IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING GEAR
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clarke and John Brokenshire Furneaux, of
Gateshead on Tyne, in the County of Durham, Engineers, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING GEAR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clarke and John
Brokenshire Furneaux at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
25th November 1880.
WILLIAM CLARKE and JOHN BROKENSHIRE FURNEAUX, of Gateshead onT yne,
in the County of Durham, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING
GEAR."
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon a Patent No. 1558, 1878,
granted to the aforesaid William Clarke.
The objects in view are the simplicity of the reversing mechanism and a more
economical use of the steam, with less liability to injurious strains, and facility for
being repaired at sea.
A bedplate carries the cylinder or cylinders, motion bars, crank shaft, and
carriages of the engine, the cylinder or cylinders of which are fitted with ordinary
slide valves and link reversing gear. Two upright frames bolted to the bedplate
and stayed between carry the main shaft, and above it a spindle. Upon the crank
shaft of the engine is keyed a worm which gears into a scroll wheel keyed upon
one end of the main shaft, and having next to it a clutch sliding on keys along the
main shaft, and engaging when put into gear with a corresponding clutch cast
upon a main spur wheel, which is keyed to a boss upon a grooved barrel or pitch
chain wheel with which it is free to revolve on the main shaft.
Upon the other side of the grooved barrel a scroll wheel is keyed on the main
shaft gearing into a sleeve worm free to slide vertically upon a feather key in an
upright spindle carried in suitable brackets, and having on its upper end a bevil
wheel. The upper spindle to which the steering hand wheel is fixed has upon it a
double ended pinion sliding on keys so as to gear either with the spur wheel on main
shaft or with a small spur wheel (upon a side spindle), which is cast in one with a
bevil wheel gearing into the bevil wheel (above named) upon the upright spindle.
A clutch formed upon the double ended pinion is so connected by levers with the

page_text: clutch sliding upon the main shaft that they move simultaneously. Upon the
outer end of the spindle is formed a screw upon which a nut travels (guided by
one of the stays between the frames) when the steering wheel is rotated, and acts
as a stop to prevent the rudder being put too far over either to port or starboard.
To prevent a sudden strain or jar upon this gear on coming to either end of its
travel the nut is fitted with washers or rings of india rubber or other elastic
substance which act as buffers.
The steering by steam from the wheelhouse is effected by putting the double
ended pinion into gear with the small spur wheel, and by the same action the
clutch on main shaft is put into gear with the large spur wheel and chain barrel,
and on the steersman rotating the steering wheel the upright spindle revolves (by
the action of the double ended pinion upon the small spur wheel and the pair of
bevil wheels) and with it the sleeve worm which travels up or down upon the
feather key by its contact in gear with the scroll wheel on main shaft, which is at
this time stationary. The sleeve worm being attached by links and arms to the
weigh bar of the reversing gear its motion up or down raises or lowers the
reversing link into forward or backward gear, as the case may be, and immediately
starts the engine, and actuates the rudder chains by means of the grooved barrel or
chain wheel. While the steersman continues turning the wheel the rotation of the
sleeve worm and that of the scroll wheel are so proportioned that the sleeve worm
is retained at the limit of its upward or downward travel, and so the link is kept
in full gear. If now the steersman ceases turning the wheel the rotation of the
main shaft by the engine will cause the scroll wheel to bring back the sleeve worm
to the middle position, from which the steersman first moved it, and the link
consequently coming into mid gear the steam is shut off and the engine stopped.
For steering by steam power from the upper or pilot bridge a vertical spindle,
gearing by a pair of bevil wheels with the horizontal spindle which carries the
main steering wheel, is carried up to the bridge through a pillar, and has on its
upper end a pair of bevil wheels and a horizontal shaft carrying a small steering
wheel.
.
