IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING CAPSTANS OR OTHER MACHINERY BY THE PRESSURE OF WATER OR OTHER FLUID
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lawrence Williams, of Westminster Chambers,
in the County of Middlesex for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING CAPSTANS OR OTHER MACHINERY BY THE
PRESSURE OF WATER OR OTHER FLUID"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lawrence Williams
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th March 1882.
WILLIAM LAWRENCE WILLIAMS, of Westminster Chambers, in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING CAPSTANS
OR OTHER MACHINERY BY THE PRESSURE OF WATER OR OTHER FLUID
"
My invention relates more especially to machinery or apparatus used for the
purpose of actuating capstans on wharves, on board ships, or in other situations,
used for hauling ropes for lifting or conveying weights or for other purposes, and
actuated by means of water supplied under sufficient pressure from any convenient
source.
It has for its objects improved methods of construction and arrangement of the
apparatus by which the pressure of such water is utilized for the purpose required,
so that it is simple, cheap, and effective.
Supposing that my improved apparatus is to be applied to the purpose of
actuating an ordinary capstan attached to and turning with a vertical shaft
revolving in suitable bearings, and preferably arranged so that the actuating
mechanism is situated below the level of the ground above which the capstan
projects, I attach to the lower end of the vertical shaft a crank of sufficient radius
and strength having formed upon or fitted to it a crank pin of considerable
length.
To the lower side of a plate, preferably of cast iron which is bolted or otherwise
fixed upon the ground and carries the bearings of the vertical shaft, I bolt two
horizontal cylinders opposite to each other and each fitted with a plunger or ram
made water tight in the usual well known way, the two plungers being connected
together or formed in one piece so that they can readily reciprocate in their

page_text: respective cylinders, and in the intermediate part which connects the two plungers
together I form a horizontal transverse slot which embraces the crank pin,
preferably with the intervention of a steel or other hard bush or of a block sliding
in the slot described.
I do not arrange the opposite plungers so that they are in a line with each other,
but so that one is directed to a point more or less near to one end of the slot and
the other to a corresponding point more or less near to the other end of the slot.
By this method of arrangement, when water under pressure is admitted so as to
act upon the ram in one of the cylinders the pressure is communicated to the
crank pin through the slotted frame in a position where it is more effective and
direct and with less strain upon the frame than if the cylinders were in a line
with each other, and the action of the apparatus is thus more effective, and the
mechanism is more durable. At right angles to the two cylinders described, I bolt
or fix to the same plate two similar cylinders provided with plungers or rams
similarly arranged, but situated at a lower level than the two first described so
that the slotted frame connecting the plungers embraces and acts upon a part of
the crank pin below that acted upon by the first two plungers.
I provide the outer end of one of each pair of cylinders with a suitable slide or
other valve, the valves being preferably fitted in chambers arranged across the
cylinders, and each pair of cylinders being connected together by a suitable pipe,
so that the water is admitted to and discharged from each cylinder alternately, the
spindle of each valve being actuated by a lever the outer end of which is connected
by a link to the slotted frame operated as described by the other pair of cylinders.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Water under pressure being admitted
to the valve chambers, operates upon each of the four plungers in succession, and
they in turn actuate the crank which is thus kept in continuous revolution.
Whilst each plunger is so acting upon the crank, the water in the opposite
cylinder of the pair is allowed to escape through any suitable discharge pipe, the
operation of the valve at the proper time being effected by the movement of the
slotted frame actuated by the alternate pair of plungers.
The admission of the water under pressure may be effected when desired by a
valve of any suitable kind, preferably by a valve kept closed by a weight and
opened by a stud projecting above the ground and pressed down when required
by the foot of an attendant.
Instead of two pairs of cylinders three or more pairs may be used, each pair
actuating the same crank pin at a different part of its length, the valves being
actuated by excentrics or other suitable mechanism; and instead of water the
pressure of any other non-elastic or elastic fluid may be used.
The crank operated as described may be used to drive any other machinery as
well as capstans.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Lawrence Williams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th September 1882.
WILLIAM LAWRENCE WILLIAMS of Westminster Chambers in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING
CAPSTANS OR OTHER MACHINERY BY THE PRESSURE OF WATER OR OTHER FLUED 33
My invention relates more especially to machinery used to actuate capstans on
wharfs, ships, or in other situations, for hauling ropes for lifting or conveying
weights or for other purposes, by means of water supplied under sufficient pressure.
It has for its objects improved methods of construction and arrangement of such
machinery or apparatus, so that it is very simple, cheap and effective.
Supposing that my improved apparatus is to be applied to the purpose of
actuating an ordinary capstan attached to and turning with a vertical shaft
revolving in suitable bearings, and arranged so that the actuating mechanism is
situated below the level of the ground above which the capstan projects, I attach
to the lower end of the vertical shaft of the capstan a crank of sufficient strength
and of suitable radius having formed upon or fitted to it a crank pin of considerable
length. To the lower side of a horizontal plate preferably of cast iron, which is
bolted or otherwise fixed to a foundation in the ground and carries the bearings of
the vertical shaft described, I bolt two horizontal cylinders opposite to each other
and each fitted with a plunger or ram made watertight with leathers or packing in
the usual wellknown way, the two plungers being connected together or formed in
one piece so that they can readily reciprocate in their respective cylinders, and in
the part which connects the two plungers together I form a horizontal transverse
slot which embraces the crankpin, preferably with the intervention of a steel or
other hard bush or block sliding in the slot described.
