IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Watson, Engine Fitter, and Leonard Watson,
Marine Engineer, both of Sunderland, in the County of Durham, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 29th November 1878, and dated the 4th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Watson and Leonard
Watson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th June 1878.
JAMES WATSON, Engine Fitter, and LEONARD WATSON, Marine Engineer, both of
Sunderland, in the County of Durham. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING
APPARATUS."
Our Invention relates to the employment of steam power directly to the tiller
rope or chain of a vessel's steering apparatus, and may be thus briefly described :--
The rope or chain passing from the tiller to the axle of the steering wheel is
directed through a system of pulley blocks, one of which is attached to the cross
head of the piston rod of a horizontal steam cylinder, so that when in working
order and steam is admitted into the said cylinder to act upon the piston therein
the pulley block attached to the said cross head of the piston rod is carried to one
side or the other of the ship and the tiller brought over in the desired direction.
Steam is admitted to the cylinder through V shaped slides in the valve chest in
order that the steam or power to work our apparatus may be gradually applied,
thus preventing the occurence of any jars or jerks upon the slack portion of the
tiller chain. And to guard against the liability of the piston striking the ends of
the cylinder striking gear or tappets are placed at both ends of the stroke. These
tappets when acted upon by the approaching cross head of the piston will reverse
the slide valves or open suitable exhaust ports leading from the cylinder. A
twisted rocking shaft also actuated by the said cross head, and provided with a
pointer arm, indicates upon a dial plate or scale the position of the rudder with
respect to the vessel's keel.
Steam or hand power may be employed at the discretion of the steersman. To
put one in operation the other must be rendered nugatory by the application of a

page_text: brake, which in the hand-power apparatus may be of any ordinary type, but in our
steam steering apparatus we prefer employing the following means:- The parallel
slide bars between which the slide blocks of the cross head of the piston rod travels
are made by the aid of cams or levers to tightly grip the said slide blocks and
prevent thereby any motion of the cross head.
This brake arrangement may be equally applicable to the slide bars of locomotive
engines or to the slide bars of other description of engines, enabling the attendant
to lock, so to speak, his engine, and thus prevent the same being tampered with or
running away, as sometimes occur with locomotive engines.
It is readily understood how the said cams or levers may be worked or put in
operation by any of the ordinary mechanical means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Watson and Leonard Watson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th December 1878.
JAMES WATSON, Engine Fitter, and LEONARD WATSON, Marine Engineer, both of
Sunderland, in the County of Durham. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING
APPARATUS."
Our Invention relates to the employment of steam power directly to the tiller
rope or chain of a vessel's steering apparatus.
The rope or chain passing from the tiller to the axle or driving gear of the
steering wheel is directed through a system of pulley blocks, one of which is
attached to the cross head of the piston rod of a horizontal steam cylinder, so that
when in working order and steam is admitted into the said cylinder to act upon
the piston therein the pulley block attached to the said cross head of the piston
rod is carried towards the port or starboard side of the ship, and the tiller brought
over in the desired direction.
Steam is admitted to the cylinder through V shaped slides in the valve chest, in
order that the steam or power to work our apparatus may be gradually applied,
and thus prevent the occurance of any jerks or jars upon the slack portion of the
tiller chain. To guard against the liability of the piston striking against the ends
of the cylinder striking gear or tappets may be placed at both ends of the stroke.
These tappets when acted upon by the approaching cross head will reverse the slide
valve or open suitable exhaust ports leading from the cylinder. This operation
may be most effectually performed by means of a twisted rocking shaft, lying in a
direction parallel to the piston rod, and passing through a suitably shaped aperture
or eye formed in or upon the cross head of the piston rod, then as the said cross
head approaches the end of the stroke the rocking shaft rocks over, and by a
judicious arrangement of mechanical parts the exhaust port is opened for the
escapement of the steam.

page_text: Any ordinary indicator dial may be employed, as is usually the case, to denote
the position of the rudder in relation to the vessel's keel.
We will now proceed to describe our Invention more fully by aid of the accom-
panying Drawing, reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an end view, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a plan of a steam
steering apparatus constructed in accordance with our Invention.
In all these Figures a portion of the framework and other parts not essential
to the Invention have been removed to show more clearly the details of our
arrangement.
