IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR GEARING FOR STEERING SHIPS."
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Allibon and Edward Wilson, of the City of
Worcester, in the County of Worcester, Engineers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR GEARING FOR STEERING SHIPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Allibon and
Edward. Wilson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 24th August 1867.
We, GEORGE ALLIBON and EDWARD WILSON, of the City of Worcester, in
the County of Worcester, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR GEARING FOR STEERING SHIPS,"
to be as follows, that is to say :-
These said improvements relate to machinery or apparatus to be attached
to the rudder post and rudder of ships, to be used or actuated for working the
same either by the usual hand steering wheel or by the application of steam
or other motive power.

page_text: This said Invention has for its object the more efficient steering of ships by
the application of apparatus or gearing which whilst admitting of very great
power being applied is so arranged that the rudder may be at once released
or thrown out of gear, so that the slow process of winding or turning the helm
back from "starboard " or "port" to the straight or "well" line is entirely
avoided, and consequently the time and labour required to put the helm from
"starboard" to "port" or the reverse is greatly reduced.
According to one modification of the said Invention it is preferred to actuate
the steering or first motion shaft by one or two hand steering wheels of the
ordinary construction when worked by hand or directly, as the crank shaft of
a small steam or other motive power engine, and this shaft may be geared
direct to a duplex frictional boss, clutch, or cone to be herein-after described;
but by preference the steering wheel shaft has attached to it a spur wheel
which actuates one, two, or more pinions or wheels. When two or more of
these wheels are used they are secured to two or other corresponding number
of right and left-hand threaded screw shafts, one to each, placed on opposite sides
of the driving wheel and steering wheel shaft, the screws gearing into corre-
sponding screw or worm wheels fast on the main lower part of the frictional
boss or cone before named so as to give it motion. Both parts of this frictional
boss or cone are free to move loosely on the rudder post, the lower part is
geared and actuated as above stated, and the upper is made:so as to be raised
and lowered at the will of the steersman, and formed with a spur wheel on it
which gears into two sliding toothed racks, one on each side of the axis of the
rudder post. The racks are formed so as to work by studs fixed to them into
slides or slots formed in the tiller or crosshead, which is keyed or secured to
the rudder post, so that when the upper and lower portions of the frictional
boss or cone are pressed firmly together (by a mechanical arrangement of
hand lever or screw wheel which makes them virtually one piece for the
time being) and the steering wheel is moved or turned, the helm or rudder
is likewise correspondingly moved or turned in the exact proportion of the
speed and power of the "train work" of gearing used intermediate between
the steering wheel shaft and rudder post. If, however, the two parts of the
frictional boss or cone be separated by means of the band screw wheel or
mechanical lever power arrangement, before named, under the control of the
steersman, the rudder which may have been at "starboard" or "port" would
at once return to the "well" or straight line of the keel, so that the time and
labour of reversing the helm from "starboard to "port" or the reverse is
very greatly reduced.

page_text: b
The whole framing for supporting this improved "steering gear" consists,
by preference, of two or three cast-iron standards firmly secured by broad
flanges at their base to and projecting up from the deck of the ship, so as to
carry the first motion steering shaft and screw spindles in suitable bearings
formed in the upper part of the standards, which are firmly stayed together by
the bars forming the guides for the sliding racks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the sail George Allibon and Edward Wilson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 21st February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, GEORGE
ALLIBON and EDWARD WILSON, of the City of Worcester, in the County of
Worcester, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said George Allibon and Edward Wilson, Her special licence that we, the
said George Allibon and Edward. Wilson, our executors, adininistrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said George Allibon and Edward Wilson,
our 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
tberein 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR
GEARING FOR STEERING SHIPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said George Allibon and Edward Wilson, our executors or administrators,:
by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly, describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 we, the said George Allibon and Edward, Wilson,.
lo hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
ame is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being. had to the accompanying

page_text: Drawings, and to the several illustrative figures, letters, and numerals marked
thereon, the same reference, letters, and numerals indicating the same or
corresponding parts in all the Figures, and which we have hereunto appended
for the purpose of showing the best modification and means we are at présent
aware of for practically performing or putting our said Invention into practice,
that is to say:-
Our said Invention has for its object the more efficient steering of ships by
the application of new or improved apparatus or gearing which whilst it acts
with great power when steering or actuating the rudder is so fitted with an
engaging and disengaging arrangement or coupling that the rudder may be
at once released or thrown out of gear when it is to be reversed from
"starboard" or "port" so as to allow it to return back to the straight line
of the "well" or "keel" at once without the use of the gearing or the loss of
the time for its action (which is necessarily slow from the great power required
in steering), and in this position be again instantly coupled for steering; thus
greatly reducing the time and labour required to put the helm from "starboard"
to "port," or from "port" to "starboard."
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings are a side and
end elevation respectively of an arrangement of steering gearing, constructed
in accordance with and illustrative of one modification of our said Invention;
Figure 3 is a plan of the same arrangement corresponding to Figure 1, and
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section of the same, taken on a plane through
the axis of the rudder spindle, corresponding to Figure 2 showing the con-
struction and arrangement of the engaging and disengaging actuating coupling..
The framing supporting this improved steering gearing consists of three
transverse cast-iron standards 1, 2, and 3, firmly secured to the deck of the ship.
at their base by broad flanges and screw bolts, ranged in the centre line of
the ship and the upper part of the rudder spindle a. The horizontal first
motion shaft A which in this case is arranged to be actuated by hand, by
preference by the two hand steering wheels A¹ (of the ordinary construction
keyed on it) is carried in bush bearings formed at the central top part of the
two standards 1 and 2 placed in front of the rudder post or spindle a.
This
steering shaft A bas keyed upon it the spur wheel B, which gears into and
actuates the two pinions or wheels C, and their right and left-band threaded
screw' shafts C¹ and C, on to which they are keyed; these screw shafts are
placed one on each side of the steering shaft A and wheel B, and they revolve
in bush and broad collar bearings formed'in brackets or frames secured on the
upper part of the main standards 2 and 3 placed a short distance "fore" and

