IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIN CABLE HOLDERS APPLICABLE FOR CAPSTANS AND WINDLASSES, AND IN ADDADAMS AR
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Horatio Harfield, of 2, Royal Exchange
Buildings, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CHAIN CABLE HOLDERS APPLICABLE FOR CAPSTANS AND WINDLASSES, AND IN
ADDADAMS AR
"
Sealed the 17th May 1867, and dated the 3rd December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Horatio Harfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd December 1866.
I, WILLIAM HORATIO HARFIELD, of 2, Royal Exchange Buildings, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIN CABLE HOLDERS APPLICABLE FOR CAPSTANS AND WIND-
LASSES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING CAPSTANS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in chain cable holders
applicable for capstans and windlasses, and in apparatus for driving capstans.
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, and dated the
Twenty-third day of July 1859 (No. 1726), I have described a chain cable
holder with the stops upon it adjustable to and from the centre, to enable the

page_text: holder to take a greater variety of chains than a holder with fixed stops will
take. In the said chain holder, however, the top and bottom plates (in the
guide grooves of which the stops are held) are of cast iron, and consequently
more or less liable to fracture by sudden strain, and to splinter if struck by a
shot. Now according to my present Invention I make chain cable holders
having adjustable stops with the top and bottom plates of wrought iron, with
a distance block between them at the centre, either of wrought or cast iron;
the top and bottom plates and the distance block are solidly bolted together.
The radial grooves in the top and bottom plates for adjusting the stops may
be planed out of the thickness of the plates, or they may be produced by
fixing guide strips on to the plates.
In order to drive capstans by steam I key or fix firmly on the capstan
spindle, either below the lower deck or on the spindle between decks, a large
bevilled wheel, which gears with a bevilled pinion receiving motion from steam
engines; and the bed plate of the said engines and the bearing of the bevilled
pinion are formed on a casting or frame which is bolted to the under side of
the deck beams, and a bearing for the capstan spindle is also formed in the
said casting or frame. The bevilled pinion is mounted on a tubular axis of a
larger diameter than the pinion, and is carried in a bearing on the bed plate
ör frame, through which by suitable gear it can be caused to slide; thus the
capstan can if desired be disconnected to admit of its being worked by hand,
by drawing back the bevilled pinion into its bearing and out of gear with the
teeth of the bevilled wheel on the capstan spindle. Within the tubulár axis a
solid axis enters; it is carried in another bearing on the bed plate or frame,
and by a feather it when driven causes the tubular axis to revolve with it, but
the tubular axis is able to slide lengthways upon it when drawn back, as
already described. On the outer end of the solid axis a bevilled wheel is
fixed gearing with two bevilled pinions one on each side of it. These pinions
are mounted so as to be able to turn freely on a transverse shaft, which at
each end carries a crank pin, and these crank pins are by connecting rods
connected with the piston rods of two steam cylinders, and in this way the
transverse shaft is driven. It has also upon it the eccentrics to work the
steam valves, and at the centre in between the two bevilled pinions a sliding
clutch, which can be made to clutch either of the pinions, and for the time
render them fast on the shaft; and then by the train of gear already described
the capstan is driven in one direction of the other, according as the clutch on
the transverse shaft is engaged with one or other of the pinions. If desired,
other gear may be provided to enable the engines to drive pumps or other

page_text: apparatus when the capstan is out of use. In place of steam it may in some
cases be convenient to use other fluid under pressure.
It will be observed that in this arrangement the reversing gear is on the
fast motion of the engines, and not on the slow motion of the capstan spindle,
which is exposed to a much greater strain, and where consequently reversing
gear would be objectionable; nevertheless, by the means described of drawing
back the main bevilled pinion, the capstan can be readily detached from the
whole of the driving apparatus when desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of.the.conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
.by. the said William Horatio Harfield in the Great Seal Patent, Office
on the 3rd June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HORATIO HARFIELD, of 2, Royal Exchange Buildings, in the City of London,
send greeting.
1
ย
1
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her, Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant, unto me, the said
William Horatio Harfield, Her special licence that I, the said William
Horatio Harfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Horatio Harfield, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIN CABLE HOLDERS APPLICABLE FOR CAPSTANS AND
WINDLASSES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING CAPSTANS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Horatio Harfield, 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.
>....

