CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON CAPSTANS
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
PHILLIPS, Esquire, of Rochester, in the County of Kent, a Captain in the
Royal Navy, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eighth day of June, in the eighth year of His reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles
Phillips, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Charles Phillips, my exors, admňors, and assigns, or such others as I.
the said Charles Phillips, my exors, adñors, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and also in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON CAPSTANS;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Charles Phillips, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Phillips, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
how the same is to be performed, is herein set forth and explained, reference
being had to certain parts of the Drawings hereunto annexed :-

page_text: My improvements are applicable to what are commonly called double
capstans, but of that peculiar construction and combination for which I some
years since obtained Letters Patent, and which I will now describe, in order
that the improvements I have invented and applied thereto may be the more
easily understood.
Drawing, Fig. 1, represents an elevation of a double capstan which can
be so combined with wheels and pinions that an increase of power or an
increase of velocity may be alternately effected as occasion may require.
Fig. 1, A represents the upper capstan head with its barrel and whelps fixed
upon the spindle B; C shews the lower capstan with its whelps, barrel, and
trundle head, which all turn freely on turned portions of the spindle B; D
represents a clutch box, which connects the lower capstan with the spindle B,
and unites them firmly together; E, E, are forked levers which raise and
lower the clutch box D; F, F, are chains, one end of each of which is fixed
to the plain ends of the levers, and the other ends are attached to the bolts G, G,
that are used to connect the lower capstan with the combination of wheel and
pinions which cannot be shewn in this Figure. Fig. 2 represents a plan of
the combination of wheel and pinions, and also the lower plate H of the
frame that contains the four pinions seen at I and K, K, K; the centre
pinion I is fixed on a hexagonal portion of the spindle shewn at B, and the
other three which I call carriers, seen at K, K, K, turn on their three axes
a, a, a, fixed between the lower plate H and an upper one, which is not shewn
in this Figure. M is an annular cog wheel made nearly stationary by two
short strong cylindrical studds formed on its outer periphery, and exactly
opposite to each other; these rest in two carriages b, b, fixed to the pawl
plate N.
c, c, are two square studds placed on the outer periphery of the
same wheel, and exactly at right angles to those seen at b, b; these move up
and down in the guides d, d, fixed also to the pawl plate, and by this means
the pinions are kept in gear with the annular wheel M, when the ship rolls,
which circumstance would put them out of gear were it not for this contrivance.
Fig. 3 represents an elevation of the spindle B in connection with the frame
plates Hand O, and also the pinions I, K, K, the annular ring M being shewn
in section, and also the carriages 6, 6; the upper plate has two or more holes
made through it, as shewn in dotted lines at e, e; these receive the ends of the
bolts G, G, shewn in Fig. 1, and by these means the lower capstan is con-
nected to the frame and pinions, in which state an increased power will be
obtained, the velocity being proportionably decreased.
In order to produce this effect, the levers E, E, are made to lift the clutch
box D until they assume the position shewn in dotted lines at f, f, in which

page_text: state the plain ends of the levers being lowered, will permit the bolts G, G, to
drop into the holes made in the upper frame plate to receive them, and the
ends of the chains F, F, may be hung on the hooks g, g, which will retain all
these parts stationary. This is the kind of capstan to which my improvements
are applicable; I shall therefore now explain in other Figures how my improve-
ments are added and applied, and how this peculiar kind of double capstan
may be used to greater advantage than in the state above described. Fig. 4
represents a vertical section of a similar double capstan to which my improve-
ments are combined and applied. A is the upper capstan fixed on the spindle ;.
B, the lower capstan, has a false head L fixed on a square or hexagonal
portion of the spindle B by means of the two iron plates h, h, which it will
be seen are bolted together; the two iron plates have two holes made through
each to permit two bolts i, i, to pass through them, and also through two or
more corresponding holes made in an iron plate, which is affixed to the upper
part of the lower capstan or trundle head. By these means, the false head L
may be readily united to the lower capstan or trundle head, or disengaged by
lifting the bolts i, i, and keeping them suspended, which may be done in the
following manner :--Each bolt has a short pin fixed in it, as shewn in Fig. 5,
a small groove is made in the false head in connexion with cach bolt hole, to
permit the pins to pass down, and when the bolts are lifted high enough
to permit the pins to come out of the grooves, each bolt is then to be turned
partly round, and the pins will rest in notches formed to receive them, which
will keep them suspended, and consequently separate the false head from the
lower capstan. The bolts may likewise be secured when they are lifted by
having holes drilled through them, which will permit the pins to pass through
each in the manner shewn in Fig. 6; these pins may be attached to the bolts,
as shewn in the Figure, by a cord or chain.
Another method is shewn in Fig. 7; a groove is made in the bolt deep
enough to receive a hooked catch, which enters it and keeps it suspended, as
shewn in the plan view; one end of the catch is screwed to the false or
trundle bead in a proper situation. By the simple application of a false head
and drop bolts applied to the double capstan, I am enabled to do without a
clutch box and levers, and consequently I connect the false head with the
capstan at a greater distance from the spindle, by which means I gain a most
decided advantage in point of strength, and render the connection of the parts
more simple. The same effect may be produced by fixing a strong wrought-
iron bar to the spindle instead of a false head, a hole being made through it
at each end to permit the bolts the better to pass through and enter correspond-
ing holes in the trundle or lower capstan head. A plan of such a bar is shown

