An Improved Detachable Rudder for Steamers and other Vessels.
Year: 1894

page_text: The decision of the Comptroller-General, of the 20th day of April, 1895, allowed
under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883, an Amendment of this
Specification.
Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Detachable Rudder for Steamers and other Vessels.
I, DAVID MCLACHLAN of No. 8 Eleanor Place, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved means for
unshipping the rudders of steamers and other vessels. At present it is the usual
practice to form the rudder and rudder head with their projecting pintles in one
forging, the rudder head passing up through the rudder trunk in the counter of the
vessel, the tiller or quadrant being keyed to the top thereof, projecting bearings or
gudgeons being forged in the stern post for the rudder to turn in.
The difficulty experienced in using rudder frames in one large piece is that when
repairs are necessary to the rudder, the quadrant at the top has to be removed, and
frequently a deep pit has to be sunk under the stern of the vessel, so as to allow of
the rudder being drawn out of the trunk, or the vessel has to be floated upwards,
so as to permit of the rudder being dropped clear away. Sometimes the trunks
have to be cut out and the platens under the quarter to be removed.
According to the present invention, I propose to cut the rudder head off at a
point just below the counter and trunk, and to the lower end of this head, pro-
jecting lugs are forged, the rudder itself with its pintles working in the gudgeons
in the stern post as at present. At the top of the rudder frame, are forged
lugs or flanges, to correspond with the lugs on the lower part of the rudder
head, bolts being used for securing them together. A feather or key, either
forged solid on the rudder, or on the rudder head, or fitted therein, may also be
applied to assist the bolts in resisting the strain upon the joint between the rudder
and head.
The bolts for securing the lugs or flanges, are, preferably, made with conical
heads fitting in countersunk holes in the rudder head, or they may be very
largely rounded under the head, so as to prevent the possibility of the latter
breaking off. The heads of the bolts are made long, and project sufficiently
to act as a stop for the rudder against the stern post. In addition to this, the
flanges before mentioned are curved forwards or towards the stern post, slightly,
so that their outer edges will come in contact with the stern post or starboard.
Dated this 7th day of February 1894.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Detachable Rudder for Steamers and other Vessels.
I, DAVID MCLACHLAN, of No. 8, Eleanor Place, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Shipbuilder, 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved means for
unshipping the rudders of steamers and other vessels. At present it is the usual
practice to form the rudder and rudder head with their projecting pintles in one
forging, the rudder head passing up through the rudder trunk in the counter of the
vessel, the-tiller or quadrant being keyed to-the-top thereof, projecting-bearings-or
gudgeons being forged in the stern post for the rudder to turn in.
The difficulty experienced in using rudder frames in one large-piece is that
when repairs are necessary to the rudder, the quadrant at the top has to be
removed, and frequently a deep pit has to be sunk under the stern of the
vessel, so as to allow of the rudder being drawn out of the trunk, or the vessel
has to be floated upwards so as to permit of the rudder-being dropped-elenr
away. Sometimes the trunks have to be cut out and the platens-under-the
quarter to be removed.
It has frequently been the practice to make rudders in two separate pieces (rudder
and rudder head) and to bolt them together in such a way as to make them practically
one piece. Owing to the formation of the couplings used, it has not hitherto been
possible to raise the under part (the rudder) vertically upwards so as to clear the rudder
pintles from the stern post gudgeons without also raising the upper part (rudder head)
which latter being attached to the tiller and steering gear could not be moved until the
costly operation of disconnecting them had been performed, unless by the introduction
of a third piece. This third piece is usually called a distance piece but is sometimes
called a key. The distance piece or key is inserted between the coupling on the upper
part and the coupling on the under part, or within a forked recess in the upper part;
and the withdrawal of this distance piece or key leaves a space into which the under
part can be raised so as to clear the rudder pintles from the stern post gudgeons.
The use of couplings with distance piece or key involves considerable expense besides
being very clumsy.
According to the present invention, I propose to cut the rudder head-offent
a point just below the counter and trunk, and to the lower end of the head,
projecting vertical lugs are forged, the rudder itself with its pintles working in the
gudgeons in the stern post as at present. At the top of the rudder frame, are
forged vertical lugs or flanges, to correspond with the vertical lugs on the lower part
of the rudder head, horizontal bolts being used for securing them together.
A feather or key, either forged solid on the rudder, or on the rudder head, or fitted
therein, may also be applied to assist the bolts in resisting the strain upon the joint
between the rudder and head.
The bolts for securing the vertical lugs or flanges, are, preferably, made with
conical heads fitting in counter sunk holes in the rudder head, or they may be very
largely rounded under the head so as to prevent the possibility of the latter
breaking off. The heads of the bolts are made long, and project sufficiently to
act as a stop for the rudder against the stern post. In addition to this, the
flanges before mentioned are or may be curved forwards or towards the stern

