Improvements in Steering Gear for Ships and other Navigable Vessels.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering Gear for Ships and other Navigable
Vessels.
I, JOHN JONATHAN KERMODE, of 14 Gertrude Road, Anfield, Liverpool in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My present invention relates to steering gear for ships and other navigable
vessels, operated by manual or other power, and I construct such gear as
follows;-
I securely attach to the head of the rudder spindle a strong cross-bead or lever
with two equal and opposite arms, and immediately below the latter and concentric
with the rudder spindle I fit a large chain wheel; this chain wheel is journalled
on the rudder spindle and it is supported by small wheels at its periphery which
roll on a circular race fixed to the deck; removable pins are provided by means of
which the cross-head can be securely coupled to or disengaged from the chain
wheel at will. The power for operating the rudder is conveyed from the source of
power to the chain wheel by means of chains wrapped round its periphery, their
ends being secured thereto.
The parts described so far are similar to those found in many steering gears as
at present constructed, and in adapting my invention to such gears I make use of
these parts.
Above the cross-head I fit two stationary parallel bars; these bars lie in a plane
perpendicular to the rudder spindle, they are equidistant from and on opposite
sides of the latter, and their direction is perpendicular to the mean direction of the
cross-head; they are somewhat longer than the diameter of the chain wheel so
that their ends may be carried in brackets fixed to the deck, clear of the chain
wheel. Their centres are steadied by being secured in a cap fitting on the top of
the rudder spindle, and for facility of construction, each bar may be made in two
lengths, rigidly united by the cap.
These rods serve as guides for a pair of sleeves which slide freely on the bars,
on opposite sides of the rudder spindle, and which are respectively connected by
It will be seen that
connecting links and pins to opposite sides of the cross-head.
if the sleeves be slid along the guide bars the effect will be to partially rotate the
cross-head and with it the rudder.
The means for sliding the sleeves are as follows;-On the upper side of the
arms of the chain wheel, I secure two flat spiral channels or cams, each fitted with
a sliding block; each cam extends through about one hundred and eighty degrees
and they are symmetrically disposed about a diameter of the wheel. The cam
blocks are coupled respectively to the sliding sleeves by removable pins, so that
when the chain wheel, and with it the cams, is rotated through about half a
revolution, the sliding sleeves are moved along their guide bars a sufficient distance
to rotate the rudder through the extreme extent of its movement.
The cam blocks may be coupled directly to the sliding sleeves, but I prefer, in
order to mitigate shocks, to make each sliding sleeve sufficiently large to embrace
a smaller sliding sleeve to which the cam block is coupled, and to transmit the
power through springs interposed between the larger and smaller sliding sleeves.
In this case I provide adjustable screw abutments for the springs to abut against
so that their compression may be regulated.
.
The action of the apparatus is as follows;-In smooth waters where great force
is not required to move and control the rudder and where the latter may require to
be operated rapidly, I uncouple the cam blocks from the sliding sleeves by

page_text: withdrawing the pins belonging thereto, and couple the cross-head directly to the
chain wheel. The rotation of the latter under the influence of the chains from
the source of power is then conveyed directly to the rudder, and the sleeves slide
idly over the guide bars.
During heavy weather, the cross-head is uncoupled from the chain wheel, and
the cam blocks coupled to their respective sliding sleeves; in this case, the rotation
of the chain wheel is converted by the cams into sliding motion of the sliding
sleeves, which in turn, operate the rudder through their connecting links and the
cross-head. Under these circumstances, as the chain wheel revolves through
a considerably larger angle than the rudder, it operates the latter with a
corresponding mechanical advantage.
:
↓
a
As the normal to the cam surface is but slightly inclined to the direction of
motion of the cam blocks, there is little or no recoil, and by making this angle less
than the limiting angle of repose, the recoil may be completely obviated.
Dated this Tenth day of May 1892.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
.
Improvements in Steering Gear for Ships and other Navigable
Vessels.
I, JOHN JONATHAN KERMODE of 14 Gertrude Road, Anfield, Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, 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 present invention relates to steering gear for ships and other navigable
vessels, operated by manual or other power and I construct such gear as follows;-
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention,
-
Fig. I is a plan view, Figs. II and III are sectional elevations on the lines A. A.
and B. B. respectively of Fig. I, and Figs. IV, V and VI show details.
Throughout the drawings the same parts are indicated by the same reference
figures.
1 is the rudder and 2 the rudder spindle to which the collar 3 and the cross-
head 4 are rigidly secured. 5 is a wheel by which the motive power is conveyed
to the rudder; it is journalled freely on the rudder spindle between the cross-head 4
and the collar 3 and its weight is supported partly by the latter and partly by the
bearing rollers 6 carried in brackets secured to the deck." 7 are removable pins
fitting into corresponding holes 71-7¹ in the cross-head 4 and the arms of the
wheel 5 by means of which these two parts can be coupled together at will; the
light circular plate 21 prevents the pins 7 from being inadvertently inserted between
the arms of the wheel. The power for operating the rudder is conveyed to the
wheel in any of the usual and suitable ways, for instance by chains wrapped round
its periphery and attached at their ends thereto; the chain races are formed by
the steel or iron angles 8, one of which serves for the steam and the other for the
auxiliary or hand power. The parts described so far are similar to those found
in many steering gears as at present constructed, and in adapting my invention to
such gears, I make use of such parts, if suitable.
9 are stationary parallel rods carried in the brackets 10 secured to the deck;
in order to stiffen them they are steadied by the cap 11 which fits freely on the
top of the rudder spindle, and for facility of construction each rod is made in two
lengths and cottered into sockets in the cap 11 by the cotters 12.
These rods 9 serve as guides for the sliding sleeves 13, and 14; Fig. V shows
an end elevation of the sleeves 13 and Fig. VI shows plan and end elevation of
the sleeves 14. Springs 15 under compression are interposed between the sleeves 14

