IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS BY STEAM POWER, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO THE SLIDE - TY 33
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John George Cameron, of No. 81, Coltman Street,
in the Borough, Town, and County of the Town of Kingston-upon-
Hull, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR STEERING SHIPS BY STEAM POWER, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO THE SLIDE
-
TY
33
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John George Cameron
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st November 1871.
I, JOHN GEORGE CAMERON, of No. 84, Coltman Street, in the Borough,
Town, and County of the Town of Kingston-upon-Hull, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS BY STEAM POWER, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO THE
SLIDE VALVES AND VALVE BOXES OF STEAM ENGINES GENERALLY," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists mainly in an improved mechanism for actuating
the valves of the steam engines that work the rudder wherein a lever or

page_text: rod connected to the valve gear is actuated independently, both by the
steering wheel and by the tiller drum or its shaft (or by any equivalent
contrivance that may be employed for moving the rudder), in such
manner that when the said lever or rod has been moved by the steering
wheel so as to open the valves of the steam engines the resulting motion
of the tiller drum will cause the lever or rod to be brought back into its
original position, so as to close the valves of the steam engine and thus
maintain the rudder in the position into which it has been deflected.
The said mechanism may be variously arranged for carrying my
Invention into operation. Thus in the arrangement which I prefer
to employ I connect the valve gear of the steam engine actuating the
rudder to a lever carrying a pinion in gear with two racks situated on
opposite sides of the pinion. The one rack is in gear with a pinion on
the shaft of the steering wheel, while the other rack is in gear with a
pinion on the shaft of the drum, round which the tiller ropes or chains
are passed, which drum receives. the required motion through suitable
speed reducing gearing from the crank shaft of the steam engine.
In order to deflect the rudder to port or starboard the steering wheel
and its pinion are rotated so as to raise or depress the rack in gear
therewith, whereby the said lever connected to the valvo gcar is raised
or depressed by the motion imparted to its pinion so as to admit steam
to the one or the other side of the pistons of the steam engine. The
engine thus imparts rotary motion in one direction or the other to the
tiller drum, thereby actuating the rudder; as the drum revolves the
aforesaid pinion on the shaft of the drum moves the second rack in the
contrary direction to that in which the first rack was moved, whereby
the pinion on the lever actuating the valve gear is rotated so as to bring
such lever back to its original position, in which it closes the valves of
the steam engine, and thus keeps the rudder in the position to which
it was deflected. Should the rudder be deflected momentarily by a
heavy sea from the position into which it had been moved, it will in
producing a corresponding rotation of the pinion on the tiller drum
actuate the rack in gear therewith, which in its turn will move the lever
connected to the valve gear in such manner as to admit steam into the
steam engines so as to counteract the action of the wayes, and bring the
rudder back to its original position.
In another modification the shaft of the tiller' drum carries loose upon
ales Grad

page_text: upon it a pinion in gear with a second pinion fixed on the lever or rod
actuating the valve gear, which pinion is also in géar with the internal
toothed rim of the loose wheel. In gear with the external rim of this
wheel is another pinion fixed to the shaft of the steering wheel, so that
by rotating the loose wheel by means of this pinion a corresponding
motion will be imparted to the wheel of the valve lever or rod, and
consequently to the lever or rod itself, so as to open the engine valves,
while by the consequent motion of the engine and of the tiller drum
the pinion on the shaft of the latter in rotating the pinion on the valve
lever or rod will bring the valve lever or rod back into its original
position so as to close the valves of the engine:
:
In another modification I connect the two ends of the aforesaid lever
or rod actuating 'the valves to two screw nuts working upon two screw
spindles. One of these screw spindles is rotated by the steering wheel
'so as to move the valve lever or rod for opening the steam valves while
the other screw spindle is rotated by gearing from the tiller drum so as
to bring the valve lever or rod back to its original position, and thus
close the valves when the rudder has been deflected to the desired
angle.
In the steam cylinders to either of the before-described arrangements
of steam steering apparatus I prefer to employ a peculiar construction
of slide valve and valve box, whereby the use of a separate exhaust port
to the cylinders is avoided, while at the same time the accumulation of
water from condensation in the cylinders is prevented, as is also the
possibility of the engines sticking at or near the dead centres in the
case of priming. For these purposes I arrange the slide valve box on
the under side of the horizontal steam cylinder, and I form in the side
of the same an opening leading into an exhaust chamber formed at the
side of the valve box. The slide valve has two faces at an angle to each
other, the one face working against the steam ports of the cylinder,
while the other face works against the said opening in the side of the
valve box, and a passage or passages is or are formed right through the
slide valve from face to face, so that the exhaust steam as also any water
of condensation passes from the cylinder through the slide valve and
the opening in the valve box into the aforesaid exhaust chamber, whence
it is conducted through a pipe either to a condenser or into the atmo-
sphere