I arrange the two plungers so that though in the same horizontal plane and
parallel they are not in line with each other, but one is directed to a point more
or less near to one end of the slot and the other to a corresponding point more or
less near the other end of the slot. By this method of arrangement when water
under pressure is admitted so as to act behind the ram in either of the cylinders
the pressure is communicated to the crankpin through the slotted frame in a
position where it is more direct and effective and with less strain upon the frame
than if the cylinders were in line with each other, and the action of the apparatus
is thus more effective and the mechanism more durable.
At right angles to the two cylinders described, I bolt or fix below the same
foundation plate two similar cylinders provided with plungers or rams similarly
arranged, but situated at a lower level than the two cylinders first described, so
that the slotted frame connecting the rams embraces and acts upon a part of the
crank pin below that acted upon by the first two rams.
The outer part of one of each of the two pairs of cylinders described is provided
with a distributing slide or piston valve of the ordinary well known kind,
preferably working in a chamber arranged across the cylinder, and a port or
opening in this valve chamber communicates by means of a pipe with the opposite
cylinder, so that when the valve is made to travel backward and forward water
under pressure supplied to the valve chamber is admitted to each cylinder in turn,
the alternate cylinder being made to communicate with a discharge pipe by which
the water can be carried away and discharged in any convenient place.
In order to actuate the two slide valves, I connect the spindle of each valve to a
lever the outer end of which is jointed by a connecting link to the slotted frame
operated as described by the pair of rams in the other cylinders.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention. Figure 1 is a
vertical section, and figure 2 a horizontal section through the apparatus. a is a
foundation plate firmly bolted down by the bolts b, b, b, b, and having bearings c
in which revolves the vertical shaft d to the upper end of which is keyed the

page_text: drum of the capstan e. The shaft d is provided at its lower end with a crank f
having a crank pin g. Two horizontal cylinders h, h', are bolted to the lower side
of the plate a, and are fitted with rams i, i, connected together by the frame k
having a slot which embraces and fits a bush / upon the crank pin g.
The rams i, i, are in the same horizontal plane and parallel but each is directed
in plan to a point between the shaft d and the end of the slot, as shewn in figure 2.
h2, h3 are another similar pair of cylinders at right angles to h, h¹, but at a lower
level so that the frame ¹ which connects their rams, 2, 3 embraces and fits a
bush nearer the lower end of the crank pin g. The cylinders h, h², are shewn,
provided with valve chambers m, m³, containing distributing slide or piston valves
the spindles of which n, n', pass out through stuffing boxes and are jointed to
levers 0, o¹, the outer ends of which are actuated by links p, p¹, jointed to the
frames k, k¹, of the opposite pair of cylinders. Water under pressure is admitted
to the cylinders h, h², from a supply pipe at r or in any other convenient position,
a stop valve of any suitable kind being provided, preferably opened by the pressure
of the foot of an attendant and closed by a balance weight when the pressure is
removed. The valve chamber m is connected by the pipe 8 with the opposite
cylinder h¹, and the valve chamber m' is similarly connected by the pipe 8¹ with
the opposite cylinder h³, so that when the shaft d revolves, the distributing valves
are operated and admit the water into each cylinder alternately, the other cylinder
of each pair being at the same time made to communicate with a discharge pipe
(not shown in the drawing).
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Water under pressure being admitted
to the valve chambers m, m¹, from the supply pipe and regulating valve at r, the
rams i, 1, 2, 3, and their connecting slotted frames k, k', are made to reciprocate
backward and forward and thus to cause the revolution of the crank the shaft & and
the capstan e with a force proportioned to the pressure of the water, and at a speed
proportioned to the quantity of water admitted, the distributing valve for each
pair of cylinders being actuated at the proper time by the slotted frame of the
alternate pair. In this way a very steady and uniform movement is produced,
and by the method of arrangement of each pair of rams as shewn, so that the
direction of their thrust acts in the most favourable position the apparatus is very
durable, simple, and effective.
The connecting pipes may be arranged in any convenient position between the
several cylinders. The apparatus may be arranged in any convenient form and
position, to suit the circumstances in which it is to be applied.
Instead of two pairs of cylinders, three or more pairs may be used, actuating the
same crankpin at a different part of its length, the valves being actuated by
excentrics or other suitable mechanism, and instead of water the pressure of any
other non-elastic or elastic fluid may be used, and the crank may be used to drive
any other machinery instead of capstans. Having now described my invention
and the manner in which it is to be performed, I claim, the combination of the
vertical shaft, crank and pin, the two pairs of cylinders and rams, the two slotted
connecting frames, the two distributing valves actuated by the slotted frames, and the
connecting pipes between the two cylinders of each pair, substantially as described
and shewn in the drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lawrence Williams, have hereunto
set my hand and seal this 5th day of September in the year of our Lord
WILLIAM LAWRENCE WILLIAMS. (L.S.)