IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING OR
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Poole, of Bletchley, in the County of Bucks,
and James Wright, of 42, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, City of London,
Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING OR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Poole and James
Wright at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 30th January 1861..
I, JOHN POOLE, of Bletchley, in the County of Bucks, and I, JAMES
WRIGHT, of 42, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, City of London, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEERING OR GUIDING STEAM OR OTHER VESSELS, AND ALSO IN WORKING OR ACTUATING
THEIR RUDDERS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
Transversely to the direction of the ship's length, in any part of the vessel
most suitable (preferably the stem) we place a cylinder, or box, ar channel
open either at the top or bottom; within this box, and rotating upon an axis,
is a cylinder or drum, within which, on grooves or slots, work one or more
vanes or blades. These blades are actuated in such a manner, either by
means of grooved channels or by springs as to move excentrically to the said
drum. thereby exposing alternately a portion of their surface to the water

page_text: during their revolutions, which are caused by the action of an endless chain
or belt passing over a pulley or wheel fixed on the spindle of the ordinary
steering wheel, or over the shaft of the screw or paddles, or over that of an
auxiliary engine in steam vessels.
The next part of our Invention relates to certain apparatus for actuating
the rudders of vessels, and consists of the application of an endless chain or
chains, rope, strap, or gearing, passing over a flat or grooved pulley, rigger,
or drum on the paddle or screw shaft, and also over another one on a shaft
suitably placed above or beneath the deck, on which shaft are placed loose
cones carrying chains on their peripheries, and which are connected by
means of an intermediate shaft or other apparatus with the ropes of the
tiller which actuate the rudder in the ordinary way. The shaft and cones
may be placed in a vertical or horizontal position with suitable guide wheels
or pullies to cause the endless chains or ropes or bands to diverge from the
vertical to the horizontal line or course. When the wheel or pulley which
is driven by the endless chains or bands is placed horizontally, the cones
may be dispensed with by causing the chains from the tiller to be pressed
down on its flat side, which may be serrated or grooved in order to promote
adhesion.
We also propose to apply the motion or mechanical arrangement known as
the "dumb scissors" to be worked by a steam cylinder and piston connected
with the boiler, and placed in any convenient position on deck, or elsewhere,
and attached to the tiller chains.
We also further propose to apply one or more spiral grooved cones with
their bases reversed to each other with a chain or chains passing over them,
thereby causing, in the course of their revolutions, a continual change of
leverage or difference in diameter, similar to a horological fusee, the one cone
will be fixed or placed on the shaft or axle of the ordinary steering wheel,
the other on a shaft above or below and parallel to it, around which will
pass the tiller chain as ordinarily used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Poole and James Wright in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
POOLE, of Bletchley, in the County of Bucks, and JAMES WRIGHT, of 42, 3
Bridge Street, Blackiriars, City of London, Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Poole and James Wright, Her special licence that we, the
said John Poole and James Wright, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Poole and James Wright, our 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 ex-
pressed, 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 STEERING OR GUIDING
STEAM OR OTHER VESSELS, AND ALSO IN WORKING OR ACTUATING THEIR RUDDERS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Poole and
James Wright, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Poole and James Wright
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manuer
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, that is to say :-*
Our Invention consists in improvements in steering or guiding steam or
other vessels, and also in working or actuating their rudders, to be as follows,
that is to say:-Transversely to the direction of the ship's length in any part of
the vessel most suitable, preferably the steru, we place a cylinder, or box, or
channel, open cither at the top or bottom. Within this box, and rotating upon
an axis, is a cylinder or drum, within which, on grooves or slots, work one or
more vanes or blades; these blades are actuated in such a manner either
by means of grooved channels, or by springs, as to move excentrically to the
said drum, thereby exposing alternately a portion of their surface to the
water during their revolutions, which is caused by the action of an endless.
chain or band passing over a pulley or wheel fixed on the spindle of the
ordinary steering wheel, or over the shaft of the screw or paddle, or on that
of an auxiliary engine in steam vessels.
The next part of our Invention relates to certain apparatus for actuating.
the rudders of vessels, and consists of the application of an: endless' chain or

