IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS, AND APPLICABLE FOR STARTING ENGINES AND TO HOISTING APPARATUS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Paul, Andrew Paul, and John Haythorn, all of
Dumbarton, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS, AND APPLICABLE FOR
STARTING ENGINES AND TO HOISTING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 14th May 1878, and dated the 20th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Paul, Andrew
Paul, and John Haythorn, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 20th November 1877.
MATTHEW PAUL, ANDREW PAUL, and JOHN HAYTHORN, all of Dumbarton, in
the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEERING APPARATUS, AND APPLICABLE FOR STARTING ENGINES AND TO HOISTING
APPARATUS."
This Invention has principally for its object to dispense with a large part of the
toothed gearing usually required in steam-power apparatus for steering, for starting
large engines, or for hoisting, and it comprises improved combinations of steam and
hydraulic apparatus for those purposes.
In one modification of the improved apparatus one double-acting steam cylinder
is employed to directly work two plunger pumps, and is fitted with a valve or
valves worked by a piston or pistons acted on by steam, admitted to them at the
completion of each stroke of the main piston by small valves, then acted on by
tappets working through the cylinder covers, or by triggers on the main piston rod.
The pumps force water or other suitable liquid through pipes communicating with
a directing valve, and by such valve with pipes communicating with opposite
ends of a moving hydraulic cylinder. This cylinder moves over a stationary piston,
fast on a rod, passing through packed boxes at both ends of the cylinder, and fixed
to the framing, and the pipes for the water communicate with the cylinder ends
through bores in the piston rod. The hydraulic cylinder has formed or fixed on its
outside a spur-toothed rack, by means of which its movement is transmitted, and in
the case of steering apparatus this rack gears with a pinion on a shaft having fast
I Price 21

page_text: on it a two-grooved pulley, barrel, or equivalent part for acting on the chains or
ropes which are connected to the rudder.
The hydraulic cylinder also imparts motion by a screw spindle or by a rack to a
screw shaft placed in line with a handing shaft, having on it the usual manuel
steering wheel, or connected by gearing to a shaft having such wheel on it. A
tubular coupling piece is fitted partly on the screw shaft and partly on the handing
shaft, being arranged to move along but turn with the latter, and to screw on the
former; or the screwed parts and straight parts may be transposed. A groove
between a pair of collars on this tubular coupling piece acts on the lever of the
directing valve which controls the communications by the water pipes; and when
the steering wheel is turned the tubular coupling piece is moved along by screwing
on the screw shaft, and moves the directing valve so as to cause the hydraulic
cylinder to act in the required manner. Then as the hydraulic cylinder moves to
the intended position, it, by turning the screw shaft, moves back the tubular
coupling piece, and thereby brings back the directing valve to its middle and
neutral position.
Instead of the moving hydraulic cylinder there may be one double-acting fixed
cylinder, the rack being in that case on the moving piston rod; or there may be
two single-acting fixed cylinders placed either horizontally or vertically. When
there are two hydraulic cylinders there may be a rack in connection with each, and
the two racks may move in the same direction when acting, but on opposite sides
of the pinion.
Instead of the hydraulic cylinder or its piston rod transmitting motion by means
of a rack to the pulley or barrel, or other part acting on the rudder, either the
cylinder or its piston rod, the other being stationary, may be formed with a quick-
pitched screw thread or threads to act on an internal screw thread or threads formed
in the centre of the pulley or barrel, which being carried so as to be capable of
turning only, will be turned by the endways movement of the cylinder or piston
rod.