page_text: post, slightly, so that their outer edges will come in contact with the stern post
when the rudder is over to either port or starboard.
In order that the invention and the means by which it is to be carried into
practical effect, may be thoroughly understood, I will now describe it and them in
detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as
part of this Specification and read therewith.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stern of a ship and its rudder.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the rudder and the adjacent part of the rudder
post. head.
Figure 3 is a transverse section through the flanges of the rudder and the rudder
post. head.
Figure 4 is a transverse section through the same flanges and illustrates the use
of cone shouldered bolts.
Figure 5 is detail plan of the rudder, rudder post head and a part of the stern
frame.
Figure 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.
Figure 7 is a transverse section illustrating a modification of the device
illustrated in Figure 6.
A is the rudder. It is hung on the stern frame B by gudgeons and pintles b, b
as heretofore; but terminates, as to its top end, at a level below the rudder trunk
in the ship's counter, where it is provided with a pair of strong vertical flanges a, a,
one on each side of it. These flanges are aligned with each other and stand at
right angles, as to their back faces, with the rudder. C is the rudder head. It is
passed up, and works within the rudder trunk as heretofore; but and the bottom
end of it, instead of being-integral-with-the-top of the rudder us heretofore, is
separate from it and is provided with a pair of strong vertical flanges c, c. The
latter are of the same respective size, shape and position as the flanges a, a
already described, so that when the rudder and rudder head are each in working
positions corresponding with each other, the two pairs a, a and c, c fit up closely to
each other. The flanges a, a and c, c are so placed on the rudder and rudder head,
respectively, that when the rudder is raised, the flanges a, a slide upwards on the faces of
the flanges c, c, but do not come in contact with the rudder head. The rudder and
rudder head are held together and made practically one piece by a series of
horizontal bolts and nuts d, d, passed through them. The shoulders of the bolts
may be parallel and of the same diameter as the bolt shanks, as illustrated in
Figure 3; or counter sunk, as illustrated in Figure 4. The bolt heads project and
serve as stops by engaging the stern frame e when the rudder is over to either port
or starboard, as indicated by the dotted lines of Figure 5. The ordinary stops on
the gudgeons and pintles may be used also.
Devices such as are illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 may be introduced between
the flanges on the rudder head and those on the rudder to assist the bolts d, d in
resisting the strain on the joint between the rudder and its head. is a vertical
feather midway of the flanges c, c, and g is a groove in the face of the flanges a, a
to receive it. The groove is longer than the feather by the distance which the
rudder has to be lifted in unshipping it. Instead of a feather and slot device, I
may use a key fitting in two vertical slots, one of which is cut in the face of each
pair of flanges and midway of the latter.
I do not limit myself to the particular device illustrated for holding the rudder
and rudder post together, inasmuch as my invention includes the holding together
of rudder and rudder head so as to make them practically one.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
:-
1. The combination of rudder and radder-head, the former-detachable from the
latter; as set forth:
2. The combination of rudder, rudder head and devices for holding them

page_text: together and making them practically one piece, the said devices consisting in vertical
securing lugs or, flanges on the upper part of the rudder and on the lower part of the
rudder head, as set forth.
Dated this 12th day of February 1894.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.