Improvements connected with Means of Steering Ships.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Means of Steering Ships.
I, THOMAS AUGUSTUS KENNEDY, of Accrington House, Formby, in the County of
Lancaster, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to the steering of ships, more especially those of
larger sizes; and has for its object to provide an improved means of steering them
which shall also serve, at will, as a brake or means of stopping the vessel.
According to this invention, a double rudder is employed, one blade being on each
side of a dead plate at the stern of the vessel. These rudders are hinged or mounted
in any suitable known way; and their stems are passed up through the stern of the
vessel, to a point where they are actuated, by a gearing means of operating them.
This means may consist of any known suitable kind of steering gear; or it may be
constructed in the special manner as hereafter described.
In action, to manoeuvre or turn a vessel, one of the rudders, that is to say, the
rudder on the same side of the vessel as the direction in which the vessel is desired to
sail is moved by the gear in the ordinary way, the other rudder being left in the
neutral or amidships position. And, on the other hand, when the ship is required
to sail in the other direction, the rudder on the other side is similarly moved.
When it is desired to use the rudders as a brake to slow or stop the ship, both
rudders are moved outwards in opposite directions together, to the hardover position,
or any intermediate position desired.
A construction of mechanism for operating the rudders described consists of toothed
racks or the like, engaging with quadrant or toothed wheels on the radder stems, such
racks being conveniently moved to and fro horizontally by pistons worked hydraulically,
or through suitable "power" steering gear; or through suitable hand operated screw
or equivalent gear.
Dated this 10th day of June 1896
Improvements connected with Means of Steering Ships.
I, THOMAS AUGUSTUS KENNEDY, of Accrington House, Formby, in the County of
Lancaster, Doctor of Medicine, 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 has reference to the steering of ships, more especially those of larger
sizes; and has for its object to provide an improved means of steering them which
shall also serve, at will, as a brake or means of stopping the vessel.
According to this invention, a double rudder is employed, one blade being on each

page_text: side of a dead plate at the stern of the vessel. These rudders are hinged or mounted
in any suitable known way; and their stems are passed up through the stern of the
vessel, to a point where they are actuated, by a gearing or means of operating them.
This means may consist of any known suitable kind of steering gear; or it may be
constructed in the special manner as hereafter described.
In action, to manoeuvre or turn a vessel, one of the rudders, that is to say, the
rudder on the same side of the vessel as the direction in which the vessel is desired to
sail is moved by the gear in the ordinary way, the other rudder being left in the
neutral or amidships position. And, on the other hand, when the ship is required to
sail in the other direction, the rudder on the other side is similarly moved.
When it is desired to use the rudders as a brake to slow or stop the ship, both
rudders are moved outwards in opposite directions together, to the hardover position,
or any intermediate position desired.
A construction of mechanism for operating the rudders described consists of
toothed racks or the like, engaging with quadrant or toothed wheels on the rudder
stems, such racks being conveniently moved to and fro horizontally by pistons worked
hydraulically, or through suitable "power" steering gear; or through suitable hand
operated screw or equivalent gear.
Having thus generally described the nature, objects, and purposes of my invention,
I will now proceed to decribe it more fully and clearly by the aid of the accompanying
drawings.
In these drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan shewing the after end of a steam ship provided with a steering
apparatus under this invention :
Figure 2 is a plan shewing the means employed for operating the steering
devices:
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, taken at the line A A Figure 2: and
Figure 4 is a front elevation of a device for indicating the position of the steering
blades.
With reference to the drawings, a represents the-after end of a screw steam ship;
b is the keel; and c designates the rudder post, which, under this invention, is made
with a dead plate or septum d, which extends for a distance aft corresponding with
the width of the rudder, which consists, under this invention, of two blades e el, one on
either side of the dead plate or septum d. The rudder post is provided with
channels or grooves ff in which the rudder stems hh are held and work.
The rudder blades, e', are adapted to be moved separately, for turning the vessel
to port or starboard or they may be moved together, to act as a brake to arrest the
movement of the vessel.
The means employed for working the double rudder may be any suitable
mechanism. In Figures 2 and 3, I have illustrated a means consisting of two
quadrants i, i, fixed on the rudder stems hh'. These quadrants have a dovetail
projection k, which fits and works in grooves on the supporting bed plate m.
The quadrants, and thereby the rudder blades, are worked by the piston rods n, n',
of independent hydraulic rams p p'. The pumping engine for working the rams may
be of any suitable kind placed near the rains, as at r, or at any other convenient part
of the vessel. A central rib is formed on the supporting bed plate, and comes
between the quadrants, and is provided with strips of rubber, leather, or other suitable
material which forms a buffer for the quadrants.
To show the position of the rudder blades, and the degrees to which they are
turned to port or to starboard, a suitable indicating device, such as shewn in Figure 4,
is employed. In this device, there are two indicating pointers s s¹, working over a
dailt these pointers are connected, by an endless chain or shafting, to the respective
quadrants, and indicate the position of the rudder blades e e¹.
In action, to manoeuvre or turn the vessel, one of the rudder blades e el, that is the
rudder blade on the same side of the vessel as the direction in which it is desired to
sail, is moved by the hydraulic ram n, or n', and quadrant i, or 2, the other rudder
blade being left stationary against the dead plate or septumn d; and when the vessel is

page_text: required to sail in the contrary direction, the rudder on the other side is
similarly moved. When it is desired to use the rudder as a brake, both blades e el are
moved outwards by the rams (as shown in dotted lines, Figure 1), and an arresting
action which slows or stops the vessel is given.
It is to be stated that the invention is not confined to the particular arrangement,
disposition, or construction of parts set forth with reference to the example of
apparatus illustrated, since in the application of the invention under different
circumstances and to comply with different conditions, these may be modified to suit
such circumstances or conditions. I would also have it understood that the means of
operating the rudders do not constitute, in themselves, a part of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to. be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described improvement connected with the steering of ships, namely,
the construction and employment of two rudders e el mounted on a stern post, and a
stationary or dead plate d between the rudders; arranged and adapted to operate
substantially as herein set forth.
2. The double rudders e el, dead plate d, and rudder post c arranged in connection
with the rudders, particularly as set forth with reference to and shewn in the
drawings.
3. The combination of double rudders and operating means or mechanism,
arranged and adapted to operate substantially as set forth with reference to and shewn
in the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of March 1807
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.