page_text: It will, be evident that the above-described improved construction of
slide valves and valve box may also be applied with advantage to steam
engines generally.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John George Cameron in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 30th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JoшLN
GEORGE CAMERON of No. 84, Coltman Street, in the Borough, Town,
and County of the Town of Kingston-upon-Hull, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John George Cameron, Her special licence that
I, the said John George Cameron, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John George Cameron, my exc-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS BY STEAM POWER, PARTLY appli-
CABLE TO THE SLIDE VALVES AND VALVE BOXES OF STEAM ENGINES GENERALLY,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John George
Cameron, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing.
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John George Cameron, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-

page_text: panying Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say:
My Invention consists mainly in an improved mechanism for actuating
the valves of the steam engines that work the rudder wherein a lever or
rod connected to the valve gear is actuated independently both by the
steering wheel and by the tiller drum or its shaft (or by any equivalent
contrivance that may be employed for moving the rudder), in such
manner that when the said lever or rod has been moved by the steering
wheel so as to open the valves of the steam engines the resulting motion
of the tiller drum will cause the lever or rod to be brought back
into its original position, so as to close the valves of the steam engine
and thus maintain the rudder in the position into which it has been
deflected.
.
The said mechanism may be variously arranged for carrying my
Invention into operation, thus, in one arrangement I connect the valve
gear of the steam engine actuating the rudder to à lever carrying a
pinion in gear, with two racks situated on opposite sides of the pinion.
The one rack is in gear with a pinion on the shaft of the steering wheel.
while the other rack is in gear with a pinion on the shaft of the drum
round which the tiller ropes or chains are passed, which drum receives
the required motion through suitable speed reducing gearing from the
crank shaft of the steam engine.
In order to deflect the rudder to port or starboard the steering
wheel and its pinion are rotated so as to raise or depress the rack in gear
therewith, whereby the said lever connected to the valve gear is raised or
depressed by the motion imparted to its pinion so as to admit steam to
the one or the other side of the pistons of the steam engine. The engine
thus imparts rotary motion in one direction or the other to the tiller
drum, thereby actuating the rudder; as the drum revolves the aforesaid
pinion on the shaft of the drum moves the second rack in the contrary
direction to that in which the first rack was moved, whereby the pinion
on the lever actuating the valve gear is rotated so as to bring such lever
back to its original position, in which it closes the valves of the steam
enginc, and thus keeps the rudder in the position to which it was
deflected. Should the rudder be deflected momentarily by a heavy sca
from the position into which it had been moved it will in producing a
corresponding rotation of the pinion on the tiller drum actuate the rack
in gear therewith, which in its turn will move the lover connected to the

