IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS, AND IN APPLYING RUDDERS THERETO
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Henderson, of Gloucester Place, Portman
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Master Mariner, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS, AND IN APPLYING RUDDERS THERETO."
Sealed the 6th May 1859, and dated the 9th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Henderson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th November 1858.
I, ANDREW HENDERSON, of Gloucester Place, Portman Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS, AND IN APPLYING RUDDERS THERETO,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in vessels, and in applying
rudders thereto, and the improvements are peculiarly applicable to tug or tow
boats, or vessels used in shallow waters, in tortuous channels, and in cross
currents. For these purposes at the bow and also at the stern end of the
vessel a chamber is formed, so that a rudder may be raised into it.
The rudder at the fore end or bow of the vessel is mounted on a spindle
which moves in suitable bearings, and the spindle has formed on it a male
screw, on which there is applied a nut which rests upon one of the bearings of
the spindle, and by turning this nut the spindle may be raised or lowered, and
the position of the rudder adjusted, and the rudder, in the event of touching
the bottom, is capable of rising into the chamber; the stern or hinder rudder
is similarly mounted on a spindle, having a screw thereon, and a screw nut to
adjust the position of the rudder. The spindle is sustained by a bearing which
is mounted on necks or axes, by which the spindle may assume an inclined
position, and the parts of the spindle above and below such bearing are

page_text: supported on either side by parallel guides. The spindles or posts are not
fixed to the forward edges of the rudders, but are fixed to the rudders, so that
the rudder in each case extends beyond the spindle both forward and aft, and
by preference, the spindle is fixed to its rudder in such manner as to have
about one-third of its length projecting forward beyond the spindle to which it
is fixed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Andrew Henderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
: the 9th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
HENDERSON, of Gloucester Place, Portman Square, in the County of Middle-
sex, Master Mariner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Andrew Henderson, Her special licence that I; the said Andrew
Henderson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Andrew Henderson, my 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN VESSELS AND IN APPLYING RUDDERS THERETO," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Andrew Henderson, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Andrew Henderson, 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, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in vessels and in applying
rudders thereto, and the improvements are peculiarly applicable to tug or tow

page_text: boats or vessels used in shallow waters, in tortuous channels, and in cross cur-
rents. For these purposes at the bow and also at the stern end of the vessel,
a chamber is formed so that a rudder may be raised into it. The rudder at
the fore end or bow of the vessel is mounted on a spindle which moves in
suitable bearings, and the spindle has formed on it a male screw on which
there is applied a nut, which rests upon one of the bearings of the spindle, and
by turning this nut the spindle may be raised or lowered, and the position of
the rudder adjusted, and the rudder in the event of touching the bottom is
capable of rising into the chamber. The stern or binder rudder is similarly
mounted on a spindle having a screw thereon, and a screw nut to adjust the
position of the rudder. The spindle is sustained by a bearing which is
mounted on necks or axes, by which the spindle may assume an inclined
position, and the parts of the spindle above and below such bearing are sup-
ported on either side by parallel guides. The spindles or posts are not fixed
to the forward edges of the rudders, but are fixed to the rudders so that the
rudder in each case extends beyond the spindle both forward and aft, and by
preference the spindle is fixed to its rudder in such manner as to have about
one-third of its length projecting forward beyond the spindle to which it
is fixed.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and

page_text: the stern of a vessel, with a rudder 'applied thereto according to my Invention.
a is the chamber into which the rudder b. may be raised; c is the spindle on
which the rudder b is mounted, the spindle having a male screw formed upon
it, on which there is a nut d resting on the upper bearing e¹ of the spindle c;
this nut forms the boss of a wheel d', and by turning this wheel the rudder
may be raised or lowered; e is the collar forming the lower bearing to the
spindle c.
This collar has two projecting pins or axes, which work between the guides
ff; these guides are attached to two longitudinal plates 9, 9, one on each side
of the rudder, which plates serve to keep the water from the chamber a. The
upper bearing e¹ of the spindle c is capable of sliding between the parallel
girders h, h, and the bearing e' can be fixed in any desired position by a pin i
passing through holes in the girders h, and through the bearing e', so that the
spindle c may, if desired, be made to assume any inclined position. k is a rope
by which the rudder can be taken in-board when desired. The stern rudder b
can, if it touches the ground, rise up into the chamber a in the same way as
the rudder at the bow. Figures 7 and 8 shew enlarged sectional views of the
spindle c and parts connected therewith; Figures 9 and 10 shew plan views
of the stern and bow; the tiller / both at the stern and bow passes through a
wrought-iron cap m, which is attached to the top of the spindle c by a pin n,
so that the tiller can turn on this pin as a centre. Wheel ropes can be
attached to the back end of each tiller, and these ropes may be passed round
separate wheels on the same axis, which axis is placed in the centre of the
vessel in an elevated position, and which is turned by a steering wheel; the
wheel around which the tiller ropes from the bow rudder pass may be thrown
out of gear, so that it is not turned by the steering wheel, and the bow rudder
will be thus kept stationary when it is desired to be used as a keel or gripe.
The spindles c are not fixed to the forward edges of the rudders b, but are
fixed to the rudders, so that the rudder extends beyond the spindle both
forward and aft, as shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Henderson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
GEO. PITT.
ANDW. HENDERSON. (L.S.)