IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS FOR NAVIGABLE VESSELS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Nelson, of Gateshead, in the County of Durham,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS FOR
NAVIGABLE VESSELS."
Sealed the 18th March 1879, and dated the 19th September 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Nelson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th September 1878.
JAMES NELSON, of Gateshead, in the County of Durham, Engineer.
MENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS FOR NAVIGABLE VESSELS."
"IMPROVE-
My Invention of improvements in steering apparatus for navigable vessels has
special reference to steam steering apparatus, and it consists, first, in the
employment or adaptation, as herein-after described, of a train of three wheels, two
of which are internally and one externally geared. One of the internally geared
wheels is fixed to the main bed plate of the apparatus and cannot move, and the
other is free to revolve on the main shaft as a centre and is fastened to the sheave
or barrel which moves the rudder chains. The third or externally geared wheel is
mounted on an excentric on the main shaft and driven round by it. It rolls upon
the fixed wheel and also gears into the other internally geared wheel which has
one or two teeth less or more than the fixed wheel, and is thus driven very slowly
in either direction by the motion of the excentric wheel inside it. A great gain of
power with proportionate loss of speed is thus obtained between the engine and
the drum. By the arrangement described the whole gear engines and drum are
got into two main bearings only, and all the cogs are inside, which is preferable to
worm gear or external gear.
'
If it be desired to provide for putting the engines out of gear so as to steer by
hand power the train of wheels may be capable of being in any suitable manner
disconnected from or thrown out of gear with the chain barrel, which will then be
free to revolve upon the shaft independently of them and of the engines; it may
then be driven by a wheel and pinion connected with an ordinary steering hand

page_text: wheel. The teeth of the wheel may be cast on the moving internally geared wheel
before described, and the main brackets of the machine may be carried up to
support the shaft on which the steering wheel and the pinion are mounted.
The Invention consists, secondly, in the employment or adaptation as herein-after
described of a pair of wheels for the "control motion," that is to say, a motion which
allows the engines to run a certain distance and so move the rudder propor-
tionately to the movement given to the handle which the steersman moves; for
example, if the man gives one revolution to the wheel the gear opens the steam
valve and the engines start in the required direction, but by their running they
begin to undo the motion of the steam valve got from the wheel, and thus after
going a certain distance they stop. According to my arrangement for effecting
this end an internally geared wheel at the front of the machine and loose upon the
trial shaft can be moved in either direction by a bevel wheel fastened to its back,
and which is connected by shafts or otherwise to the hand wheel or lever of the
steersman. The motion of this internally geared wheel draws round the externally
geared wheel which is inside it and is mounted on an excentric part of the shaft,
and this inner wheel is connected to a cam which works the steam valve up or
down to start the engines in either direction. As soon as the engines start they
drive the trail shaft through the trail crank and thus give an excentric motion to
the inside wheel, which rolling upon the outside one slowly rotates and thus
gradually brings the steam cam back to the place it was started from by the
movement of the outside wheel and the engines then stop again.
The valves of the engine cylinders are by preference of the piston type, and the
passages are arranged to admit the steam either inside or outside of the valve so
that the engine can be reversed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Nelson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th March
1879.
JAMES NELSON, of Gateshead, in the County of Durham, Engineer. " IMPROVE
MENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS FOR NAVIGABLE VESSELS."
My Invention of improvements in steering apparatus for navigable vessels has
special reference to steam steering apparatus, and it consists, first, in the employ-
ment or adaptation as herein-after described of a train of three wheels, two of
which are internally and one externally geared. One of the internally geared
wheels is fixed to the main bed plate of the apparatus and cannot move, and the
other is free to revolve on the main shaft as a centre and is fastened to the sheave
or barrel which moves the rudder chains. The third or externally geared wheel
is mounted on an excentric on the main shaft and driven round by it. It rolls
upon the fixed wheel and also gears into the other internally geared wheel which
has one or two teeth less or more than the fixed wheel, and is thus driven very
slowly in either direction by the motion of the eccentric wheel inside it. A great
gain of power with proportionate loss of speed is thus obtained between the engine
and the drum. By the arrangement described the whole gear engines and drum
are got into two main bearings only and all the cogs are inside, which is preferable
to worm gear or external gear.