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Horatio Harfield, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the samė
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in chain cable holders
applicable for capstans and windlasses, and in apparatus for driving capstans.
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, and dated the 23rd day
of July 1859 (No. 1726), I have described a chain cable holder with the stops
upon it adjustable to and from the centre, to enable the holder to take a
greater variety of chains than a holder with fixed stops will take. In the
said chain holder, however, the top and bottom plates (in the guide grooves
of which the stops are held) are of cast iron, and consequently more or less
liable to fracture by sudden strain, and to splinter if struck by a shot. Now
according to my present Invention I make chain cable holders having
adjustable stops with the top and bottom plates of wrought iron, with a distance
block between them at the centre, either of wrought or cast iron; the top and
bottom plates and the distance block are solidly bolted together. The radial
grooves in the top and bottom plates for adjusting the stops may be planed
out of the thickness of the plates, or they may be produced by fixing guide
strips on to the plates.
Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Figure 2' a horizontal section, of a capstan
having a chain holder arranged according to my Invention.
a, a, is the capstan axis, with its bearings a', and having firmly keyed upon
it a chain holder consisting of the block 6 of cast or wrought iron, and the
upper and lower plates c, c, the whole being bolted together by the bolts d.
e, e, are the adjustable stops; they fit in grooves formed in the plates c, either
by planing out the metal or by rivetting on thickening pieces at the other
parts. Both methods are indicated in Figure 1, the one on the right, the other
on the left; and Figures 3 and 4 show transverse sections of the parts arranged
on the two plans. In the grooves in the plates c there are placed, together
with the stops e, filling pieces e¹, and these may be put either before or behind
the stops, which are thus adjusted nearer to or further from the centre. The
outermost filling piece in each case is held in its place by a tap screw passing
through it and screwing into a hole in the plate c. To the upper plate c the
body is rivetted, and g is the head keyed on to the axis a, as heretofore; his
the ratchet circle fixed on the deck, and i is a pawl ring rivetted on the
lower plate c, and carrying the pawls i, ; are rests to support the pawls
when required out of gear with the ratchet teeth, they slide in and out through

page_text: small slots formed for them in the pawl ring; k is a lubricating tube; 1, 1,
are guide rollers for the chain to pass to and from the chain holder in the
direction indicated by the dotted line; I, I, are sockets to receive the guidé
rollers in another position; m is the chain clearer. Similar chain holders
may be applied to windlasses. As respects this part of my Invention I
claim the making of adjustable stop chain holders for capstans and windlasses
with the top and bottom plates of wrought metal, with a distance block between
them, as described. In order to drive capstans by steam I key or fix firmly
on the capstan spindle, either below the lower deck or on the spindle between
decks, a large bevilled wheel, which gears with a bevilled pinion receiving
motion from steam engines; and the bed plate of the said engines and the
bearing of the bevilled pinion are formed on a casting or frame which is
bolted to the under side of the deck beams, and a bearing for the capstan
spindle is also formed on the said casting or frame. The bevilled pinion is
mounted on a tubular axis carried in a bearing on the bed plate or frame,
through which by suitable gear it can be caused to slide; thus the capstan can
if desired be disconnected to admit of it being worked by hand by drawing
back the bevilled pinion into its bearing and out of gear with the teeth of the
bevilled wheel on the capstan spindle. Within the tubular axis a solid axis
enters; it is carried in another bearing on the bed plate or frame, and by a
feather it when driven causes the tubular axis to revolve with it; but the
tubular axis is able to slide lengthways upon it when drawn back, as already
described. On the outer end of the solid axis a bevilled wheel is fixed, gearing
with two bevilled pinions, one on each side of it. These pinions are mounted
so as to be able to turn freely on a transverse shaft, which at each end carries
a crank pin, and these crank pins are by connecting rods connected with
the piston rods of two steam cylinders, and in this way the transverse shaft is
driven. It has also upon it the eccentrics to work the steam valves, and at
the centre, in between the two bevilled pinions, a sliding clutch, which can be
made to clutch either of the pinions, and for the time render them fast on the
shaft, and then by the train of gear already described the capstan is driven in
one direction or the other, according as the clutch on the transverse shaft is
engaged with one or other of the pinions. If desired, other gear may be
provided to enable the engines to drive pumps or other apparatus when the
capstan is out of use. In place of steam it may in some cases be convenient
to use other fluid under pressure. It will be observed that in this arrangement
the reversing gear is on the fast motion of the engines, and not on the slow
motion of the capstan spindle, which is exposed to a much greater strain, and