page_text: chains, rope, strap, or gearing passing over a flat or grooved pulley, rigger,
or drum on the paddle or screw shaft, and also over another one, on a shaft
suitably placed above or beneath the deck; on which shaft is placed loose
cones, carrying chains on their peripheries, and which are connected by
means of an intermediate shaft or other apparatus with the ropes of the
tiller which actuates the rudder in the ordinary way. The shaft and cones
may be placed in a vertical or horizontal position with suitable guide wheels
or pullies to cause the endless chains to diverge from the vertical to the
horizontal line or course; when the wheel or pulley which is driven by the
endless chain is placed horizontally the cones may be dispenced with by
causing the chains from the tiller to be pressed down on its flat sides, which
may be serrated or grooved in order to promote adhesion.
We also propose to apply the motion or mechanical arrangement known
as the dumb scissors to be worked by a steam cylinder and piston connected
with the boiler, and placed in any convenient position on deck or elsewhere
and attached to the tiller chains.
We also further propose to apply one or more spiral grooved cones with
their bases reversed to each other with a chain or chains passing over them,
thereby causing in the course of their revolutions a continual change of
leverage or difference in diameter similar to a horological fusee. The one conc
will be placed on the shaft or axle of the ordinary steering wheel, the other
on a shaft above or below and parallel to it around which will pass the tiller
chain as ordinarily used.
In order more clearly to illustrate the nature of our Invention and how
the same is constructed and acts, I have to this Specification appended the
accompanying Drawings, which are intended however only to shew the main
principles of our Invention, the method of applying which, with the subordinate
details, being subject to various non-important modifications according to the
particular case in which they are applied.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 are a side and front elevation of our plan of steering
vessels mentioned in the first part of our Invention; Fig. 1, 1", and 1', are
details of same. a is a cylinder or box which by preference we fix to the
stern of the vessel in the water, and open at the lower side; within this box is
another cylinder b, which turns upon the axis c, which receives motion from
the steering wheel, or from the screw shaft or other motive power by the
usual transmitting gear. Within the cylinder bare fixed certain blades or
vanes d, d, which move in the slots e; these with the cylinder to move excen-

page_text: trically to the cylinder a, and hence are pressed downwards after they have left
the upper periphery of that cylinder. The action of this arrangement is as
follows:-The axle c being put in motion causes the cylinder.b to rotate,
carrying with it the vanes or blades d, d, which acting upon the water, cause
the ship to move to the right or left according to the motion given to the
axle.
The next part of our Invention relates to the. means for actuating the
rudders of vessels, and is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying
Drawings; Figure 3 is an elevation, and Figure 4, a sectional elevation
of our apparatus. a is a rigger or pulley, preferably having studs or
teeth on its periphery in order to receive an endless chain or band which
conveys motion from the scrow or paddle or other shaft to the said pulley.
This pulley is mounted upon a spindle or axle 6, which is fixed to the
framing of the platform c, c. A portion of the axle 6 has its surface ground
to the shape of a double cone, as shewn at 6, the other portions being simply
cylindrical; upon this axis are mounted two cones d and d', having threads
cut on their outer peripheries, while their inner surfaces are ground so as
accurately to fit the conical periphery of the axle. A prolongation of the
cone d' is simply a hollow cylinder, also turning on the cylindrical part of the
spindle b; the two cones are connected by means of the carriage e, e, which
consists of two eye pieces e, e, connected with the plates f¹, f¹. The upper
plate has an oval slot (see Fig. 4) fixed to it; the foot of the spindle g
moves in this slot, so that when the spindle g is turned by means of the
handle g to the right or left, the plate f¹, and consequently with it the
whole frame and the cones d', d', are caused to traverse backwards and for-
wards, that is, from the largest diameter of the cone part of the axle to the
one end or the other as the case may be. It will be evident that when the
plate is moved forward in the direction d', the cone d will grasp
the portion 6 of this axle, and the cone d' will recede from &, or hang loose
upon it; if the motion of f' be in the contrary direction, the opposite will be
the case.
Figures 5 and 6 shew the different portions of the cones; thus Figure 4
shews the cones both free from the axle; Figure 5 shews d grasping the axle,
and d free, and Figure 6 d free, and d³ seated on the axle; the cones d and d¹
have each ropes or chains fixed to them,-a-portion of the rope being fixed to,
the cone; an end runs out each way to the pullies or rollers usually fixed at
the sides of the platform and then to the end of the tiller. The action of
this is as follows:-Motion being given to the pulley a by means of the band
or chains passing from the screw shaft, rotation is given to the spindle b; if

