IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Marsden Latham, of 71, Fleet Street, in
the City of London, Secretary of the General Patent Company, Limited,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS."-A com-
munication from abroad by David L. Allen, of the Province of New
Brunswick, British North America.
Sealed the 4th November 1862, and dated the 13th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Marsden Latham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patonts, with his Petition, on the
13th May 1862.
1, ROBERT MARSDEN LATHAM, of 71, Fleet Street, in the City of London;
Secretary of the General Patent Company, Limited, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS,"
a communication to me from abroad by David L. Allen, of the Province of
New Brunswick, British North America, to be as follows:-
To the steering wheel is adjusted a spindle supported in proper bearings..
Upon this spindle is a vertical pinion gearing into a horizontal wheel, which
is attached to an upright shaft (which should be secured to the deck), and to-
this shaft is attached a wheel which gears into a quadrant, this quadrant being
secured to a proper attachment, the latter embracing the rudder head, and
the attachment and quadrant should be in one casting. The lower part of the-
attachment which encircles the rudder head fits into a ring or socket, which
has a flange which should be secured to the deck.. The ring. and attachment,

page_text: where they come into contact, should be planed to prevent friction. The
depth of the wheel which gears with the quadrant will allow the rudder to rise
moderately, without any danger of throwing the apparatus out of, gear.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Marsden Latham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL. COME, I, ROBERT
MARDSEN LATHAM, of 71, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Secretary of
the General Patent Company, Limited, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Marsden Latham, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Marsden
Latham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Robert Marsden Latham, 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 and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS," a communication to me from abroad by David
L. Allen, of the Province of New Brunswick, British North America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Marsden Latham,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Marsden Latham, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The nature of the said Invention, as hath been heretofore described in and
by the Provisional Specification left and recorded on application for the said
Letters Patent, I do now hereby declare to consist in the following improve-

page_text: ments in steering apparatus, viz. :—To the steering wheel is adjusted a spindlo
supported upon proper bearings, upon which spindle is a vertical pinion gearing
into a horizontal wheel attached to an upright shaft to be secured to the deck,
and to this shaft I attach a wheel which gears into a quadrant, this quadrant
being secured to a proper attachment, the latter embracing the rudder head,
which attachment and quadrant I prefer should be in one casting. The lower
part of the attachment which encircles the rudder head fits into a ring or
socket, which has a flange intended to be secured to the deck. The ring and
attachment, where they come into contact, should be planed to prevent
friction. The wheel which gears with the quadrant should be of such depth
that it will allow the rudder to rise moderately, without any danger of throwing
the apparatus out of gear.
Having thus particularly described the nature of the said Invention, and
incidentally stated in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby
further declare that the following statement, referring to the illustrativo.
Drawings accompanying these Presents, will, upon reference to the said
Drawings, be found to further and particularly describe and ascertain in what
manner the same is to be performed, viz. :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1, side view; Fig. 2, plan. Upright standards A, B, secured to the deck
of the ship or vessel support the horizontal spindle C in the bearings b, b, one
on each of the standards, and to the said spindle C the steering wheel a is
properly adjusted, as shewn. The aforesaid spindle C, carrying the verticle
pinion c, which gears with the horizontal wheel fattached to the upright
shaft 9, secured to the deck by a step, as shewn. g* is a tooth wheel, also
secured on the upright shaft g, and gearing with the toothed quadrant h,
which is secured to a suitable attachment, as shewn, the latter embracing the
rudder head, the attachment and quadrant being, by preference, in one
casting. The lower part of the aforesaid attachment, which encircles the
rudder head, fits into a ring or socket i, having a flange which is secured to
the deck by bolts or screws.
The ring and attachment, where in contact, are
planed to prevent friction. The depth of the cog wheel g* will allow the
ruder to rise moderately, without any danger of throwing the apparatus out
of gear. k is an eye for a tackle to be rove through, if this should be deemed
necessary in working the rudder. It is evident that the turning of the
steering wheel will, through the spindle, act on the wheels c, f, g*, and
quadrant h, and hence the rudder head and the rudder be moved as required
in a better and more effectual manner than by the plans hitherto adopted.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby lastly
declare that I do not claim the separate constituent mechanical details herein
described and shewn by the Drawing. What I do claim being the improve-
ments in apparatus for steering vessels, the said improvements consisting in
the use of the combination of such several mechanical details, substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Marsden Latham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of November, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
year of
R. MARSDEN LATHAM. (L.S.)
Witness,
W. H. BATEMAN,
General Patent Company, Limited,
71, Fleet Street,
London.