Improved Means for Controlling Steering-engines from a Distance.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Controlling Steering-engines from a Distance.
We, JAMES LEWIS BOOTHMAN, of 37, Bank Street, Greenock, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, and WILLIAM HASTE, of Kilblain Engine.
Works, Greenock aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows, that is to say:-
The said invention has for its object the controlling of a steering engine from
a bridge or other steering station at a distance from the engine, by means of
improved teledynamic apparatus which works with steam or compressed air or gas.
in carrying out the invention according to one modification two pipes extend
from the steering station to opposite ends of a cylinder at the steering engine.
The piston of the cylinder is connected to the controlling valve of the engine, and
springs are arranged so as to be compressed on the piston moving in either
direction from its middle position. The further the piston has to be moved from
its middle position to bring about a required movement of the rudder, the greater
will be the resistance of the springs, and to meet this the steam or other pressure
transmitted by one of the pipes is correspondingly increased by means of apparatus
at the steering station. Each pipe is, at the steering station, connected to a valvo
box in which a reducing valve is arranged, this valve being acted on by a spring
which is less or more compressed by means of the steering wheel, when this wheel
is turned from its middle position, one reducing valve being opened for a star-
board movement of the rudder and the other for a port movement.
It is con-
venient to place the two reducing valves opposite to each other, and to arrange
one spring or set of springs to act for both. In this arrangement the spindles of
the valves pass through holes in the opposite ends of a movable frame, shoulders
on the spindles bear on disks or flanged bosses between which a helical spring is
placed. The frame is movable by means of a screw shaft which is, or is geared
fo, the shaft of the steering wheel. When the frame is moved in one direction-
to starboard for example-its port end compresses the spring and causes it to open
the starboard reducing valve, but this valve closes as soon as the steam passing
it attains a pressure corresponding to the compression of the spring. The pressure
thus admitted to the starboard pipe acts in the cylinder at the steering engine and
moves the piston of that cylinder to an extent corresponding to the pressure, and
the controlling valve of the engine is acted on accordingly. If further movement
in the same direction is required the frame at the steering station is moved fur-
ther, the spring acting on the reducing valve is more compressed, more pressure
is admitted and moves the piston of the cylinder further until the increased pres-
sure is balanced by the further compression of the spring.
When pressure is acting in one end of the cylinder it is necessary for the pres-
sure in the other end to be diminished, and for this purpose there is in connec-
tion with each pipe connected to the cylinder an exhaust valve controlled by the
frame which acts on the reducing valves. The two exhaust valves have applied
to their spindles a spring or springs carried by the frame, and arranged to keep
a

page_text: the valve shut at the side at which pressure is being admitted the exhaust valve
at the other side being then free to open:
Instead of the cylinder with the moving piston, the cylinder may be movable
the piston being fixed and held by fixed tubular rods to which the pipes from the
steering station are connected, the tubular rods communicating with the interior
of the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston.
If the cylinder and piston herein before referred to are made of suitable sizes,
they may be arranged to act directly on the rudder tiller or crosshead instead of
on the controlling valve of a steering engine.
In connection with the teledynamic pipes we prefer to arrange pressure gauges
which in showing the pressure will at the same time indicate the position into
which the rudder is being moved.
As a rudder indicator we arrange apparatus like what is herein before described
as at the steering station, but worked by the rudder head, the pipes from such
apparatus extending to the steering station and there by pressure gauges showing
the actual position of the rudder at any time.
Dated this Thintoonth das 1
1000
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Ímproved Means for Controlling Steering-engines from a Distance.
We, JAMES LEWIS BOOTHMAN, of 37, Bank Street, Greenock, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, and WILLIAM HASTIE, of hilblain Engine
Works, Greenock aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-
The said invention has for its object the controlling of a steering engine from
a bridge or other steering station at a distance from the engine, by means of
improved teledynamic apparatus which works with steam or compressed air or gas.
in carrying out the invention transmitting apparatus at the bridge or steering
station is connected by one or two pipes with receiving apparatus arranged to act
on the controlling valve of a steering engine or directly on the rudder mechanism.
The transmitting apparatus is arranged for determining the pressure in the com-
municating pipe or pipes; and the arrangements are such that the positions of
the rudder correspond to the various pressures. Supposing, for example, that a
maximum steam pressure of 100 lb. per square inch is available, that pressure may
correspond to one extreme position of the rudder, and absence of pressure to the
other extreme, a pressure of 50 lb. corresponding to the middle position. Or
pressures in opposite directions may correspond to positions on opposite sides of
a middle no-pressure position. The steam admitted by the transmitting apparatus
to the communicating pipe or pipes acts in a cylinder at the steering engine so
as to move the controlling valve of that engine or so as to act directly on the
rudder mechanism. The steam is admitted by means of a valve or valves con-
trolled by a spring or springs the action of which is determined by means of a
hand steering wheel.
And in order that the said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to in describing examples of our improved apparatus.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is a sectional plan of transmitting apparatus arranged
to operate with oppositely acting pressures; and Figure, 2, is a vertical section

