IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Humphrys, of Deptford, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 13th October 1859, and dated the 25th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Humphrys
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, ou
the 25th April 1859.
I, EDWARD HUMPHRYS, of Deptford, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steering apparatus.
Heretofore it has been proposed to use the pressure of water in such manner
as to give motion to chains and pulleys or barrels, and thence to the rudders.
of ships or vessels.
Now my improvements consist in a peculiar combination of apparatus, by
which more direct action on the rudder is obtained when the pressure of
water is used. For these purposes a cylinder is used, in which. a piston is...
worked or moved to and fro by the pressure of water. The rod of this piston
is connected by a connecting rod or link to an arm on the rudder post. To
the cylinder is applied a valve or slide box, which is in communication with
a water supply, which is retained constantly at a suitable head. or otherwise,
so as at all times to offer a suitable pressure in the valve box. The slide or
other suitable valve or valves is or are moved by a lever. or handle, so as to

page_text: cause the rudder to be moved towards starboard or port by the pressure of
water on one or other side of the piston, and when the rudder has been moved
to a desired position, it may be retained there by shutting off the water from
the cylinder. By these means the largest ship or vessel may be readily
steered by one man. When the apparatus is applied on board a steam ship
or vessel, arrangements may be made for continually pumping water, the
excess being allowed to escape by a safety valve, or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Humphrys in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
HUMPHRYS, of Deptford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Edward Humphrys, Her special licence that I, the said
Edward Humphrys, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward Humphrys, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Humphrys, 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 Inven-
tion, 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 Edward Humphrys, 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 to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in steering apparatus.
Heretofore it has been proposed to use the pressure of water in such manner

page_text: as to give motion to chains and pulleys or barrels, and thence to the rudders
of ships or vessels.
Now my improvements consist in a peculiar combination of apparatus by
which more direct action on the rudder is obtained when the pressure of
water is used. For these purposes a cylinder is used, in which a piston is
worked or moved to and fro by the pressure of water. The rod of this piston
is connected by a connecting rod or link to an arm on the rudder post. To
the cylinder is applied a valve or slide box, which is in communication with a
water supply, which is retained constantly at a suitable head or otherwise, so
as at all times to offer a suitable pressure in the valve box. The slide or
other suitable valve or valves is or are moved by a lever or handle, so as to
cause the rudder to be moved towards starboard or port by the pressure of
water on one or other side of the piston, and when the rudder has been moved.
to a desired position, it may be retained there by shutting off the water from
the cylinder. By these means the largest ship or vessel may be readily steered
by one man. When the apparatus is applied on board a steam ship or vessel,
arrangements may be made for continually pumping water, the excess being
allowed to escape by a safety valve or otherwise.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
Description of apparatus for steering, referring to Drawing No. 1.-D being
the rudder head; E, a crank lever or tiller keyed fast on rudder head; F,
bydraulic cylinder, fitted with a water-tight piston; G, a slide valve controlled
by the steersman; H, a pipe connected to the discharge pipe H of a pair of
pumps shewn by Drawing No. 2; I, a pipe connected to the suction pipe
of the same pumps, by the pipe I on the Drawing No. 2.
The pair of engines represented by Drawing No. 2 are to be fixed in some
convenient position in the engine room, on the top of the boilers should be
preferred. The casing K shewn over the cylinders is to be in connection by
a suitable pipe with the boilers, the object being to keep the cylinders hot, so
as to insure their prompt operation. The cylinder F, Drawing No. 1, with all
the pipes between it and the pumps, together with the pumps, are to be charged
with water, and in order to insure their being thoroughly charged, and to
provide for leakage, a stand pipe should be provided connected with the
suction pipe, with open end above the level of the deck, and this must be
filled from time to time as required. The motion of the rudder will be
produced by moving the slide valve G by means of the hand lever; thus if the
valve be moved, so as to open a communication to the pipe H between the
bottom of the cylinder F and the piston L, the same motion will open a com-

page_text: munication between the top of the cylinder and the exhaust pipe I which is
in connection with the suction of the pumps of the steam engines; the pistons
of these engines being thus relieved of all resistance will start and pump the
water from the top of the hydraulic cylinder F, and force it into the bottom
of that cylinder, keeping the piston L in motion until it is stopped by the top
of the cylinder, when the engines will stop, there being no escape for the
If it be desired to place the rudder in any position, it will be effected
by shutting the slide valve G, when the rudder is in the desired position, and
it will be retained in such position by the water in each end of the cylinder.
The steam engines are stopped instantly by the closing of the slide valve G,
and in order to prevent any undue strain on the pipes or other parts of the
apparatus, a safety valve is to be fitted on the discharge pipe of the pumps,
the escape pipe from such valve being connected to the suction pipe of the
pumps, so that no water will be discharged out of the apparatus.
The principal moving parts of the engines are by preference to be constructed
of brass fitted with wood bearings, and made to operate in a tank partly filled
with water (or it may be other fluid), as shewn by the Drawing No. 2.
By the combination of apparatus above described, it will be seen that the
hydraulic cylinder acts directly by its piston and connecting rods on the rudder
without the intervention of any ropes or chains, whilst the requisite pressure
of water is at all times to be kept up by steam power as described, or
otherwise.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the mechanical parts separately; but what I claim is, the combination
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Humphrys, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of
our Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
EDW. HUMPHRIS. (L.B.)