The steam cylinder and pumps may be placed on the same framing as the
remainder of the apparatus, or they may be placed quite apart, and in the engine
room or other convenient part of the ship, and may be utilised for working a
windlass, a winch, or other hoisting apparatus. When the length of movement
required with the hoisting apparatus is considerable, the racks on the rams or
piston rods of two fixed hydraulic cylinders, or on two moving cylinders, may be
arranged to gear both on the same side of pinions on a shaft of the hoisting gear,
such pinions being arranged with ratchets or equivalent devices so as to turn the
shaft only when moving in one direction. A continuous motion of the shaft will
thereby be obtained, whilst the rams or cylinders acting alternately may be made
to perform their return strokes by means of a pinion gearing on opposite sides of it
with additional racks on the rams or cylinders.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Matthew Paul, Andrew Paul, and John Haythorn, in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 18th May 1878.
MATTHEW PAUL, ANDREW PAUL, and JOHN HAYTHORN, all of Dumbarton, in
the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEERING APPARATUS, AND APPLICABLE FOR STARTING ENGINES AND TO HOISTING
APPARATUS."
Our said Invention has principally for its object to dispense with a large part of
the toothed gearing usually required in steam-power apparatus for steering, for
starting large engines, or for hoisting, and it comprises improved combinations of
steam and hydraulic apparatus for those purposes.
In one modification of our improved apparatus one double-acting steam cylinder
is employed to directly work two plunger pumps which force water or other suit-
able liquid through pipes, and a directing valve to a moving hydraulic cylinder.
This hydraulic cylinder works upon a fixed piston and rod, and has on its outside
rack teeth, which in the case of steering apparatus gear with a pinion on a shaft,
having fast on it a two-grooved pulley, or a barrel, or other equivalent for acting on
the chains or ropes which are connected to the rudder.
The hydraulic cylinder also imparts motion to a screw spindle placed in line with
a handing shaft having on it the usual manual steering wheel, or connected by
gearing to a shaft having such wheel on it. A tubular coupling piece is fitted
partly on the screw shaft and partly on the handing shaft, being arranged to move
along but turn with the latter, and to screw on the former; or the screwed parts
and straight parts may be transposed. This coupling piece acts on the lever of the
directing valve which controls the communications by the water pipes; and when
the steering wheel is turned the tubular coupling piece is moved along by screwing
upon the screw shaft, and moves the directing valve so as to cause the hydraulic
cylinder to act in the required manner. Then as the hydraulic cylinder moves to
the intended position, it, by turning the screw shaft, moves back the tubular
coupling piece and thereby brings back the directing valve to its middle and neutral
position.
And in order that our said Invention, which also comprises modifications of the
herein-before briefly described apparatus, and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, we hereunto append two Sheets of explanatory
Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing various modifications of
our improved apparatus.
In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, is a plan of one modification
of our improved steering apparatus; and Figures 2 and 3 are corresponding front
and side elevations.
Figure 4 is an enlarged section, showing the steam cylinder and its valves. In
this modification all the parts are carried upon a bed frame 1, which is of a rectan-
gular form in plan, and which is made hollow, and so that its interior may serve as
a tank to hold the water or other liquid employed in transmitting the power from the
steam cylinder to the other parts. The steam cylinder 2 is placed horizontally at
the middle of the fore part of the bed frame 1; it is double-acting, and its piston
rod 3 extends through stuffing boxes at both of its ends, the ends of the rod acting
as plungers to two pumps 4, placed at opposite ends of the fore part of the bed
frame 1. The slide valve 5 of the steam cylinder 2 is moved by a double piston
piece 6, to each end of which alternately the steam has access by passages 7 from a
valve chest 8, having in it a slide valve 9, worked by rods 10, which pass out
through stuffing boxes at opposite ends. These valve rods 10 are connected by
levers 11 to rods 12, which, passing through stuffing boxes, enter each end of the

page_text: 7
steam cylinder 2, and are alternately acted on by the piston. As the piston
approaches either end of the cylinder 2 it pushes the rod 12 at that end outwards,
and causes a movement of the valve 9, so as to admit steam by one of the passages
to act on the double piston piece 6, and move it and the valve 5. The double piston
piece 6 is hollow, and the steam has access to its interior from the valve chest by
one or more holes, whilst small valves 13 are fitted to its ends, the spindles of these
valves being directed outwards, and arranged to touch or strike adjustable pins 14,
screwed through the end covers of the valve chest. When the steam is acting on
one end of the double piston piece 6 the space at the other end communicates with
the exhaust by the passage 7, valve 9, and an exhaust passage 15 under the valve
communicating with the main exhaust; but the piston end of the piece 6 on
approaching the end of its travel covers the small holes formed into the passage 7,
and on the spindle of the valve 13 encountering the pin 14 that valve is opened,
and admits steam to act as a cushion, and stop the further movement of the double
piston piece 6.
