Improvements in Steering Apparatus for Ships.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1999-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering Apparatus for Ships.
I, AUGUST MAY, of 22, Admiralitätstrasse, Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany,
Captain, 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:-
A great number of the serious shipping-disasters which annually occur are due
to damage or injury done to the steering gear by heavy seas.
In rough or stormy weather the ship is subjected to immense strains and only
with great difficulty obeys the helm, and obviously the danger of a breakdown
or disablement of the steering-gear is greatly increased when a sea strikes the
rudder in a direction opposite to that in which it is acting, because at that
moment the steering engine forms a rigid connection with the rudder which is
not equal to the two-fold strain and is thus bound to break down.
From a consideration of what has been stated above it will be readily under-
stood that a break down in the steering gear cannot occur, when the rudder is
caused to yield proportionately to the stress upon it by a heavy sea, and the
otherwise destructive power is thus rendered harmless.
According to my present invention I provide a steering engine in which the
connection between the rudder and the engine is rendered elastic so far as to
break the force of the heaviest sea and, thus prevent damage, without however
such elastic connection of the rudder presenting any accompanying inconveniences.
The invention will be readily understood by referring to the accompanying
drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan of the improved steering-engine of which only one half is
shown the working cylinders being the same on each side.
Figure 2 is a side-elevation of the same partly in section.
Figure 3 is a cross section of the double cock 8 on line - Figure 5.
Figure 4 is a cross section of the same on line d-d Figure 5.
Figure 5 is a plan partly in section of the double cock 8 both plugs opened.
Figure 6 is a similar view shewing one of the plugs closed.
Speaking generally the arrangement consists of a direct acting steam-engine 1
for operating the double-acting pump 2, which pump communicates by a feed-
conduit with a tank not shown in the drawing. The pump delivers into a two-
branch conduit 4 each branch of which is provided with a two-way cock 5 to which
latter is connected the continuation-pipe 6 of the conduit 4 and also another pipe 7
leading to a double-cock 8 hereinafter more particularly described. From the
cock S a pipe 9 leads to the tank before mentioned to enable the pump 2, which
is constantly driven by the engine 1, to redeliver into the tank when the apparatus
is not in use. Each branch-pipe 6 is connected to a pivot 10 which also forms
a cock. This latter consists of a shell or casing 11 formed with two flanged
sockets 12 and 13, and of the plug formed by the pivot 10 cast upon the cylin-
der 15. The plug is provided with two passages 16 and 17 opening into the
tubular sockets 12 and 13. The lower end 14 of the plug or pivot is retained in
a bearing 18 for guiding the cylinder 15 which is adapted to revolve upon the

page_text: pivot. The shell 11 is pressed upon the conical plug 10 by means of a ring 20
held by studs 19 screwed into the bearing 18, the nuts being screwed up sufficient
to render the shell tight upon the plug without preventing the parts rotating.
The passage 16 is continued through the wall of the cylinder 15 and opens into the
same at the rear end thereof at 21 as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. The
cylinder is fitted with a piston 22, the piston rod 23 of which projects through
the front end of the said cylinder and is coupled to the arm 24 of the rudder.
The piston rod is fitted with a cross-head 25 adapted to slide in a double guide
groove 26. The guides 26 may be cast in one with the cylinder and their fore
ends are connected together by a solid cross-piece 27. This cross-piece 27 runs
upon rollers 28 of a supporting standard 29 which is curved to a radius to allow
of the guides 26 with cross-piece 27 swinging in a horizontal plane. The
cylinder 15 rests in a step bearing or pillow block 30 and its ends are supported
upon wheels 31 running upon rails as shown.
The second passage 17 of the plug leads into a pipe 32 connected with the rear
end of the cylinder 15 by means of the tubular socket 33 which opens direct
into the cylinder 15. To the tubular socket 33 is fixed a cock 34 with a pipe 35
which communicates with the air-vessel 37 carried on supporting brackets 36.
To the tubular socket 13 is connected a pipe 38 leading to a cylinder 39 fitted with
a piston 40, as shown by dotted lines, which latter is moved within the cylinder 39
by a piston rod 41.