page_text: valve gear in such manner as to admit steam into the steam engines
so as to counteract the action of the waves and bring the rudder back
to its original position.
In another modification the shaft of the tiller drum carries loose upon
it a wheel having an internal and an external toothed rim as also fixed
upon it a pinion in gear with a second pinion fixed on the lever or rod
actuating the valve gear, which pinion is also in gear with the internal
toothed rim of the loose wheel. In gear with the external rim of this
wheel is another pinion fixed to the shaft of the steering wheel, so that
by rotating the loose wheel by means of this pinion a corresponding
motion will be imparted to the wheel of the valve lever or rod, and con-
sequently to the lever or rod itself so as to open the engine valves, while
by the consequent motion of the engine and of the tiller drum the
pinion on the shaft of the latter in rotating the pinion on the valve
lever or rod will bring the valve lever or rod back into its original
position so as to close the valves of the engine.
In another modification I connect the two ends of the aforesaid lever
or rod actuating the valves to two screw nuts working upon two screw
spindles. One of these screw spindles is rotated by the steering wheel
so as to move the valve lever or rod for opening the steam valves, while
the other screw spindle is rotated by gearing from the tiller drum so
as to bring the valve lever or rod back to its original position and
thus close the valves when the rudder has been deflected to the desired
angle.
In the steam cylinders to either of the before described arrangements
of steam steering apparatus I prefer to employ a peculiar construction
of slide valve and valve box whereby the use of a separate exhaust port
to the cylinders is avoided, while at the same time the accumulation
of water from condensation in the cylinders is prevented, as is also
the possibility of the engines sticking at or near the dead centres in
case of priming. For these purposes I arrange the slide valve box on
the bottom or side of the horizontal steam cylinder, and I form in the
side or bottom of the valve box an opening leading into an exhaust
chamber formed at the side or bottom of the valve box. The slide valve
has two faces at an angle to each other, the one face working against
the steam ports of the cylinder, while the other face works against the
said opening in the side or bottom of the valve box, and a passage or
passages is or are formed right through the slide valve from face to face,

page_text: so that the exhaust steam as also any water of condensation passes from
the cylinder through the slide valve and the opening in the valve. box
into the aforesaid exhaust chamber, whence it is conducted through a
pipe, either to a condenser or into the atmosphere.
so that the exhaust steam as also any water of condensation passes from
the cylinder through the slide valve and the opening in the valve box
into the aforesaid exhaust chamber, whence it is conducted through a
pipe, either to a condenser or into the atmosphere.
'
It will be evident that the above-described improved construction of
slide valves and valve box may also be applied with advantage to steam'
It will be evident that the above-described improved construction of
slide valves and valve box may also be applied with advantage to steam'
engines generally.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 Sheet I. represents a side view, and Fig. 2, Sheet I., an end
view of one modification of apparatus constructed according to my
Invention.
A is the crank shaft of the steam engines, which may be of any
known construction, provided with slides or valves, actuated by a link
motion, such as is ordinarily used in locomotive and marine engines for
stopping, starting, or reversing. The apparatus which forms the subject
of my Invention is for the purpose of moving the links so as to cause the
engines to stop or to turn the crank shaft A in either direction. This crank
shaft is connected by gearing to a chain barrel B, on which is wound a
chain. The chain carried round suitable.guide pullies is attached to a
quadrant fixed on the shaft or axis of the rudder. By means of this
connection of gearing and chain when the crank shaft A revolves in
the one direction the rudder is turned to port, and when it revolves
in the opposite direction the rudder is turned to starboard. While the
crank shaft remains at rest the rudder is held in the position to which
it had been previously turned.
"
:
For the purpose of actuating the links whereby these different motions
or the stopping of the engines and holding of the rudder are effected
I employ in this modification the following mechanism :-I mount a
hand wheel C in any convenient position, as on the upper deck above
the axis of the chain barrel B; on the axis of the hand wheel C is
fixed a pinion c, which gears with a double rack D. The rods on which
these racks are formed extend downwards and have rack teeth on their
lower part which gear with a pinion f, mounted on a lever F, which is
connected by suitable rods or cranks to the slide links of the steam
engines, another rack E gears with the pinion f, and also with a pinion b
The rod of the rack E may
fixed on the shaft of the chain barrel B.
be extended upwards, as shewn in the Drawing, to serve as a guide.