For steering by hand the double ended pinion is put into gear with the large
spur wheel on main shaft, the same movement disengaging the clutch from the spur
wheel and grooved barrel or chain wheel, which are now free to revolve round the
main shaft and to actuate the rudder in the usual manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent med
by the said William Clarke and John Brokenshire Furneaux in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 25th May 1881.
WILLIAM CLARKE and JOHN BROKENSHIRE FURNEAUX, of Gateshead on Tyne,
in the County of Durham, Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM STEERING
GEAR."
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon a Patent No. 1558, 1878,
granted to the aforesaid William Clarke.
The objects in view are the simplicity of the reversing mechanism and a more
economical use of the steam, with less liability to injurious strains, and facility for
being repaired at sea.
A bedplate carries the cylinder or cylinders, motion bars, crank shaft, and
carriages of the engine, the cylinder or cylinders of which are fitted with ordinary
slide valves and link reversing gear. Two upright frames bolted to the bedplate
and stayed between carry the main shaft, and above it a spindle. Upon the crank
shaft of the engine is keyed a worm which gears into a scroll wheel keyed upon one
end of the main shaft, and having next to it a clutch sliding on keys along the
main shaft, and engaging when put into gear with a corresponding clutch cast upon
a main spur wheel, which is keyed to a boss upon a grooved barrel or pitch chain
wheel, with which it is free to revolve on the main shaft.
Upon the other side of the grooved barrel a scroll wheel is keyed on the main
shaft gearing into a sleeve worm, free to slide vertically upon a feather key in an
upright spindle carried in suitable brackets, and having on its upper end a bevil
wheel. The upper spindle to which the steering hand wheel is fixed has upon it a
double ended pinion sliding on keys so as to gear either with the spur wheel on
main shaft or with a small spur wheel (upon a side spindle), which is cast in one
with a bevil wheel gearing into the bevil wheel (above named) upon the upright
spindle. A clutch formed upon the double ended pinion is so connected by levers
with the clutch sliding upon the main shaft that they move simultaneously. Upon
the outer end of the spindle is formed a screw upon which a nut travels (guided by
one of the stays between the frames) when the steering wheel is rotated, and acts
as a stop to prevent the rudder being put too far over either to port or starboard.
To prevent a sudden strain or jar, or jamming of the nut upon the gear in coming
to either end of its travel, the nut is fitted with washers or rings of india rubber or
other elastic substance which act as buffers.
The steering by steam from the wheel house is effected by putting the double
ended pinion into gear with the small spur wheel, and by the same action the
clutch on main shaft is put into gear with the large spur wheel and with the
chain wheel, and on the steersman rotating the steering wheel the upright spindle
revolves (by the action of the double ended pinion upon the small spur wheel and
the pair of bevil wheels) and with it the sleeve worm which travels up or down
upon the feather key by its contact in gear with the scroll wheel on main shaft,
which is at this time stationary. The sleeve worm being attached by links and
arms to the weigh bar of the reversing gear, the motion up or down raises or
lowers the reversing link into forward or backward gear, as the case may be, and
immediately starts the engine, and actuates the rudder chains by means of the
grooved barrel or chain wheel. While the steersman continues turning the wheel
the rotation of the sleeve worm and that of the scroll wheel are so proportioned
that the sleeve worm is retained at the limit of its upward or downward travel,
and so the link is kept in full gear. If now the steersman ceases turning the
wheel the rotation of the main shaft by the engine will cause the scroll wheel to

page_text: bring back the sleeve worm to the middle position, from which the steersman first
moved it, and the link consequently coming into mid gear the steam is shut off and
the engine stopped.
For steering by steam power from the upper or pilot bridge a vertical spindle,
gearing by a pair of bevil wheels with the horizontal spindle which carries the
main steering wheel, is carried up to the bridge through a pillar, and has on its
upper end a pair of bevil wheels and a horizontal shaft carrying a small steering
wheel.
