Improvements in Steam, Compressed Air, and Hand Steering Gear.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Oct., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam, Compressed Air, and Hand Steering Gear.
We, NICOL SINCLAIR ARTHUR of 25 Cambridge Gardens, Leith in the County
of Mid-lothian, Engineer, and JAMES MURRAY CROOM of 24 Bernard Street, Leith
aforesaid, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in steam compressed air and hand gear for
steering ships and as regards steam or compressed air gear it has for its object to
replace the present practice of transmitting the power from the engine to the rudder
through chains rods or the like the engine being direct acting and placed near the
rudder and having its starting valve controlled by an endless wire or rope operated
from any convenient part of the ship preferably the bridge this means of controlling
the starting valve being also used to indicate the position of the rudder..
The apparatus constituting the invention consists of two sets of steering engines
placed adjacent to the rudder and preferably between decks. These engines give
motion to a vertical shaft through a worm screw and wheel the latter being fitted
on the lower end of the said shaft, the shaft being extended to above the upper deck
and there furnished with hand gear. Power is conveyed from the engines to the
rudder through a pinion situated on the vertical shaft and engaged with a toothed
quadrant placed either below or above a crosshead on the rudder stock and centred
on a separate pin or stud situated either before or abaft the stock and in the centre
line of the vessel but in either case the rudder stock and crosshead are between the
axis and the periphery of the quadrant. On both wings or sides of the centre line
of the quadrant springs are provided these being fitted to abut or bear on both arms
of the crosshead so that when the quadrant actuated either to port or starboard
the motion is communicated to one or other arm of the crosshead so moving the
rudder correspondingly.
The further the rudder moves from its central position the resistance increases
and to balance this increasing force the gear is so devised that the periphery of the
quadrant travels through a greater arc than the crosshead and thereby the leverage
or power over the rudder is increased the points of contact between the springs and
the crosshead moving further out towards the extremities of the crosshead the
further the rudder is put over. Rollers are fitted to the ends of the springs to
reduce the friction and these springs also serve to take up shocks from the rudder
and prevent damage to the gear or engines. The springs are always in compression
in whatever direction the quadrant is moved.
The gear is or may be so arranged that the quadrant is capable of being worked
by hand instead of by steam or compressed air as desired for which purposes there
is fitted to the top end of the vertical shaft worm or other wheel gearing capable of
being actuated by a screw on which an ordinary handing wheel is situated friction
or other clutches being provided for putting the steam or hand power into gear as
desired the clutches being actuated directly by means of a screw and nut working
in a sleeve made at or secured to the upper end of the vertical shaft.
The starting valves as before set forth are controlled from the bridge or other
convenient situation on the ship by means of a screw connected to the valve
arrangement and geared with a pulley or drum round which the endless wire or rope
is passed two or three times and also round a similar drum on the bridge.
The motion given by the hand wheel on the bridge is registered by a dial and
pointer thus indicating the position of the rudder.
The band gearing placed aft may be actuated from the bridge if desired through

page_text: a wire rope or chain led over barrels or drums fixed on the spindles of the hand
wheels at bridge and aft respectively.
For small vessels the steam part of the gear may be dispensed with a simple tiller
being substituted for the toothed quadrant said tiller having forks to take on or
engage with the crosshead the tiller being fitted with springs or the gear may be
combined with ordinary bridge gear having a quadrant worked by chain. In the
latter case the chain quadrant is formed with projections to constitute crosshead for
hand gear and a small toothed quadrant is fitted to a separate centre as before set
forth and geared with a pinion actuated through the ordinary hand steering wheel.
In this arrangement the quadrant when not required is put out of gear by a
friction clutch connected to the pinion and the end of the chain may be carried
round the chain quadrant and attached to the toothed quadrant so that the same
springs may act both for hand and steam gear.
Under another modification a tiller may be substituted for the crosshead on the
head stock of the rudder the said tiller having a roller at its outer end which is
placed between the ends of two springs connected to the separately centred quadrant
and which springs are always in compression.
The tiller may be composed of one piece or it may be made of a piece keyed to
the upper end of the rudder stock and having a jawed piece centred upon it the
said jawed piece having its outer end entered into a recess in the quadrant and being
provided with a spring or springs always in compression for the purpose of taking
up or relieving shocks on the rudder.
Dated this Twenty-first day of January 1892.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam, Compressed Air, and Hand Steering Gear.
We, NICOL SINCLAIR ARTHUR of 25 Cambridge Gardens, Leith in the County
of Mid-lothian Engineer and JAMES MURRAY CROOM of 24 Bernard Street Leith
aforesaid, Consulting 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 improvements in steam compressed air and hand gear
for steering ships and as regards steam or compressed air gear it has for its object
to replace the present practice of transmitting the power from the engine to the
rudder through chains rods or the like the engine being direct acting and placed
near the rudder and having a starting valve controlled by an endless wire or rope
operated from any convenient part of the ship preferably the bridge this means of
controlling the starting valve being also used when desired to indicate the position
of the rudder.
The apparatus constituting the invention is illustrated under one modification in
vertical section by Figure 1 and in part plan and part horizontal section by
Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings and it consists of two sets of steering
engines A placed adjacent to the rudder and preferably between decks. These
engines are carried by the framing of the gear and they give motion to a vertical shaft B
through a worn screw C and wheel B. The spindle E of the worm screw has
cranks or discs F on each end which are connected by rods G to the reciprocating
parts of the engines and the wheel D is carried loosely on the shaft B being
clutched thereto when desired by the clutch H which is keyed through a slot in
the said shaft upon an interior screwed spindle I but is free to move upwards and
downwards on the shaft B.
The spindle I has a nut J over its upper end and means for turning the nut so as to
'lift or lower the said spindle I. Power is conveyed from the engines to the rudder

