Improvements in and relating to Hydraulic Controlling Gear for Steering Engines and the like
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Hydraulic Controlling Gear for
Steering Engines and the like.
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I, JAMES REID, of 128, Dumbarton Road, in the County of the City of Glasgow,
Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to hydraulic
controlling gear for steering engines and the like.
According to my improvements I have a cylinder located at the bottom of
the hand steering column. This cylinder is in communication with a hydraulic
pressure accumulator, and a piston or slide valve works in the cylinder, and
ports in cylinder are connected by piping to the hydraulic cylinder operating
the steering gear.
A cylinder is placed parallel to the cylinder in which the piston valve works,
and has branch or pipe connections from both its ends to the aforesaid ports or
branches leading from piston valve cylinder.
A piston is fitted in this cylinder and the piston rod has a toothed rack exten-
sion secured to it. The piston valve rod in the other cylinder has a spur wheel
secured at its outer end and gears into a spur or intermediate wheel meshing into
it and the aforesaid toothed rack, while it also gears with a toothed rack on the
lower end of a vertical spindle. This spindle is formed with a screw threaded
surface at its upper part which engages with an internal screw threaded sleeve.
The top end of this sleeve is formed or fitted with a bevel wheel which gears
into a corresponding wheel on the horizontal spindle to which the hand steering
wheel is attached. By turning the hand steering wheel in either direction the
toothed gear will operate the piston valve to open the hydraulic pressure to the
one port and shut it off from the other; while the piston in the adjacent cylinder
will be actuated by the same pressure and through the rack operate the gear
to automatically bring back the piston valve to its normal position of shutting
off the pressure from both communication ports or leaving both of these open to
the pressure.
In applying these improvements to hydraulic cylinders or rams operating the
crosshead of tiller head, the latter would have its ends connected by rods to the
piston rods of two hydraulic rams and these rods would work through suitable
guides in straight line. The pipes leading from the piston valve cylinder of hand
gear would be respectively connected to diagonal pipes leading to the opposite
ends of both rams, so that while the pressure was acting on the opposite ends of
both rams, it would be exhausting from the other opposite ends of these rams
through the nipe connection and ports in the piston valve cylinder.

page_text: In applying these improvements to the hydraulic controlling cylinder of steam
steering engines the pipe connections would be taken from the piston valve
cylinder to the opposite ends of this controlling cylinder and act in an analogous
manner to that described in connection with the hydraulic rams.
In cases where the valve for controlling steering engines has the water led
into its ends through ports which are covered by a slide or piston valve, the latter
would be automatically returned to centre by the controlling valve of the steam
steering engine.
In cases where there is no hydraulic pressure on board ship a pump would be
worked by steering engine to force water into the accumulator while the engine
is performing the steering operations, and a pipe connection would be taken from
the accumulator to the slide or piston valve of the hydraulic controlling cylinder.
Dated the 1st day of March 1898.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
Improvements in and relating to Hydraulic Controlling Gear for
Steering Engines and the like.
I, JAMES REID, of 128, Dumbarton Road, in the County of the City of Glasgow,
Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say:--
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to hydraulic
controlling gear for steering engines and the like.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of carrying same into
practice may be properly understood I have hereunto appended three sheets of
explanatory drawings in which the same reference letters are used to indicate
corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of hand controlling column of steering gear
with cylinders at lower end. Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of the hydraulic
rams with pipe connections to cylinders of hand steering gear. Figure 3 is a
sectional elevation at right angles to Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a horizontal
section taken through the cylinders in Figure 3. Figures 5 and 6 are detached
elevations broken away corresponding to the lower parts of Figures 1 and
but slightly modified in construction, and Figure 7 is an elevation of a steam
steering engine with hydraulic cylinder fitted on top, having my improvements
applied thereto, while Figure 8 is a sectional plan view of the hydraulic con-
trolling cylinder, with valve and connections corresponding to Figure 7.
