AN IMPROVED METHOD OF STEERING A VESSEL BY MEANS OF ITS SCREW PROPELLER
Year: 1884

page_text: We JAMES WHITE of Swan Street Trinity Square Southwark in the County of
Surrey Ships Carpenter WILLIAM Ross of 60 Trinity Square aforesaid Engineer
and JOHN THOMAS CREASY of 26 Warner Street Southwark aforesaid Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF STEERING A VESSEL BY MEANS OF ITS SCREW PROPELLER" and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
The nature of our said Invention is by the novel method hereafter described to
steer a screw steamer by means of its screw propeller only and without a rudder,
whereby such a vessel, can be steered in any required direction with very great
rapidity, and the present waste of propelling power caused by the way of a vessel
being more or less deadened, whenever a rudder is used, is avoided.
The manner in which our said invention is to be performed is as follows:-
We first provide at the extreme end of the main shaft in the end of the Vessel
a ring or seating connected with the stern tube. We next provide a cup to fit and
rotate in this ring or scating. One end of this cup is rigidly attached or fixed to
the main shaft so that as the shaft rotates this cup rotates. The other end of this
cup is sufficiently hollowed out to receive part of a spherical ball hereafter referred
to and is thus a socket for the said ball when inserted therein to work in, and it
also has inside and close to its edge two studs or pins exactly opposite to each
other, and of sufficient size to fit and work in a groove next hereinafter referred to
and cut in the said ball.
We then provide a spherical ball, and cut a groove right round its extreme
circumference or diameter for the aforesaid studs or pins to fit and work in
Thus this ball when inserted in the hollow or socket of the aforesaid cup is forced
to rotate when the cup-rotates by means of the studs or pins inside the latter
which, fitting and working in the groove cut round the ball, force it round
Rigidly attached to this spherical ball, in a direct line with its centre, and

page_text: intersecting or running through the aforesaid groove there is projected what we
hereafter call the propeller shaft.
In case this spherical ball and propeller shaft should be made or cast together or
in one, it would be more accurate to describe the aforesaid groove as cut right
round the extreme circumference or diameter of the spherical ball-save where the
said propeller shaft is projected.
We next provide a cap or cover to cover the aforesaid ball and cap-part of the
motion which being flanged is bolted or secured to the stern post and thrust,
block of the Vessel. For the purposes of steering, this cap or cover has a slot of
dimensions sufficient to allow of the propeller-shaft when it is in a right line with
the keel or main shaft moving round from that position in either direction to any
required angle under 45° This slot is covered by a sliding shield, which is
pierced for and moves with the propeller shaft (the cap being sufficiently furred
out to form a perfect segment of a circle for the shield to work on) prevents any
opening to the ball-it being of sufficient length to at all times cover the slot
so that nothing can enter save water which lubricates the parts and keeps
them cool.
This Cap effects three objects. Firstly it takes any back thrust or stern thrust
of the screw Secondly it keeps or helps to keep the ball in its socket Thirdly,
it keeps out in conjunction with the shield any foreign substances the entrance of
which might damage the parts of motion thus enclosed.
We next provide what we hereafter call a "stay-bearing" This stay-bearing
effects two objects. Firstly it acts as a bearing for the Propeller shaft, and,
secondly it is used in connection with the tiller and wheel for the purpose of
moving the propelling shaft in any direction required for steering. It may be
described as a bar or rod, connected at its top like a rudder now is, to the tiller
and wheel, and coming down right over the cap much in the shape of the exterior
of a rudder, being of sufficient strength both to form a bearing and support for
'the propeller-shaft to rotate in and to 'move it in any direction required for
steering. It is bolted or braced to the stern post.
On and to the end of this propeller-shaft is rigidly attached or keyed the screw.
Propeller or Screw Propellers.
Thus the main shaft taking its motion from the Engine or other motive power
communicates it to the cup to which it is rigidly attached, and the studs or pins
inside the cup communicate the motion to the ball and propeller-shaft projected
therefrom; so that as the ball rotates-so must the propeller-shaft and the Screw
Propeller keyed thereon rotate-the propeller shaft being rigidly attached to the
ball. Thus also the propeller-shaft [on to which the screw propeller is keyed] is
always in the same line with the stay-bearing; so that when the stay-bearing is
fore and aft, that is on a line with the keel, the propeller shaft is in the same line,
and the screw propeller propels the Vessel in a straight line. But the instant the
stay bearing is moved from a right line and attains any angle with the keel the
propeller shaft being forced to move with it attains the same angle, the ball,
to which the end of the propeller-shaft is rigidly attached moving round in its
socket as required and so permitting this to be done. And thus the Screw-
propeller not only then propels the vessel, but also steers or drives it in the
required direction-the ball rotating revolution for revolution with the main shaft
at whatever angle the propelling shaft may be to it.
For the purposes of anti friction we can insert one or more circles of balls or
other anti friction contrivances in each or either of the pressure bearings: that is
inside the cup to take the friction of the ball and inside the seating to take the
friction of the cup the respective positions as described of the cup and ball may
be reversed that is to say the ball may be placed on the main shaft and the cup on
the propeller shaft the effect being the same in either case.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the accompanying sheets of drawings which

page_text: are by way of illustration only reference being had to the figures and letters
marked thereon.
a' Is the ring or seating affixed to the stern tube.
A Is the cup.
B Is the main shaft.
cc Are the studs or pins.
D Is the spherical ball shewing the groove cut around it.
E Is the propeller shaft.
FIs the cap or cover-covering the ball and cup as flanged to the stern post.
GIs the slot in the cap.
H Is the sliding shield.
J Is the stay bearing.
K Is the Screw propeller attached to the Propeller shaft.
The idea or principle of using the screw propeller of a vessel in connection with
the main shaft as the means of steering it without a rudder is not new, nor is
there any novelty in moving the propeller-shaft, [having the screw-propeller keyed
thereon and moving with it] to an augle with the keel for the same purpose, this
having been effected before by different methods or contrivances, but it has not
been effected by the simple method described in this specification. Therefore
having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare, that what
wo claim is.
The combination and arrangement for steering & vessel by means of its screw-
propeller only, substantially as set forth above in this specification, and referred to
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
JAMES WHITE.
WILLIAM ROSS.
J. T. CREASY.