page_text: .
"aft" of the rudder spindle a, which carries the duplex frictional boss, clutch,
cone, or coupling D, D', so as to revolve loosely upon it, between the right
and left-threaded screw spindles C and C, which gear into the corresponding
screw or worm wheels d¹ and d², either formed in one piece with or made fast
to the main lower part D of the friction boss or coupling before named, so as
to be moved by or along with the screw wheels in either direction by the
motion of the steering shaft A, hand wheels A', A', and the screw spindles C³, C².
The actual coupling surfaces of the two parts D and D' of the coupling are
formed by concentric, projecting, and hollow rings, fitting into each other with
angular or bevilled sides or edges which gives a great conical gripping surface
action with little motion, but other friction or clutch couplings may be employed.
The upper part D¹ of the friction coupling is fitted so that it can be raised and
lowered by the arrangement of hand screw wheel D² and screw bush D³, upon
which the two parts D and D' of the coupling revolve so as to be taken out of
or. put into gear with the lower parts D instantaneously at the will of the
steersman, and having formed on or secured to it the spur wheel E which
gears into and actuates the two sliding toothed racks E and E3 in reverse
directions one on each side of the wheel E and rudder.or spindle a. Each
reciprocating toothed rack slides on the two parallel guide rods F, which form
the stays for rigidly "tying" or securing the upper part of the standards and
frames 2 and 3 carrying the actuating mechanism; while a strong stud. G.
secured near the centre of each rack E. and E projects down, so as to work,
by preference, by an antifriction roller G₁ or a lubricated sliding bush at its
lower end, one into a slot formed in each arm of the tiller or crosshead H
keyed fast on the rudder spindle a immediately below the friction coupling D
having the slotted arms projecting out laterally on each side. When the
upper part D of the friction coupling is pressed firmly down into the lower,
part D by the hand wheel D² and screw bush D³, the two parts become
virtually one for the time being, so.that whatever motion and power is given
to the steering shaft A by the hand wheel A¹ is transmitted to the helm or
rudder a in the exact proportion of the inverse speed and power of the whole
train of gearing employed intermediately between the steering shaft A and the
rudder post a. If however the upper part D¹ is raised by means of the hand
screw wheel D and screw D³ under the control of the steersman, the rudder
which may have been at "starboard" or "port" would at once-turn to the
straight line of the "well" or "keel" by the force of the passing, water and
motion of the ship; when in this position the two parts of the friction coupling
box D, D', could at once be coupled, and the steering go on by continuing,

page_text: the motion of the rudder to "port" or "starboard" respectively as might be
required at the time; by this means the time and labour of reversing the
helm of a ship from "starboard" to "port" or the reverse is very much
reduced and saved.
Although the first motion shaft A has been shown and described as worked
by hand steering wheels, it may be worked by a motive-power engine, either
reciprocating or rotatory, coupled to it as the crank or first motive-power
shaft, and be geared direct by bevel wheels at the extreme end to the lower
part of the friction coupling D instead of by the screws and screw wheels
when desired; instead of only two screw spindles and screw wheels being
employed to actuate the lower part D of the coupling, four or other number
may be employed for large ships if desired.
Instead of the band screw wheel and screw bush D and D³, shown and.
described, for coupling and uncoupling the friction boss or coupling D and D¹
a hand lever arrangement might be employed. Other forms of couplings,
catch, or gripping surfaces, or part may be used besides the angular rings
described for forming and coupling the two parts of the transmitting,
engaging, and disengaging clutch or coupling, but those of the stiff friction
class are preferred.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, we may observe in
conclusion that we do not confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details,
nodifications, or arrangements which we have had occasion to describe,
delineate, and refer to, as many variations of and from these may be made
without departing from the main or essential features of our said Invention;
neither do we claim to have invented the 'forms and constructions of many of
the parts or their modes of attachment which we have had occasion to describe
and refer to by themselves specially, as such may have been used in other
arrangements of steering, gearing, and other machines, except in so far as these
have essential reference to or form parts of our said Invention; but what
we consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The general construction and arrangement of improved gearing or
mechanism for the steering of ships, substantially in the improved manner.
herein described and shown in the accompanying Drawings or any mere
modification thereof.
Second. The construction and use of a duplex coupling to be uncoupled
while the helm is making the backward turn or part of its revolution towards

page_text: the "well" line, and to be coupled for, or while about to make the forward turn
or part of its revolution from the "well" line in putting the helm from "star-
board" to "port," or the reverse, all substantially in the new or improved
manner herein described and shown in the accompanying Drawings or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Allibon, have on behalf of
myself, and the said Edward Wilson, hereunto set my band and
seal, this Twentieth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
WILLIAM MILWARD,
91, Great Tower Street,
London, E.C.
GEORGE ALLIBON. (L.S.)