A is the steam cylinder, within which works a piston, b being the piston rod, and
c the cross head of the same. To the under side of this cross head is secured the
pulley block & containing two sheaves 2, 8, (Figure 1). e, e, and e¹ are guide bars
or parallel slide bars, between which the cross head and the pulley block travel.
fis the twisted rocking shaft of an angular or oval section, passing through an
aperture of a similar shape in the lug cast upon the cross head. One end of this
shaft is turned true and received in a bearing cast or formed upon the cylinder
cover nearest thereto; the other or outer end is also turned to receive a bevelled
cog wheel g, which gears into a similar wheel g' upon the shaft h (see Figure 3).
The rocking motion of the shafts f and h communicates a reciprocating motion to
the slide valve spindle k. This is effected by means of the eccentric i and eccentric
rodj acting through a proper system of link bars and levers, as shewn in Figure 4,
which is a detached view to show more clearly the arrangement of these parts.
Upon the hollow shaft or driving axle L' is keyed the hand wheel and the
pinion wheel 8, both employed for steam steering purposes.
The latter wheel gears
into the cog wheel s¹ upon the shaft t. This shaft has an eccentric u formed upon
it (see Figure 4), and actuates the vertical rocking lever u¹, producing by means of
the connections and levers u¹¹, u¹11, a reciprocating action of the slide valve spindle k,
thus regulating the admission of steam to the cylinder A (Figure 3). As before
stated this result is also produced by the action of the eye of the cross head c upon
the twisted rocking shaft f.
The steering wheel m and the pinion wheel n, both employed for hand-power
steering, are keyed upon the driving axle L passing through the hollow shaft or
sleeve L¹. The pinion wheel engages with the large cog wheel O keyed upon the
same shaft (o) as the driving chain sheave 5, around which latter, and around the
guide sheaves 4, 6, the tiller chain passes to and from the tiller.
Steam or hand power may be employed at the discretion of the steersman. To
put our apparatus into operation one of the said powers must be rendered nugatory
by the application of a brake, which in the hand-power division of the apparatus
may be of any ordinary type; as, for instance, a break wheel and band V, see
Figure 1, worked by a hand lever (not shown); but in the steam-steering division
we prefer employing the following means:-The upper slide bar e¹ (see Figures 1,
2, and 3) is carried or suspended by strong sbafts w, w, supported in the frame-
work of the apparatus. Upon these shafts are formed cams or eccentrics wll to
receive the bearings of the said slide bar; lever arms will, w¹¹, are also keyed on
the shaft, and to ensure uniformity of action they are connected together by the
longitudinal link w, consequently when the lever arm w³, which is secured to one
of the shafts, depressed, the two cams act upon the slide bar e¹, pressing it upon
the cross head, and thereby nipping or tightly gripping the said cross head, clamping
it down, and thus obstructing its progress. By referring to the Figures in the
Drawing it will be readily understood how this is effected when the operative or
steersman places his foot upon the pedal lever w¹ (Figure 2), and depresses it, the
pedal lever being connected to the lever arm by a link. A binding screw
worked by a hand wheel may be employed in lieu of the pedal lever.
This brake arrangement is equally applicable to the slide bars of locomotive
engines, or to the slide bars of other descriptions of engines, enabling the attendant
to lock, so to speak, his engine, and thus prevent the same being tampered with
during his absence, or running away, as sometimes occur with locomotive engines.

page_text: Figure 5 is a diagram of the V shaped slides. This shape admits the steam more
gradually into the cylinder, and prevents, as before stated, any jar or jerk upon
slack portion of the tiller chain.
The course of the tiller chain through the apparatus is as follows:-It enters at 1
(see Figure 3), and passing beneath the cylinder, as shewn by dotted lines, proceeds
round the lower pulley 2, Figure 1, in the pulley block d, thence to the guide
sheave 3, Figure 3, and between the chain sheaves 4, 5, and 6; from thence it
proceeds to the guide sheave 7, and returns to the upper pulley 8 of the before-
mentioned block d, see Figure 1, after passing round which it emerges from the
apparatus at 9, Figure 3; the tiller chain is then conducted to the tiller in the
usual manner, and properly secured thereto.
