IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC STEERING APPARATUS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alphonse Lafargue, of Kensington, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC
STEERING APPARATUS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alphonse Lafarguo at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th May 1880.
ALPHONSE LAFARGUE, of Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC STEERING APPARATUS, PART OF WHICH IS
APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to improvements in hydraulic apparatus for steering ships
or other floating vessels, part of my improvements being applicable to other
purposes, and my improvements are applicable to that class of steering apparatus
in which a fast threaded screw, is mounted on the rudder head to actuate the
rudder. According to my present improvements I dispense with the use of an
accumulator.
For this purpose in lieu of an accumulator, and in order to maintain the
constant pressure previously derived from an accumulator, I pass the fluid direct
from the pump into the chamber above the piston mounted upon the rudder bead.
This chamber is of larger area than the chamber below the piston, by reason of the
space occupied by the piston rod. This part of my improvement may be applied
to hydraulic cranes or other like purposes.
The vertical thrust acting as heretofore on the rudder head, according to another
part of my improvements, is prevented from acting on the rudder head by my
improved apparatus being so constructed that it is self contained in its own bed
plate and standard, being supported by means of a collar fixed on the screw bolt
or axis revolving between two discs mounted on the standard, these discs being
fastened together by bolts or otherwise.
Another part of my improvements consists in forming the screw on the rudder
head from a bar of metal having two or more flat surfaces, the bar being twisted to
the required angle or pitch suitablo for giving motion to the rudder.

page_text: According to another part of my improvements I construct an automatic slide
valve for cutting off the supply of water to the chamber above the rudder head.
To accomplish this I employ a cross bar or lever, having the centre connected by
a rod to a slide or other valve, one end of the lever being connected to the piston
rod of a small hydraulic cylinder, the other end being connected with the steering
wheel. Any motion given to the wheel will admit or discharge the water or other
fluid to or from the small cylinder, giving motion to the horizontal bar in the
opposite direction, the other end thereby causing the centre rod to alter its position
to close the valve, without altering the position of the hand wheel from which it
was previously placed.
The pressure on the slide valve is compensated for by means of a jointed rod
connected to a piston in a small hydraulic cylinder forming part of the valve box.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alphonse Lafargue in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
November 1880.
ALPHONSE LAFARGUE, of Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC STEERING APPARATUS, PART OF WHICH
APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
IS
This Invention relates to improvements in hydraulic apparatus for steering ships
or other floating vessels, part of my improvements being applicable to other
purposes, and my improvements are applicable to that class of steering apparatus in
which a quick threaded screw or spiral bolt is mounted on the rudder head to
actuate the rudder.
According to my present improvements I dispense with the use of an
accumulator.
For this purpose in lieu of an accumulator, and in order to maintain the constant
pressure previously derived from an accumulator, pass the fluid direct from the
pump through the governing valve into the chambers above and below the piston,
which moves up and down in the steering gear or hydraulic cylinder, the piston
being attached to the nut working or actuating the screw on the rudder head.
The upper chamber above the piston is of larger area than the chamber below the
piston by reason of the space occupied by the piston rod. This part of my
improvements may be applied to hydraulic cranes, lifts, hoists, or other like
purposes.
The vertical thrust which heretofore was allowed to act on the rudder head is
(according to another part of my improvements) prevented from so acting on the
rudder head by my improved apparatus being so constructed that it is self contained
in its own bed-plate and standard, being supported by means of a collar (fixed on
the screw or spiral bolt) revolving between two discs or surfaces bolted or otherwise
fastened together or forming part of the bed-plate and standard.

page_text: the upper side of the piston is by means of a controlling slide valve p put in
communication through the upper pipe with either the water under pressure or
the exhaust. It will be seen that the area of the upper side of the piston is con-
siderably greater than that of the underside; if therefore the water under pressure
be admitted to the upper side of the piston the effect will be downward movement
of the piston and piston rod d, while if the pressure is removed from the upper
side by opening a communication with the exhaust, the constant pressure still
acting on the underside of the piston will cause an upward movement of the
piston and rod d, and as above explained motion will be imparted to the rudder
to any extent desired.
