IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES AND CAPSTANS."
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tyzack, of North Shields, in the County
of Northumberland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES
AND CAPSTANS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tyzack at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th March 1870.
I, GEORGE TYZACK, of North Shields, in the County of Northumberland,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WINDLASSES AND CAPSTANS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in windlasses and capstans
whereby a capstan is so arranged as to transmit motion to a windlass
when desired or be worked at other times as an ordinary capstan
independently of the windlass. For this purpose an ordinary capstan is
so arranged as to give motion to a windlass barrel by means of a worm.
and worm wheel, as shown in the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: a is an ordinary capstan, the capstan bars being placed in the recesses 7°
which have springs or pins to prevent them from coming out in bad
weather. This capstan either runs (loose on the spindle or axis c (in
which case it is used as an ordinary capstan), or it can be connected with
the axis c by means of the pin 6 which runs through both. When thus
arranged it gives motion to the windlass barrel p by means of the
worm n and the worm wheel o; m, m, are pawls which fall into the
ratchet wheel m', and although not absolutely necessary may be employed
if desired; & is the pawl bit.
As this arrangement of mechanism is very slow and powerful it is
intended only to use it when the anchor is being withdrawn from its
hold. Then in order to give increased speed to the axis c and windlass
barrel the pin 6 is disconnected and the sliding pinion ✓ allowed to
descend on the pin g by means of the clutch and lever i, so as to come
into gear with the pinion e which is firmly fixed on the axis c. By this
means the internal wheel d cast in one piece with or fixed to the
capstan a will give an increased motion to the spindle c and thus cause
the worm n to operate more speedily on the windlass barrel p; are the
capstan pawls. The windlass is secured to the ship in the ordinary
manner; q is the footstep for the spindle c.
The arrangement of mechanism for transmitting motion from the
capstan a to the windlass p may be modified without departing from the
character of these improvements.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Tyzack in the Great. Seal Patent Office on 2
the 10th September 1870..
.! ..'
.:TO ALL. TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TYZACK, of North Shields, in the County of Northumberland; send
greeting..
WHEREAS. Her most: Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Tyzack, Her special licence that I, the said

page_text: George Tyzack, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Tyzack, 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 WINDLASSES AND CAPSTANS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Tyzack, 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tyzack, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements in windlasses and capstans
whereby a capstan is so arranged as to transmit motion to a windlass
when desired or be worked at other times as an ordinary capstan
independently of the windlass. For this purpose an ordinary capstan is
so arranged as to give motion to a windlass by means of a worm and
worm wheel, as shewn at Figures 1 and 2 in the accompanying
Drawing.
a is an ordinary capstan, the capstan bars being placed in the
recesses r which have springs or pins to prevent them from coming out
in bad weather. This capstan either runs loose on the spindle or axis c
(in which case it is used as an ordinary capstan), or it can be connected
with the axis c by means of the pin 6, which runs through both. When
thus arranged it gives motion direct to the axis of the windlass barrel p
by means of the worm n and the worm wheel o; m, m, are pawls which
fall into the ratchet wheel m', and although not absolutely necessary
may be employed if desired; 8 is the pawl bit...
As this arrangement of mechanism is very slow and powerful it is
intended only to use it when the anchor is being withdrawn from its
hold. Then in order to give increased speed to the axis e and windlass

page_text: barrel the pin b is disconnected and the sliding pinion f allowed to
descend on the pin g by means of the clutch h and lever i so as to come:
into gear with the pinion e which is firmly fixed on the axis c. By this.
'means the internal wheel d cast in one piece with or fixed to the
capstan a will give an increased motion to the spindle c, and thus cause t
the worm n to operate more speedily on the windlass barral p; 1 are the
capstan pawls. The windlass is secured to the ship in the ordinary
manner. q is the footstep for the spindle c.
The arrangement of mechanism for transmitting motion from the
capstan a to the windlass barrel p may be modified without departing
from the character of these improvements.
Figure 3 shows a front elevation and Figure 4 an end view of a
windlass and capstan arranged and combined in a similar manner to that
previously described in accordance with my Invention; Figure 5 is a
longitudinal section of the windlass barrel. The other Figures shew
separate views of some of the parts on a larger scale.
1 is a spindle upon which a capstan 2 is mounted. The top of the
spindle 1 is made square and so also is a recess in the head of the capstan,
and a square iron collar 3 is so made to correspond with both that when
in the position shewn in Figure 3* in the Drawing the capstan and the
spindle will rotate together, but when the collar 3 is lifted up by the nut
and screw 4 or by a knob they will be out of gear with each other.
Upon the lower end of the spindle 1 the worm 5 is fixed. The worm 5
gears into the worm wheel 7, the teeth of which are large, few, and of
easy pitch. This worm wheel is keyed upon the shaft 8, and loose upon
this shaft 8 two chain lifters or pulleys 9, 10, arc mounted arranged with
friction cones cast upon or otherwise connected to them. These friction
cones also serve as pawl wheels and receive the pawls 13, 14. The parts
of the spindle 8 marked 15, 16, have screwed bushes 17, 18 (renewable
when worn out), keyed thercon. These bushes are kept from sliding
along the shaft by the collars 19, 20. The wheels 21 and 22 are provided
with screwed bushes 23 and 24 working on those keyed on the shaft 8,
and by turning these wheels the chain lifters 9, 10, and the pawl wheels
or friction clutches 11 and 12 are connected or disconnected with the
worm wheel 7. When "heaving up" the screws 25 and 26 are employed
to secure the connection between the friction wheels 11 and 12 and the
worm wheel 7. Two barrels 27 and 28 are keyed on the shaft 8 at each
end. It will be seen by this arrangement that the chain lifters 9 and 10

page_text: can be worked together or separately or not at all whilst the barrels 27
and 28 can be worked with the chain lifters if the latter are in gear,
or by themselves if they are not in gear.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, what I claim is
the arrangements and combinations of mechanical parts for transmitting
motion from the axis of a capstan direct to the axis of a windlass barrel
without intermediate gear and so that they can be worked together or
separately, substantially as herein described and shewn at Figures 1,
and 2, and at Figures 3, 4, and 5, of the Drawing hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tyzack, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.