IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING STEAM VESSELS BY HYDRAULIC POWER, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE DRIVING AND REVERSING OF STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alphonse Lafargue, of Portland Place, and Claude Martin,
of Kensington, both in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING STEAM VESSELS BY HYDRAULIC
POWER, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE DRIVING AND REVERSING OF STEAM AND
OTHER MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES."
Sealed the 16th November 1877, and dated the 25th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alphonse Lafargue and
Claude Martin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th May
1877.
ALPHONSE LAFARGUE, of Portland Place, and CLAUDE MARTIN, of Kensington,
both in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING:
STEAM VESSELS BY HYDRAULIC POWER, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE DRIVING AND
REVERSING OF STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES."
The object of this Invention is simplicity of construction and certainty of action
of hydraulic apparatus for steering steam vessels, driving and reversing steam and
other motive-power engines. For this purpose a cylinder is employed of suitable
capacity, securely fastened to the deck of the vessel, having an internal packed
piston or disc, with a trunk or hollow piston rod large enough to admit of the
rudder head, and also of a nut and cross head containing friction rollers, which are
made to rotate in a vertical plane by the motion of the piston into corresponding
convoluted or inclined grooves of an external cylinder or nut (which has previously
been made fast to the rudder post), and thereby giving the required motion to the
rudder.
For the purpose of obtaining an uniform pressure above and below the piston of
the working cylinder, a constant pressure is employed from the accumulator to the
under side of the piston and feed and exhaust alternately above the piston by
a two-way valve regulated by self cut-off gear at any required point in the
notion of the rudder.
For working the accumulator pumps on board sailing ships, a shaft or spindle is

page_text: passed through the stern of the hull connected to a small chain propeller, also
situated in the run or stern part of the ship, where a powerful current is obtained.
In case of a calm at sea, or want of steam, an auxiliary hand lever is provided
for working the accumulator,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alphonse Lafargue and Claude Martin in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th November 1877.
ALPHONSE LAFargue, of Portland Place, and CLAUDE MARTIN, of Kensington,
both in the County of Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING
STEAM AND OTHER VESSELS BY HYDRAULIC POWER, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE
DRIVING AND REVERSING OF STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES."
The object of this Invention is simplicity of construction and certainty of action
of hydraulic apparatus for steering steam vessels, driving and reversing steain and
other motive-power engines. For this purpose a cylinder is employed of suitable
capacity, securely fastened to the deck of the vessel, having an internally packed
piston or disc, with a trunk or hollow piston rod large enough to admit of the
rudder head, and also of a nut or cross head containing friction rollers, which are
made to rotate in a vertical plane by the motion of the piston into corresponding
convoluted or inclined grooves of an external cylinder.or nut (which has previously.
been made fast to the rudder post) and thereby giving the required motion to the
rudder.
For the purpose of obtaining an uniform pressure above and below the piston
of the working cylinder, a constant pressure is employed from the accumulator to
the under side of the piston and feed and exhaust alternately above the piston by
a two-way valve regulated by self cut-off gear at any required point in the motion
of the rudder.
For working the accumulator pumps on board sailing ships, a shaft or spindle
is passed through the stern of the hull connected to a small chain propeller,
also situated in the run or stern part of the ship, where a powerful current is.
obtained.
In case of a calm at sea, or want of steam, an auxiliary hand lever is provided for
working the accumulator.
And in order that our improvements may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice, we will proceed to describe the same with reference to the
Drawings annexed;
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 represent a géneral side view and plan of apparatus arranged
according to our Invention.
Figure 3, a plan of tell-tale indicator and regulating wheel.
Figures 4 and 5, side view and plan of steering apparatus as applied to ironclads.
Figures 6 and 7, vertical section and plan of hydraulic cylinder.
Figures 8 and 9, longitudinal and transverse sections of slide valve showing.
relief valve..
It will be seen the rudder post a has a spirally grooved collar or nut b securely
fastened to it, and in the said spiral grooves work friction rollers c¹, c', as shown in
Figures 6 and 7 (or studs in lieu of rollers), fixed-to or carried by a cross head-c.

page_text: This cross head c is fixed to a hollow piston rod or trunk d, at the end of which is a.
packed piston e working in the hydraulic cylinder f.
It will now be seen that the rectilinear or vertical motion of the piston rod d with
its cross head (working in guides g, g, to prevent it from turning or twisting) will
cause the rollers c¹ in the said cross head to revolve in vertical and convoluted
grooves 6 of the nut b, thereby imparting a circular motion to the rudder post a.
The rudder post a may pass up to the deck of the vessel, as indicated by dotted
lines in Figure 1, or it may terminate at the top of the spirally grooved collar or
nut b, as shown in Figure 6, as may be found most convenient. A wire cord or a
chain his carried in opposite directions round the rudder post to a lever i fixed to
the hollow shaft p, so that every movement communicated to the rudder is instantly
shown on the bridge through an indicator j, Figure 3, worked by the vertical hollow
rod and acts as an automatic cut off to the slide valve m. At the lower, end of
the inner vertical shaft k a crank & is fixed, and gives motion by the steering wheel
to the slide valve m.
P
In case the rudder should be struck by a heavy sea, the cylinder is provided with
a relief valve n, which opens inwardly and allows the water to flow back into the
accumulator o.
Although we have shown and described our improved steering apparatus as being
worked by hydraulic power in a manner which we find the most advantageous, it
is obvious that it might be worked by other power, such as steam power, or even in
case of necessity by manual power. Various methods of application could readily
be devised for applying the requisite motive power to our said improved steering
apparatus, and it is not necessary here to describe them in detail.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into practice, we would remark that we do not limit ourselves to
the exact form of steering apparatus, or details of construction, as herein described,
so long as the novel features of our Invention are retained; but what we claim is,-
First. The combination of parts constituting our improved steering apparatus,
constructed substantially as herein described and as shown respectively in Figures
4 and 5, and in Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings annexed.
Secondly. The use, in connection with a rudder post, of a spirally grooved collar,
or nut, or its equivalent, upon which a cross head or its equivalent is made to act,
so that when the cross head is moved by hydraulic or equivalent power, the rudder
is readily moved, and its motion controlled with safety and certainty, substantially
as described.
Thirdly. The improved method of giving motion to the rudder post for the
purpose of steering steam and other vessels by the direct action of hydraulic apparatus,
substantially in the manner herein-before described and represented in the Drawings
annexed.
Fourthly. We claim the application of hydraulic apparatus, constructed sub-
stantially as herein-before described, to give motion to a rudder post by means of
our improved steering apparatus for the purpose of steering steam and other vessels,
substantially in the manner herein-before referred to and represented in the
Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alphonse Lafargue, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our Lord
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.
ALPHONSE LAFARGUE. (LS.)