Referring to these drawings:-
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According to my improvements as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 I have a
cylinder A located at the bottom of the hand steering column Z. This cylinder A
is in communication with a hydraulic pressure accumulator, and a piston or slide
valve A¹ works in the cylinder, and ports a a¹ in cylinder are connected by piping,
to the hydraulic cylinders operating the steering gear.
A cylinder B is placed parallel to the cylinder A in which the piston valve
works, and has branch or pipe connections 6 b' from both its ends to the afore-
said ports or branches a a¹ leading from piston valve cylinder A.
A piston B¹ is fitted in this cylinder B and the piston rod B2 has a toothed,

page_text: rack extension B3 secured to it. The piston valve rod A³ in the other cylinder A
has a spur wheel A3 secured at its outer end and gears into a spur or intermediate
wheel C meshing into it and the aforesaid toothed rack B³, while it also gears
with a toothed rack on the lower end of a vertical spindle 1). The wheel C
revolves loose on a spindle C' secured in the fixed guide frames C. The spindle D
is formed with a screw threaded surface at its upper part 12 which engages with
an internal screw threaded sleeve E. The top end of this sleeve E is formed or
fitted with a bevel wheel E which gears into a corresponding wheel F on the
horizontal spindle F to which the hand steering wheel F is attached. By
turning the hand steering wheel in either direction the toothed gear will
operate the piston valve A' to open the hydraulic pressure to the one port and
shut it off from the other, while the exhaust will take place through the latter
into the outlet orifice a²; and the piston B₁ in the adjacent cylinder B will be
actuated by the same pressure and through the rack B3 operate the gear to auto-
matically bring back the piston valve A¹ to its normal position of shutting off
the pressure from both communication ports the wheel C transmitting the move-
ment of the rack B³ to turn and raise or lower (as the case may be), the wheel A³
which travels along the rack 1) (which meantime remains stationary) without
rotating on its own centre; but when the rack 11 begins to move the wheel A³
will then rotate on its own centre.
In applying these improvements to hydraulic cylinders or rams operating
the crosshead of tiller head G as shown in Figure 2 the latter would have its
ends connected by rods H¹ to the piston rods H2 of two hydraulic rams H and
these rods would work through suitable guides G¹ in straight line. The pipes c c¹
leading from the piston valve cylinder A of hand gear would be respectively
connected to diagonal pipes leading to the opposite ends of both ram
cylinders H, so that while the pressure was acting on the opposite ends of both
rams H, it would be exhausting from the other opposite ends of these rams through
the pipe connection and ports in the piston valve cylinder A.
In applying these improvements to the hydraulic controlling cylinder of steam
steering engines the pipe connections would be taken from the piston valve
cylinder to the opposite ends of this controlling cylinder and act in an analogous
manner to that described in connection with the hydraulic rams in Figure 2.
In cases where there is no hydraulic pressure on board ship as shown in
Figures 7 and 8 a pump I would be worked by steering engine to force. water
into the accumulator J, while the engine is performing the steering operations
and a pipe connection would be taken from the accumulator J to the slide or
piston valve of the hydraulic controlling cylinder 2. Pipe connections such
as c c would be taken from this cylinder to the ports a al of the cylinder A,
as shown in Figures 5 and 6 the arrangement being substantially the same as
in Figures 1 and 3 except that the exhaust connection 2 is slightly modified.
The valve for controlling steering engines has the water led into its ends
through ports which are covered by a slide or piston valve as shown in
Figure 8 the valve j being automatically returned to centre by the usual con-
trolling valve of the steam steering engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:--
First. The arrangement in combination of the parts of hydraulic controlling
gear for steering engines substantially as herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In controlling gear for steering engines the arrangement of parallel
cylinders A and B having their pistons actuated by fluid pressure with their
gear connections to hand steering wheel and ported connections to hydraulic
cylinders substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: Third. In controlling gear for steam steering engines the arrangement of
parallel cylinders A and B in combination with the fluid pump I, piston valve j¹
and controlling cylinder 2, and their pipe connections, substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 1st day of December 1898.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.