The piston 40 is formed with two annular recesses 42 at a distance from each
other corresponding with its stroke and so arranged as to form each on arriving
at the middle of the cylinder, a double channel between the inlet pipe 38 and the
outlet pipe 43 of the cylinder; the outlet pipe being disposed below the cylinder
at a point diametrically opposite the inlet. The piston 40 is of such form as to
enable at the beginning of the stroke of the pump 2 the channel to establish
communication between 38 and 43 then closes the same and finally at the end of
the stroke re-opens the communication through the second channel not closing it
again until after the piston has already begun its return stroke at the end of
which the first channel comes into position again and so on. The plug of one of
the branch cocks 5 is formed with a slotted lever handle 44 the slot 45 of which
engages a stud 46 provided upon a flat sliding bar 47. A similar slotted lever-
handle 48 of the plug 49 of the double cock 8 engages a stud 50 fixed in an arm
rigidly connected to the sliding bar 47. Furthermore the second cock 5 with its
slotted lever-handle 51 engages a stud 52 on a sliding bar 53 parallel to the
bar 47 and the plug 54 of the double cock 8 has a slotted lever handle engaging
a stud 55 carried by an arm of the bar 53. Thus if one of these sliding bars is
caused to move the plugs of the cocks will be revolved. Each of the bars 47 53
is furnished with a slide 56, 57 respectively carrying slotted arms 58, 59 which
operate the lever arms 60 of the plugs of the cocks 34. The slides 56, 57 are
mounted loose upon their bars and ordinarily do not move therewith. In order
to cause them to move with the bar and thus revolve the cocks corresponding
thereto another bar 61 and 62, arranged underneath the bars 47, 52 respectively
is raised so as to cause a pin 63 or 64 normally flush with the upper surface of
the sliding bar above it, to project against the slide which then participates in
the movement of the sliding bar; a projection 65 on the sliding bar co-operating
with the said pin in engaging the slide. The main slide bars as well as their
corresponding bars are bent at an appropriate point and then continue side by
side in such manner as to cause the left hand side to be the right hand side and
vice versa; the purpose of this arrangement will be hereinafter explained. The
outlet pipes 43 are each provided with a cock 66 the slotted lever-handle 67 of
which engages with an arm 68 secured to the sliding bars 47, 53 respectively and
thus the plug of the cock is revolved at each movement of such sliding bar.
The steam engine 1 is preferably of the high speed type and the pump driven
by it must perform such a number of strokes as to be capable of reversing the
rudder from one side to the other side in half a minute.

page_text: For moving the rudder from one end position to the other as indicated by the
arrow in Figure 1, the bar 47 is moved so as to operate the cocks 5 and 49 in
such a manner as to cause the cock 5 to open the conduit 6 and close conduit 7.
The cock 5 on the other side being left at rest but establishing opposite com-
munication. By coupling the slide 50 by means of the pin 63 and moving the
bars 61 and 47 and therewith also the arm 58 the lever 60 of the cock 34 is
operated to close the said cock, while at the same time the cock 66 is closed by
the motion of the arm 68.
The pump 2 now forces the liquid through the pipe 6 socket 12 passage 16
behind the piston 22 in the cylinder 15. As the cocks 34 and 66 are closed the
pressure created by the force-pump 2 acts direct upon the piston 22 and drives it
outwards, so causing the arm 24 and with it the rudder to turn. The cross-
head 25 slides in the guide 26 and as the arm 24 of the rudder describes an arc
it will be evident that the cylinder 15 with the guide-rails 26 revolve causing the
cross-piece 27 to run upon the roller bearing 29 and the wheels 31 of the cylinder
to run over the rails, while the pivots of the cylinder turn in their bearings 18
and 30 but leaving the shell 11 together with its tubular socket 12 and 13 in
their position.
While the piston 22 of the one cylinder 15 moves outward the piston of the
twin-cylinder must move inward and therefore has to eject the fluid from behind
the piston. If for this purpose, during the outstroke of the piston 22 of the
cylinder 15 shown in the drawing, the outlet of the twin-cylinder were opened
and a wave rolled in the direction of the movement of the rudder such wave
would turn the rudder right round, there being no resistance to oppose the
action of the wave on the rudder. In order to obviate this it is necessary to
provide the cylinders 15 with accessory cylinders and cocks which act in the
following manner.
As
While the piston 22, as already stated, moves in the direction of the arrow the
conduit 6 of the twin-cylinder (not shown) but of the same construction as the
one shown remains closed because the bar 53 and the cock 5 remain at rest.
the cock 5 is a two-way cock it leaves the outlet pipe 7 open. But this pipe is
closed by the double cock 8, for the cocks have two superposed apertures and the
corresponding apertures in the shells 49 and 54 are disposed above one another
in such a manner as to cause the upper aperture of one cock to communicate
through the lower aperture of the other cock with the outlet pipe 9, (Figures 7
and 9). Therefore if one of the cocks is closed (Fig. 10) both are closed.
herein before described by operating the ba: 47 the cock 49 articulated thereto
has been turned round so as to close the outlet 9 and thereby has also closed the
outlet 7 of the second cock 5.
As
The second cylinder 15 is also furnished with a cylinder exactly like the one
designated with the numeral 39 and it is also fitted with a similar piston the
piston rod of which, like the rod 41 is fixed to the piston rod of the steam-
cylinder and thus both move simultaneously. When the pump 2 is working, at
the beginning of each stroke the pistons of the two cylinders 39 are in such a
position as to allow the discharge from the two cylinders 15 to flow through
the annular recess of the piston 40 and through the outlet pipes 43 into the
tank containing the fluid. The cock 66 at the side shown is closed as before
described while the cock 66 at the opposite side (not shown) is open.