page_text: the pullies are in the position shewn in Figure 4, no motion will be given to
them; if, however, it is wished to act upon the rudder, the handle is moved to
the right or left. This, as before explained, brings the one cone close on
to the spindle, and throws the other off. The spindle carries the former cone
with it; the rope from that cone unwinds on one end and winds on the other,
the end winding on pulls the tiller to that side. By reversing the action that
cone is thrown out and the other brought in; hence produces the opposite
motion in the tiller. The toothed rigger is mounted on the hollow cylin-
drical end of the cone d', and a band passing over it communicates with the
similar rigger h¹ on the axle of the steering wheel k, so that when the motion
is not received by means of the wheel a, the ordinary steering wheel may be
brought into use.
Figure 7, by mounting on each of the cones a toothed wheel or pinion,
and using a jointed chain for the rope, it will be seen that the threads on the
cones may be omitted; for the chain passing round the one wheel to the right
and the other to the left, will unwind and wind as the one cone or the other
is pressed into action, and pulls the tiller to the one side or the other.
Figures 8 and 9 shew another mode of effecting the same action on the
tiller ropes and tiller, hence consequently on the rudder by means of the use
of the machine known as the dumb scissors. a, a, a, are a series of jointed
paralellograms, the joints being at the points a, a, a; b is a piston rod; and c
a cover of a cylinder to be actuated by steam or otherwise; the one end of
the tiller rope or chain is fixed to one of the vertical joints of the parallelo-
grama, and passing over the pullies y and y', is attached to the tiller in the
usual manner, the other end of the rope or chain starting from the same point
in the parallelogram, and passing over the pullies and 2' is fixed also to the
tiller. If motion be given to the piston the scissors will be elongated, the
rope will be pulled, and the tiller drawn to that side, the other rope passing
out round the pullies, as shewn in
The next part of our Invention relates to the use and application of special
grooved cones to the present steering apparatus. It is well known that the
mechanical advantage obtained by the use of the steering wheel is proportioned
to the difference of the diameter of the barrel on which the tiller ropes are
wound, and that of the steering wheel itself in the ordinary apparatus, as the
difference remains constant the ratio of the power to the resistance of the same
for every position of the rudder; it is well known, however, that the resist-
ance, that is, the pressure of the water on the rudder increases with the angle
which it makes in turning from the line of the ship's axis.
The object of our Invention is therefore to equalize, to a greater degree, the

page_text: resistance and power throughout the whole traverse of the tiller. For this:
purpose, upon the axle of the steering wheel we mount a double spirally->
grooved cone a, a, Figures 10 and 11, and parallel to this axle is also another
axle carrying another double spirally-grooved cone b, but of a reverse
outline to the former. A rope or chain d, d, is attached to the narrow end of
the top cone a, and after passing round the end of the upper cone, passes.
downwards and round the opposite side of the other cone as marked. Another
rope or chain ffixed to the other narrow end of cone a passes, as shown, to
the other end of cone 6, and is then fixed. The grooves on the cones should
have been drawn more obliquely, so as to shew the spiral threads; it will be
seen also that an endless chain may substitute the two ropes. Upon a barrel
on the axle of the lower cone is fixed in the usual way the tiller ropes g. If
now the disposition of the rope on the cones is as shewn in the Figures, the
rudder is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ship. It will be seen, that if
we move the wheel to the right or left, the linage or ratio between its diameter
and the barrel of the rope will continually increase, while that between the
upper and lower cones will also change and become reciprocal, or, in other
words, the power applied to the wheel will gradually increase as the diameter
of the upper cone diminishes, and that of the lower one increases, that is, as
the tiller is moved to the right or left of the axis of the ship.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and how the same is
formed, combined, and acts in all its different applications, we now state, that
what we claim as new, and wish secured by the before in part recited Letters
Patent, is,
First, the use of an open box, or cylinder, or channel placed anywhere in
the longitudinal axis of the ship, having within it a rotating cylinder or drum
with vanes moving in grooves or slots turning excentrically to the cylinders,
substantially as described in this Specification, and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings, Fig. 1, 2, 1, 1, and 1°.
Second, the application to steam ships, for the purpose of actuating
the tillers and rudders, of the apparatus described in Figs. 3 and 4, and the
method of working the same by power transmitted from the screw or paddlo
shaft, or any other of the motive parts of the machinery, that is to say, we
claim the method of actuating the tiller ropes or chains, and hence the tiller,
by means of a pair of cones or conical drums mounted-upon-a-conical axle
placed either-horizontally or vertically by the appliances here-within shewn and
described here-within, or by any other well known or similar devices. The said
axle being put in motion by power transmitted from the screw or paddle shaft,
or other parts of the machinery; also the use and combination of the said

page_text: apparatus with the ordinary steering wheel apparatus, substantially as herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the use and application of a pair of toothed wheels mounted upon the
said cones, having a jointed chain passing each way round them, substantially
as here-within described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 7.
Fourth, the use and application of the mechanical arrangement known as
the dumb scissors for the purpose of actuating the tiller, in Figures 8 and 9.
Fifth, the use and application of a pair of double spirally-grooved cones or
conical barrels or riggers to be used in combination with the ordinary wheel-
steering apparatus for the purpose of actuating the tillers of ships, and either
in combination or not with the other here-within described Inventions.
Signed on behalf of myself and the said John Poole, this 30 day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
one.
JAMES WRIGHT. (L.S.)