amprovemen Steering
Year: 1896

page_text: I, DANIEL LEBRECHT VOLKER of 140 E. North Street, Buffalo, State of New
York, U.S.A., Machinist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The steering gear of this invention is adapted to be operated by hand or by
steam or hydraulic power at will without removing the hands from the steering
wheel.
The steering wheel shaft is mounted in the stuffing box bearings at the ends of
a cylindrical bore provided between a rotary piston cylinder and the valve
chamber of this latter. A rotary piston within the cylinder is keyed on to a shaft
from which, through a grooved pulley thereon, the rudder ropes are operated.
According as the steering wheel shaft is drawn either backward or forward hori-
zontally in the cylindrical bore, the valve chamber is opened to the piston cylinder
for operating, by steam or hydraulic power, the grooved rope pulley fixed thereon,
or a pinion at the back end of the steering wheel shaft is in the forward movement
of this latter drawn into engagement with teeth on a raised edge of the grooved
rope pulley, collars on the steering wheel shaft within the cylindrical bore at the
same time closing the communication between the valve chamber and the piston
cylinder so that the grooved pulley is operated direct from the steering wheel
shaft, the piston and piston shaft being also turned therewith. The rotary piston
cylinder is divided by a partition, on either side of which a rotary valve, operated
from the steering wheel shaft when this is in the position for steering by power
delivers into the piston cylinder for driving the piston first in one direction and
then in the other.
TAL: 904 1
1000
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
amprovemen
Steering
I, DANIEL LEBRECHT VOLKER of 140 E. North Street, Buffalo, State of New
York, U.S.A., Machinist, do 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 relates to that kind of steering gear adapted to be operated
either by hand or power.

page_text: vertical section on line a-a of Fig. 4, shewing a rear elevation of the steering
device. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line bb of Fig. 6, shewing the steering
wheel and a plan view of the mechanism below the valve case. Fig. 4, a vertical
cross section on line c-c of Fig. 1 shewing the parts in position for operating by
power. Fig. 5 a similar section shewing the parts in position for operating by
hand. Fig. 6 a vertical section on line d-d of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 a vertical section
on line ee of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrow V.
1, 2, are the peripheral sides of the cylindrical case. The side 1 is provided with
a water passage 3 extending around up from the water inlet 4 to the valve
chamber 5. The opposite side 2 is provided with an outlet water passage 6,
extending from the outlet 7 up around that side of the cylinder and communi-
cating with the exhaust passage 8 from the valve chamber (Fig. 6). The cylinder
heads 9, 10, are secured to the cylinder by bolts 11 in the usual way (Figs. 1, 2, 3).
The bottom of the cylinder is provided with a supporting base 12, by which it
is secured to the deck by bolts 13 (Figs. 1, 2). Back of the cylinder is located a
supporting frame 14 in which is mounted the rear end of the main shaft 15
(Figs. 3, 4, 5) mounted centrally in the cylinder case, the front end being mounted
in a suitable bearing box 15" in the head 10. A screw nut 16 (Figs. 4, 5) is
rigidly secured on a reduced screw part, so as to rest against a shoulder on the
shaft, and prevent it from being moved longitudinally rearward or out from its
bearing, and a cap 17 closely fitted and secured by bolts 18 (Figs. 1, 4, 5) renders
the cylinder water or steam tight at that end of the shaft.
The shaft 15 (Fig. 4) is provided with an enlargement or collar 17° and the
head 9 is provided with a flange 19°. The collar 17° and the nut 16 hold the
central portions of the cylinder heads securely and thereby prevent them from
springing or spreading outward whilst under pressure. The opposite end of the
main shaft 15 passes through a stuffing box 9" in the cylinder head 9 and is pro-
vided with a reduced portion 19 mounted in a box 20 in the supporting frame 14.
21 is a pinion fixed on the end of the shaft. Between the supporting frame 14
and 'the cylinder head 9 is fixed on the shaft 15 by means of a set screw 22 or other
well known means, a grooved pulley 23 having two surrounding grooves 24, 25.
In the groove 24 is secured in the usual way the end of a rope, chain, or cable 26,
the opposite end of which connects with the tiller at one side, and in the groove 25
is secured the end of a chain or cable 27, having its opposite end connected in the
ordinary way with the tiller at the opposite side.
On the pulley 23 is a spur wheel 28 (Figs. 3, 4, 5).
Within the cylinder case is rigidly secured to the main shaft a drum 29 (Figs. 4,
5, 6) having secured at one side a close fitting piston 30 (Fig. 6) adapted to move
in the annular space 31 as the drum 29 turns either way from one side to the
other of a stationary dividing portion 32. These movable portions may be fitted
or packed in any well known way to insure a water tight or steam tight fit.
The stationary dividing portion 32 is provided with an opening 33, extending
in a longitudinal direction through it (Fig. 6). Transversely to the opening 33
is a cylindrical opening 34 which extends through both cylinder heads.
(Figs. 4, 5, 6). Within the opening 34 is mounted the steering wheel shaft 35
in stuffing boxes 36, 37, (Figs. 4, 5) and on this shaft is secured two enlarged
parts 38, 39, fitting water tight within the opening 34 and leaving an opening 40
between them.
At the front end of the shaft 35 is fixed the steering wheel 41 and a sector
gear 41, and at its opposite end is rigidly secured a spur pinion 42 (Figs. 3, 4, 5)
engaging with the spur wheel 28. The parts 38, 39, as well as the steering wheel
shaft 35, are adapted to be moved longitudinally within the opening 34 as well as
to turn therein. At the top of the cylinder is secured the valve case 43 by bolts 44.
It is provided with cylinder heads 45, 46, secured by bolts 47, and with stuffing
boxes 48, 49, through which the valve stem 50 passes. On the front end of the
latter is secured by a set screw 51 or other well known means a sector gear wheel 52
adapted to engage with the sector gear 41" on the steering wheel shaft 35.

