IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Napier, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 21st September 1875, and dated the 27th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Napier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th March 1875.
I, FRANCIS NAPLER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS," to be as follows, that is to
say:―
This Invention relates to steering apparatus to be worked either by
band or steam power, or by hydraulic apparatus, and comprises improve-
ments in the manner of arranging and combining the parts.
In carrying out the Invention a horizontal cross bar is fixed on the
rudder head so as to project to each side, and on the arms of this cross

page_text: bar there are fitted sliding blocks which are connected by vertical joint
pins to other blocks fitted to slide on guide bars fixed longitudinally or
in a fore-and-aft position to the framing.
The power is applied to the longitudinally moving blocks, by preference
by two parallel screw shafts, which work in internally screwed eyes
formed in the blocks, and the screwed shafts are geared together so as
to be actuated by the usual hand steering wheel, or by a shaft driven by
a steam engine.
The longitudinal moving blocks move in opposite directions, and as
the cross bar of the rudder head moves angularly from the mid position
to either side the blocks on it slide so as to accommodate themselves to
the rectilineal movement of the other blocks, whence arises the important
advantage that the rudder is acted on with increased leverage and effect
in proportion as it is turned further from its mid position in either
direction and experiences greater resistance.
When hydraulic apparatus is used the force may be applied directly
to the longitudinal moving blocks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis Napier in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 25th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
NAPIER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Francis Napier, Her special licence that I, the
said Francis Napier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Francis Napier, my executors, 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

page_text: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis Napier,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Napier, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to steering apparatus to be worked either
by hand or steam power, or by hydraulic apparatus, and comprises
improvements in the manner of arranging and combining the parts, an.
important feature of my improved arrangements consisting in the con-
struction admitting of readily disconnecting the acting parts.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing.
the same may be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to and showing one
modification of my improved arrangements.
In these Drawings Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 is a side elevation,
and the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out my said Invention according to the modification
shown in the Drawings a block 1 is fixed on the rudder head 2, and
has fixed on it two horizontal rods 3, on which blocks 4 are fitted to
slide. The blocks 4 are connected by vertical joint pins 5 to other
blocks 6, fitted to slide on guide bars 7 fixed longitudinally or in a fore-
and-aft position to a pair of transverse frame pieces 8. The transverse
frame pieces 8 are fixed to a longitudinal frame bar 9 supported by the
rudder head 2, to which it is fitted so as not to interfere with the turning.
of that part, and having one end fixed to a standard 10 bolted to the
deck.

page_text: The power is applied to the upper or longitudinal moving blocks G
by two parallel screw shafts 11 supported in bearings in the transverse
frame pieces 8, and working in internally screwed eyes formed in the
upper blocks 6. These screw shafts 11 are caused to revolve simul-
taneously by spur wheels 12 gearing with a third spur wheel 13 fixed on
the steering wheel shaft 14, which last is supported by the standard 10
and by a bearing 15 on the forward transverse frame piece 8, and which
has fast on it the usual hand steering wheel 16. The shaft 14 may be
driven by a steam engine or other motor.
The upper blocks 6 move in opposite directions in consequence of the
screw shafts 11 being the one right handed, and the other left handed,
(or they may be driven in opposite directions), and as the cross bars 3 of
the rudder head move angularly from the mid position in either direc-
tion, the blocks 4 on them slide so as to accommodate themselves to the
rectilineal movement of the upper blocks 6, whence arises the important
advantage that the rudder is acted on with the greater leverage and
effect the further it is turned from its mid position in either direction,
and when it experiences greater resistance.
The guide bars 7 prevent any angular or twisting strain from taking
effect on the screw shafts 11, and their use constitutes an important and
practically advantageous feature of my improved combination.
When it is desired to control the rudder without the aid of the screw.
gearing, or whenever it is necessary for any purpose, the working parts
of my improved apparatus may be readily disconnected by simply with-
drawing the joint pins 5, which connect the upper blocks 6 to the lower
blocks 4.
In some cases I dispense with one of the rods 3, and in another modi-
fication, in place of fitting the frame bar 9 to the rudder head, I put a
second standard similar to the one 10 at the opposite end.
In another modification I substitute for the screw shaft 11 the guide
bars 7 and spur wheels 12, 13, two pairs of parallel bars on which the
blocks 6 slide, and these blocks can in that case be moved forwards and
backwards by hydraulic or any other convenient power.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated,

page_text: but that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1. The arranging of a pair of reversely acting screw shafts (11) to
act on blocks (6), which are fitted to slide on guide bars (7), and which
are connected by joint pins (5) to lower blocks (4) fitted to slide on one
or two bars (3) fixed to the rudder head, all substantially as and for the
purposes herein-before described.
2. The application of hydraulic or other convenient motive power to
the blocks (6) fitted to slide on pairs of guide bars (7), and connected
by joint pins (5) to lower blocks (4) fitted to slide on one or two bars (3)
fixed to the rudder head, all substantially as and for the purposes herein-.
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Napier, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
FRANCIS NAPIER. (L.S.)