IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR STEERING VESSELS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR STEERING VESSELS."-
A communication from abroad by Robert Creuzbaur, of the City of New
York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 30th November 1866, and dated the 24th September 1866..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th September 1866.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR STEERING
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manoeuvring or turning of ships and other
sailing vessels by the use of a screw, which is enclosed within a tube of suit-
able dimensions passing transversely through the hull of the vessel, and in
such a position that the screw will be out of the way of injury from external

page_text: causes, and will be able to act and react upon the water in a direction
transversely or obliquely to the length of the vessel.
The blades of the screw are made of such length as to rotate freely in the
enclosing tube. The screw is mounted on a transverse shaft which is driven
by bevil wheels or other gearing set in motion by a small steam engine applied
directly to the driving shaft; or the motion may be transmitted through a
large bevil wheel keyed to the lower end of a vertical shaft passing up through
the decks, and having on each deck a capstan applied to it. By this arrange-
ment the shaft can be turned by manual power from either deck when through
the disabling of the engine or otherwise steam power is not available for
steering. The crank shaft of the engine is connected to the driving shaft by
a sliding clutch which admits of their instantaneous disconnection. In steering
by the aid of the engine the reversing of the screw is effected by simply
reversing the engine, the means for effecting which can be brought by any
approved contrivance of cords or levers within reach of the pilot or steersman;
but in case of the engine being rendered inoperative the steering apparatus
can be worked by the crew through the aid of the capstans. To allow for
reversing the direction of rotation of the screw when thus worked and of its
being thrown out of action a sliding clutch is applied to the driving shaft
between two loose bevil pinions, also mounted on that shaft and in gear with
the large bevil wheel above mentioned; this clutch is operated by a lever
reaching to the deck or communicating with the pilot house in any usual or
approved manner. By sliding this clutch either one or other of the pair of
loose pinions may be locked to the shaft and transmit the motion of the large
bevil wheel to the screw, or both pinions may be thrown out of gear when
the steering screw is not required to act. When repairs are necessary and a
dry dock is not convenient, water-tight caps are to be placed over the ends of
the transverse tube, or internal gates may be provided for closing the ends of
the tube; the water is then to be pumped out of the tube by means of a
suitable engine. When the water is thus drawn out of the tube it can be
entered by means of a man-hole provided for the purpose. In order to
exclude objects from the interior of the tube a fender or grating may be
applied to its open ends. By the above-described arrangement vessels may
be quickly turned in either direction, whether they be lying at rest or under
headway.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office ou
the 23rd March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Alfred
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto ine,
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and 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 of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR STEERING VESSELS," being a communication to me from abroad,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their bands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to an improved mode of operating screws which are
arranged in waterways or pipes that pass transversely through the hulls of
vessels. Previous to this Invention screws have been thus arranged within
waterways which extend transversely through the hulls of vessels so as to act
and react upon the water in a direction which is transverse or oblique to the
length of the keel, thereby admitting of a vessel being turned whether under
headway or lying at rest; but in connection with screws thus arranged no

page_text: practical mode has been devised for enabling the pilot to manoeuvre his vessel
speedily and with ease.
The present Invention not only provides for a ready and easy mode by
which the pilot can through an engine control the vessel, if a steam vessel,
with facility directly from his station at the pilot house without any intervening
action of an engineer, but it furthermore provides for propelling such screw
by the crew through the capstan when the steam power is crippled, or when,
in a sailing vessel, the want of headway renders a common rudder useless,
and in such manner that while the crew continuously work the capstan in one
direction, the pilot can start, reverse, and stop the screw instantaneously at
pleasure, and thus keep a vessel's head to sea after all headway is lost, which
must effectually prevent the foundering of a vessel by reason of falling into
the trough of the sea; and in a steam vessel these two powers are, so con-
nected that either can be used, and the other applied in its stead instan-
taneously.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use the Invention, I will
proceed to describe its construction and operation with references to the
accompanying Drawing,
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical central section of the stern
of a vessel shewing the improved mode of operating a steering screw; Fig. 2
is a horizontal section through the stern of a vessel; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal
vertical section showing a steering screw applied within a curved pipe or
waterway; Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken through the line 1, 2, of
Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side view of the bevil spur wheels and their sliding clutch
through which motion is communicated to the screw; Fig. 6 is a side
elevation of the engine and its attachments; Figures 7, 8, and 9 show in
detail the construction. of the rocking yoke N. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
B is the steering. screw applied within a pipe C, which is straight and
terminates in flaring ends, and which passes transversely through the hull A
of a vessel at right angles to the keel thereof, also a steering, screw. which is
applied to a curved pipe C'; either one of these forms of pipes may be
employed, whichever may be deemed most desirable. The pipes C, C¹, may
be made. of any required diameter, but for a vessel of: one thousand tons
burden such pipes may. be about two and a half feet in diameter for
receiving a screw, the blades of which are allowed to turn freely in them.
The screw. B is applied to a transverse shaft a, which has its bearings in
two cross pieces. b, b, which extend diametrically across the pipe C, and are

