AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Clark, of Rye, in the County of Sussex,
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF STEERING
APPARATUS."
Sealed the 8th May 1866, and dated the 9th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th December 1865.
I, SAMUEL CLARK, of Rye, in the County of Sussex, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
STEERING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the steering of steam vessels by means of a pair
of rudders which are mounted parallel to each other and move together so as
to retain their relative position; these rudders when applied to a vessel
fitted with a screw propeller may be set in advance or abaft the screw. Each
rudder is mounted on a central vertical spindle, which spindles extend up
above the deck and are stepped in bearings carried by the dead wood. At
their upper ends these spindles severally carry an arm which passes through
a link attached to a horizontal sliding rod extending any given distance along
the deck to the steering wheel. Upon the steering wheel shaft two worms
(right and left handed) are keyed, and into these worms respectively gear
horizontal segment racks mounted on vertical spindles on opposite sides of

page_text: the steering wheel shaft. As the lower end of these spindles are other seg-
ment racks which gear respectively into straight racks connected to the
borizontal rods before mentioned. As therefore the steering wheel is moved
a corresponding motion will be imparted simultaneously to the rudders, and a
rapid and very efficient action on the ship will result.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; SAMUEL
CLARK, of Rye, in the County of Sussex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord Que
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Fler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Clark, my exeen-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Clark,
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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF STEERING
APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel
Clark, 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 Samuel Clark, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to the steering of steam vessels by means of a pair of
balanced rudders, which are mounted parallel to each other and move together
so as to retain their relative position, the objects designed to be attained being

page_text: increased efficiency in steering with a decreased expenditure of power. These
rudders when applied to a vessel fitted with a screw propeller may be set in
advance of or abaft the screw.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn my improved twin rudder as
applied to a screw steamer; Fig. 1, being a plan view, and Fig. 2, a side
elevation of so much of the ship as will serve to explain the nature and
mode of carrying out the Invention, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof.
A, A, are twin rudders mounted on central vertical spindles B, B, which
spindles extend up above the deck and are stepped in bearings carried by
the dead wood. At their upper ends these spindles B severally carry an arm C,
which is firmly secured by a key. These arms C severally pass through a
link attached to or forming part of a horizontal sliding rod D, extending
along the vessel under the deck timbers to a spot near which the steering
wheel E is mounted, which may be in any given central position on the deck.
The steering wheel E is mounted on a shaft F, to which are keyed two worms
G, G', which are right and left handed, and into these worms respectively
gear horizontal segment racks H, H¹, mounted on vertical spindles I, 1', on
opposite sides of the steering wheel shaft. This shaft may conveniently be
fitted with a second steering wheel E¹, or one at each end, as shewn in the
Drawing. At the lower end of the spindles I, 1', are keyed the segments K,
to each of which are attached cross chains that are respectively secured to the
inner ends of the horizontal rods D before mentioned. As therefore the
steering wheel is moved, a corresponding motion will be imparted simultaneously
through the gearing, coupling chains, and sliding rods, to both rudders, and a
rapid and very efficient action on the ship will result. I would remark that
the advantage of the twin balanced rudders on the single balanced rudders
heretofore employed is, that whereas the steering effect of the single balanced
rudder is partly neutralized by the run of the water between the stern of the
ship and the rudder, the twin balanced rudder will always present an effective
acting surface equal to the whole acting surface of one of the ru·lders, while at
the same time there will be a real instead of a partial balance of forces owing
to the rudder spindles having a central position with respect to the rudder.
In some cases it may be desirable to divide the worm shaft F at the middle of
its length, and to couple the parts with a sliding clutch; but that or any other
matter of detail connected with the working gear may be adopted or not as
thought most convenient.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of An Improved
Construction of Steering Apparatus," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent I claim, mounting and operating twin balanced rudders
in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six..