During the employment of steam power the driving chain sheave 5 is rendered
motionless by the application of the break V (Figure 1), consequently the motion of
that cross head acts only upon that portion of the chain situate between the points
1 and 2, 8 and 9; when however hand power is sufficient the break V is released,
and the pulley block d clamped down. The pulleys therein now act as guide
sheaves, and the whole length of the chain from 1 to 9 inclusive is in motion.
Although we have described our improvement in steam steering apparatus as
applied to steam or hand power our Invention is equally well adapted for hydraulic
power by substituting water for steam.
C
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together with
the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, we would remark in con-
clusion that we claim as our Invention secured to us by the above in part recited
Letters Patent, the several improvements in steam steering apparatus as above
specified, and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Watson and Leonard Watson, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.

page_text: LEONARD WATSON'S DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF
ALTERATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEONARD
WATSON, of Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Marine Engineer, send
greeting:-
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent
bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy eight, in the forty first year of Her reign, did for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me the said Leonard Watson and to
James Watson, Engine Fitter, also of Sunderland aforesaid (since deceased), Her
special license that 1 the said Leonard Watson and the said James Watson, my and
his executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I the said Leonard
Watson and the said James Watson, my and his executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM STEERING APPARATUS":
to time
A
And whereas, in pursuance and performance of a proviso in the said Letters
Patent contained, I the said Leonard Watson and the said James Watson, did
within six calendar months next after the date of the said Letters Patents cause a
Specification in writing, under my and his hand and seal, particularly describing
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, to be duly filed in the Great Seal Patent Office :
And whereas since the filing of the said Specification I have been advised that the
Specification might be so construed as to extend the claim too far, particularly in
respect of the application of steam power directly to the tiller rope or chain, and
also in respect of the arrangement of valve gear described, and that the
Specification is incoherently arranged, and that it is undesirable to retain the
reference to the application to locomotive and other engines of the means of
locking the piston crosshead, or the reference to the substitution of hydraulics for
steam power, I am therefore desirous of confining the title, description, and claims
within narrower limits, and of transposing certain paragraphs of the Specification
so as to make it road coherently, and of otherwise amending the Specification to
mako it consonant with the alterations aforesaid.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE that I, the said Leonard Watson, by and with the leave of
Her Majesty's Attorney General, do hereby for the reasons aforesaid, and for
effecting the objects aforesaid, amend the Specification in manner more fully
hereinafter appearing, reference being had to the pages and lines of a copy of the
Specification as printed by the Queen's Printers, and published at the Great Seal
Patent Office, that is to say :-
I alter the word "Improvements" in the title of the said Invention to “An
improvement."
I substitute the words "an arrangement whereby either" for the words "the
employment of," at line 18, page 2, and I insert the words " 'or hand" after the
word " steam next following, and the words "may be applied at will" after
the word "power" next following, on the same line.
"
I strike out the word "passing" from line 20, and also the words "to the axle
or driving gear of the steering wheel' at lines 20, 21, page 2, and I insert the
words "sheaves and" before the words "pulley blocks," at line 21, page 2.
I insert after the word "order," at line 23, page 2, the words "for steam steering,
that is to say, when the hand steering part is rendered immoveable."
I insert at the end of the paragraph at line 26, page 2, the words "To steer by
hand it is only necessary to render the cross head of the steam piston immoveable,
and unlock the hand steering gear."
I strike out the whole of the paragraph beginning at line 27, page 2, and ending
at the foot of the page, and likewise the paragraph at lines 1 and 2, page 3.
I transfer lines 14 to 30 inclusive on page 3 to the end of the descriptive part of
the Specification, as hereafter specified.
I strike out the word "driving" at both places where it occurs at lines 32 and
34, page 3.
I insert at the end of line 35, page 3, the entire paragraph beginning and ending
respectively at lines 4 and 11, page 4, having previously amended it by substituting
the words "thence under" for the words "and between the chain," at line 7,
page 4, and by striking out the final "8" of the word "sheaves" next following,
and by inserting the words "over or around sheave" before the numeral "5," and
by inserting the words "under sheave" before the numeral "6" at the same line,
and by inserting the words "parts and 9 of the " before the words "tiller chain,"
at line 10, page 4, and by substituting the word "are" for the words "is then "
next following.