page_text: and 13 and the latter are connected to the cross-head 4 by means of the pins 16
and connecting links 17. It will be seen that if the pins 7 be not in place and
the sleeves 14 be slid along the rods 9, the motion will be communicated through
the springs 15, sleeves 13 and links 17 to the cross-head 4 and the effect will be
to partially rotate the latter and with it the rudder. The object of the springs 15
is to give elasticity to the gear and so mitigate shocks and the stiffness of the
springs can be adjusted by the screwed abutments 22 fitted in the sleeves 13; in
a simpler form of the gear the springs and outer sleeves 13 may be dispensed with
and the links 17 coupled directly to the sleeves 14.
The means for operating the sleeves 14 are as follows;-
18 are two flat spiral channels or cams secured to the arms of the wheel 5 and
fitted with the sliding blocks 19 (see Fig. II and also Fig. IV which shows the
blocks in plan and sectional elevation). These blocks can be coupled at will to
the sleeves 14 by the removable pins 20 which fit into corresponding holes in
each, the pins 7 being removed, and it is clear that if the wheel 5 be rotated, the
blocks 19 and with them the sleeves 14 will be traversed radially and so operate
the rudder.
It will be seen that if the pins 7 be in place and the pins 20 be removed, the
cross-head 4 will be operated directly from the wheel 5; on the other hand, if the
pins 20 be in place and the pins 7 be removed, the cross-head will be operated
through the cams 18, and as the wheel 5 under these circumstances will rotate
through a considerably larger angle than the rudder, the latter will be operated
with a corresponding mechanical advantage. The gear may be changed from
either arrangement to the other with great facility as it is only necessary to insert
the one pair of pins and to remove the other.
The second arrangement is the one used under ordinary circumstances and the
first may be used where great force is not required to move and control the rudder
and where the latter may require to be operated rapidly,-
,-as for instance, in
harbour. When the gear is in operation in this way, the sleeves 13 and 14 slide
idly over the rods 9.
As the normal to the cam surface is but slightly inclined to the direction of
motion of the cam blocks, there is little or no recoil, and by making this angle less
than the limiting angle of repose, the recoil may be completely obviated.
The arrangement and details set forth are susceptible of considerable modification
without departing from my invention.
•
For instance, the wheel 5 may be arranged above the rest of the gear, by which
means the height of the brackets 10 can be reduced and the rods 9 brought down
closer to the deck; the arrangement shown is, however, generally preferable, as it
leaves the mechanism more accessible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is ;-
1. The hereindescribed improvement in steering gear, which consists in operating
the rudder by a cross-head secured thereto and a wheel concentric therewith which
is adapted to be coupled at will either directly to the said cross-head or indirectly
through a pair of cams mounted on the wheel and sliding sleeves linked to the
said cross-head, so that either of two distinct purchases may be used at will;
substantially as set forth.
2. In steering gear, the combination of a cross-head secured to the rudder
spindle, a pair of sliding sleeves linked to the said cross-head, and a pair of flat
spiral cams mounted to move concentrically with the rudder spindle and adapted
to operate the rudder through the said sleeves and links;-substantially as
described.
3. In steering gear of the kind herein set forth, the use of the inner sliding
sleeves 14, the outer sliding sleeves 13, and the interposed springs 15 for the
purpose of mitigating shocks ;-substantially as described and illustrated.

page_text: 4. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved steering
gear, substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of February 1893.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.