IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Nicholson Holliday at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th October 1880.
JOHN NICHOLSON HOLLIDAY, of Sunderland, in the County of Durham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS."
This Invention consists in arrangements for steering ships or vessels, whereby
not only is space usually occupied by the steering apparatus amidships economised,
but the steam steering apparatus and hand steering are so arranged and connected,
that if anything should go wrong with the steam steering apparatus, or if the
hand steering apparatus were required, it can be worked at a moment's notice
without any locking being required in either apparatus. This locking would be
indispensible if the two (hand and steam) were combined amidships. Further
there is a saving of power when steering by hand, as I dispense with the long
length of chain or rods which have to be moved by all ordinary hand steering
apparatus amidships.
In carrying out iny Invention I proceed mainly as follows:-
I employ an ordinary hand steering apparatus (with the ordinary conical drum
or chain sheave) placed in the stern of the vessel, and altogether apart from the
steam steering apparatus which is amidships. The hand steering gear is attached
to the quadrant or tiller on rudder by chain in the ordinary manner, except that
this chain passes round pulleys (loop pulleys by preference) on either side of the
vessel, said pulleys working in suitable guides. These pulleys also form part of
the steam steering apparatus, and are connected by steel ropes, chains, or rods to
the steam steering apparatus amidships. The steam steering apparatus I prefer to
be on the direct acting principle, and the steam valve I prefer to use is that for
which Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date Sept. 10th, 1879,
No. 3631.
The important points of this Invention are,-
The arrangement of loop pulleys and hand and steam steering gear being

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Nicholson Holliday in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th April 1881.
JOHN NICHOLSON HOLLIDAY, of Sunderland, in the County of Durham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS."
These improvements consist, first, in the small amount of space occupied by the
apparatus amidship (where space is of the most importance), and this is attained
by having the steam steering apparatus amidships apart from the hand steering
gear, which can be placed aft, or in any position as most suitable. By this
arrangement of placing the hand gear apart from the steam steering apparatus, the
liability of either or both of them being disabled by any accident is very much
lessened, if not altogether avoided; and at the same time the steam steering
apparatus being connected to the hand steering gear by an arrangement of rods or
chains, either can be used at a moment's notice when required.
Fig. 1, plan showing arrangement of steering gear amidships and hand steering
gear aft.
Fig. 2, elevation of hand steering gear.
Fig. 3, front and side elevation of eccentric chain pulleys on hand steering
gear.
Fig. 4, elevation of chain pulleys and guide.
Fig. 5 shows arrangement of chains for steering gear amidships.
The Drawings show hand gear which is equally applicable to steam steering
gear, and consists in the use of two eccentric chain pulleys E, by the use of which
the power required to move the rudder over, either at the commencement or when
nearly hard over is the same throughout; and this is attained by the eccentric form
of the chain pulleys (Fig. 3), which not only give the power when most required,
namely, when the rudder is at its greatest angle, but the nip of the chain is
lessened. The arrangement of chains will be understood by reference to the
Drawings, and consists in the use of two loop pulleys at either side of the vessel,
and in the doubling of the chain round them, and from thence to the quadrant D
on the rudder, and to the hand steering gear B; but in the case of a screw hand
steering apparatus being used, the arrangement of chains from the steam steering
apparatus amidships at F (Fig. 5), would be very effective. A is the steam
steering apparatus amidship situated under the flying bridge, from which the
vessel can be steered by steam. Attached to the steam steering apparatus is my
valve Patent No. 3631, A.D. 1879, which controls and holds in position the rudder
having steain on both sides of the piston, as described in my Specification thereof.
To each side of the vessel a chain leads away from the steam steering apparatus,
passing round the chain sheaves D', D', and from thence along each side of the
vessel (either chains or rods) to the loop pullies above mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice, I hereby declare that I claim the Invention of "Improvements in Steering

page_text: Apparatus
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following are important points or features :-
(1.) Greater simplicity of construction in apparatus.
(2.) Saving of room amidships.
(3.) The improvement in hand gear.
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(4.) Having the hand gear separate and apart from the steam steering
apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Nicholson Holliday, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty first day of April, 1881, April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN NICHOLSON HOLLIDAY. (L.S.)