Improved Means for Holding or Securing Ships' or Boats' Tillers in any desired Position while Steering.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1896--Accepted, 27th June, 1896
DELOITTUATION.
Improved Means for Holding or Securing Ships' or Boats' Tillers in
any desired Position while Steering.
I, THEODORE HENRY STRINGER, of Egerton Lodge, Bromley, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved device whereby the tillers of boats, yachts
or other vessels can be easily held or secured in any desired position, while steering,
notwithstanding the action of the water on the rudder, so that the steersman, can,
when he so wishes, relieve his hand from the pressure exerted thereon by the
tiller, or can, if desired, fasten the tiller in position while he temporarily leaves
the same.
For this purpose I secure to the boat or other vessel one or more ropes or the
like in such a position that they extend transversely to the tiller and in close
proximity thereto, and I provide on the tiller a suitable clamping device controlled
by a lever the handle of which is arranged closely to the handle of the tiller, so
that the steersman can, at will, secure the tiller to the said ropes by means of the
clamping-lever or release it therefrom these operations being preferably all effected
by the hand that is used for holding and moving the tiller.
My said invention, moreover, comprises an improved clamping device for use as
above mentioned, and other improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan of the after part of a boat, showing my invention applied to
the tiller thereof.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, of the tiller provided with
my improved clamping device, and
Figure 3 is a similar view showing another form or modification of my
invention.
a is the rail or gunwale of the boat; b the rudder; and c the tiller.
To the rail or gunwale a at each side of the boat, are attached ropes or
cords d, d¹, each of the said ropes d, d' being attached to an eye e or e¹ at one side,
and to an india-rubber or other suitable spring for f' at the other side, which
spring is secured to the rail or gunwale of the boat by an eye g or g¹, or in any
other convenient manner.
On the tiller c is mounted a clamping-device or gripper which comprises a plate
or frame having two eyes or lugs situated side by side, and through which
pass the said ropes d, d'; a lever jis pivoted at ji to the said plate or frame and is
provided with a handle arranged in close proximity to the tiller-handle el, so
that it may be conveniently grasped by the hand that is being used to hold the
tiller. The lever j is also provided with an arm which extends between the eyes
or lugs, and is adapted, when the handle is depressed to bear against the
ropes d, d¹ and tightly press them against the upper wall or edge of the holes in
the said eyes or lugs h. Therefore by exerting a slight pressure on the handle j²,
the pressure of the tiller on the steersman's hand due to the action of the water
upon the rudder, can be entirely transferred to the ropes d d' and the tiller locked
or held rigidly in any desired position. The lever j is preferably provided with a
spring which tends to hold the said lever in its inoperative position.

page_text: k is a sliding wedge or bolt adapted to be slid beneath the arm ja on the lever ;
for the purpose of locking the tiller in position, should the steersman desire to
leave the same for a short time to alter the sheets or for any other purpose. To
facilitate the movement of the said, wedge or bult. as required, a rod is arranged
to slide to and fro in suitable supports attached to the tiller c, and is suitably
connected at one end to the said wedge or bolt, the other end of the said rod being,
provided with a hook or handle whereby it can be conveniently actuated.
In the modification of my invention illustrated in Figure 3, the position of the
pivot of the lever j and of the eyes or lugs his reversed, so that it becomes a
lever of the second order instead of one of the first order. The said lever is in
this case made, if desired, with an extension or tail-piece beneath which the
locking wedge k may slide.
It is obvious that the construction of my improved locking device can be
somewhat varied without departing from the nature of my said invention; for
example, a spring may be employed for holding the lever so that the ropes d, d
are normally locked and must be released by actuating the said lever before the
rudder can be turned.
The plate or frame h having the eyes and the lugs carrying the pivot j¹ may
be advantageously made of a single casting of brass or gun-metal as shown, as may
also be the eyes e, gl and e', g respectively.
If desired, my improved device may be arranged to work with one rope fixed at
both ends instead of with two as in the arrangement herein before described, or
with a curved rod extending through the eyes h and fixed at its ends to the boat
or other vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The combination, with a ship's or boat's tiller, of a clamping device
mounted thereon and adapted to engage with one or more fixed ropes or the like
extending transversely to the said tiller, substantially as hereinbefore described
aud for the purpose above specified.
Second. The combination, with a tiller, of one or more ropes or the like
arranged transversely thereto and passing through eyes secured thereon, and a
clamping-lever pivotally mounted on the said tiller and having a handle arranged
in proximity to the tiller-handle, substantially as, and for the purposes, herein-
before described.
Third. The combination, with a tiller, of two ropes each of which is secured to
one side of the boat or other vessel and connected by a spring to the other side
thereof, and a clamping-device mounted on the said tiller and adapted to engage
with the said ropes, substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Fourth. The improved device for securely holding a tiller in any desired
position, constructed substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawing and operating as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Dated the 16th day of May 1896.
THEODORE HENRY STRINGER.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W...
Agents for the Applicant..