I insert the word "either" at the beginning of line 36, page 3, and I strike out
the word "to" at the end of the same line, and likewise the whole of line 37, and
I make the previous sentence run on to line 38 by inserting after the word
steersman the words "the gear for the other power being meanwhile locked
immoveably."
"
I substitute the word "for" for the word "in" at line 38, page 3, and the words
steering gear" for the words "power division of the apparatus" at the same line,
and I substitute the word "for" for the word "in" at line 40, page 3, and the
word "gear" for the word "division" at the end of the same line, and I strike
out the words "nipping or at line 48, page 3, and insert the word "and" before
the word "clamping at the end of the same line, and substitute the word
"immoveably" for the words "and thus obstructing its progress" at line 49, page 3,
and strike out the words "operative or" at line 50, page 3.
"
I also strike out the whole of lines 54, 55, 56, and 57, page 3, and lines 1, 2, 3,
page 4
I insert the word "thus" at the commencement of the paragraph at line 12,
page 4, and I strike out the words "driving chain" at the same line, and insert
the words "steam is shut off from the cylinder" after the word "sufficient" at
line 15, page 4, and insert the words "crosshead and" before the words "pulley
block" at line 16, page 4.
I strike out the whole of lines 18, 19, and 20, page 4, and insert at this place

page_text: "
rocking" in both places where it occurs at lines 14 and 30, and by substituting
"a" for "the" before the word "twisted" at line 14, page 3, and likewise before
the word "lug" at line 15, page 3, and by striking out the word "driving" at
line 23, page 3, and by connecting the paragraph beginning at that line to the
previous paragraph.
I strike out from the claiming clause the word "several " at line 24, page 4, and
the final "s" of the word "improvements" next following, and substitute the
words "in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of" for the word "on" at line 25, page 4.
1.
And in order that it may be clearly understood what the Invention which I
now consider to be secured by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent. I
shall proceed to repeat (omitting testing clause) the said Specification as amended
by this present Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration, as follows:-
:-
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES WATSON,
Engine Fitter and LEONARD WATSON, Marine Engineer, both of Sunderland, in the
County urham, send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent,
bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy eight, in the forty first year of Her reign, did for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said James Watson and
Leonard Watson, Her special license that we, the said James Watson and Leonard
Watson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
James Watson and Leonard Watson, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for AN IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM
STEERING APPARATUS," upon the conditions, amongst others, that we, the said James
Watson and Leonard Watson, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar monthis next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE that we, the said James Watson and Leonard Watson, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to an arrangement whereby either steam or hand power
may be applied at will directly to the tiller rope or chain of a vessel's steering
apparatus.
The rope or chain from the tiller is directed through a system of sheaves and
pulley blocks, one of which is attached to the cross head of the piston rod of a
horizontal steam cylinder, so that when in working order for steam steering, that
is to say, when the hand steering part is. rendered immovable, and steam is
admitted into the said cylinder to act upon the piston therein, the pulley block
attached to the said cross head of the piston rod is carried towards the port or
starboard side of the ship, and the tiller brought over in the desired direction. To
steer by hand it is only necessary to render the crosshead of the steam piston
immovable and unlock the hand steering gear.

page_text: We will now proceed to describe our Invention more fully by aid of the
accompanying Drawing, reference being had to the letters and Figures marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is an end view; Figure 2, a side view; and Figure 3, a plan of a steam
steering apparatus constructed in accordance with our Invention.
In all these Figures a portion of the framework and other parts not essential to
the Invention have been removed, to show more clearly the details of our
arrangement.
A is the steam cylinder within which works a piston, 6 being the piston rod,
and c the crosshead of the same. To the under side of this cross head is secured
the pulley block & containing two sheaves 2, 8, (Figure 1); e, e, and e¹ are guide
bars or parallel slide bars, between which the cross head and the pulley block
travel.
The steering wheel M and the pinion wheel N, both employed for hand power
steering, are keyed upon the axle L passing through the hollow shaft or sleeve L¹.
The pinion wheel engages with the large cog wheel O, keyed upon the same
shaft (o) as the chain sheave 5, around which latter and around the guide
sheaves 4, 6, the tiller chain passes to and from the tiller.
