Improvements in and relating to Steering Gear.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left. 13th Mar.. 1890-Accepted. 19th Apr.. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Steering Gear.
A communication from abroad by PIERRE CAILLARD and VICTOR CAILLARD, both of
Havre (Seine Inférieure), in the Republic of France, Manufacturing Engineers.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester both in
the County of Lancaster, & 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
The object of this invention is to provide a steering machine capable of being
worked as desired, either by steam or hand, and designed especially with a view to
form a simple, practical, and cheap apparatus in which the mechanism for working
the rudder remains the same as that employed in the usual gear worked by hand.
The system is based principally on the following points :-
1st. The use of bevel gearing as transmitter between the shaft driven direct by
the motive cylinders and the intermediate shaft which transmits the motion to the
gear of the drum or chain wheel receiving the chains of the rudder.
2nd. The arrangement and mode of placing the motive cylinders situated vertically
behind the back part of the case of the machine, this arrangement allowing the
working by bevel gear and the adaptation of the admission valve between the slide
boxes, with a view to reduce the tubing and the space occupied by the machine.
3rd. The mode of fixing the intermediate shaft allowing of its use as gearing
when worked by steam, as working shaft when worked by hand, and as guide to
the spindle which works the admission valve, as hereinafter set forth.
4th. The various arrangements employed for mounting the divers parts of this
apparatus.
An example of this machine will now be described, but it must be understood
that variations in the details of construction may be made, without departing from
the scope of the invention.
::
The machine is fixed on a bed plate which supports two vertical frames or
standards.
To the hindermost frame are bolted vertically two steam cylinders, of cast metal,
with their steam chest, slide, and the brackets or supports of the driving shaft ;
the distributing steam chests of these cylinders are preferably fitted with my corre
spondents' patent slide boxes, and connected directly by two oval flanges with double
orifices with a steam admission valve with reversing action.
The machinery which works the rudder chains remains, as has been already stated,
the same as that worked by hand; it comprises a longitudinal shaft carrying a large
spur wheel and a drum or chain wheel, which works the rudder chain, which latter
is held up and guided laterally by rollers or their equivalent.
The special arrangement for working by means of bevel gearing, and the hollow
intermediate shaft, which constitute the important points of the invention will now
be more particularly described.
The horizontal intermediate shaft is hollow, and supported by cast metal brackets
on the upper part of the two frames above mentioned, at its hinder end it carries a
bevel wheel which is engaged by a bevel pinion, wedged on the above named driving shaft.
The boss of this bevel wheel is not keyed on the hollow shaft, and can revolve freely
thereon, it terminates in a toothed plate, with which the teeth of a clutch gear, fixed
on the hollow shaft, engage, which can thus, as desired, be firmly connected with the
bevel wheel or remain independent of it.
On the hollow shaft is fixed a pinion engaging with the large spur wheel above
named fixed on the shaft which carries the chain drum.
J
:

page_text: On the opposite or forward end of the intermediate shaft is wedged a sort of
socket in two parts, fitted with large washer plates, between which the boss of the
hand steering wheel can freely turn, and the latter may be connected with this socket
by means of a bolt, if it is desired to use it for steering by hand.
As described above; the intermediate shaft is hollow, there being placed inside it
a spindle governing the steam admission valve, which is operated by means of a
hand wheel keyed on a bronze socket held loosely between two bearings fixed on
this interior shaft; this socket has for this purpose a screw threaded portion,
engaging in a corresponding thread cut in the intermediate shaft.
The opposite end of this interior shaft has an oval collar surrounding the driving
shaft above named, which serves as a guide at this part, while permitting its longi-
tudinal motion, which is transmitted, by means of an elbow lever, to the shank of the
slide of the steam admission valve.
The direction in which the hand fly wheel is turned, causing the internal spindle to
move forwards or backwards, determines the direction of the movement of the
machine, and as soon as the movement of it (the hand-wheel) is stopped, the exterior
shaft, continuing to be revolved, engages by its screwed part the socket of this fly
wheel, and brings back at once the interior shaft to its first position, and thus checks
the entry of steam into the cylinders.
In the pattern of steering machine described above, the use of my correspondents'
patent slide boxes as well as various special arrangements of the steam cylinders
and other parts of the machine have been described, but it is understood that the
invention is not limited to these particular arrangements, as it bears essentially on
the novel application of bevel gearing for transmitting the motion from the driving
shaft to the intermediate shaft, as well as the relative position of the steam cylinders
situated vertically behind one of the frames of the machine.
The combination of these two principal points allows the realisation of the above
described advantages, the easy application of the system of steam steering to ordinary
hand steering machines, by utilising the larger part of their machinery, and adding
thereto a series of steam cylinders coupled on a driving shaft and fixed behind the
back part of the frame of the machine, and by replacing the shaft carrying the
hand wheel by the special arrangement of an internal shaft, as has been described
above.
