Improvements in and relating to the Steering of Vessels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr.,
Complete Sunsification Inst AFIL L
1897
1000
A
1000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Steering of Vessels.
I, JOSEPH CHRISTOPHER LEAVER, of No. 9, Queen Street Place, in the City of
London, Secretary of a Public Company, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the steering of ships, and has for its object the provision
of means, other that the ordinary steering rudder, which shall be capable of,
altering the position of, or of swinging, the vessel, when the latter is not being
moved forward or backward, and also to augment the steering capacity of the
ship, when travelling, by acting in concert with the ordinary rudder.
It is a well known fact that ships of large tonnage, such as ironclads, or battle-
ships, require a considerable amount of space to carry out evolutions, on account
of their smallest turning radius being of very considerable length, and such a
feature involves very considerable risk of collision, as has been exemplified many
times by the unforeseen accidents that have occurred with large ships when
moving in proximity to one another. Further, when a ship is steered by an
ordinary rudder, with or without the assistance derived from the differential
effect of twin screws, the effect can only be brought about by the progression of
the ship, and is produced mainly by the alteration of the position of the ship's
stern, which alters the direction of the ship's head, but does not alter the position
of the ship's head laterally.
To carry my invention into effect, I form a horizontal passage transversely in
the bow or stern of the ship, or in both, if desirable; or in any other suitable
part of the ship; and in this passage, I arrange a propeller, which, when operated,
shall impress a force upon the vessel, normal to its length in either one direction
or the other according to the action of the propeller. The propeller and its
supporting and driving mechanism is housed within the said transverse passage,
and is free therefore from risk of damage by ordinary contact with external
objects.
In order to keep up the continuity of the skin of the ship, I fit at each end of
the passage a door, which drops into a seating and which can be readily raised,
when it is desired to use the propeller for steering purposes; and can be closed
when the ship is to travel at a high speed, so as to remove any retarding effect
which the open transverse passage might have on the vessel, when travelling at
a high rate of speed.
It will be understood that the function of the said doors is not to make a joint
at the end of the passage, but merely to keep up the continuity of the external
surface of the hull.
The control of the said doors and the propeller or propellers can be effected by
the officers on the bridge if desired.
Dated this 15th day of Anril 1807
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to the Steering of Vessels.
I, JOSEPH CHRISTOPHER LEAVER, of 9, Queen Street Place, in the City of
London, Secretary of a Public Company, 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 the steering of ships and has for its object the provision
of means other than the ordinary steering rudder, which shall be capable of alter-
ing the position of, or of swinging the vessel, when the latter is not being moved
forward or backward and also to augment the steering capacity of the ship when
travelling by acting in concert with the ordinary rudder.
It is a well known fact that ships of large tonnage such as iron clads or battle-
ships require a considerable amount of space to carry out evolutions on account of
their smallest turning radius being of very considerable length, and such a feature
involves very considerable risk of collision, as has been exemplified many times
by the unforeseen accidents that have occurred with large ships when moving in
proximity to one another. Further when a ship is steered by an ordinary rudder
with or without the assistance derived from the differential effect of twin
screws, the effect can only be brought about by the progression of the ship, and
is produced mainly by the alteration of the position of the ships stern, which
alters the direction of the ships head but does not alter the position of the ships
head laterally.
To carry my invention into effect I form a horizontal passage transversely in
the bow or stern of the ship or in both if desirable or in any other suitable part
of the ship and in this passage I arrange a propeller, which, when operated shall
impress a force upon the vessel, normal to its length in either one direction or
the other according to the action of the propeller. The propeller and its support-
ing and driving mechanism is housed within the said transverse passage, and is
free therefore from risk of damage by ordinary contact with external objects.
In order to keep up the continuity of the skin of the ship, I fit at each end of
the passage a sliding door which drops into a seating and which can be readily
raised when it is desired to use the propeller for steering purposes, and can be
closed when the ship is to travel at a high speed, so as to remove any retarding
effect which the open transverse passage might have on the vessel, when travelling
at a high rate of speed.
It will be understood that the function of the said doors is not to make a
joint at the end of the passage but merely to keep up the continuity of the external
surface of the hull.
The control of the said doors and the propeller or propellers can be effected
by the officers on the bridge if desired.
In order that my invention may be the better understood I will now proceed
to describe it in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed reference being had
to the letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to like parts in the
various figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ship fitted with invention.
my
Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of the bow showing the mechanism.
Figure 3 is an end view of same.
AA are the horizontal transverse passages through the ship in each of which
is situated the propeller B, adapted to be supported by a bracket C and to be
driven by a motor D) and bevel gear E. The control of the motor is effected by
the gear F which is connected by preference with operating gear on the navigating
bridge of the vessel.

page_text: The open end of each passage is closable by a door G which is adapted to
preferably slide vertically into a pocket H formed in the hull, such operation being
effected by mechanical means such as a rack and pinion mechanism I. When
these doors are closed the continuity of the ship's hull is practically unbroken.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
The arrangement of a passage or passages at the bow or stern portions of the
hull or at both in combination with a water propelling device adapted to
impress a force or forces upon the hull normal to its length substantially as and
for the purpose described.
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.