The course of the tiller chain through the apparatus is as follows:-It enters at 1
(see Figure 3), and passing beneath the cylinder, as shewn by dotted lines, proceeds
round the lower pulley 2, Figure 1, in the pulley block d, thence to the guide
sheave 3, Figure 3, thence under sheave 4, over or around sheave 5, and under
sheave 6, from thence it proceeds to the guide sheave 7, and returns to the upper
pulley of the before mentioned block d, see Figure 1, after passing round which it
emerges from the apparatus at 9, Figure 3; the parts 1 and 9 of the tiller chain
are conducted to the tiller in the usual manner, and properly secured thereto.
Either steam or hand power may be employed at the discretion of the steersman,
the gear for the other power being meanwhile locked immovably by the application
of a brake, which for the hand steering gear may be of any ordinary type, as, for
instance, a break wheel and band V, see Figure 1, worked by a hand lever (not
shewn); but for the steam stearing gear we prefer employing the following means:-
The upper slide bar e¹ (see Figures 1, 2, and 3) is carried or suspended by strong shafts
w, w, supported in the framework of the apparatus. Upon these shafts are formed
cams or eccentrics wll to receive the bearings. of the said slide bar; lever arms
w, w, are also keyed on the shaft, and to ensure uniformity of action they are
connected together by the longitudinal link w, consequently when the lever arm w³,
which is secured to one of the shafts, is depressed, the two cams act upon the slide
bar el pressing it upon the cross head, and thereby tightly gripping the said cross
head and clamping it down immovably. By referring to the Figures in the
Drawing it will be readily understood how this is effected, when the steersman
places his foot upon the pedal lever w¹ (Figure 2) and depresses it, the pedal lever
being connected to the lever arm w by a link. A binding screw worked by a hand
wheel may be employed in lieu of the pedal lever.
Thus during the employment of steam power the sheave 5 is rendered motionless
by the application of the break V (Figure 1), consequently the motion of the cross
head acts only upon that portion of the chain situate between the points 1 and 2,
8 and 9; when however hand power is sufficient steam is shut off from the cylinder,
the break V is released, and the cross head and pulley block d clamped down. The
pulleys therein now act as guide sheaves, and the whole length of the chain from 1
to 9 inclusive is in motion.
The admission of steam to the cylinder may be controlled by any suitable valve
gear, and Figure 4 shows a convenient arrangement, which however forms no part
of this Invention. Figure 5 shows the valve separately. f is a twisted shaft of an
angular or oval section passing through an aperture of a similar shape in a lug cast
upon the cross head. One end of this shaft is turned true and received in a bearing
cast or formed upon the cylinder cover nearest thereto; the other or outer end is
also turned to receive a bevelled cog wheel g, which gears into a similar wheel g¹

page_text: upon the shaft h (see Figure 3). The rocking motion of the shafts f and h com-
municates a reciprocating motion to the slide valve spindle k. This is effected by
means of the excentric i and eccentric rod j acting through a proper system of link
bars and levers, as shewn in Figure 4, which is a detached view to show more
clearly the arrangement of these parts. Upon the hollow shaft or axle L¹ is keyed
the hand wheel Q and the pinion wheel 8, both employed for steam steering
purposes. The latter wheel gears into the cog wheel s¹ upon the shaft t.
shaft has an eccentric u formed upon it (see Figure 4), and actuates the vertical
rocking lever u¹, producingby means of the connections and lever u", u¹¹, a recipro-
cating action of the slide valve spindle k, thus regulating the admission of steam to
the cylinder A (Figure 3). As before stated, this result is also produced by the
action of the eye of the cross head c upon the twisted shaft f.
This
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together
with the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, we would remark in
conclusion that we claim as our Invention secured to us by the above in part recited
Letters Patent, the improvement in steam steering apparatus as above specified and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Leonard Watson, have hereunto set my hand
seal, this Twenty fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
I hereby grant my fiat, giving leave to the above named Leonard Watson
to file in the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with the Specification to
which the same relates, the above written Disclaimer and Memorandum of
Alteration, and I hereby certify that notice of the application for leave to file the
said Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration has been advertised in the London
Gazette, the Commissioners of Patents' Journal, the Times, the Telegraph, the
Standard, and the Sunderland Daily Herald.
Dated this Ninth day of February 1881