When necessary, in order to avoid any slight pulsatory motion produced by the
hydraulic force pump, a small air vessel is attached to any convenient part of the
line of hydraulic pipes, and by relieving the pressure as required prevents any
jerking pulsation from being produced.
Relief valves (Sheet 1) and k (Figure 5, Sheet 2), are applied as shown in case
of a heavy sea striking the rudder. A wire, card, or a chain 7 is carried in opposite
directions from the tiller to communicate with an indicator m, which shows on a
dial the actual position of the rudder or helm.
A double acting spring box is shown at n, which brings the steering lever o
always back to the centre when released from the hand, thereby enabling the rudder
to be fixed at any point of its movement when the automatic cut off valve apparatus
is dispensed with.
The slide valve p, which governs the action of the steering gear, is worked from
the bridge or elsewhere by means of a lever o (wheel, handle, or otherwise)
connected therewith, and may be made to act automatically, as shown in detail
on Drawing (Sheet 2) in which Figure 1 represents a front elevation with the
slide and its cover removed. Figure 2, a side elevation with the exhaust pipe in
section Figure 3, a plan section through the upper port, which port is divided to
communicate with the upper chamber of the steering gear cylinder, and the lower
chamber of the small hydraulic cylinder attached to the valve; Figure 4, a general
plan; Figure 5, a vertical section through the small hydraulic cylinder and the
pipes communicating with the valve; Figure 6, a vertical section showing the
connection of the small bydraulic cylinder and its piston with the slide valve.
The manner in which this slide valve works automatically is as follows:-
In Figure 6 the slide valve is shown with the slide closing the upper port which
leads to the upper chamber g of the steering gear cylinder (Figures 1 and 2 of the
Drawing, Sheet 1) and lower chamber of the small hydraulic cylinder q, and to
which the communicating pipes are filled with water, thus as the constant pressure
is acting on the under side of the piston in the steering gear cylinder g and the
upper side of the piston in the automatic hydraulic cylinder q, an equilibrium is
established whereby the valve and the steering gear with the rudder are all
stationary for the time being.
On raising the cross bar or lever 8 with the central rod t attached to the valve,
and holding the same steady, the upper port is put into communication with the
exhaust, and the constant pressure forces the piston downwards, taking with it
the rod t and valve, thus closing the upper port again. On lowering the lever 8,
and holding the same steady, pressure is admitted to the under side of the small
piston, which, being of a larger area than the upper side, becomes pressed
upwards, taking with it the rod t and valve, and thus closing the upper port once
more. The portion of the valve box marked u contains the small piston for producing
the pressure on the slide valve face.
The plug v is for regulating the rate of flow to or from the lower chamber of the
small hydraulic cylinder.
The relief valve, as shown at k, allows a communication between the constant
pressure and the exhaust.
The above described automatic action or arrangement of the valve can also be
applied to a plunger valve should such modifications be preferred.

page_text: Figure 7 (Sheet 2) shows the vertical section of another form of automatically
acting valve, which I use as an equivalent for that above described, and which I
term an automatic equilibrium plunger valve, which might, if preferred, be adapted
to control the steering gear instead of the slide valve above described. It may be
described as follows:-a is the pressure pipe from the hydraulic force pump; b, the
constant pressure pipe leading to the under side of the piston h (Figures 1 and 2,
Sheet 1); c is the equilibrium plunger valve, which when raised allows the pressure
to communicate through the pipe to upper side of the piston h (indicated by a
dotted circle); d is an ordinary drop valve, which on being raised allows the pipe
leading to the upper side of the piston to communicate with the exhaust pipe e;
connected with the tank ƒ is a relief valve corresponding to h, as shown on the
slide valve (Figure 5). The action of this valve is as follows:-The vertical lever g
is used to control the steering gear, and when held over to the right or left
(marked 1 and 2) raises the opposite valve d or c respectively by means of the
balance lever i, which fastens underneath only the projections shown attached to
the valve spindles; on leaving hold of the vertical lever g the valves will always
return to their seatings automatically by virtue of the springs shown contained in
boxes surrounding the valve spindles.
