Improved Gearing available for Steering, Hauling, Winding, and other like Purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 26th July, 1892—Accepted, 10th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Gearing available for Steering, Hauling, Winding, and
other like Purposes.
1, JOHN WOTHERSPOON, of Rossbank, Forest Hill, Surrey, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved arrangement of gearing and connected
mechanism which is of special utility when used or applied as steering gear of
sailing and other ships or vessels; though it may also be used or applied as a
halliard-winch or for warping bollards or as a capstan or ash-hoist and for other
like uses.
The improved gear is constructed as follows:-
A horizontally disposed actuating worm-shaft is mounted in adjustable bearings
rising from a top supporting plate, and is provided with a spoked steering or other
hand-wheel by which it can be rotated in either direction as may be required.
Or, such shaft may be connected with any suitable means of actuating it by
power.
The wormed portion of the shaft gears with two worm-wheels which are arranged
on its opposite sides so as to be simultaneously rotated in reverse directions by the
rotation of the worm shaft, and are mounted fast on vertically disposed shafts
which are mounted in footsteps or bearings supported by a bed-plate and in
adjustable bearings supported by the top plate.
The top and bed plates may be cast together or in sections which may be suit-
ably bolted or connected together, or they may be made separately and kept apart
by and bolted to suitably arranged standards.
On each of the worm-wheel shafts, and between the top and bed plates, there is
mounted fast a drum, the two of which consequently partake of the motion imparted
to their respective shafts, by the wormed shaft.
Suitable provision for lubricating the wormed gearing is or may be made by
arranging between the bearings supporting the wormed shaft, a lubricant receptacle
in which the lower part of the circumference of such shaft works.
Such improved gear may be used as or applied to any of the purposes herein-
before referred to; suitable connections being made from the drums to the parts
to be operated.
In applying the gear to steering purposes, there is made fast to the head of the
rudder-post, a sectoral tiller formed with a grooved rim, the opposite ends of which
are respectively connected to one or other of the drums by chains, wire ropes or
other suitable connections, which pass around the grooved rim and are guided by
suitably arranged pulleys or "fair-leaders," the connections to the drums being so
arranged as that when either one of the drums is caused to take up or haul, the
other is caused to pay out at the same rate.
33
Both drums can, however, be made to simultaneously pull on the sectoral tiller
in one or the other direction according to the direction of rotation of the wormed
shaft, by using double chains guided by double "fair-leaders and so arranged
that each drum is connected to each end of the sectoral tiller by chains which
respectively run from the opposite sides of the drum.
In a modification of the foregoing, the said drums are replaced by toothed
pinions which gear with and actuate a correspondingly toothed sectoral tiller, su
dispensing with the aforesaid connections between the said drum-shafts and sectoral
tiller.
The gear may be so arranged as that the drum-shafts and drums. will be
horizontally disposed or set at any required inclination.

page_text: The improved gear is of simple construction and is strong and not liable to get
out of order. It occupies but little space and can be placed in any part of the
ship or whereelse used, where most convenient. It is easily got at in all its parts
and is adjustable in all working parts. It is self locking and will hold the rudder
or other part upon which it is adapted to operate in whatever position it may be
left. It enables the man at the helin to put the helm bard over against a powerful
pressure without any material increase of the time necessary to do so, as at all
acute angles, he can turn the actuating hand-wheel quickly with but little exertion.
It is of special advantage over the ordinary screw steering gear in that it has
two separate and independent drums and connections actuated by separate wormed
wheels which permits of the ship being still steered with the remaining drum and
its connections, should either of the drums or its connections give out. It is
more elastic than such gear, and can better resist any shock from the rudder, but
admits of spring buffers being attached to increase the elasticity, if required.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1892.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Gearing available for Steering, Hauling, Winding, and
other like Purposes.
I, JOHN WOTHERSPOON, of Rossbank, Forest Hill, Kent, 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 relates to an improved arrangement of gearing which is of
special utility when used or applied as steering gear of sailing and other ships or
vessels, though it may be also used or applied as a halliard-winch or for warping
bollards or as a capstan or ash-hoist and for other like uses.
On the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1, represents the improved gearing in elevation, partly in section.
Fig. 2, represents a plan view, partly in section.
Fig. 3, represents a sectional elevation of the framing on the plane indicated
by the line a. Fig. 2.
Fig. 4, represents a partial plan view of a modification.
Fig. 5, represents a partial sectional elevation thereof, on the plane indicated by
the line c, d. Fig. 4.
Fig. 6, represents, in elevation, a further modification. And
Fig. 7, represents, on a smaller scale and in plan view, a convenient method
and means of applying the gear to steering purposes.
8, represents a horizontally disposed worm-shaft, which is mounted in bearings 9,
rising from the top side of the supporting framing 10. The shaft may be provided,
at 11, with a spoked steering or other hand-wheel 26, (vide Fig. 7,) by which it
can be rotated in either direction as may be required, or it may be connected with
any suitable means of actuating it by power.
The wormed portion of the shaft 8, gears with two worm-wheels 12, which are
arranged on its opposite sides so as to be simultaneously rotated in reverse
directions by the rotation of said shaft, and are mounted fast on vertically disposed
shafts 13, which are mounted in footsteps or bearings 14, supported by a sole-plate
or the base of the framing 10, and in bearings 15, supported by the upper part of
said framing.
Said top and bottom plates or parts of the framing 10, in lieu of being cast
together, as represented, may be cast in sections which may be bolted or other-
-wise suitably connected together, or may be made separately and kept apart by
and bolted to suitably arranged standards.

