Improved Means for Mounting Rudders.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept.. 1897
Improved Means for Mounting Rudders.
I, ROBERT RUNEBERG, of Bureau Vega, 57, Liteinij Perspective, St. Petersburg, in
the Empire of Russia, 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:-
This invention relates to the mounting of rudders of the balance type, and consists
in the employment of a hollow rudder head through which is passed a cylindrical
rudder post.
The great superiority of the balance rudder over the usual form is generally
admitted, but its use is to a certain extent limited owing to the difficulty experienced
in fitting a strong rudder post. It has frequently been the practice to omit the
rudder post, thereby considerably weakening the construction; and sometimes to
bend the rudder post to afford space for the balance rudder. This latter arrangement,
although preferable, leaves much to be desired as regards solidity of construction,
and it is absolutely inadmissible where the ship may have to navigate in ice, which
easily gets in between the rudder and the rudder post, preventing the manuœevring
of the rudder.
The present improvements are designed to overcome the above objections, and to
afford a rational and solid construction of balance rudder.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the ship's
stern. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan
of the upper bearing for the rudder head.
In
The rudder head A is made hollow and is passed over the cylindrical rudder post B.
This rudder post is preferably conical at its lower end where it is screwed into the
nut or block C. The post may however be cylindrical throughout its length. The
nut or block C is preferably formed of gun metal and is riveted to the prolongation B
of the keel. The upper end of the rudder post is provided with collars b b between
which the clamp or bearing E is fixed. This bearing is made in two halves secured
together by means of bolts e e e e, and is attached to the beams F by other
bolts ffff; the beams being in turn fastened to the sides of the ship,
order to facilitate the fitting of the bearing, packing b₁ of wood may be interposed
between the bearing and the beams. This mode of fixing the rudder post is given
as an example only as it will be obvious that various other methods may be adopted.
The upper extremity of the hollow rudder head is provided with collars a a a
which fit into recesses formed in the bearing G; the latter being constructed in two
halves and fitted together and attached to the beams F in a similar manner to the
bearing E. In ordinary working, the bearing G is so adjusted as to permit free
turning of the rudder head; while the bearing E, on the contrary, is screwed up
tight in order to prevent any movement of the rudder post. It will be seen that the
bearing G carries the weight of the rudder, thereby diminishing wear at the lower
end. The hollow rudder head may have a bearing on the rudder post along the
whole of its length or at certain intervals only.
The hollow rudder head is carried through a removable bush H furnished with a
stuffing-box I the latter tending to exclude water from the stern part of the ship.
The arrangement shown in the drawing is specially adapted for employment with

page_text: a vessel intended for navigating in ice covered water, which require the rudder to
be kept as low as possible. For ships intended for ordinary navigation a similar
arrangement may be adopted; the usual funnel for the rudder head being
substituted for the bush H and stuffing-box I.
The rudder is operated through the segment K which is fixed to the hollow
rudder head and receives motion from the steering-gear in the usual way.
When it is desired to unship the rudder, the bearing E is detached; the rudder
post being then screwed up from the nut or block C by means of a spanner applied
to the squared portion b at its upper extremity. The rudder post may now be
lifted out of the rudder head by means of the eyebolt 63. The bearing G,
segment K and bush H may also be removed, whereby the rudder is rendered free to
be unshipped in the usual way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. The herein described method of mounting balance rudders, consisting in
providing the rudder with a hollow head through which the rudder post is passed,
the latter being supported at one end by the hull and at the other end by a
prolongation of the keel.
2. In the mounting of balance rudders, the employment of a hollow rudder head
through which the rudder post is passed; the former being capable of rotary
movement in a bearing, such as G, while the latter is held between a bearing, such
as E, and the prolongation D of the keel.
Dated this 31st day of July 1897.
For the Applicant,
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.