In Figure 4 the valve chest 8 and primary valve 9 are shown as diametrically
opposite to the main valve chest, but this is merely for clearness and convenience,
as in practice the two valve chests are placed as near to each other as is conveniently
practicable, and the part of the section below the centre line of the piston rod 3 must,
as it were, be turned upwards about that centre line to assume its proper position.
The two plunger pumps
draw from the interior of the bed frame tank 1, and
they force the water by pipes 16 to the box of a directing valve 17; this directing
valve is a simple conical plug valve constructed for four ways, and by preference
made with half-size cavities above and below its main cavities, which half-size
cavities are by small bores made to communicate respectively with the opposite
main cavities, the ports in the valve casing communicating with the main cavities
only; this construction causes the lateral pressures on the plug valve to balance
each other. From the directing valve 17 the water passes by pipes 18 to the opposite
ends of a horizontal rod 19, which is fixed down on the bed frame 1, and has a
piston fixed on its middle, whilst it carries a moving hydraulic cylinder 20, with
the opposite ends of which the pipes 18 communicate by bores in the rod 19. The
rod 19 passes through packed boxes in the ends of the hydraulic cylinder 20, and
the piston is also suitably packed.
The hydraulic cylinder 20 has formed or fixed on its outside a spur-toothed
(double) rack 21, which gears with a pinion 22 on a shaft 23, having fast on it a
two-grooved pulley 24 for acting on the chains or ropes which are connected to the
rudder. From the shaft 23 motion is communicated through the spur gearing 25, 26,
to a shaft 27, the forward end of which has screw threads 28 formed on it; and in
line with this shaft 27, 28, there is a short handing shaft 29, shown as having a
hand wheel 30 fixed on it, and also as connected by bevil wheels 31 to a vertical
shaft 32, which may extend upwards and be geared to an upper hand wheel shaft.
A tubular coupling piece 33 is fitted partly on the screw shaft 28, and partly on
the handing shaft 29, these two shafts meeting at the middle of the coupling piece
when that coupling piece is in its middle position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.
The coupling piece 33 is fitted to the handing shaft 29, with one or more longitudinal
grooves and feathers, so as to turn with that shaft whilst free to move along it, and
annular teeth are formed on the outside of the coupling piece 33, for the purpose of
gearing with a toothed sector 34, fixed on the spindle of the directing valve 17. A
pipe 35 from the directing valve 17 leads the exhaust water from the hydraulic
cylinder 20 back to the bed frame tank 1.
It is an important practical advantage of the improved arrangement of apparatus
herein-before described that a single steam cylinder is employed, instead of two or
more, as in some previously existing arrangements.
Instead of the moving hydraulic cylinder (20) there may be one double-acting
fixed cylinder, the rack (21) being in that case on the moving piston rod; or there
may be two single-acting fixed cylinders placed either horizontally or vertically.
A modification of the kind last referred to is shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, on Sheet 2
i

page_text: of the accompanying Drawings, these Figures being respectively a plan, a sectional
front elevation, and a side elevation. The ram 36 of each cylinder 37 is formed
with a toothed rack 38, and the two racks are arranged to gear on opposite sides. of
the pinion 22. The remainder of the parts remain substantially as in the first
modification.
