IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Walker, of the Firm Emerson, Walker,
and Company, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Ships'
Windlass Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WINDLASSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th December 1875.
I, EDMUND WALKER, of the Firm Emerson, Walker, and Company,
of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Ships' Windlass Manu-
facturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS, IN WINDLASSES," to be as follows:-
1
This Invention relates mainly to a combination or arrangement of the
parts composing a windlass, to be worked by steam, hydraulic, or
equivalent power, or by hand.
1
the deal of a chin

page_text: apparatus, to be worked by steam at a distance apart but supplied with
steam by the same supply pipe. The piston rods of these cylinders by
the aid of connecting rods actuate cranks or discs on a shaft at the rear,
a pinion being on this shaft to gear into a toothed central wheel on an
intermediate shaft which carries clutch pinons gearing into toothed
wheels on the shaft of the lift wheels and work the same in the required
direction.
The rear shaft carries a couple of pinching discs which can be loosened
when desired, to enable the eccentrics of the valve rods to be turned
round and adjusted by hand, they being loose upon the shaft for that
purpose. The pinching discs are upon threaded portions of the shaft.
The main shaft carries chain wheels which can be released when
desired by unscrewing threaded blocks..
The shaft has also the paul wheels and surging heads so arranged that
one or other can be put into or out of gear for the purpose intended
whether for speed or for power.
In fitting a capstan head to the frame I mount it above and just
behind the rear shaft and work it by bevil gearing direct.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edmund Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th June 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
WALKER, of the Firm Emerson, Walker, and Company, of Leadenhall
Street, in the City of London, Ships' Windlass Manufacturers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Edmund Walker, Her special license that I,
the said Edmund Walker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Edmund Walker, my 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 therein expressed, should

page_text: and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United.
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and. Islė
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edmund Walker, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edmund Walker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates mainly to a combination or arrangement of the
parts composing a windlass, to be worked by steam, hydraulic, or
equivalent power, or by hand.
Upon a bed plate which can be firmly fixed upon the deck of a ship
or vessel I mount a couple of cylinders horizontally, to be worked by
steam at a distance apart but supplied with steam by the same supply
pipe. The piston rods of these cylinders by the aid of connecting rods
actuate cranks or discs on a shaft at the rear, a pinion being on this
shaft to gear into a toothed central wheel on an intermediate shaft which
carries clutch pinions gearing into toothed wheels on the shaft of the
lift wheels to work the same in the required direction.
The rear shaft carries a couple of pinching discs which can be loosened
when desired to enable the excentrics of the valve rods to be turned
round and adjusted by hand, they being loose upon the shaft for that
purpose. The pinching discs are upon threaded portions of the shaft.
The main shaft carries chain wheels which can be released when
desired by unscrewing threaded blocks.
The shaft has also the paul wheels and surging heads so arranged
that one or other can be put into or out of gear for the purpose intended
whether for speed or for power.
In fitting a capstan head to the frame I mount it above and work it
by bevil gearing direct.
The Invention is clearly represented in the accompanying · Sheet of

page_text: Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a front
view.
A, A, is the bed or foundation plate which may be firmly bolted
down upon the upper, middle, or lower deck as desired; B, B, are the
steam cylinders upon the bed plate A; and C, C, the piston rods, &
through which and the connecting rods C¹, C¹, the excentrics D, D, are
operated; the excentrics are fitted loosely upon a shaft E, but are
capable of being pinched tight by discs F, F, when desired, the shaft E
and the discs F, F, being screw threaded for the purpose.
Instead of the pinching discs and the excentrics being used ordinary 1
rods and cranks can be substituted, the excentrics and the pinching
discs being available for adjustment to suit the lap of the valves for the
proper ingress and egress of the supply and exhaust steam.
The shaft E is mounted upon or within bearings G, G, and carries a
pinion H which gears into an intermediate wheel I, the shaft J of which 1
has the pinions K, K, for gearing into the lift or spur wheels L, L, on
the main shaft or shafts M, M, and on which the chain wheels N, N,
and surging heads P, P, are fitted, the chain wheels N, N, being loose
and capable of being pinched into action by the threaded hand discs
Q, Q, on either side, according to the right or left hand lift required. 2
The back portion of the windlass in this construction is provided with
hand lifts R, R, to operate the pauls S, S, which take into the teeth of
the lift wheels, the pauls, more particularly shown in Figures 3 and 4,
being capable of being held out of the teeth when desired by means of a
lever T and by a pin U which can be placed under them and through a 2
hole in the side plates V to keep them out of action, as in Figure 3.
The lift wheels are then available for the direct action from the steam
gearing, as before described. In the same side cheeks or plates V I fit
another paul W which engages into the teeth in the reverse direction
to the pauls S, S, that a depression of the hand levers R, R, may cause &
the spur or lift wheels L, L, and the chain wheels N, N, to travel in a
corresponding direction. The paul W can be kept out of gear by a lift
of its lever ✗, as in Figure 3, when desired, and be retained by the
bolt or pin U being shifted into the hole Z, as in Figure 4.
Figures 5 and 6 represent my improved combination or arrangement
of windlass in or by which a capstan a can be rotated. Upon one of the
lift or spur wheels L I arrange a bevil wheel 6 by which the motion of

page_text: the lift wheel can be communicated when a bevil pinion c which is
mounted loosely upon a vertical shaft & is put into gear. The pinion c
can be put into and out of gear by clutch mechanism, or it may be kept
in gear and made to run idle if desired but be capable of positive action
when the capstan is rotated by handspikes in the usual manner. The
advantage of this latter plan is I can work my windlass from the capstan
by hand and obtain a direct action upon the lift and chain wheels
through the bevil pinion c gearing into the bevil wheel d which is
bolted on or is in a piece with one of the lift or spur wheels L; or
instead of taking the motion from the capstan I can drive the capstan
direct from the windlass below, or put the capstan out of gear or con-
nection with the windlass as desired.
Having now set forth the nature of my said Invention I declare that
I claim,-
Firstly. The special combination or arrangement of parts composing
a windlass, and the driving of the same by hand or by steam power as
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. I claim the special combination or arrangement of parts
composing a windlass, referred to with reference to Figures 5 and 6 of
the annexed Drawings, and the adaptation of a capstan thereto, either
of which can be driven or rotated by the other, as and for the purposes
set forth.
Thirdly. I claim the direct action gearing from or to a capstan and
windlass, particularly as indicated in Figures 5 and 6 of the annexed
Drawings.
Fourthly. I claim the arrangement of double action pauls to lift
wheels of windlasses, and the method or appliance for shifting and
retaining them out of gear when desired, as described with reference to
Figures 3 and 4 of the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Walker, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of June, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.