Figure 8 (Sheet 2) is a vertical section of a modified arrangement of the
automatic slide valve, Figures 1 to 6, previously described.
By giving a turn of the steering wheel to raise the lever a the slide valve
spindle b will also be raised, thereby admitting the water under pressure to onter
the cylinder at c and force the piston d upward, causing the lever è to be depressed
at f together with the slide valve spindle b, and thus close the slide valve from
the pressure entering the cylinder at c. The whole action of the hydraulic cylinder
will then cease until further motion is imparted to the steering wheel. If, on the
other hand, a reverse action is required the slide valve will then have to be reversed
by lowering the lever a, thereby opening the exhaust with the cylinder at c.
constant pressure acting on the top side of the piston d will impart a downward
motion.
The
The spring g is made to answer as a cushion for the piston d in case of under
pressure in the cylinder c, which would then be open to the exhaust by the
depression of the slide vale rod b.
In the application of my improveinents to hydraulic cranes, lifting, and like
apparatus, the small chamber of the power or hydraulic cylinder instead of being
always under constant pressure should be arranged to exhaust into the waste tank,
thereby allowing the large area of the piston to receive the full pressure for heavy
loads without having to overcome the back resistance of the constant pressure on
the small area of the piston, as in the case of the steering apparatus previously
described.
The force pump and automatic valve apparatus may be so arranged as to be
disconnected from the steering gear cylinder when in dock or elsewhere, and placed
in communication with the hydraulic cylinder of a crane on board the same vessel
for actuating the crane when required for lifting purposes.
Figures 1 and 2 (Sheet 3) show an hydraulic crane suitably arranged according
to my improvements for working on ships' decks.
This crane is arranged to work either single or double power, according to the
load required to be raised.
This improved crane may be described as follows:-The cylinder a forms the
crane pillar above deck, and which is attached firmly to a cubical chamber forming
part of a hollow cylindrical casting constituting the crane pillar b below deck, and
which is allowed to revolve with the upper crane portion intact. The pressure
pipe c conducts the water under pressure direct from the pumps to the cylinder a
without using an accumulator.
For single power lifts the valve d allows the pressure to pass to the upper and
lower surfaces of the piston e at one and the same time, when, by reason of the

page_text: area of the upper surface being less than that of the lower, the piston is forced up
and the load is thereby raised, the water from the smaller chamber exhausting into
the larger chamber in place of into the waste tank.
The valve lever f when reversed lowers the load by allowing the lower chamber
of the cylinder to exhaust through the pipe g, from whence the water falls down
inside the hollow pillar, and is caught in a kind of trap forming part of the crane
pillar base plate, and is carried by a pipe g¹ back to the tank.
In order to make a double power lift, the plug is turned so as to shut off tho
pressure from the upper chamber a¹ of the cylinder a, and allow any water therein
to be forced out through the pipe i communicating with the exhaust.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the manner of
performing or carrying the same into practice, I would remark that I do not claim
generally the application of hydraulic apparatus to actuate the rudder post and
rudder for steering ships and other floating vessels, nor do I claim any of the
mechanical parts taken separately, as they are well known, but which comprise in
their combination the steering and other apparatus, as herein before described and
shown in the Drawings annexed, but what I claim is,―
The improved arrangement, construction, and combination of parts constituting
my hydraulic steering apparatus for steering ships and other floating vessels, being
arranged to act substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before
described and represented in Sheets 1 and 2 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
And also the improved arrangement, construction, and combination of parts
constituting my hydraulic apparatus, as are above referred to, to cranes, lifting,
hoisting, and other similar machines, substantially in the manner and for the
purpose herein before described and illustrated in Sheet 3 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alphonse Lafargue, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.
ALPHONSE LAFARGUE. (L.S.)