Dated this 12th day of June 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Steering Gear.
A communication from abroad by PIERRE CAILLARD and VICTOR CAILLARD, both
of Havre (Seine Inférieure), in the Republic of France, Manufacturing
Engineers.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
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:
The object of this invention is to provide a steering machine capable of being
worked as desired, either by steam or hand, and designed especially with a view to
form a simple, practical and cheap apparatus in which the mechanism for working the
rudder remains the same as that employed in the usual gear worked by hand.
The system is based principally on the following points:
1st. The use of bevel gearing as transmitter between the shaft driven direct by the
motive cylinders and the intermediate shaft which transmits the motion to the gear
of the drum or chain wheel receiving the chains of the rudder.

page_text: 2nd. The arrangement and mode of placing the motive cylinders situated vertically
behind the back part of the case of the machine, this arrangement allowing the
working by bevel gear and the adaptation of the admission valve between the slide
boxes, with a view to reduce the tubing and the space occupied by the machine.
3rd. The mode of fixing the intermediate shaft allowing of its use as gearing when
worked by steam, as working shaft when worked by hand, and as guide to the spindle
which works the admission valve, as hereinafter set forth.
4th. The various arrangements employed for mounting the divers parts of this
apparatus and especially the arrangement for limiting automatically the course of the
tiller.
The drawings annexed herewith represent an apparatus made on the principles
described herein, but it must be understood that variations in the details of construction
may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
Figure 1 is a vertical fongitudinal section of the machine.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section.
Figure 3 is a plan view, and
Figure 4, a horizontal section of part of the apparatus.
Figure 5 represents in longitudinal and transverse section the mechanism for
limiting the movement of the tiller of the rudder.
The machine is fixed on a bed plate which supports two vertical frames or
standards B B'.
To the hindermost frame B are bolted vertically two steam cylinders CC³, preferably
of cast metal, with their steam chest, slide and the brackets or supports of the
driving shaft I; the distributing steam chests c and c¹ of these cylinders are preferably
fitted with my correspondents' patent slide boxes as described in the specification of
English patent No. 1831" and connected directly by two oval flanges having double
orifices 1 and 2, with a steam admission valve D with reversing action.
The machinery which works the rudder chains remains, as has been already stated,
the same as that worked by hand; it comprises a longitudinal shaft S carrying a
large spur wheel R and a drum or chain wheel N, which works the rudder chain,
which latter is held up and guided laterally by rollers or pulleys or their
equivalent.
The special arrangement for working by means of bevel gearing and the hollow
intermediate shaft which constitute the important points of the invention will now be
more particularly described.
The horizontal intermediate shaft J is hollow, and supported by cast metal brackets
on the upper part of the two frames B B abovementioned; at its hinder end it
carries a bevel wheel d, which is engaged by a bevel pinion e wedged on the above
named driving shaft I. The boss of this bevel wheel d is not keyed on the hollow
shaft J and can revolve freely thereon, it terminates in a toothed plate, with which the
teeth of a clutch gear K, fixed on the hollow shaft J, engage, which can thus, as
desired, be firmly connected with the bevel wheel d or remain independent of it.
On the hollow shaft J is fixed a pinion Q engaging with the large spur wheel R
abovenamed fixed on the shaft S which carries the chain drum N receiving the rudder
chains.
On the opposite or forward end of the intermediate shaft J is wedged a sort of
socket T in two parts, fitted with large washer plates, between which the boss of the
hand steering wheel Ĺ can freely turn, and the latter may be connected with this
socket T by means of a bolt M, if it be desired to use it for steering by hand.
As above described, the intermediate shaft J is hollow, which allows of there being
placed inside it a spindle G governing the steam admission valve, which is operated
by means of a hand wheel H keyed on a bronze socket U held loosely between two
bearings fixed on this interior shaft G; this socket has for this purpose a screw
threaded portion, engaging in a corresponding thread cut in the intermediate
shaft J.
The opposite end of this interior shaft G has an oval collar F surrounding the

page_text: driving shaft. I abovenamed, which serves as a guide at this part and prevents the
said interior shaft G revolving on itself.
It may easily be seen that any movement of revolution given to the fly wheel H
communicates to the spindle G a longitudinal motion which is transmitted by means
of an elbow lever E. and the connecting rod E' to the slide of the steam admission
valve D, and it can easily be seen that the direction in which the hand fly wheel H
and, consequently, the screwed socket U is revolved, determines the direction of
movement of the machine, and as soon as the movement of it (the hand wheel H) is
stopped, the intermediate shaft J, continuing to be revolved, engages by its screwed
part the socket U of this fly wheel, and brings back at once the interior shaft G to
its first position, and thus checks the entry of steam into the cylinders.