During the motion of the piston from one end position to the other the outlet
is closed by the piston 40 of the cylinder 39 and the fluid cannot escape from
the second cylinder 15. The action of the pump upon the outgoing piston 22
causes the other piston 22 to force the fluid out into the air vessel or receiver 37,
there being one such receiver in connection with each cylinder 15, and compress
the air therein. The pump supplies the power for effecting this. At the end of
the stroke of the pump the piston 40 of the cylinder 39 opens the outlet pipe 43
and the water from the cylinder 37 is discharged, by the expansion of the com-
pressed air, through the pipe 32, passage 17, pipes 38 and 43 into the tank.
At

page_text: the return stroke of the pump it still acts as a pump but the outlet 43 is closed
by means of the piston 40 and the action is repeated to the end of the stroke,
and so on in like manner. This arrangement prevents a wave, following the
direction of the arrow from turning the rudder, but above all, as the air in the
air-vessel 37 forms an elastic cushion or buffer, the rudder is adapted to yield
under the force of the water and thereby the power of the latter is broken.
In calm weather this precautionary measure is not required, but in stormy
weather the waves also roll in the opposite direction of the movement of the
rudder, being here in the opposite direction to the arrow.
In order to therefore to also cause the working piston to be yielding the
mechanism hereinbefore described for closing or opening the cock 34 by the
sliding of the bar 61 is used. On the approach of rough weather the pin 63 and
the slide 56 are left uncoupled so that the cock 34 remains open. This causes
the pressure from the pump to act both upon the piston 22 and in the air-
vessel 37 by compressing the air therein but only to an extent equal the power
developed by the pump, so that a sudden effort upon the rudder in the opposite
direction to the motion of the piston 22 causes the air in the air-vessel 37 to
be still further compressed thereby acting as an elastic cushion or buffer which at
the same time reduces the force of the blow.
When the rudder has been set at the required angle the bar, in this case 47,
which has been operated is moved back into its normal position thus causing it
to close the cock 5 and thereby also the pipe 6, while the pipe 7 is opened so
allowing the pump 2 to discharge into the tank through both pipes 7, the pipe 9
having been opened by previously moving back the bar 47 and the cock 49 in con-
nection with it; the cock 8 being open when both bars are in their position of
rest as has been described.
Only after operating one of the bars 47, 53 can the pump discharge again into
one of the cylinders 15. The bars 47 and 53 extend through the ship to the
captain's bridge and are operated from such bridge.
The bars are crossed in such a manner as to be reversed on the captain's bridge
ie, the right bar becomes the left and vice-versa. This is merely for the purpose
of enabling the left bar to be used for turning the rudder to the left and thus
prevent mistakes. Naturally the accessory bars 61 and 62 are arranged to suit.
If it is desired to keep the rudder in one position for a longer period, which
however is hardly necessary during the journey, bars are left in their normal
position of rest and consequently the fluid cannot escape from the cylinders 15
although all the cocks are open, because of the pistons 40 in the cylinders 39
which move to and fro with the pump when pressure on the rudder is exerted by
a heavy sea. As with open cock 34 the cylinder 15 is in communication with the
air vessel 37 the fluid escapes into the air-vessels when a great pressure is exerted
by a heavy sea and thus renders the pistons 22 together with the rudder elastic
so that a break down becomes impossible.
In existing constructions the rudder spindle is often provided with strong
spring at both sides so that the rudder does not at first receive the full stress but
is only gradually set in motion. A far greater action is obtained with the
arrangement hereinbefore described by causing the cocks 49 and 54 to close sooner
than the cocks 34 and thereby causing the pump 2 to act full upon one of the
pistons 22 only when one of the bars 47 or 53 is fully advanced leaving to the
fluid only the passage from the pump to the rear of the piston 22. During rough
weather the cock 34, as has been previously stated, remains open and thus a
sudden blow by the pump upon the piston 22 is obviated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A hydro-pneumatic steering engine with a continuously operated pump 2
for discharging motive fluid alternately into hydraulic-working cylinders 15 for

page_text: operating the rudder, characterized in that the motive fluid is forced behind the
rear of the piston 22 of the working cylinder, while the exhaust of the water
from the other working cylinder during the instroke of its piston is prevented
except that it is forced into an air-vessel 37, so as to form an elastic air-cushion
or buffer for allowing motion without destructive shock.
2. A hydro-pneumatic steering engine as claimed in Claim 1, in which with
the pump 2 a piston valve 39 for each working cylinder 15 is opened and closed
at every stroke of the pump, the said valve being designed to regulate the
outlet which it delays by alternately opening and closing, while the charging
of the working cylinder 15 is effected by closing the outlet by means of its corre-
sponding piston valve 39 acting in conjunction with the cock 34 which is reversed
at that moment, so that the operating cylinder 15 always receives the full working
pressure.
3. A hydro-pneumatic steering engine as claimed in Claim 1 and 2 in which
the cock 34, coupled to the reversing mechanism for the working cylinders 15, is
caused to close the air-vessel of the cylinder at work, but which is uncoupled
during rough weather when both cocks of the two air vessels remain at rest
leaving the latter in constant communication with the working cylinders, thereby
opposing an air cushion or buffer in each direction to blows from heavy seas upon
the rudder for the purpose of preventing breakdown of the steering gear.
Dated this 21st day of August 1899
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.