IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' TILLERS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Honry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' TILLERS."-A communica-
tion from Louis Frederic Francois David, of Havre, in the Empire of
France, Chain Manufacturer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Offico of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th December 1855.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' TILLERS," a commu-
nication from Louis Frederic Francois David, of Havre, in the Empire of
France, Chain Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improved constructions and arrangements
of ships' tillers, whereby a ready and quick action is obtained, and the chains
or ropes are kept at a uniform tension.
The improvements consist in attaching two horizontal arms (at a slight
angle to each other) to the rudder-head; each arm carrying a pulley at its
extremity, and an adjustable means of attachment for the ropes or chains. A

page_text: metal frame, connected with the rudder head by a tubular bar which works
freely round it as a pivot, serves to carry a shaft, which has keyed on to it a
spirally grooved barrel, on which the ropes or chains are wound, and on which
shaft is secured the steering wheel. A cross bar fixed to the metal frame
takes into the spiral grooves of the barrel. The end of the shaft carrying the
barrel and steering wheel enters the end of the tubular bar, so that when the
barrel and shaft are rotated to wind on the chain, spiral grooves or projections
on the barrel, acting against the fixed cross bar, will force the shaft carrying
the barrel to slide longitudinally in its bearings, the end of the shaft sliding
inside the tubular bar, the barrel thus shifting so as to pay off the chain on
one side and receive it on the other, at the same point. The chains are fixed
to the ends of the arms, and pass round pulleys on the metal frame, whence
they return to pulleys on the ends of the arms, and after passing round these
pulleys, they return back again to pulleys on the frame, which guide them on
to the barrel, to each end of which the two other ends of the chains are
attached. The steering wheel may either be placed in front of or behind the
tiller, by a slight modification of the apparatus. The arms on the rudder head
are so arranged, that when they are at the centre of their traverse their centre
lines will form a right angle with a line drawn from the centre of the pulleys
on the metal frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
or 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

page_text: of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS TILLERS," a communication from
Louis Frederick Francois David, of Havre, in the Empire of France, Chain
Manufacturer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describo 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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
'
The said Invention relates to certain improved constructions and arrange-
ments of ships' tillers, or the steering apparatus of ships, whereby a readier
and quicker action is obtained, and the chains or ropes are kept at a uniform
tension.
The improvements consist in attaching two horizontal arms (at a slight
angle to each other) to the rudder-head; each arm carrying a pulley at its
extremity, and an adjustable means of attachment for the ropes or chains, so
that they may be taken up or let out as desired. A metal frame, connected
with the rudder head by a solid or tubular bar which fits loosely on the rudder
head as a pivot, serves to carry a shaft, having fitted thereon either a fixed or
sliding spirally grooved barrel, on which the ropes or chains are wound. This
shaft carries also the steering wheel. A cross bar fixed to the metal frame
takes into the spiral grooves of the barrel. The end of the shaft carrying the
barrel and steering wheel enters the end of the tubular bar when a fixed barrel
is used, so that when the barrel and shaft are rotated to wind on the chain, the
spiral grooves or projections on the barrel, acting against the fixed cross bar, will
force the shaft carrying the barrel to slide longitudinally in its bearings, the
end of the shaft sliding inside the tubular bar, and the barrel with its shaft
shifting so as to pay off the rope or chain on one side and receive it on the
other simultaneously at one point. The chains are fixed to the ends of the
arms and pass round pullics on the metal frame, whence they return to pullics
on the ends of the arms, and after passing round these pullies, they return
back again to pullies fixed on the frame, which pullies guide them on to the
barrel, to each end of which the two other ends of the chains are attached.
The steering wheel may be either placed in front of or behind the tiller, by a

page_text: slight modification of the apparatus. The arms on the rudder head are so
arranged that when they are at the centre of their traverse, that is to say, wlien
the rudder is amidships, their centre lines will respectively form right angles
with lines drawn from the respective centres of the guide pullies on the metal
frame to points on the respective centre lines of the arms, such points being
severally equally distant from the are described by the traverse of the extremity
of the arm and the chords of that arc.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
I shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed; the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts on all
the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of one modification
of the improved tiller; and Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same.
A is the steering wheel; B, a wrought or cast iron frame; C, a drum or
barrel on which the chains are wound, having a spiral surface, and sliding on
a feather along the shaft D, working in bearings in the frame B, and carrying
the steering wheel A at one end; E is a fixed cross bar secured to the frame B,
and taking into the spiral groove of the barrel C; F, F, a standard or support
fixed to the deck; G is a wrought-iron bar, in one piece, fitted to the
frame B at one end, whilst its other end is jointed to the boss G¹, fitted loosely
on the rudder head; H, H, are the chains; J is a pivot fixed in the centre of
the arms K, K, and turning freely in the boss G³, when the rudder is moved;
L, L, are pullies carried in links jointed to the ends of the armis K, round
which pullies the chains H are passed; L, L', are adjusting screws to which
one end of each chain is attached for tightening up or letting out the chains,
as found desirable; M is the cylindrical "chock" of the rudder; N, a ring of
wrought or cast iron, in which are fitted the arms K; O, the cover of the
"chock;" P, P, are two fixed guide pullies carried by the frame B, and
serving to guide the chains on to the drum or barrel C. On turning the
wheel A in either direction, the fixed cross bar E, by taking into the spiral
groove on the barrel, will cause it to slide along the shaft D, and thus
enable the chains to be given off at one side, and taken up at the other side
immediately opposite the guide pullies P, P. One peculiar feature of this
arrangement is that the arms K, in place of being in a line with each
other, as shewn by the Diagram Figure 2, which is the ordinary mode of
construction, are at a slight angle with each other. This angle I prefer being
such, that when the arms are at the centres of their respective traverses or
courses (which courses are shown by the red lines a, b, in Figure 2), their

page_text: centre lines will respectively form right angles with lines c drawn from the
respective centres of the guide pullies P, P, on the metal frame to the points
d on tho said centre lines of the armis, such points d being severally equally
distant from the arc or curved course, and the intersection e of the chord of
that are with the said centre line. By this arrangement of the arms, a
better action is obtained than with the arms in a straight line, as in
Figure 2*.
Figures 3 and 4 represent a side elevation and plan of another slightly
modified form of steering apparatus, but having the position or angle of the
arms K fixed in the manner herein-before described.
In this arrangement,
the barrel E is fast on the shaft D, which shaft slides longitudinally in its
bearings, one end of it working inside the bar G, which in this case is made
hollow to receive it.
Figure 5 represents the application of this system to a steering apparatus
with a straight "chock," in place of a cylindrical one.
Figure represents the same application, with the steering wheel behind
the rudder head, in placo of before the rudder head.
Figure 7 is a detail of a modification of the tightening or adjusting screw L'.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to
the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by.
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general constructions and arrangements of the steering apparatus
of ships, as herein-before described, and illustrated by the Drawings.
Second, the placing of the arms K at the angle herein-before mentioned,
such angle being determined by the mode herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)