page_text: of receiving apparatus adapted for the transmitting apparatus shown in Figure, 1.
Figure, 3, is a diagram of a simplified modification of the apparatus. In these
drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.
In the example shown in Figures, 1, and 2, two pipes, A, B, extend from the
transmitting apparatus (Figure, 1) at the steering station to the receiving appa-
ratus (Figure 2) at the steering engine. This receiving apparatus may comprise
a fixed cylinder and moving piston, or as shown a moving cylinder, C, and a
fixed piston, 1). The cylinder, C, by a rack, C1, gearing with a pinion, C2, acts
on a spindle, C3, which moves the controlling valve of the steering engine (not
shown). The piston, D, is fixed to tubular rods, D1, D2, which extend through
stuffing boxes in the ends of the cylinder to fixed standards or brackets which are
not shown; and the ends of the rods D1, D2, have connected to them the con-
tinuations of the communicating pipes, A, B, whilst the inner ends of the rods
communicate by ports with the interiors of the cylinder, C, on opposite sides of
the piston, D. A fixed framing, E, supports and guides the cylinder, C, which is
provided with rollers C4, to run on the bottom plate of the framing. Encircling
the cylinder, C, there is a helical spring, F, between rings, F1, F2, on which its
ends bear, one ring, F1, being in contact with an end flange on the cylinder, and
the other, F2, in contact with a ring, C5, fixed on the other end of the cylinder.
The rings, F1, F2, are arranged to encounter stops on the framing, E, to prevent
them from moving beyond the ends of that framing. With this arrangement, in
whichever direction the cylinder, C, moves it compresses the spring, F, against
the stop towards which the cylinder moves. The further the cylinder, C, has to
be moved from its middle position to bring about a required movement of the
rudder, the greater will be the resistance of the spring, F, and to meet this the
steam or other pressure transmitted by one of the pipes, A, B, is correspondingly
increased by means of the transmitting apparatus, Figure, 1. One pipe, A, is
connected to a space, A 1, in a valve box in which is a reducing valve, G, the
spindle of which is acted on by a helical spring, H, which is less or more com-
pressed by means of the hand steering wheel, when this wheel is turned from its
middle position, the valve, G, being opened for, say, a star-board position of
the rudder, and another similar valve at the other end of the transmitting appa-
ratus (not shown in section) being opened for a port movement. A steam supply
pipe and passage, J, communicate with the valve, G, (and with the similar valve
at the other end). The spring, H, and another K, hereinafter referred to, are
between the ends of a frame, L, which is movable by a screw on a shaft, M,
which may be worked directly or through intervening mechanism by the hand
steering wheel (not shown). Supposing the frame, L, to be moved towards the
valve, G, it will compress the spring, H, against a shoulder on the valve spindle
(or on a spindle bearing thereon) and will open the valvo to admit steam into the
space, A 1, and pipe, A; but on the steam so admitted becoming in the space, A 1,
of a pressure equivalent to that of the spring the valve will close and prevent a
further increase of the pressure acting in the pipe, A. The steam thus entering
the pipe, A, will act in the receiving cylinder, C, and cause a movement which
will stop on the pressure in the cylinder compressing the spring, F, thereon to
an extent corresponding to the pressure, and to the movement of the frame, L,
of the transmitting apparatus.
When pressure is acting in one end of the receiving cylinder, C, it is necessary
for the pressure in the other end to be diminished, and for this purpose there is
in connection with the space, A 1, (and the corresponding space at the other end)
of the transmitting apparatus, an exhaust valve, N, controlled by the helical
spring, K, hereinbefore mentioned, along with the spring, II, as acted on by the
frame, L, the valve, N, communicating with an exhaust space or passage, N1.
The spring, K, is adapted to load the exhaust valve, N, to the pressure caused to
be admitted by the other spring H; and when the frame, L, is moved so as
either to correspond to a diminished pressure or to the admsision of pressure in

page_text: an opposite direction, that is, into the other communicating pipe, B, the exhaust
valve, N, opens.
In some cases, when the maximum steam pressure available and the size and
strength of the steering apparatus are suitable, the transmitting apparatus
(Figure, 1) may be simplified and arranged to act only on valves G, N, connected
with one communicating pipe, A, instead of two, A, B. In such cases the hand-
steering mechanism and the steering-engine details are arranged so that the
middle position of the rudder corresponds to one half of the maximum pressure.
as controlled by the springs, H, K, and F. Then if the springs, H, K, are set
to increase the pressure transmitted the rudder will be moved in one direction,
and it will be moved in the other direction if the springs are set to diminish the
pressure.
In the simplified arrangement shown in Figure, 3, the frame, L, acted on by
the shaft, M, moves a spring, H, so as to increase or diminish its pressure on
a valve, G, admitting steam from a supply pipe, J, into a communicating pipe, A.
At the same time the frame, L, moves a spring, K, so as to bear correspondingly
on an exhaust valve, N, communicating with an exhaust pipe, N1, and with the
communicating pipe, A. This pipe, A, is connected to a fixed receiving cylin
der, C, having a piston the rod, 13, of which is arranged to act on the controlling
valve of the steering engine. The piston rod, D3, has attached to it a cross-
head, 4, to which are fixed rods connected to a pair of springs, F, which limit
the movements of the piston so as to correspond to the pressures acting in the
communicating pipe, A.
In connection with the communicating or teledynamic pipes we prefer to
arrange pressure gauges which in showing the pressure will at the same time
indicate the position into which the rudder is being moved..
As a rudder indicator we arrange apparatus like what is hereinbefore described
as at the steering station, but worked by the rudder head, the pipes from such
apparatus extending to the steering station and there by pressure gauges showing
the actual position of the rudder at any time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
The controlling of steering engines from a distance by means of transmitting
and receiving apparatus connected by one or two communicating pipes, steam or
compressed air or gas being employed in the said apparatus and pipes and having
its pressure modified by valves loaded by springs adjustable by hand steering
mechanism and the receiving apparatus being by means of springs arranged to act
correspondingly with the transmitted pressures, substantially as here'nbefore
described.
Dated this Thirteenth day of Vaxamilis 1000