page_text: This mechanism operates as follows:-On turning the wheel C by
hand in either direction the rods D are caused to move upwards or
downwards. This movement causes the pinion f to travel upwards or
downwards along the rack E which is at rest. The movement of the
pinion fand of the lever F on which it is mounted moves the links of the
engines and causes them to turn the crank shaft A in the one direction
or the other according as the hand wheel C has been turned in the one
direction or the other. The crank shaft by means of its gearing turns
the chain barrel B, and thereby causes the rudder to be turned to port
or starboard, as the case may be. But the turning of the barrel B.and
of the pinion b fixed on it moves
to that in which the racks D had
now held at rest, by holding the hand wheel C the movement of the
rack E causes the pinion f to travel backwards towards the position
whence it had been moved by the racks D. The lever is thus moved
back towards its middle position so as to bring the engines to rest and
thereby to hold the barrel B at rest and keep the rudder in the
position to which it had been moved. Should the rudder be moved
by the stroke of a sea the barrel B and pinion 6 being thereby partly
turned, the rack E is also moved, and the pinion F is caused to travel
along the stationary racks D so as to move the lever F in such a
way as to cause the engines to move, and the shaft A to be turned
so as to bring back the rudder to the position from which it had been
deflected.
the rack E in the direction opposite
been moved. The latter racks being
I will now describe steam steering apparatus wherein the mechanism
for actuating the valves of the steam engines is arranged and con-
structed in accordance with the second modification above mentioned.
Fig. 3, Sheet II., represents a plan; Fig. 4, Sheet III., represents a
side elevation, and Fig. 5, Sheet IV., represents a transverse section of
the engines and gearing; Fig. 6, Sheet IV., represents an end view of
the steering barrel, and Fig. 7, Sheet IV., represents a section through
the casing at one end of the machine which encloses the gearing for the
valve mechanism.
In these Figures it will be seen that there are two engines working a
crank shaft A. These engines with their cylinders, connecting rods, guides,
and other parts may be of any known construction, their slides being
worked by a link motion which may be of the kind usually employed in
locomotive and marine engines for the purpose of stopping, starting, and

page_text: reversing, or which may be of the kind represented in the Drawings,
which I will presently describe.
As the construction or arrangement of the engines form no part of
my Invention, I do not describe them in detail, I will confine myself
to a description of the link motion which works the slides and the
mechanism by which it is actuated, as the arrangement and con-
struction of that mechanism forms the principal feature of this part
of my Invention. The crank shaft A is connected by reducing speed
gcaring to a barrel B, round which is wound a chain C; the ends of
which are attached to a quadrant on the rudder shaft. The chain being
carried round- suitable guide pulleys to the quadrant in such a manner
that when the engine shaft turns in the one direction, the rudder is
moved to port, and when it turns in the other direction the rudder is
moved to starboard, and while the engines and barrel remain at rest
the rudder is held in any position to which it may have previously been
moved. The barrel is also geared to a pinion on the boss of a hand
wheel D, so that steering may be effected by hand. The boss of this
wheel is fitted to slide in an eye in the framing, so that its pinion can
if desired be drawn out of gear with the wheel on the barrel when the
steering is effected by the engines. A set screw d serves to hold the
pinion in gear or out of gear as may be desired; E is another hand
whcel mounted on the same line of axis with the wheel D, but capable
of being moved independently of D, for the purpose of working the slide
gear of the engines. On the shaft of the wheel E is fixed a pinion e,
which gears with a wheel mounted loose on a spindle F. The wheel f
gears with the exterior cogs of a toothed ring G, the interior cogs of
which gear with a pinion g; which also gears with a pinion b fixed
on the spindle of the. chain barrel B. These wheels and pinions are
all enclosed in a casing H, in one side of which is formed a circular
groove wherein is fitted a ring projecting from the toothed ring. G,
the toothed ring being thereby guided, so that it revolves concentrically
to the axis of B. The pinion y revolves loosely on a boss which
works through a hole in the casing H and projects beyond the casing.
This part of the casing is fitted in a recess so that it can turn con-
centrically with b. The spindle F has fixed on it at its outer end a
lever L, which passes through a hole in the projecting part of the boss k.
At the other end of the spindle F is fixed a lover M, one end of which
is connected by vertical rods N, N, to the engine slide rods P, P, and