page_text: The back end of the valve stem 50 has an arm 53 connected by a rod 54 with a
steam valve arm 55 for operating a valve 56 and admitting or shutting off steam
for operating a hydraulic pump 57. The pipe 58 with which the valve 56 is in
connection communicates with the pump at or about the point 59, and the opposite
end connects with a steam boiler of any suitable construction. The lower part of
the arm 53 extends downward forming a pendent arm 60 (Fig. 2) which extends
outwardly on each side and then downward to a point 61. In the extended portion
is a curved slot 62 through which the steering wheel shaft passes. The opening 62
serves to allow the arm to be turned from side to side without interfering with the
shaft 35 and the pointed portion 61 serves to cause the steam to be shut off
automatically.
To the top of the frame 14 is pivotted by a bolt 63 secured by a nut 64, a sector
gear 65 adapted to engage with the pinion 21 on the main shaft 15. The upper
portion of the sector gear 65 is provided with an index hand 66 (Figs. 4, 5, 7).
Opposite or back of the index hand is a curved index plate 67 bearing in the centre
the word 'Zero' and at each side the words Full back' to indicate the position
of the rudder.
68 (Fig. 1) is a pipe through which the water is forced from the hydraulic pump
to the inlet pipe 4 for operating the piston 30, and 69 is a pipe through which
the exhaust water or other medium used, passes from the outlet pipe 7.
The steering drum or grooved pulley 23 is provided with an inwardly extending
pin 70 which as the pulley turns, and when near the end of its stroke either way,
comes in contact with the pointed part 61 (Fig. 2) and moves it so that through
the connecting rod 54, it turns the arm 55, thereby shutting off the steam and
stopping the action of the pump. Thus the steam is shut off automatically at the
end of each stroke of the piston in either direction. It also at the same time
brings the valve S to the position shewn in Fig. 6 and thereby holds the piston 30
rigidly in its position, and also the rudder, so that it cannot be moved until the
valve is again operated.
The device is operated either by hand or by power by means of the steering
wheel 41. In Fig. 5 the device is shewn in position to be operated by hand, the
pinion 42 and the spur gear 28 being in engagement with each other and the
sector gears 41 and 52 being out of engagement so that the valve S is not operated.
The power is applied by the action of the steering wheel through gear wheels 28,
42, directly to the steering drum or pulley 23, and thus the steering is effected by
hand alone. It will be noticed that while the device is adjusted to be operated
by hand alone the steering wheel has been drawn forward as in Fig. 5 thereby
bringing the opening 40 between the enlarged portions 38, 39, directly in front of
the opening 33 through the stationary dividing portion 32, so that in this case the
water offers no impediment to the movement of the piston while operating by
hand. When it is desired to use steam and water for steering, all that is required
is to push the steering wheel backward towards the cylinder. This brings into
engagement the sector gears 41" and 52 as shewn in Fig. 4, and at the same time
throws the spur wheel 28 and pinion 42 out of engagement with each other and
also closes the opening 33 in the stationary dividing portion 32 by the part 39
which then covers it as shewn in Fig. 4. All the steering wheel has to do now is
to operate the valve S through the sector gears 41 and 52. It will now be seen
that by turning the steering wheel so as to cause the valve S to uncover the port r
and connect the exhaust with the opposite side, the steam valve communicating
with the hydraulic pump will be opened so that the pump commences at once to
operate, and water is forced up through the inlet pipe 4 and through the port r
hereby moving the piston 30 in the direction of the arrow X (Fig. 6) and turning
the rudder in a corresponding direction, in which it will move until the pin 70
causes the valve to close, in which position it will be held until the operator moves
the steering wheel to reverse the movement of the piston and turn the rudder
n the opposite direction, that is, by reversing the movement of the steering wheel

page_text: the opposite port t is uncovered, the motion of all the parts reversed and the rudder
moved in the opposite direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a steering gear for vessels, consisting of a cylindrical case, having an
annular space in which the piston operates, the combination with a stationary
dividing portion located in said annular space and having an opening through it
communicating with the annular space at each side of the piston, of a shaft
mounted within a transverse opening through the dividing portion and carrying
the steering wheel at its front end, and means, located within the transverse open-
ing, mounted on said shaft so as to be operated by the steering wheel for opening
or closing communication between the annular space and the piston, for the
purpose specified, substantially as described and shewn.
2. In a steering gear for vessels, the combination with the pulley to which the
chains or cables are connected for operating the tiller and rudder, of an arm rigidly
connected to the valve stem, a connecting rod connecting with the steam valve
and with an arm on the valve stem, an extension from. said valve stem arm, and a
pin extending out from the inner side of the cable pulley, whereby the steam is
shut off and the motion of the piston is stopped automatically at the end of each
stroke, substantially as described and shewn."
3. In a steering gear for vessels of the character described, the combination
with the cylinder case, of a shaft having one end mounted in one cylinder head,
means for preventing it from Being drawn therefrom, an inwardly projecting
sleeve extending from the opposite cylinder head having an inside surrounding
flange through which the opposite end of the shaft passes, and an enlargement on
said shaft adapted to engage with the inside flange, for preventing the cylinder
heads from spreading, substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a steering gear for vessels aving an annular spare in which the piston
operates, the general arrangement and combination of the working parts,
substantially as described and shewn.
noted this 30th day of July 1897
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.