If it be desired to provide for putting the engines out of gear so as to steer by
hand power the train of wheels may be capable of being in any suitable manner
disconnected from or thrown out of gear with the chain barrel, which will then be
free to revolve upon the shaft independently of them and of the engines, it may
then be driven by a wheel and pinion connected with an ordinary steering hand
wheel. The teeth of the wheel may be cast on the moving internally geared wheel
before described, and the main brackets of the machine may be carried up to
support the shaft on which the steering wheel and the pinion are mounted.
The first part of my Invention is represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed
Drawings. A is the main bed plate of the apparatus; B, the main shaft; and C,
the sheave or barrel which moves the rudder chains D; E is an internally geared
wheel fixed by means of a bracket or support F to the bed plate A; G is another
internally geared wheel fastened to the sheave or barrel C, and free to revolve on
the main shaft B as a centre; H is an externally geared wheel mounted on an
excentric I on the main shaft B, and driven round with it. This wheel H rolls
upon the fixed wheel E and also gears into the wheel G, which latter wheel has
one or two teeth less or more than the wheel E, and is thus driven very slowly by
the action of the excentric wheel H. The wheel G is shewn with external cog
teeth into which gears a pinion K on the shaft L of an ordinary hand wheel M,
so that the wheel G may be driven by hand when the engines are put out of
gear. The shaft L is supported by the main brackets N, N, which are carried up
for the purpose.
One manner of disconnecting the train of wheels' from the chain barrel so as to
put the engines out of gear and allow of steering by hand is to have a movable
excentric I (Figure 1), which when turned half round on the main shaft B becomes
concentric and puts the wheel H out of gear with the wheels E and G. Another
means of disconnecting is shewn in Figure 3, and is similar to that employed in the
back gear of an ordinary turning lathe. The chain barrel will then be free to
revolve upon the shaft independently of the wheels and engines, and may be driven
by the wheel G and pinion K or other wheel and pinion connected with an
ordinary steering hand wheel.
The Invention consists, secondly, in the employment or adaptation as herein-
after described of a pair of wheels for the "control motion," that is to say, a motion
which allows the engines to run a certain distance, and so move the rudder pro-

page_text: portionately to the movement given to the handle which the steersman moves;
for example, if the man gives one revolution to the wheel the gear opens the steam
valve and the engines start in the required direction, but by their running they
begin to undo the motion of the steam valve got from the wheel, and thus
after going a certain distance they stop. According to my arrangement for
effecting this end an internally geared wheel a (see Figures 1 and 2) at the front
of the machine and loose upon the trail shaft b can be moved in either direction by
a bevel wheel c fastened to its back, and which is connected by shafts or otherwise
to the hand wheel or lever of the steersman. The motion of this internally
geared wheel a draws round the externally geared wheel d which is inside it, and
is mounted on an excentric part e of the shaft b, and this inner wheel & is connected
by means of the flange to the cam g which works the slide spindle s up or down
to start the engines in either direction (see Figures 1, 4, and 5). As soon as the
engines start they drive the trail shaft b through the trail crank h and thus give an
excentric motion to the inside wheel d, which rolling upon the outside one a slowly
rotates, and thus gradually brings the steam cam g back to the place it was started
from by the movement of the outside wheel, and the engines then stop again.
The valves of the engine cylinders are by preference of the piston type, and the
passages are arranged to admit the steam either inside or outside of the valve so
that the engine can be reversed.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improvements in
Steering Apparatus for Navigable Vessels,"-
First. The arrangement and employment of the train of three wheels E, G, and H,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described, and represented in the
annexed Drawings.
Second. The arrangement of parts forming an improved "control motion,"
substantially as herein-before described, and represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Nelson, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighteenth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-nine.
JAMES NELSON. (L.S.)