page_text: placed over Fig. 3, and an elevation of the same is shewn as it appears when fixed
to a hexagonal portion of the spindle, the bolts being shewn in their places at
each end. Either of these improvements may very easily be applied to the
kind of double capstan shewn in Fig. 1, but where such a machine is to be
constructed entirely new, then I prefer the following method of combining the
parts, as being greatly preferable:-Fig. 8 represents an elevation of a double
capstan, exactly similar in all its parts and combinations to Figure 1, except
that the clutch box and levers are omitted, their functions being performed
hy the following means:-A represents a vertical section of a trundle head,
which is detached from the lower capstan and made fast to a square or
hexagonal portion of the spindle B. i, i, are two bolts which pass through
two holes made for them in the trundle or lower capstan head. When these
bolts are let down, they enter corresponding holes made in an iron plate
fixed on the upper surface of the barrel and whelps, and in that state the
trundle or lower capstan head is firmly united or combined to the barrel and
whelps. By this very simple combination a double capstan is made which may
be used with singular advantage in case a ship is aground, or on the ice, or
any other case where greater power is requisite, the power gained thereby
being greatly superior to that shewn in Fig. 1, as will appear evident from
the following comparison :-When the parts in Figure 1 are in the position
there shewn, that is to say, with the bolts G, G, suspended and the clutch box
down, the combination of wheel and pinions being detached are rendered non-
effective for an increase of power, and the whole machine has only the power
of an ordinary double capstan; but let the clutch box D be raised, and con-
sequently the bolts G, G, let down; now, if the upper capstan be heaved upon
it will move the lower capstan with a decreased velocity, and a corresponding
increase of power, but that advantage can only be effected by heaving on the
upper capstan, from the nature of the combination; but by means of the
improvements I have invented and applied, both capstan heads are connected,
and may be employed to heave upon the increased power, the great advantage
of which must be obvious; I shall therefore now explain how this effect is
produced. In Fig. 8 the trundle head of the lower capstan is made fast to
the spindle B, and it can be united to the lower capstan by the upper bolts i, i,
and separated by suspending them in either of the ways before described. The
lower capstan may also be united or connected with the combination of wheels
and pinions before described, by the lower bolts being let down and likewise
letached therefrom, when they are lifted and kept suspended. If, therefore,
the lower bolts are let down, the lower capstan will be thereby connected with
the combination of wheels and pinions, by means of which an increased power

page_text: is obtained, and the upper bolts being at the same time lifted and kept sus-
pended, it will be evident that the trundle head of the lower capstan being
separated from it, but being fixed to the spindle B, both heads may be hove
upon at the same time, they being both applied to the spindle, where the
increase of power is gained. Those parts that are made of iron or wood are
represented in the Drawing by corresponding colors; but I do not confine
myself to iron or wood, for they may be made of any suitable metal or
material that will answer the purpose; and, although I prefer the method of
attaching the false head, trundle head, and bar to the spindle by poligonal
apertures placed on corresponding parts formed on the spindle, yet the same
effect may be produced by many other means well known to mechanics without
departing from the essential properties of my Invention.
And I hereby
declare that my improvements consist entirely in combining
the peculiar kind of double capstans above described a false
drop boles, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 6, or in separating the
capstan head from the whelps and barrel, as shewn in Fig. 8, to be connected
or unconnected therewith at pleasure by drop bolts, by the latter of which
means I obtain an increase of power as compared with Figure 1, and by
either method render the connecting parts of the capstan much more simple
and effective than the clutch box and levers of Fig. 1, for which they are
substituted.
and applying to
head or bar with
trundle or lower
In witness whereof, 1, the said Charles Phillips, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of December, One thousand eight