Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 31st Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 1st Feb., 1887.
I, WILLIAM BRUCE THOMPSON of the Tay Foundry, Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, Engineer and Ship Builder do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
This Invention, which relates to improvements in steering gear, has for its object
to enable the position of the rudder relatively with the steering yoke to be adjusted
from time to time when, by accident or otherwise, the relationship of position of the
yoke and rudder become disarranged. It also enables the yoke and rudder to be
connected or disconnected whenever required.
The yoke is constructed in two pieces held together at one side by a hinged joint and
at the opposite side there are fitted a pair of nuts through which a screwed har passes
having on it, two screws of different pitches, namely one of faster pitch than the other.
Each screwed portion passes through one of the aforesaid nuts in each half of the yoke
and by tightening the screw the fast pitch overruns the horizontal movement of the
slow pitch screw so that a small amount of rotation of the screw causes the jaws of the
yoke to firmly grip or be released from the rudder head.
For the purpose of increasing the efficiency of the grip of the joke upon the rudder
head the interior of the jaws formed into a series of V-shaped rings which fit firmly
into a corresponding set of rings forined in a bush carried and firmly keyed upon the
upper end of the rudder post.
The arms of the yoke are formed with horizontal slides each of which contains a bush
that moves horizontally therein, and takes up a position corresponding to the angle of
the yoke whatever that angle may be in the course of steering and thereby the leverage
acting upon the rudder from the steering rods or screws is varied as required.
In place of making the yoke with slides and bushes to hold the pins connected with
the steering rods or screws moveable as hereinlast described, the slides and bushes may
be dispensed with, in which case the pins have a fixed position in the yoke.
When the yoke is made with the sliding bushes, it has the advantage of maximum
leverage to act upon the rudder when the rudder is at the position in which it offers a
maximum resistance, namely when it is "hard over."
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON;
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Petitioner's Agents.

page_text: I, WILLIAM BRUCE THOMPSON of the Tay Foundry, Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, Engineer and Ship Builder 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:-
My Invention, which relates to improvements in steering gear, has for its object to
enable the position of the rudder relatively with the steering yoke to be adjusted from
time to time when, by accident or otherwise, the relationship of position of the yoke
and rudder become disarranged. It also enables the yoke and rudder to be connected
or disconnected whenever required.
The yoke is constructed in two pieces held together at one side by a hinged joint and
at the opposite side there are fitted a pair of nuts through which a screwed bar passes
having on it, two screws of different pitches, namely one of faster of pitch than the
other. Each screwed portion passes through one of the aforesaid nuts in each half of
the yoke and by tightening the screw the fast pitch overruns the horizontal movement
of the slow pitch screw so that a small amount of rotation of the screw causes the jaws
of the yoke to firmly grip or be released from the rudder head.
For the purpose of increasing the efficiency of the grip of the yoke upon the rudder
head the interior of the jaws is formed into a series of V-shaped rings which fit firmly
into a corresponding set of rings formed in a bush carried and firmly keyed upon the
upper end of the rudder post.
The arms of the yoke are formed with horizontal slides each of which contains a
bush that moves horizontally therein, and takes up a position corresponding to the
angle of the yoke whatever that angle may be in the course of steering and thereby
the leverage acting upon the rudder from the steering rods or screws is varied as
required.
In place of making the yoke with slides and bushes to hold the pins connected with
the steering rods or screws moveable as hereinlast described; the slides and bushes
may be dispensed with in which case the pins have a fixed position in the yoke.
When the yoke is made with the sliding bushes it has the advantage of maximum
leverage to act upon the rudder when the rudder is at the position in which it offers a
maximum resistance namely, when it is "hard over."
In order that my Invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect, I will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
On the accompanying sheets of drawings Figure 1 is a plan partly in horizontal
section and Figure 2 is a vertical section shewing the improved construction of rudder
head and yoke constructed according to my Invention. The yoke consists of the two
arms A and B respectively which are hinged together by the pin C, Figure 1. The
sides of the two halves of the yoke opposite to the hinged joint Care fitted with nuts D
and E respectively through which the screwed spindle F passes. This spindle F is
formed with two screwed portions as shewn in dotted lines, Figure 1, the pitch of
one screw being faster than the other so that, when the spindle F is rotated by means
of a wrench or key applied to the end or ends of the screwed spindle the quickness of

page_text: pitch of the one screw causes either a release or opening of the jaws A and B constituting
the yoke or such rotation causes the two halves of the said yoke to be drawn more
closely together and this respectively according to the direction which the said spindle F
is rotated. When rotated so as to open the jaws slightly the yoke is released from
gripping the rudder head and when rotated in the opposite direction its two parts are
drawn more closely together so as to firmly grip the rudder head. To increase the
degree of grip of the yoke upon the rudder head the rudder post G, is fitted with a
bush H firmly keyed on to it by means of the key I or by means of more of one such
key the bush H is formed with a series of deep V-shaped grooves all round it as shewn
in the annexed drawings, and the interior of each half of the yoke is similarly formed.
The object of these respective deep V-shaped grooves is to provide for a greater degree
of grip than would be the case if the rudder head and the interior of the yoke were
made cylindrical. The effect of the respective V-grooves being to produce an extended
gripping surface, the respective parts of which at the same time wedge themselves
respectively into each other. The arm of each half of the yoke is provided with the
sliding bush J to which the steering rods are connected.
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 claim is :-
The improved yoke for gripping and releasing the rudder head or rudder post formed
in two halves connected together by a hinged joint and provided with a spindle having
two screw threads out thereon, one of faster pitch than the other, these passing through
nuts respectively held in each half of the yoke for the purpose of quickly releasing or
gripping the rudder head and thereby adjusting the position of the rudder relatively
with the yoke substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the example
shewn on the annexed sheets of drawings.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Applicant's Agents.