IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' RUDDERS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Holman, of the Western Clubs, Topsham, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' RUDDERS."
Sealed the 12th December 1856, and dated the 1st October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Holman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st October 1856.
I, JOHN HOLMAN, of the Western Clubs, Topsham, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' RUDDERS," to be as.
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in ships' rudders; for which
purpose, in place of using the ordinary pintles and gudgeons, the rudder post
is made cylindrical or circular in section, and turns in straps fixed or con-
nected to the stern post of the ship. The lower end of the rudder post steps
into a bearing formed in a portion of the keel which projects beyond the stern
post, and such projecting portion of the keel is strengthened by a metal strap
which embraces the bearing of the lower end of the rudder post, and by pro-
jections from such strap the keel and stern post are connected together. In
place of the straps in which the rudder post works being affixed to the stern
post, they may be connected by hinge plates on one side, and by a sliding bolt
on the other, which passing down from above, can at any time be withdrawn

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Holman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HOLMAN, of the Western Clubs, Topsham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Holman, Her special licence that I, the said John Holman, my
exécutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Holman, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' RUDDERS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Holman, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 John Holman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention; and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly, described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is say:
.
This Invention has for its object improvements in ships' rudders; for.
which purpose, in place of using the ordinary pintles and gudgeons, the rudder
post is made cylindrical or circular in section, and turns in straps fixed.or
connected to the stern post of the ship. The lower end of the rudder post
steps into a bearing formed in a portion of the keel which projects beyond the
stern post, and such projecting portion of the keel is strengthened by a.metal
strap which embraces the bearing of the lower end of the rudder post, and by

page_text: projections from such strap the keel and stern post are connected together.
In place of the straps in which the rudder post works being affixed to the
stern post, they may be connected by hinge plates on one side, and by a sliding
bolt on the other, which, passing down from above, can at any time be with-
5 drawn so as to admit of the rudder being lifted out of the water. The upper
part of the rudder post passes through a fixed tube and turns therein. The
stern post is grooved to correspond with the radius of the rudder post.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews an arrangement or construction of rudder according to my
Invention. a is the rudder post, which is cylindrical or of a circular section,
so that it may enter into a corresponding groove formed in the stern post of
the ship or vessel; b is the blade or rudder fixed to the rudder post a, by
straps and bolts c, c, or otherwise. The lower end of the rudder post a steps
into a bearing at d, formed on a projecting part of the keel, as shewn. The
kcel and the stern post are fixed together. by means of the metal strap e,
which-passes round the upper edge of the projecting part of the keel: The
rudder post a turns in straps either fixed to the stern post or attached to the
stern post, so as readily to be removed, or so as readily to admit of the rudder
post being lifted upwards. The form and means of fixing. or attaching the
straps to the stern post and rudder post may be greatly varied. I, however,
prefer the arrangements shewn in the several Figures of the Drawings, though
others, if preferred, may be employed, without departing from my Invention.
In Figure 1, the rudder post passes up through a tube f, and is capable of
turning therein, and the tube f is also capable of turning freely, and of being
taken up to allow the rudder to be unshipped; the tube f is supported at the
points f¹, f, there being. collars or enlargements around the tube f; at those
parts f* is a tongue or projection on the tube f, which is caused to enter a
groove cut in the stern post, in order to retain or lock down the tube f in a
fixed position; g, g, are two straps, which are fixed by screw bolts and nuts,
or otherwise, to the stern post, which require to be removed before the rudder
can be unshipped.
Figure 2 shows another arrangement according to my Invention, differing
somewhat in respect to the form of some of the parts from the parts shewn in
Figure 1. In the arrangement shewn in Figure 2, the straps g, which embrace
the rudder post, are capable of separating from the parts fixed to the stern
post, to admit of the rudder being lifted. In the arrangement shewn, the upper

page_text: strap g, which embraces the rudder post a, is attached to the part affixed to the
stern post by a sliding bolt or bolts g', whilst the lower strap 9 embraces the
rudder post a, admitting it to turn thereon, there being two sliding bolts g³
fixed to that part of the strap which embraces the rudder post a, such sliding
bolts 9 passing into the eyes formed in the parts of the strap g which are fixed 5
to the stern post, as is shewn in Figure 2, and in the horizontal section,
Figure 3, and the strap around the rudder post is retained in a correct position
when the rudder is being shipped by the sliding bolt g³ entering into the back
of the strap, it being withdrawn when the rudder is correctly shipped.
Figure 4 shews a side view, partly in section, of another rudder, in which the
straps 9 are partly fixed to the rudder post and partly to the stern post. In
this arrangement, the straps have lips or projections 9, g', which fit into each
other.
Figure 5 shews a horizontal section; and Figure 6, a side clevation of part
of the rudder post, with its straps. In this arrangement, the rudder post is
only partly embraced by the part g of the strap, which is fixed to the stern
post, and only that portion which constitutes the lip g' turns within the part of
the strap which is affixed to the stern post, and partly embraces the rudder
post; if desired, however, the whole of the strap 9 may embrace the rudder
fixed
post a, and be formed into a bent lip at its upper edge, whilst the strap g,
to the rudder post, may be bent outwards at its lower edge and fit on to the lip
or contraction of the part which is fixed to the stern post. In this arrange-
ment the tubef is dispensed with, there being a ring fs bolted to the rudder
post, which turns on the fixed saddle plate f, and f³ is another ring, in which
the rudder post turns, and by which it is held down to the fixed saddle plate f*,
as shown, to prevent the rudder lifting or unshipping. The wedge f* is to be
raised when it is desired to unship the rudder.
Figure 7 shows another side view of a rudder, in which arrangement the
strap g embraces the rudder post a, and is simply connected to the stern post
by an eye fixed to the strap, such eye passing over a hook fixed to the stern
post, there being a sliding bolt g³, which passes through the blade of the rudder
into the strap g, to retain it in a correct position when the rudder is being
shipped, this bolt being afterwards withdrawn to allow the rudder post to turn
freely in the strap. In this arrangement the tube f is fixed to and turns with
the rudder post, which is held down by a ring f', as in Figure 4. In these
arrangements the bearing d and the strap e are slightly varied in form and
construction.
Figure 8 shews a side view, partly in section, of another rudder, where the
strap g and tube fare dispensed with, and the rudder is held down by a cap f

page_text: which is connected by links to the fixed saddle plate f*, as shown. In this
arrangement there is a ring h on the lower end of the rubber post, having a
dovetail which enters a dovetail groove in the stern post, by which the rudder
is kept in place when lifting. In Figures 9, 10, and 11, the straps g, fixed on
the rudder post and on the stern post, simply rest on each other, as shewn.
Figure 12. shows another arrangement, in which the tube f is fixed to the
rudder post, and the rudder post is retained or locked down by a key i and
wedge j, there being a projection on the lower end of the key i which passes
through a slot in the tube f, and enters a groove cut in the rudder case. The
rudder post is connected to the stern post by a ring k, having an eye which
passes over the hook 1, fixed in the stern post. In Figure 13, the rudder post
and stern post are connected together by a bolt m, which passes down through
eyes on the rings n, around the rudder post, and through eyes fixed or bolted
to the stern post, and the rudder post is retained in its place, as before
described.
Figure 14 shews another arrangement, in which the rudder post is simply
supported by the tubular rudder case and the projection of the keel, as
shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Holman, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 27th day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
WILLIAM SYMONS,
of Topsham.
JOHN HOLMAN. (L.S.)