Instead of the hydraulic cylinder (20) or its piston rod transmitting motion by
means of a rack to the pulley (24) or barrel, or other part acting on the rudder,
either the cylinder or its piston rod, the other being stationary, may be formed
with one or more quick pitched screw threads or grooves to act on internal screw
grooves or threads formed in the centre of the pulley (24) or barrel, which being
carried so as to be capable of turning only, will be turned by the endways move-
ment of the cylinder (20) or piston rod (19); Figures 8 and 9 are end and side
elevations showing one of these modifications, and Figure 10 is a side elevation
showing the other modification. In both the pulley 24 formed with a hollow boss
of sufficient size is held between a pair of bearing frames 39, which allow it to
turn without moving endways by the action of the screw grooves 40 of the
cylinder 20 or rod 19 on feathers or teeth formed on the inside of the pulley boss,
whilst the cylinder 20 or rod 19 is itself prevented from turning by a straight groove
and fixed feather.
The steam cylinder (2) and pumps (4) may be placed on the same framing as the
remainder of the apparatus, as in the modification herein-before described with
reference to Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, or they may be placed quite
apart, and in the engine room or other convenient part of the ship, and they may
be utilised for working a windlass, a winch, or other hoisting apparatus or engine
starting apparatus.
When the length of movement required with the hoisting apparatus is considerable,
the racks (38) on the rams (36) or piston rods (19) of two fixed hydraulic
cylinders (37), or on two moving cylinders, may be arranged as shown in Figures 11,
12, and 13, which are respectively a plan, a front elevation, and a side elevation.
In this arrangement the racks 38 gear on the same side of pinions 22 on a
shaft 23 of the hoisting gear, such pinions being loose on the shaft, but having
between them (in a casing or box 41), a ratchet clutch working on feathers on the
shaft, and engaging with whichever pinion is moving in the direction for hoisting ;
or a frictional gripping device, such as is used in windlasses, may be employed, or
any equivalent device. A continuous motion of the shaft 23 will be thereby
obtained, whilst the rams (38) thus acting alternately may be made to perform their
return strokes by means of a pinion 42 gearing on opposite sides of it with
additional racks 43 on the rams 38, or on the cylinders when these are the moving
parts.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but that what we believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,--
1. The arranging or combining together of the steam cylinder (2), pumps (4),
hydraulic cylinder (20), handing shaft (29), coupling piece (33), and connected
shaft (27, 28), substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described with reference to Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
2. The modification of the combination referred to in the immediately preceding
sentence, wherein the steam cylinder (2) and pumps (4) are placed apart from the
other parts as herein-before described.
3. The modifications of the combinations referred to in the two immediately
preceding sentences, wherein a fixed double-acting hydraulic cylinder is substituted
for the moving cylinder (20), and the rack (21) is on or moved by the piston rod-or
ram, as herein-before described.
4. The arrangement of parts herein-before described with reference to Figures 5,

page_text: 6, 7, of the accompanying Drawings, and their combination with other parts,
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described.
5. The arrangement of parts herein-before described with reference to Figures 8,
9, of the accompanying Drawings, and their combination with other parts,
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described.
6. The arrangement of parts herein-before described with reference to Figure 10
of the accompanying Drawings, and their combination with other parts, substantially
as and for the purposes herein-before described.
7. The arranging or combining together of the parts of hydraulic apparatus for
hoisting purposes, substantially as herein-before described with reference to
Figures 11, 12, 13, of the accompanying Drawings.
8. The combination of parts forming the valve mechanism of the steam cylinder (2)
as herein-before described.
9. The application of cushion valves (13) as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
10. The application of a moving hydraulic cylinder (20) with the rack (21) formed
or fixed on it for the purposes herein-before described.
11. The combination of the coupling piece (33) with the shafts (27, 28, 29,) and
with the directing valve (17), substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Haythorn, on behalf of the said Matthew
Paul, the said Andrew Paul, and myself, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN HAYTHORN. (L.S.)