page_text: where.consequently reversing gear would be objectionable; nevertheless by the
means described of drawing back the main bevilled pinion the capstan can be
readily detached from the whole of the driving apparatus when desired.
Figure 5 is an under side view, Figure 6 is a side view, partly in section,
and Figure 7 is an end view of apparatus arranged according to my Invention
for-driving capstans.
a, a, is a frame bolted to the under side of the deck beams by bolts passing
through holes a¹, a'; b is the capstan axis, it passes through the frame a, and
the hole by which it passes is bushed with brass; is a large bevilled tooth
wheel upon the axis 6; and c is a bevilled pinion gearing into it and mounted
on a tubular axis c'; a is the bearing in which the axis of the pinion c turns,.
it may be made of the full diameter of the bearing, but it is preferable to
place a brass bushed ring c upon it, so that the axis c' may turn in this ring;
the ring cannot rotate in the bearing a², but it with the pinion can slide
longitudinally within it); d is a lever handle linked with the ring c², as is better
seen at Figure 8; by means of this handle the axis c¹ and ring c³ with the
pinion c, can be drawn back when it is desired to throw the capstan out of
gear with the driving power, the hollow axis c¹ then sliding with a groove and
feather on the axis f. It will thus be seen that by making the bearing a³
large enough to receive the pinion c within it a ready means of disconnecting
the capstan is provided, whilst at the same time the advantage of having a
firm bearing close up to the driving pinion is retained. The axis fat its
further end is carried in a bearing a³, also shown at Figure 9, and it has a
bevilled wheelf upon it, gearing with the two bevilled pinions g¹, g', which
are free to turn on the shaft g; this shaft has crank pins at its ends driven
by steam engines, which are fully shewn in the Drawings, and require no.
detailed description.
In place of steam water under pressure may in some cases be conveniently
used, particularly in cases where apparatus for forcing water is provided for
working hydraulic steering gear. Other fluids under pressure may also be
used to work the engines; 9 is a clutch sliding with a feather on the shaft g;.
it is worked by the handle g, and can be made to engage with one or other
of the pinions g¹ so as to drive the axis f and the capstan in one direction or
the other, as may be required. By arranging the engines overhead, as I have
described, the deck is left unencumbered, and the engines are much less liable
to injury than they would be if mounted on a deck:
I claim, as respects this part of my Invention, the general arrangement of
apparatus for driving capstans by means of overhead engines, as described. :

page_text: I also claim the arranging apparatus for driving capstans so that the motion
of the capstan may be reversed by means of a clutch on the shaft of the
engines working with two pinions upon it, one or other of which when
clutched drives a bevilled wheel of which the axis is geared with the axis of
the capstan, as described.
I also claim the arranging the driving pinion to draw back into its bearing
to disconnect the driving apparatus from the capstan, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Horatio Harfield, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven. ♥
W. H. HARFIELD. (L.s.)