CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR ADDADATHS PAD STEEDING SHING LED L
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert John Smith, of Islington, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR ADDADATHS PAD STEEDING SHING LED
LETTERS PATENT to Robert John Smith, of Islington, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR ADRANATHS PAD STEERING SHIPS AND
OTHER VESSELS."
TOT
UT
CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR ADDADATHS PAD
STREDING SHEDS
OTHER VESSELS."
Sealed the 11th May 1853, and dated the 13th November 1852.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Robert John Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 13th November 1852, pursuant to the
9th section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
I, ROBERT JOHN SMITH, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS
AND OTHER VESSELS" to be as follows (that is to say):-
My Improvements consist of an advantageous arrangement or dis-
position of the aforesaid machinery or apparatus, for more immediately
and effectually transmitting the motion of the steering wheel to the
rudder of ships and other vessels than hitherto, so that the number
of revolutions of the said steering wheel now required to bring the
ship or vessel about is diminished, and the steersman enabled to

page_text: carry the rudder from midships, either to the starboard or larboard
side, in a half turn or revolution of the said steering wheel, and from
one extreme to the other by one complete turn thereof. Before
proceeding to describe, however, more definitely the leading charac
teristic advantages to be derived from the introduction of these my
said improvements, I would first briefly remark that, in the arrange-
ments hitherto employed it has been the custom to give the steering
wheel a more rapid motion than the rudder, the said difference in
motion being necessary in order to give the helmsman the requisite
power to actuate and control the rudder when steering. It is,
therefore, to overcoming the comparative disadvantages result-
ing from the diminished speed transmitted to the rudder in the
aforesaid arrangements that my present Invention is particularly
directed, being an Invention of improvements on an Invention for
which Letters Patent were granted me on the 13th day of January
in the present year; that is to say, to insuring greater speed and
certainty of action, and rendering the operation of steering less
difficult, so as to bring the ship or vessel about in one turn of the
wheel, as aforesaid. I adjust, in connection with the cap or rudder
head, either a double-grooved disc or a segment wheel, the
concentric action of which keeps the coupling chains at all times in
a uniform state of tension, thus enabling the helmsman to act upon
the rudder, or put the same in motion without the loss of time
incurred at present. But in order that my said improvements may
be more readily understood and carried into effect, I will now pro-
ceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say), Fig. 1,
represents a front elevation of my improved steering apparatus
placed at the stern of a ship or vessel; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3,
a top or plan view; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section taken through the
nut or screw cylinder; and at Figs. 5, and 6, detached front and
side elevations of the lead or guide plate for the screw shaft to pass
through, separately shown. In each figure the same letters of refer-
ence denote similar corresponding parts. A, A, is the steering wheel;
B, B, standards for supporting the same; C, C, chain barrel around

page_text: which the steering chain works; D, D, stud pins for securing the
chain D', to the said barrel, and preventing its shifting or slipping
upon the surface; E, E, shaft upon which the steering wheel and
chain barrel revolve, being firmly keyed therewith; F, F, bearings
supporting the steering wheel shaft; G, G, screw motion cylinder
or nut, grooved externally upon its periphery in spiral chases H, H,
in which the steering chain works; I, I, traversing screw shaft or
steering bar, wormed and fitting into corresponding threads in the
nut or motion cylinder, as seen at Fig. 4, by which the said shaft or
steering bar receives a lateral movement only from the rotation of
the cylindrical nut round it. J, J, plumber block bearings support-
ing the shaft (upon which the screw cylinder or nut revolves) in
an horizontal position with the deck or platform; the ends of the
said shaft being square, are free to act only in a lateral direction,
whilst the grooved spiral screw cylinder or nut revolves round it, as
aforesaid, causing the said screw shaft or steering bar to tra-
verse freely within the thread or worm of the screw cylinder or
nut from end to end, in gear with the rudder, as described. K, K,
lead or guide plates, for conducting and retaining the square ends
of the screw shaft or steering bar in a horizontal position, as afore-
said. L, L, fixing bolts or shackles, for securing the coupling chain
M, M, to the screw shaft or steering bar. N, N; chain pulley wheels
or friction rollers, mounted on standard frames, as in manner shown,
for the purpose of conducting the coupling chain to the disc or the
grooved segment wheel; P¹, in connection with the rudder; 0, 0,
bolts or pins for securing the chain to the said disc; P, P, rudder
head or cap; Q, Q, platform of the ship or vessel; R, R, the deck;
S, S, linchpin, by which the steering wheel may be removed in
case of accident, in order that the tiller, which is attached, as in the
ordinary practice hitherto, to the stern rail of the ship or vessel,
may be removed and brought into a position for steering by being
placed upon the drum head or rudder shaft, as shown by the dotted
lines. In conclusion, I must further remark, that the cylindrical
nut and the chain barrel aforesaid, being of the same diameters,
will therefore move simultaneously with each other, in such manner

page_text: that at every half revolution of the wheel from midships either way
the screw shaft or steering bar will be made to traverse to its utmost
extent in the corresponding direction.
Having now described the nature of this my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, I would have
it clearly understood that I do not by any means confine myself to
the precise details hereinbefore given, as the same may be varied
without departing from the general principle of my Invention, but
that which I do claim claim as new and of my said Invention is,-
First, the employment of the cylindrical nut and screw, as set
forth and described, having threads of such rake that they may
traverse the entire length of the cylinder in one convolution.
Secondly, the mode of obtaining increased leverage by the en-
ployment of steering wheels of greater diameter, in conjunction with
the cylindrical nut or screw herein-before described.
Thirdly, the mode of removing the steering wheel for the purpose
of applying the common tiller, by extracting the linchpin herein-
before described, and withdrawing the wheel from the square axle
thereof.
Fourthly, the mode of coupling or connecting and working the
rudder through the intervention of the chain and segment wheel
or disc, as described.
Fifthly, the employment of the square shaft or plane part of the
screw, as represented in the Drawings, for the purposes aforesaid, in
conjunction with the square lead or guide plates.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert John Smith, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two.
ROBERT JOHN (L.s.) SMITH.