page_text: through a pinion K keyed on the vertical shaft B and engaged with a toothed
quadrant L placed either below or above a crosshead M on the rudder stock N and
centred on a separate pin or stud O which as shewn may be in front of the stock N
but it may also be abaft of it in the centre line of the vessel. On both wings or
sides of the centre line of the quadrant L springs P are provided these being fitted
within sleeves P¹ carried in boxes or cases P'.
The sleeves P¹ have rollers Q centred on them which rollers bear on both arms
of the crosshead so that when the quadrant L is actuated either to port or starboard
the motion is communicated to one or other arm of the crosshead M so moving the
rudder correspondingly. The further the rudder moves from its central position
the resistance increases and to balance this increasing force the gear is so devised
that the periphery of the quadrant travels through a greater arc than the crosshead
the relationship being preferably as 50 to 40 degrees and thereby the leverage or
power over the rudder is increased the points of contact between the springs P and
the crosshead M moving further out towards the extremities of the crosshead the
further the rudder is put over as indicated by the dotted lines on Figure 2.
The springs also serve to take up shocks from the rudder and prevent damage to
the gear or engines and they are always in compression in whatever direction the
quadrant is moved.
In addition to the rollers Q acting on the rearward face of the crosshead M
other rollers Q centred in brackets Q2 carried by the quadrant or arranged in
conjunction with separate springs as described with reference to the rollers Q or
carried by an extension of the sleeves P₁ carrying the rollers Q may be provided
to act on the forward face of the crosshead so that in the event of the vessel going
astern with the rudder hard over the crosshead is held with a long leverage instead
of with a short leverage on the opposite side as is the case when these astern acting
rollers are not employed.
The gear is or may be so arranged that the crosshead M is capable of being
worked by hand instead of by steam or compressed air as desired for which
purposes there is fitted to the top end of the vertical shaft B a worm R or other
wheel gearing capable of being actuated by a screw R' on which a spur pinion S is
keyed the said pinion being geared with a wheel S' keyed on the spindle T of an
ordinary handing wheel.
When it is desired to work the gear by hand the clutch H with its spindle I is
raised so as to free it from the wheel D and engage it with the worm wheel R
carried loosely on the top of the shaft B by which means the steam or other power
machinery is thrown out and the handing mechanism brought into gear.
"
The starting valves of the steam or compressed air engines as before set forth
are centrolled from the bridge or other convenient situation on the ship by means
of a screw U connected to the valve arrangement and geared with a pulley or
drum V round which the endless wire or rope a is passed two or three times and
also round a similar pulley or drum on the bridge as illustrated by Figure 3.
The motion given by the hand wheel on the bridge is registered by a dial and
pointer c thus indicating the position of the rudder.
C
The hand gearing placed aft may be actuated from the bridge if desired through
a wire rope or chain d led over barrels or pulleys e fixed on the spindles of the hand
wheels at bridge and aft respectively.
For small vessels the steam part of the gear may as shewn by the vertical
section Figure 4 be dispensed with.
The gear may also be combined with ordinary bridge gear in which case as
indicated at Figure 5 the quadrant L besides being toothed is adapted to take
the usual chains, the toothed part of the quadrant when not required' being put
out of gear by operating the friction clutch H as before described.
Under another modification illustrated in vertical section at Figure 6 and in
plan at Figure 7 a tiller W may be substituted for the crosshead on the head
Stock N of the rudder the said tiller having a roller g at its outer end which

page_text: is placed between the ends of two springs P connected to the separately centred
quadrant Land which springs are always in compression.
The tiller may be composed of one piece as at Figures 6 and 7 or as shewn by
Figures 8 and 9 it may be made of a lever W keyed to the upper end of the
rudder stock N and having a jawed lever W centred upon it by the pin W. The
jawed lever W has its rear end entered into a recess in the quadrant L and at. a
point intermediate between the rudder stock N and the recess it has in con-
junction with it helical springs held in position by rods p which pass through
plates ppbetween which the springs are situate. The rods have nuts upon their
ends the clamping plate p² which bears against the side of the lever W being loose
the effect of which is that when shock is received by the rudder from either side
the springs are compressed and take up or relieve it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved com-
bined power and hand steering engine herein before described with reference to
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings and wherein the quadrant operating
the rudder is separately centred from the rudder crosshead and acts thereon through
springs which are always in compression as set forth.
2. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the hand
steering engine herein before described with reference to Figure 4 of the accom-
panying drawings and wherein the quadrant operating the rudder crosshead is
separately centred substantially as set forth.
3. In a steering engine a quadrant separately centred from the rudder stock and
arranged to he operated either by toothed gearing or by ordinary chain mechanism
at will substantially as described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. In a steering engine the combination of a tiller fixed upon the rudder stock
and of a quadrant operating the same and separately centred the free end of the
tiller having a roller working between springs carried by the quadrant and which
are always in compression substantially as described with reference to Figures 6
and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In a steering engine the combination of a tiller secured upon the rudder
stock and having a jawed piece centred upon it the said jawed piece having. its
outer end entered into a recess in a quadrant separately centred and being acted
upon by a spring or springs carried by the quadrant and always in compression
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a steering engine the arrangement of driving clutch mechanism herein-
before described principally with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings and
whereby the engine is changed from power to hand operation and vice versa as
set forth.
7. In a steering engine the combination with a crosshead or tiller secured on
the rudder stock of an operating quadrant separately centred substantially as
described.
Dated this Twenty-first day of October 1892.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.