IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS OR OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS AND ROAD ENGINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Young Fleming and Peter Ferguson, both of the
Phoenix Engine Works, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS OR
OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS AND ROAD ENGINES."
Sealed the 9th December 1879, and dated the 14th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Young Fleming
and Peter Ferguson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
14th June 1879.
"
WILLIAM YOUNG FLEMING and PETER FERGUSON, both of the Phoenix Engine
Works, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain. IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS OR OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS AND ROAD
ENGINES."
This Invention relates to apparatus to be used for steering ships and other
navigable vessels and road engines, and has for its object to construct and arrange
such apparatus in a novel and extremely simple manner, and so as to obtain a
thoroughly efficient and powerful means, either by steam or by hand, of operating
and controlling ships' rudders and the guiding wheels of traction engines and other
road steamers, at a very low first cost, whilst dispensing with toothed wheels and
other complex or easily injured parts of ordinary steering gear, as well as avoiding
the noise incidental to their use.
In carrying out the Invention an ordinary steam or other motive power engine,
fixed by a sole plate to the vessel's deck, is directly connected to a crank or cranks
on a horizontal shaft, supported by standards or brackets of any suitable con-
struction, and which forms the main shaft of the apparatus. On this shaft are
fixed two grooved chain pulleys, barrels, or drums of slightly different diameters,
and an endless chain or rope is passed first over or round one pulley or barrel,
down to and round a guide pulley on or near the deck, and thence round the sheaf of
a snatch block, to which one of the usual rods, chains, or levers actuating the
rudder is attached. From this block the endless chain returns by the same way to
the second pulley or barrel on the main shaft, over or round which it passes, and
thence proceeding in a similar manner to a second snatch block attached to the

page_text: opposite rudder lever returns round the sheaf of that block to the original starting
point. When the main shaft is driven or revolved in either direction by the
engine, the chain pulleys or barrels take up and unwind the chain or rope on both
sides, but the one pulley or barrel being of greater diameter than the other, a
powerful differential action is obtained by which a greater length of chain is
wound or taken up at one side of the larger pulley, than is unwound or let off from
the smaller pulley or barrel at the same side, and the corresponding block attached
to the rudder lever is drawn forward, whilst the block on the opposite side is
relieved or moved off. This arrangement of apparatus has the advantage of
dispensing with the use of toothed gearing, and avoids the consequent liability of
breakage, which often occurs in ordinary steering gear when an unusually severe
strain comes on the rudder in heavy seas. The engine may be arranged so as to
be readily disconnected from the main shaft, and a handing wheel may be fitted on
that shaft, so as to admit of the apparatus being worked by hand, if the engine
should break down or has to undergo repair; and when more convenient the main
shaft may be placed vertically or in an inclined position.
The improved apparatus is obviously equally applicable in the same or nearly
the same form for the purpose of steering or guiding traction and other road
engines.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Young Fleming and Peter Ferguson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th December 1879.
WILLIAM YOUNG FLEMING and PETER FERGUSON, both of the Phoenix Engine
Works, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS OR OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS AND ROAD
ENGINES."
Our said Invention relates to apparatus to be used for steering ships and other
navigable vessels and road engines; and it has for its object to construct and
arrange such apparatus in a novel and extremely simple manner, and so as to
obtain a thoroughly efficient and powerful means, either by steam or by hand, of
operating and controlling ships' rudders and the guiding wheels of traction engines
and other road steamers, at a very low first cost, whilst dispensing with toothed
wheels and other complex or easily injured parts of ordinary steering gear, as well
as avoiding the noise incidental to their use."
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, we hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings
to be hereinafter referred to, and representing a modification of our improved
steering apparatus. In those Drawings the same reference letters are used to mark
the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 is a plan; and Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of an arrangement of
the improved apparatus, designed for steering ships, in which any ordinary con-
struction of steam or other motive power engine (not shown in the Drawings)
fixed by a sole plate to the vessel's deck or bridge is directly connected to, and
actuates a crank or disc A on a horizontal shaft B, which forms the main shaft of
the apparatus and is carried in journal bearings b, b, on strong standards or side
frames C, C, fixed to the engine sole plate a or directly to the deck. On the main
shaft B is keyed or fixed a double grooved differential pitch chain pulley D, D¹, or
it might be two separate grooved chain pulleys, barrels, or drums of slightly
different diameters, and an endless rope or chain E, shown by the dotted broken
lines, is passed first over or round one pulley or groove of the pulley D, down to
and round the sheaf of a pulley block F near the vessel's deck (but for convenience
shown close up to the frames of the apparatus), and from this block F the chain E
returns to the opposite side of the second pulley or barrel D' on the main shaft B,
over or round which it passes, and thence proceeds downwards to and round a
second pulley block F¹, and up again in a similar manner to the pulley or barrel D
to complete the endless chain. Each pulley block F, F', is connected by a separate
chain E, or E, passing down to the lower deck and round a vertical fixed pulley
G or G³, and also, if necessary, round a horizontal fixed pulley to the usual rods
attached to or forming the rudder levers; or the chains E, E, might be connected
directly to these levers; or otherwise the endless chain E might be continued
round a pair of fixed pulleys at each side on the vessel's deck to snatch blocks
connected with the rods or levers actuating the rudder. When the main shaft B is
driven or revolved in either direction by the engine the chain pulleys or barrels
D, D', take up and unwind the chain or rope E at the same time, but the one
chain pulley or barrel D being of greater diameter than the other D', a powerful
differential action, similar to that of ordinary differential lifting tackle is obtained,
by which a greater length of the chain E is wound up on one pulley D than is
unwound from the other D¹, and one pulley block is moved upwards whilst the
other is lowered; the chains E¹, E", acting on the rudder levers correspondingly to
actuate or control the rudder. This arrangement of apparatus has the advantage
of dispensing with the use of toothed gearing, and avoids the consequent liability
of breakage, which often occurs in ordinary steering gear when an unusually severe
strain comes on the rudder in heavy seas.

page_text: The engine is preferably fitted with valve gear, operated from a conveniently
situated hand wheel or lever of any of the usual well known constructions, in
which when the valves are opened by the hand wheel or lever for the admission of
steam to the cylinder to drive the engine, the main shaft (B) is revolved in either
direction as desired, so long as the hand wheel or lever is moved by the attendant;
and the valves are immediately closed again for stopping the engine by the action
of the engine itself when the attendant ceases to turn the hand wheel or lever.
The engine or engines may be arranged so as to be readily disconnected from
the main shaft B, and a large handing or steering wheel may be fitted on that
shaft to admit of the apparatus being worked by hand if the engine should break
down, or should have to undergo repair; and when more convenient the main
shaft may be placed vertically or in an inclined position, the endless chain E being
then led along the back horizontally, or in an inclined plane, to the pulley
blocks F, F'.
The improved apparatus is obviously equally applicable in the same or nearly
the same form, for the purpose of actuating the steering or guiding wheels of
traction and other road engines.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we desire it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves
to the precise details herein described or delineated, but what we believe to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,
The arrangement and construction of steam or hand steering apparatus, and the
application thereto of differential pulleys, barrels, or drums and moving tackle
actuating and controlling the rudders of ships or other navigable vessels, and the
guiding wheels of road engines or steamers, substantially as and for the purposes
herein described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Young Fleming, on behalf of myself
and the said Peter Ferguson, have hereunto set my hand and scal, this
Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
W. Y. FLEMING. (L.S.)