Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Neutralizing Shocks in Steam Steering Apparatus and other Apparatus for Raising, Lowering, and Winding.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 20th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Neutralizing Shocks in
Steam Steering Apparatus and other Apparatus for Raising,
Lowering, and Winding.
We DAVIS & COMPANY LIMITED of 12 Fenchurch Street, in the City of
London, Engineers, and JOSEPH HOPKINS of 22 Sturry Street Poplar in the
company do
County of Middlesex, Engineer, in the employment of the said
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed to provide means for taking up sudden shocks, such
as the chains of steam steering gear are subject to when wound on the barrels of
the driving shafts, as well as other shocks in other similar parts of apparatus for
raising, lowering and winding.
In carrying out our invention the barrel around which the chain or like
connection is coiled is mounted on the driving axis and is cored or formed hollow
at each end and centrally is provided with a female screw thread adapted to engage
a male screw thread formed on said axis. In each said hollow in the barrel and
around the axis is applied a strong coiled spring and beyond each spring is applied
a loose washer, whilst beyond each said loose washer is applied on the shaft a fixed
or adjustably fixed washer or collar.
In operation, say for instance as applied to steering apparatus, the operation of
the invention is as follows-in putting the barrel into operation should shock occur
the shaft will rotate for a short distance-say part of a rotation-relatively to the
barrel but in doing so the springs in the hollow chamber are put into compression
from one end, or the other, owing to the worm on the shaft and the female thread
in the barrel moving relatively and giving a thrust motion-relatively to the
barrel-to the shaft into the respective hollow chambers and consequently putting
the springs therein contained into compression and torsion until the grip increasing
the shock is absorbed and motion begins to be transmitted. Return motion to the
barrel by the relief of the springs returns the parts to their normal position.
In like manner shocks may be absorbed in apparatus of other descriptions
whether for raising, lowering or winding.
Dated the 12th day of June 1894.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Neutralizing Shocks in
Steam Steering Apparatus and other Apparatus for Raising,
Lowering, and Winding.
We DAVIS & COMPANY LIMITED of 12 Fenchurch Street, in the City of.
London, Engineers and JOSEPH HOPKINS of 22 Sturry Street, Poplar in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, in the employment of the said company do

page_text: 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 :-
This invention is designed to provide means for taking up sudden shocks, such
as the chains of steam steering gear are subject to when wound on the barrels of
the driving shafts, as well as other shocks in other similar parts of apparatus for
raising, lowering and winding.
Fig. 1 shews a sectional view of the apparatus taken lengthwise of the barrel on
which the chain from the rudder head is wound.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same,
Fig. 3 is an external view of Fig. 1.
b is the barrel around which the chain a, or like connection is coiled and this
barrel is mounted on the driving axis c and is cored or formed hollow at each end b
and centrally is provided with a female screw thread 6 adapted to engage a male
screw thread c¹ formed on said axis c. In each said hollow b¹ in the barrel b and
around the axis c is applied a strong coiled spring d and beyond each spring dis
applied a loose washer e, whilst beyond each said loose washer e, is applied on the
shaft a fixed or adjustably fixed washer or collar f.
The action of the machine is as follows
--
Upon any sudden shock coming upon the face of the rudder it is communicated
by the chains a to the barrel b, which barrel is made to move freely backwards or
forward on a thread acting as spiral keys, cut on the barrel spindle c, and this
barrel is brought back to its original position by the springs d, said springs being
fitted at each end of barrel between the fixed collar fand the end of the chamber
of the barrel.
These springs being of such strength that on a shock coming upon the chain
and causing the barrel to revolve and travel laterally on the spindle C, they each
respectively exert a counter effort and bring the barrel back to its original
position.
One of the great advantages attendant on the employment of this invention is
that as much as a foot of drift can be obtained, whilst by any other ordinary buffer
arrangement for the purpose known to us only a very limited drift of say about
three or four inches can be obtained.
Or in other words as applied to steering apparatus the operation of the invention
is as follows in putting the barrel into operation should shock occur the shaft will
rotate for a short distance say part of a rotation-relatively to the barrel but in
doing so the springs in the hollow chamber are put into compression from one end,
or the other, owing to the worm on the shaft and the female thread in the barrel
moving relatively and giving a thrust motion-relatively to the barrel-to the
shaft into the respective hollow chambers and consequently putting the springs
therein contained into compression and in some instances torsion until the grip
increasing, the shock is absorbed and motion begins to be transmitted. Return
motion to the barrel by the relief of the springs returns the parts to their normal
position.
In like manner shocks may be absorbed in apparatus of other descriptions
whether for raising, lowering or winding.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
The construction and arrangement or combination of means or apparatus for
neutralizing shocks by the aid of springs in steam steering apparatus and other

page_text: apparatus for raising, lowering and winding, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth and shewn by the drawings.
Dated the 23rd day of February 1895.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.