For steering by hand the double ended pinion is put into gear with the large
spur wheel on main shaft, the same movement disengaging the clutch on the main
shaft from the spur wheel and grooved barrel or chain wheel, which are now free
to revolve round the main shaft and to actuate the rudder in the usual manner.
of same.
Upon a bedplate A are bolted two frames B, B¹, which carry the main shaft C
and the spindle D, and are tied together by the two stay rods E, E¹.
F is a scroll wheel keyed to the shaft C, and gearing into the worm G keyed to
the engine shaft H driven from the steam cylinders J, J. The cylinders are fitted
with ordinary slide valves and link motion reversing gear; K is a pitch chain
wheel free to revolve on the shaft C.
L is a spur wheel keyed to a lengthened boss on the pitch chain wheel K. The
clutch M is free to slide along the shaft C on keys fixed in the said shaft.
N is a scroll wheel keyed to the shaft C.
O is a vertical spindle fitted with a sleeve P which is free to slide vertically on
the spindle on a feather fitted into the said spindle. On this sleeve a worm is
cast gearing into the scroll wheel N.
Qis a double ended pinion on the spindle D, free to slide on keys fitted into the
spindle D, and arranged so as to gear either with the large spur wheel L or with
the small spur wheel R, which latter is cast in one with the bevil wheel S gearing
into the bevil wheel T, which is keyed to the vertical spindle O.
The clutch M and the sliding pinion Q are so connected by levers that both
move simultaneously; U is a screwed nut fitted to the spindle D, and being guided
by the stay E travels along the spindle D when the latter is rotated, and acts as a
stop to prevent the rudder being put too far over either to port or starboard.
Buffers of india rubber or other suitable material are used in connection with
this stop gear.
To steer the ship by steam power from the wheelhouse the double ended pinion Q
is put into gear with the small spur wheel R, and by the same action the clutch M
is put into gear with the pitch chain wheel K, and on the steersman rotating the
steering wheel V the pinion Q and the wheels R, S, and T cause the vertical
spindle to revolve, and with it the worm sleeve P. The scroll wheel N being
keyed to the shaft C (which is at this moment stationary) the rotation of the worm
sleeve P causes it to slide upwards or downwards on the spindle O, according to:
the direction of the rotation of the steering wheel V, and by means of suspending
links, weigh bar, and levers, the rising or falling of the worm sleeve P corre-
spondingly raises or depresses the slot links Z, into forward or backward gear,
as the case may be, and immediately starts the engine, and actuates the rudder
chains by means of the pitch chain wheel K. while the steersman continues turning
the steering wheel V; the rotation of the worm sleeve P and the scroll wheel Ñ
are so arranged as to retain the worm sleeve at the limit of its upward or
downward travel, and so keep the links in full gear.
If now the steersman cease turning the steering wheel the rotation of the shaft C
will cause the scroll wheel N to bring back the worm sleeve P to the mid position

page_text: from which the steersman first moved it, and the links consequently coming into
mid position the engine stops.
For steering by steam power from the upper or pilot bridge a vertical spindle is
arranged, gearing by a pair of bevil wheels with the spindle D, and at the top
carried in a suitable cast iron standard with bevil gearing connected to a small
steering wheel W.
For steering by hand the double ended pinion Q is put into gear with the spur
wheel L, and as the same movement causes the clutch M to disengage itself from
the wheel L and pitch chain wheel K the two latter are free to revolve round the
shaft C, and actuate the rudder chains in the usual manner.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the means by which it
may be carried into practical operation, we declare what we consider new, and
therefore claim as secured to us by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent
to be,-
(1.) The combination of fixed scroll wheel, sliding worm, and weigh bar levers
to actuate the slot links.
(2.) The employment of elastic buffers in the hard over stop gear to prevent
the stop nut getting jammed when arriving at the limit of its travel in either
direction.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Clarke, and John Brokenshire
Furneaux have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty third day
of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty
one.
WILLIAM CLARKE.
(L.S.)
JOHN B. FURNEAUX. (L.S.)