector, B 1, which has in gear
with it a pinion (not shown) on the lower end of a vertical shaft, R, carried in
bearings in a standard casting, S, bolted to the ship's deck. At the upper part of the
shaft, R, there is a worm wheel with which there gears a worm, T, on a horizontal
shaft, T 1, carried in bearings in the standard casting, S, and having fast on it a
steering wheel, T 2. The wormwheel on the shaft, R, is not fast on that shaft but
when required turns it through a clutch, R 1, like that herein before described as upon
the pinion shaft, H, of the fluid motor apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
clain is :-
1. Improved steering machinery in which motor apparatus worked with steam or
other fluid, and carried on a tiller-like frame fixed on the rudder head, is arranged to
actuate a pinion gearing with a fixed rack, or a sprocket pinion gearing with a pitch
chain, or a drum winding ropes operating with tackle pulleys, substantially as
herein before described.
2. Combining and arranging the parts of steering machinery and enclosing and
lubricating apparatus substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings and
herein before described.
3. Interposing in the gearing of the steering machinery clutch mechanism com-
prising a combined adjustable and spring device substantially as and for the
nurposes hereinbefore described.

page_text: 4. For controlling the action of the motor apparatus of steering machinery,
centering on the tiller or tiller frame, or on or concentrically with the rudder head a
controlling piece, connected directly or through telemotor apparatus to a steering
wheel or equivalent moved by hand, and acting on the controlling valve, and arranged
so that the movement of the tiller or tiller frame moves the controlling piece or the.
part acted on thereby in a manner to return the controlling valve to its middle
position, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Eighteenth day of March 1890.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.