IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: We, THOMAS PRATT HOLLICK, Engineer, of 602 Commercial Road East in the
County of Middlesex, and EVERDEN WIMSHURST of 785 Commercial Road East in
the County of Middlesex, aforesaid, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING APPARATUS to be as follows:-
Steam steering gear as at present constructed is usually of a complicated
character, and consists of a number of parts, such as piston rods, cranks, excentrics,
spur gear, or mitre gearing, by which motion is communicated to a drum or drums
carrying the tiller chains. These parts are liable to get out of order or break down
at the most critical times, and in most cases it is extremely difficult to repair them,
and the noise caused by the working is very disagreeable.
Now the object of this invention is so to simplify the construction of steam
steering apparatus that the risk of breaking down will be reduced to a minimum,
while the reparation of the parts may be effected with facility and the noise of
working will be avoided.
In carrying out our invention, we dispensed with the tiller chain drums and the
complicated arrangement of parts for working the same, and we act direct on the
tiller chains by means of suitably arranged rams or plungers. Steam is admitted
to and exhausted from the ram cylinders by means of rotary valves worked by
pawls which take into ratchet wheels keyed on the spindle or axle to which the
steering wheel is attached and on which the rotary valves are loosely mounted.
The rams, of which we prefer there should be two, one for the starboard chain
and one for the port chain, and which may work in the same or opposite directions,
are formed with semicircular crossheads which carry two or more series of friction
rollers or pullies, and the ram cylinders are provided at bottom with similar semi-
circular parts and friction rollers.
The tiller chains are attached at one end to the cylinders, and after passing one
or more times round the cylinders and rams from end to end, are secured to the
tiller.
On steam being admitted to a cylinder, its ram will be forced out, and the
loops formed by the chain round the cylinder and ram will be distended. As the
point of resistance is at the point where the chain is fixed to the cylinder, the pull
must be on the tiller end, and thus the tiller is pulled over as much as required.
The amount of motion given to the tiller will be equal to the stroke of the ram
multiplied by twice the number of times the chain passes round the cylinder and

page_text: ram; thus suppose the stroke of the ram is one foot and the chain passes round
twice, the distance the tiller moves will be equal to 4 feet, so that by a com-
paratively small amount of movement in the ram, the tiller will be put hard a
starboard or hard a port.
-
As the steam is admitted to one cylinder, it must exhaust from the other, and
this will be effected in the following manner. Each ram cylinder is provided with
two valves, one for steam, and the other for exhaust purposes. These pairs of
valves are mounted loosely on the spindle or axle of the steering wheel, and are
connected with the boiler and ram cylinders, and exhaust chambers, by suitable
pipes.
Between each pair of valves, and keyed upon the steering wheel axle, is a pair
of ratchet wheels, the teeth of which are set in opposite directions, so that the two
valves forming each pair can be made to turn in opposite directions. The ratchet
wheel of the steam valve of one cylinder will correspond to that of the exhaust
valve of the other cylinder.
Each loosely mounted valve is provided with a pawl which takes into the teeth
of the respective ratchet wheels, and thus it will be seen that any movement of the
steering wheel will open a steam valve of one cylinder and the exhaust valve of
the other.
In this manner the tightening up or hauling in of one tiller chain, and the
Blackening of the other, will be effected.
The rotary valves may be of any simple and convenient construction, and
provided with suitable packing to render them steam tight.
If desired we may mount on the steering wheel axle a chain drum to receive
duplicate tiller chains, by means of which the vessel may be steered by hand.
Although we have described above two cylinders and rams as being preferable, it
will be obvious that a similar result may be obtained by a single cylinder with
two rams, or a piston having a piston rod projecting at either end of the cylinder
and provided with cross heads as above described, round which the tiller chains
pass, the chains being attached to opposite ends of the cylinder. In this case
steam will be admitted on both sides of the piston.
Or we may employ two cylinders containing two rams each, but in either
instance the remaining working parts will remain the same as described above.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1884

page_text: THOMAS PRATT HOLLICK Engineer 602 Commercial Road East in the County of
Middlesex and EVERDEN WIMSHURST Engineer of 785 Commercial Road East in
the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING APPARATUS and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object of our Invention is to simplify the construction of steam steering
apparatus and to render them more efficient than existing modes, and the following
is a description of what we consider the best mode or means of carrying out the
Invention. The accompanying drawings form part of this specification.
Fig. 1 is an elevation: Fig. 2 a plan: Fig. 3 an end elevation: Fig. 4 valve gear
part in section: Fig. 5 end elevation of ratchet gear.
A Foundation plate of any convenient size and form to carry the cylinders B B.
BB Two cylinders fixed to foundation plate, fitted with rams C C and packing
glands c. c.
CĊ Two rams working in the cylinders B B which take the pressure of steam
from the rotary valves or cocks E.
DD Cross-heads, one on each cylinder and one on each. ram: d, d, rollers in
cross heads round which the steering chains pass.
E Rotary valves being hollow, circular, cylindrical valves mounted on bearings
and worked by the ratchet motion f, f: g, g, shaft working in bearings and having
spur wheel h keyed on and working into spur wheels ii which are attached to
ratchets jj: S, S, steam valves: p, p, exhaust valves: M spur wheel for steering
by hand.
We have four separate and distinct rotary valves or cocks E each having a
passage e e into a drum or receiver forming a part of the valve or cock, so that
while steam is charging the one receiver and passing on to the cylinder, an equal
volume of steam is being exhausted from the other cylinder, so that by the motion
worked by the ratchets ff two valves are at rest, while two are in motion."
According to the movement of the steering wheel K one ram would have the
increased volume of steam, while steam will be exhausted in equal proportions
from the other cylinder: so the movement of the steering wheel K regulates the
steam pressure upon the rams for steering from port to starboard and from
starboard to port as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is the method of steering vessels by the means of steam rams
actuated by steam rotary valves through which the power is transmitted direct
from the rams to the tiller chains attached to the rudder-head.
THOB P. HOLLICK.
EVERDEN WIMSHURST.