Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Sept., 1888
I, WILLIAM SHAPTON, of 8 Great George Street, in the City of Westminster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a steering gear which can be worked by
steam from any steam boiler and which at the same time possesses the advantages of
hydraulic steering gear as ordinarily constructed without necessitating the employment
of a pumping engine.
I connect the tiller by chains which pass over guide pulleys to two sets of rods one
at either side of the vessel as is usual and at the place where the mechanism for
controlling the rudder is to be placed I connect these rods to other chains which are
secured to or acted on by piston rods passing out from the two ends of a cylinder
fixed transversely of the vessel so that by admitting steam to one or other end of the
cylinder the rudder may be moved over to one side or the other. To control the
extent to which it is moved over I secure the piston rod to a cross-head to which are
secured the piston rods of the pistons of two hydraulic cylinders one on either side
of it.
I provide valves for admitting steam to or allowing it to escape from either end of
the steam cylinder and also for admitting liquid to or allowing it to escape from either
end of the hydraulic cylinders. The valves I use are what are known as "hunting
valves" that is that when the valve is moved by the steering wheel or mechanism in
one direction or another to allow steam or liquid to pass to one or other end of a
cylinder it continues to admit steam or liquid until it is by the movement imparted to
the piston brought into a position to cut off the passage of steam or liquid.
The hydraulic cylinders hold the rudder in whatever position it may be moved to.
But to avoid breakage in case of the rudder being subjected to violent shocks I
provide relief valves for allowing liquid to pass from either end of the hydraulic
cylinders should the rudder be struck to one side or the other by a heavy sea. If the
ID 1, 131

page_text: rudder should be so moved over the "hunting" valve at once readmits steam to the
steam cylinder to bring back the rudder to its former position so soon as the rudder is
relieved from excessive pressure.
In some cases the rods may be omitted and only chains used, or the piston may be
connected directly to the tiller.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM SHAPTON, of 8 Great George Street, in the City of Westminster
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 my invention is to provide a steering gear which can be worked by
steam from any steam boiler and which at the same time possesses the advantages of
hydraulic steering gear as ordinary constructed without necessitating the employment
of a pumping engine.
I connect the tiller with the piston rod of a cylinder and move the rudder by
admitting steam to one or other end of the cylinder. To control the extent to which
it is moved over 1 secure the piston rod to a cross head to which are secured hydraulic
cylinders.
I provide valves for admitting steam to or allowing it to escape from either end of
the steam cylinder and also for admitting liquid to or allowing it to escape from
either end of the hydraulic cylinders. The valves I use are what are known as
"hunting" valves that is that when the valve is moved by the steering wheel or
mechanism in one direction or another to allow steam or liquid to pass to one or other
end of a cylinder it continues to admit steam or liquid until it is by the movement
imparted to the piston brought into a position to cut off the passage of steam or
liquid.
The hydraulic cylinders hold the rudder in whatever position it may be moved to.
But to avoid breakage in case of the rudder being subjected to violent shocks I
provide relief valves for allowing liquid to pass from either end of the hydraulic
cylinders should the rudder be struck to one side or the other by a heavy sea. If the
rudder should be so moved over the "hunting" valve at once readmits steam to the
steam cylinder to bring back the rudder to its former position so soon as the rudder is
relieved from excessive pressure.
33