page_text: .the other end carries a weight o to counterbalance the weight of those
rods. The end of each slide rod works in a curved slot in a rocking
frame R, which is mounted on a pivot ŕ midway in the curved slot.
From the back of this rocking frame two arms S, S, project backwards,
presenting between them a straight slot in which a cranked part a of
the engine shaft works. As the engine shaft revolves this cranked part
of it a working in the slot of the rocking frame R causes that frame to
oscillate on its pivot r. When the end of the slide rod P is in the
middle of the curved slot coinciding with the pivot the slide rod
I receives no motion from the rocking frame and the engines are brought
to rest, but when the end of the slide rod is moved either upwards or
downwards in the curved slot it receives from its rocking movement
a reciprocating motion in such a manner that when it is above the
pivot it works the engine slide suitably for movement of the engine
shaft in the one direction, and when it is below the pivot it works
the slide suitably for the movement of the engine shaft in the other
direction. The slide rods being connected as above described. by the
vertical rods N, N, to the lever M are raised or lowered in the curved
slots of their respective rocking frames R by the movement' of the
lever M, which movement thus serves to stop the engines or to cause
the engine shaft to revolve in either direction. The lever M being hori-
zontal, the slide rods P, P, are in their middle position in the curved
slots of the rocking frames R, and the engines are at rest, the slides then
covering the cylinder ports. If now it be desired to move the rudder
by the steam power the hand wheel E is turned. in the one direction
or the other, the pinion turning with it. The loose wheelf is thus
turned and with it the ring G which turns the pinion g, and this pinion
being geared with the pinion bat rest is compelled to move round the
centre of b, as a planet wheel round a sun wheel. Its projecting boss k
being thus moved to the one side of the vertical centre line moves the
lever L and thereby gives a partial revolution to the spindle F, and so
moves the lever M, so as to raise or lower the slide rods P, P. The
engine shaft is thus caused to revolve in the direction determined by
the position of the slide rods in the slots of R, and to drive the chain
-barrel.B and move the rudder. At the same time the pinion b is causeḍ
to rotate, and as the ring G is now held by being geared to the hand
wheel E, the rotation of 6 causes the planet pinion 7 to return towards
the central position and so to move back the lever L and the lever M,
and to return the slide rods towards their middle position in the curved

page_text: slots R, and so to stop the engines and retain the rudder in the position
to which it has been moved. In cases were the rudder happens to be
moved by the stroke of a sea, the action of the pinion b on the planet
pinion as above described serves to start the engine by moving the
slide rods, and thereby to cause the rudder to be restored to the position
which it occupied before the sea moved it.
It may be readily understood that the arrangement of apparatus
described in reference to this modification for working the slides may
be employed in combination with the mechanism shewn in Figures 1
and 2, the lever F in those Figures being applied to move the slide rods
up or down in the slots of rocking frames.
Figure 8, Sheet II., represents a longitudinal section, and Figure 9,
Sheet II., a part transverse section and part end elevation of the steam
cylinders for steering, fitted with slides constructed according to my
Invention. The slide S has two faces one on its upper side working
against the lower face of the cylinder and covering and uncovering the
ports thereof in the usual manner. The slide S has also a vertical face
working against the side of an exhaust chamber T. By this arrange-
ment water of condensation is completely drained from the working
cylinders and escapes into the exhaust chamber.
Figure 10, Sheet II., represents a transverse section of a cylinder in
which the slide S works against an oblique face of the cylinder for a
like purpose.
It is obvious that either of these arrangements of slides is applicable
to engines employed for purposes other than steering.
In cases where engines are used for steering in the manner herein
described, the exhaust chamber T may either be connected by a pipe
with the condenser of the main engines of the vessel or to an ordinary
condenser such as is used for supplying distilled water on board ship,
cither of these modes of disposing of the waste steam being preferable
to blowing it off into the atmosphere, whereby inconvenience might
accrue to persons on board.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I claim,―
First. The mode of working the link motion of steering engines,
substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1, 2, Sheet I.

page_text: Second. The mode of working the slides of steering engines, sub-
stantially as hercin described with reference to Figure 3, Sheet II.,
Figure 4, Sheet III., and Figures 5, 6, and 7, Sheet IV.
Third. The arrangement of a 'slide for a steam cylinder on the under
part of the cylinder with two faces, substantially in the manner and
for the purpose herein described with reference to Figs. 8, 9, and 10,
Sheet II.
In witness whereof, I, the said John George Cameron, have herc-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.