The position of the pointer of an indicator P, fitted in the usual manner to the
apparatus, allows of the extent of the movement, which must be given to the fly
wheel H in order to give the rudder its required position, being easily deter-
mined; in order, however, that an excessive angular displacement shall not be given
to the rudder, the arrangement represented in Figure 5 is preferably employed
which is intended to automatically limit the course of the tiller.
In this case, the socket U is suitably enlarged at the part where it receives the fly
wheel H, which allows of a nut V being placed therein and movable on the end of
the spindle G, which, as stated before; cannot revolve on itself: this nut V is fitted
with projections or lugs engaging in grooves u formed in the socket U, which
thus carries it with it when revolved, while leaving it free to be displaced longi-
tudinally on the thread v.
When the fly wheel H has been made to describe a certain number of revolutions,
the screw V comes in contact with the ends of the recess formed inside the socket U,
which thus becomes jammed with the spindle G, and this latter, not being able to
revolve on itself, prevents any further movement being given to the fly wheel.
On Figure 5 there is shown the application of a spring R to each end of the recess
in the socket U which resists a too sudden pressure of the screw V, and, consequently,
a too sudden coincidence of the socket U of the fly wheel at the moment when it is
thus jammed with the spindle G.
It is apparent, therefore, that it is only necessary to calculate the suitable pitch and
length of the screw thread v in order that the total travel of this nut in the chamber
where it is seated shall correspond to the number of turns which must be given to the
fly wheel H in order to produce the maximum angular displacement which the tiller
of the rudder may assume.
It is evident that, in place of screwing the shaft G, the inside of the boss U may be
screwed, the nut V being then connected to the shaft G by a longitudinal key for
instance, which will allow of its sliding freely under the action of the screw thread cut,
as stated before, in the socket U.
In the pattern of steering machine described above, the use of my correspondents'
patent slide boxes as described in the specification of English patent No. 18319 as
well as various special arrangements, of the steam cylinders and other parts of the
machine, have been described, but it is understood that the invention is not limited to
these particular arrangements, as it bears essentially on the novel application of bevel
gearing for transmitting the motion from the driving shaft to the intermediate shaft,
as well as the relative position of the steam cylinders situated vertically behind one of
the frames of the machine.
The combination of these two principal points allows the realisation of the above
described advantages, and the easy application of the system of steam steering to
ordinary hand steering machines, by utilising the larger part of their machinery.
'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is
-
1. In steering machines, an intermediate driving shaft placed at right angles to the

page_text: driving shaft of the two cylinders of the machine and actuated from this shaft by
means of bevel gearing; this intermediate shaft serving simultaneously as the means
of transmitting the motion when working by steam, as direct driving shaft when
steering by hand, and as guide for the motion of the spindle which actuates the
admission valve, substantially as described.
2. In steering machines, an intermediate shaft, driving, by means of spur gearing,
the axle carrying the drum or chain wheel of the rudder chains and actuated at one of
its ends by the driving shaft of the engine cylinders by means of bevel gearing and a
suitable clutch, and having at its other extremity an ordinary hand steering wheel
capable of being disengaged at will, according as to whether it is desired to steer by
hand or by steam, substantially as described.
3. In steering machines, the combination, with an intermediate shaft such as
described, of an internal shaft actuating the steam admission valve with reversing
gear, one end of this shaft being actuated longitudinally by a fly wheel keyed on a
screwed socket engaging in a screw thread cut on the said intermediate shaft, the
other end of this spindle having an oval collar engaging the driving shaft of the
cylinders, which prevents it from turning on itself whilst leaving it free to move
longitudinally, substantially as described above and shown.
4. In steering machines, the combination of two driving cylinders situated verti-
cally behind the back part of the case of the machine symmetrically on one side and
the other of the admission valve, with an intermediate shaft driven by the cylinders
aforesaid by means of bevel gearing and directly actuating a spur wheel keyed on the
axle of the drum or chain wheel on which the rudder chains are rolled, substantially
as described and shown.
5. In a steering machine, the combination, with the spindle G for working the
steam admission valve, of a nut V capable of travelling between two fixed abutments
on a screw thread cut on the end of this spindle; the said nut V being situated inside
the socket of the fly wheel H which actuates the said spindle and receiving. a rotary
movement from this socket by means of grooves or other similar arrangement in such
manner that, when the nut V strikes against one or other of the projections aforesaid,
it arrests the rotary motion of the fly wheel H, making it jam with the shank G which
cannot revolve on itself; the number of revolutions which the fly wheel H can make
in one or another direction being thus fixed so as to correspond with the extent of the
maximum angular displacement which the rudder of the ship is to assume, substantially
as described above and represented on the annexed drawing.
T1
101
1 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.