page_text: Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings annexed shew apparatus arranged as above
described and acting directly upon the tiller.
Figure 1 is a plan view Figure 2 a front elevation and Figure 3 an end view.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 shew like views of similar apparatus and arranged to act upon
the tiller through chains.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3 A is a steam cylinder, B a crosshead fixed to the piston rod
of this cylinder. C, C, C¹, C¹, are four hydraulic cylinders fixed rigidly to the cross-
head. D D D D₁ are four fixed rams which pass through stuffing boxes at one or
other end of the cylinders. The opposite ends of the cylinders are closed. Two of
the cylinders lie in one direction, two in the opposite direction. The rams are hollow
so that liquid may pass through them into or out of the cylinders. The passages
through the rams D D are at the fixed ends of these rams connected by pipes E E to
the lower end of a casing F in which is a safety relief valve loaded by a spring
to any desired pressure the lower end of the safety valve casing is also connected
by a pipe G with one port of a slide valve H. Another port of this valve is con-
nected by a pipe I with the lower end of the casing of a safety relief valve J
which by other pipes K is also connected to the ends of the rams D D¹. In this
way when the slide valve H is moved so that its two ports are open the one to
the other the crosshead can be moved in either direction and the water thereby
moved out of the right hand end of two of the cylinders will pass to the left
hand end of the other two cylinders-but if both ports are closed the hydraulic
cylinders are locked and the crosshead cannot move in either direction. H¹ is an
air vessel above the slide valve.
The casing J above the relief valve within it is coupled by a pipe L with the
pipes leading to the bottom of the safety relief valve casing F and similarly the
casing F above the relief valve within it is coupled by a pipe M with the lower
part of the relief valve casing J. If when the ports of the slide valve H are
closed the crosshead is forced violently in either direction one or other of the relief
valves will lift and allow slight movement of the cross-head-the water forced out of
the ends of two of the cylinders then passing the safety valve and entering the ends
of the other cylinders to fill the void which otherwise would be formed in them. The
crosshead is formed of end blocks coupled by top and bottom plates and is guided in
a straight line in its to and fro movements by rollers N running on fixed angle iron
rails O. P is the tiller it passes through a slot formed across a disc Q-this disc is at
its centre held by pins Q₁ to the top and bottom plates of the cross-head. In this
way the tiller is turned when the cross-head is moved to and fro.
The moving of the cross-head is effected by admitting steam to one or other end
of the steam cylinder A-by moving the valve R. The valve is a circular valve
acting in the manner of a slide valve-when rocked in one direction it admits steam
from the steam supply pipe R' to one end of the cylinder and allows steam to exhaust
from the opposite end through the exhaust S. When rocked in the opposite direction
it admits steam to the end which before was open to the exhaust.
The rocking of the valve is effected by the link T₁ which is coupled to an arm T
on the axis T. On this axis is another arm coupled by a short link with the rod of
the slide valve H.
The arm T2 has also jointed to it one end of a rod T³ which at its opposite end can
move to and fro in a straight line in a suitable guide. The rod T3 has pivotted to
it a lever U. The lower end of this lever is forked and embraces pins on a nut V¹
through which a screw V works and which can be moved to and fro by turning
this screw.
The turning of the screw is effected from the steering house by an
endless wire cord working over a pulley V2. The upper end of the lever is connected
by a link W with an arm of a toothed arc X-this arc has gearing into it a worm Y¹
on an axis Y on which is a quick screw thread. The screw works through a nut Z
fixed to the cross-head.
When by means of the endless wire rope the screw V is turned from the steering
house the lower end of the lever U is moved in one direction or the other and thereby
shifts the rod T3 and link T. The steam slide valve is consequently shifted and

page_text: admits steam to one or other end of the steam cylinder and at the same time the slide
valve H is also shifted and a communication is opened between its two ports so
permitting the crosshead to be shifted in one direction or the other by the steam
pressure. As the crosshead moves, the nut Z carried by it gives a revolving motion
to the screw stem Y and the worm upon it turns the arc X and moves the upper end
of the lever U in a direction to again close both valves. When the valves are closed
the rudder is held in the position into which it has been moved. The position of the
rudder may be indicated in the steering house by any ordinary tell tale apparatus.
In the modification of the apparatus shown at Figures 4, 5 and 6 a is a double
acting steam cylinder with piston and piston rod acting on a cross-head or sliding
frame carrying two pullies bb. c is a chain attached to the cylinder at d and passing
over one of the pullies 6 and thenco leading along one side of the ship to a quadrant
fixed on the rudder post. e is a similar chain attached at the point and led over the
other pulley to the quadrant to act upon it in the opposite direction to the other
chain. gg are the controlling cylinders filled with oil glycerine and water or other
suitable liquid.
The valves for the steam and hydraulic cylinders are connected and fitted with
self acting cut off or hunting gear which may be formed in the manner above
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. The construction of combined steam and hydraulic steering apparatus in such
manner that the moving of the rudder is effected by the direct thrust of the piston of
a steam cylinder and is held in any position into which it is moved by hydraulic
cylinders and in such manner that when the steam valve is moved to admit steam to
one or other end of the steam cylinder communication is opened between the hydraulic
cylinders so that liquid can pass from one to the other and allow the rudder to be
moved and also in such manner that the movement of the rudder causes both valves
to be again closed.
2. The construction of combined steam and hydraulic steering apparatus sub-
stantially in the manner herein before described and illustrated in the drawing
annexed.