page_text: suitably secured within this pipe, as shewn in Fig. 1. On the shaft a a bevil
spur wheel c is keyed in a suitable position to engage with a corresponding
wheel d, which is keyed to a longitudinal shaft d', that passes through a
stuffing boxe applied to the pipe C. This shaft d' has its bearings in a
frame D, and between the standards of the latter two pinion spur wheels f, f¹,
are applied loosely on this shaft d¹, which engage with the teeth of a large
bevil wheel E, and are both rotated by means of this large wheel. Between
the pinions f, f, a tubular clutch g is applied on the shaft d', so as to turn
with it and also to move in a direction with its length. This clutch 9 has
teeth on its ends which are adapted for entering recesses formed in the
pinions f,f, and engaging one or the other of these pinions with the shaft d'.
The clutch g has a grooved collar g' formed on it for receiving a yoke which
is on the upper end of a vibrating arm h that is fastened to a rock shaft h¹;
this rock shaft h¹ is oscillated by means of a long lever G, which extends up
through the decks of the vessel, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3, and so that it
can be operated from either deck or down in the hold; or this shipping
motion is carried to the pilot house or to any other desired point by means of
connecting rods or chains; or in any suitable manner. The object of the
lever G is to move the clutch 9 and engage it with one or the other of the
bevil spur wheels f, f, and thus engage either of these wheels with the
shaft d' at the pleasure of the pilot, according to the direction in which it is
desired to have the steering screw turn. When it is not desired to turn the
steering screw B, or when the motion of the pinion spur wheels f, f¹ is not to
be communicated to, their shaft d¹ (the wheel E being continuously moved by
the crew in one direction), the clutch 9 is moved to a central position, in
which it does not engage with either one of the pinions f, f¹. The large
spur wheel E is keyed on the lower end of a vertical shaft F, which passes
up through the decks, and on each deck à capstan is applied to it, by means
of which this shaft, together with the large spur wheel E, are turned by the
crew from either deck continuously in the same direction. By this arrange-
ment it will be seen that while the main driving shaft F is rotated con-
tinuously in one direction the pilot can communicate a right or left hand
motion to the screw B, or he can stop and start the screw at pleasure. The
pilot can in this manner and by these means manoeuvre his vessel as he'
pleases without expending much labor, and without requiring the crew to
reverse their movement at every change required in the motion of the screw.
I have described one mode of communicating motion to the steering screw
by manual power, I will now describe a mode whereby the steering screw can

page_text: be operated by a steam or other engine, and started, stopped; or reversed by
the pilot whilst at his station in the pilot house. In steam vessels it is con-
templated to employ steam for turning the screw, and when in cases of a
storm the fires are put out beneath the boilers and the engines are rendered
inoperative, manual power is to be used, as above described, for turning the
screw. To effect the driving of the screw by steam power the shaft d' is
extended, and to its end a clutch head W is applied, which is adapted for
engaging at suitable times with a head W', which is on the coinciding crank
shaft d, so that these two shafts can be coupled together or disconnected at
pleasure by moving a clutch lever h', Fig. 2. The lever G¹, Figures 1 and 6,
is made to communicate by rod K with the connecting rod M, which moves
the slide valve of the steam chest Y. The end of this connecting rod M slides
freely up and down in the rocking yoke N, which yoke is fast on the rocking
shaft N¹. Motion is given to this shaft by an excentrica on the shaft d'
through a rod and a crank arm Z. The rod K, which is attached at one
end to and moved by lever G', is pivotted to the connecting rod M at the other
end near the yoke N. When the rod M is at the upper end of the yoke N
the engine and screw move in a contrary direction to that which it receives
when the rod M is in the lower end of the yoke; and when the rod M is in
the centre of the yoke N the slide valve in the steam chest will receive no
motion, and hence the screw Band its shaft d' will not be rotated. The steam
chest remains in full communication with the steam in the main boiler of the
ship at all times. By this simple arrangement it will be seen that the pilot is
enabled to start, stop, or reverse the motion of the screw by simply moving the
handle G¹ into the proper one of the three corresponding notches in guard V.
There may be other intermediate notches or fastenings in said guard V in
which the engine would have more or less speed. When two driving cylinders
are used the lever G¹ is connected to the slide valves or their substitutes of
both cylinders in the same or in a similar manner to that described. Addi-
tional rods and links may be necessary between the handle G¹ at the pilot's
station and the rocking yoke N and connecting rod M, according to the
relative position of the engine and pilot station, which may occasion more or
less angles to be turned; or the motion of the handle G¹ may be transmitted
through ropes or through a combination of rods, levers, and ropes. When the
two shafts d¹, d², are coupled together and the engine is in operation, the
sliding clutch should be disengaged from both pinions f, f¹, otherwise
the shaft F will be rotated, which is not necessary.
In Figures 3 and 4 I have represented a mode of transmitting motion to