page_text: On each shaft 13, between the top and bottom plates or parts of the framing,
is mounted fast a drum, chain-wheel or pulley 16, (cide Figs. 1, and 5,) which may
he made with parts of different diameters as represented in Fig. 6. if required to
give different speeds of action for a given motion imparted to the shaft 8. The
drums, wheels or pulleys 16, are thus caused to partake of the motion imparted to
their respective shafts 13, by the shaft. 8.
In the modification represented in Fig. 4, and 5, one of the bearings 9, is cast
integral with the framing 10, and is bored to receive the slinft S; and the foot-
steps 14, and bearings 15, for the shafts 13, are dispensed with, the worm-wheels 12,
and drums, wheels or pulleys 16, being keyed or pinned on the shafts 13, which
are mounted in tubular parts. 17, of the framing.
The gear may be so arranged as that the shafts 13, will be horizontally disposed
or set at any required inclination.
Suitable provision for lubricating the wormed gearing may be made by arranging
between the bearings 9, a lubricant-receptacle in which the lower part of the
circumference of the wormed portion of the shaft 8, will work.
The aforesaid improved gear may be used in or applied to any of the purposes
herein before referred to, or to other analogous purposes for which it is suitable;
suitable connections 18, being made from the drums, wheels or pulleys 16, to the
parts to be operated.
In applying the gear to steering-purposes (vide Fig. 7,) there is made fast to
the rudder-head 19, a sectoral tiller 20, formed with a doubly grooved rim 21, the
opposite ends of which are respectively connected to one or other of the drums,
wheels or pulleys 16, by chains, wire-ropes or other suitable connections 18, which
pass around the grooved rim and are guided, a
as may be required, by suitably
arranged pulleys or fair-leaders 23, the connections 18, to the drums being so
arranged as that when either one of the drums is caused to take-up or haul, the
other is caused to pay out at the same rate.
Both drums can, however, be made to simultaneously pull on the sectoral tiller
in one or the other direction according to the direction of rotation of the wormed
shaft, by using double chains or connections 18, guided by double fair-leaders,
and so arranged that each drum is connected to each end of the sectoral tiller by
connections 18, which respectively run from the opposite sides of the drum.
The drums 16, may be replaced by toothed pinions adapted to gear directly with
and actuate a correspondingly toothed sectoral tiller.
It is
The improved gearing possesses the advantages of being of simple construction,
strong, and easily got-at in all its parts. It occupies but little space, and can be
placed in any part of the ship or where-clse used, where most convenient.
self-locking and will hold the rudder or other part upon which it is adapted to
operate in whatever position it may be left. It enables the man-at-the-wheel,
with but little exertion, to put the helm hard-over against a powerful pressure on
the rudder.
It is of special advantage over the ordinary screw steering gear, in that it
has two separate and independent drums and connections actuated by separate
worm wheels, which permits of the ship or vessel being still steered with the
remaining drum and its connections; should either of the drums or its connections
give out. It is more elastic than such gear, and can better resist any shock from
the rudder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. The improved arrangement of gearing available for steering, hauling, winding
and other purposes, herein before described with reference to Figs. 1, to 3, and 6, of
the accompanying drawings.
2. The modified arrangement of such gearing hereinbefore described with
reference to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, of the drawings.

page_text: 3. The combination, in such gearing, of a wormed sh: t 8; oppositely arranged
wormed wheels 12, gearing therewith; the drums, w eels or pulleys 16; the
connecting shafts 13; with means of supporting such pa ts, actuating the wormed
shaft and conveying the power to where required to be 1 ed.
4. The arrangement for applying the gearing to ste ing purposes hereinbefore 5
described with reference to Fig. 7, of the drawings.
Dated this 29th day of June 1892.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., gents for the Applicant.