page_text: the steering screw, wherein the parts are accessible for oiling and repairing.
By curving one side or end of the pipe C¹ one end of the shaft of the screw
is supported within this pipe, and the other end is supported in a stuffing box
bearing K by passing said shaft through the elbow of the pipe, as shown in
Fig. 4. If both journals of the screw shaft are required to be accessible then
both ends of the pipe or waterway C¹ should be curved. When repairs are
necessary, and a dry dock is not convenient, water-tight caps are to be placed
over the ends of the pipe containing the steering screw, or an internal gate
may be arranged on each side of the screw for this purpose; the water is then
pumped out of the pipe, after which the pipe can be entered by means of a
man-hole provided for the purpose. In order to exclude objects from the
interior of the pipe or waterway containing the screw, fenders or gratings J
are applied to the open ends thereof, and constructed so as not to materially
obstruct the passage of water through the pipe when the screw is rotated. The
pipes or waterways are constructed with outwardly flaring ends for the purpose
of facilitating the influx and discharge of water. The effect of a screw thus
arranged is to draw water away from that side of the vessel toward which its
stern is moved, and thus decrease the pressure on such side, at the same time
the screw will deliver the water on the opposite side of the vessel, and thereby
increase the pressure on this side. The screw will also have the benefit of the
thrust or impact upon the water as any screw propeller. Hence it will be
seen that a very small screw and pipe or waterway will be sufficient to turn a
large vessel requiring the expenditure of a very small amount of power, as com-
pared to the power which is consumed by screw propellers placed as usually at the
stern of a vessel with their axes of motion parallel with the keel. A common
rudder can be used as usual for ordinary sailing, reversing the screw steering
apparatus for difficult manoeuvreing and for use in storms, or the steering screw
may entirely supersede the use of the common rudder, as may be desired. I am
aware that it is not new to use a screw within a pipe extending transversely
through the hull of a vessel for the purpose of steering the same, nor is it
new to apply a steering screw within a curved pipe passing through a vessel's
hull, and therefore I do not wish to be considered as making claim to such a
device for steering vessels.
The above-described Invention to repeat relates to a mode of enabling the
pilot to maneuvre his vessel with such a screw, when it receives its motivo
power from an engine, with facility and directly from his station without the
intervention of an engineer and without the co-action of any other person;
and it furthermore relates to a mode for driving the screw by manual power

page_text: in case steam should fail, or if not a steam vessel when the sails are carried
away in a storm or otherwise rendered useless, under which circumstances the
pilot controls the screw in the same complete manner without the co-action of
others as to changing its motion, the means consisting in having the vertical
driving shaft F revolved in one direction by the crew, while the pilot can give a
right and left rotary motion to the screw or stop the motion thereof at pleasure,
as here above fully described. It would be impossible to steer a ship by the
screw if the crew turning the capstan shaft must be stopped and their course
reversed in order to reverse the motion of the screw. It is well known that
steering must often be done at a precise moment, particularly in a storm, when
under excitement and noise it would be impracticable for a pilot to control a
crew sufficiently for the safety of a ship, hence the controlling of the action of
the steam power is provided for by reversing it through the agency of the pilot,
and for reversing the gearing upon which the manual power operates when
the steam fails. Steam is an agent which can be managed, hence its power may
be reversed, but an excited crew becomes unmanageable, and therefore it is
impracticable to reverse them.
Having thus described the Invention of "Improved Apparatus for Steering
Vessels, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First, in combination with a steering screw or its equivalent arranged
within a pipe or waterway extending transversely through the hull of a vessel,
I claim a means which will enable the pilot to give a right and left motion to
the said screw, or to stop or start it at pleasure without stopping or reversing
the motion of the driving power, substantially as described.
Second, the combination of a steering screw or its equivalent arranged
within a waterway extending transversely across the hull of a vessel, with a
means which will enable the pilot from the pilot house to stop, start, and
reverse the motion of an engine which is used for rotating said screw,
substantially as described.
Third, in combination with a steering screw arranged to operate sub-
stantially as described, I claim the employment of an engine for rotating the
screw, and also a means for rotating the screw when the engine is inoperative,
substantially as described.
Fourth, the combination of the screw shaft d¹ and crank shaft d² with a
clutch or its equivalent for connecting or disconnecting said shafts, substantially
as and for the purposes described.

page_text: Fifth, providing for disconnecting the capstan shaft F from the screw
shaft d', when this latter shaft is connected to and driven by the engine
shaft d, substantially as described.
Sixth, the combination of the capstan or capstans upon the shaft F with
the gearing E, f, f', clutch g, lever G', shaft d', and with an extension & of
shaft d', clutch W, W¹, and a driving engine, substantially as described.
Seventh, constructing the pipe or waterway with flaring ends, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.B.)