IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING AND MANŒUVRING SHIPS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Johnson, of 36, Houghton Place, Bradford,
in the County of York, Cashier, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEERING AND MANŒUVRING SHIPS."
Scaled the 5th May 1871, and dated the 8th March 1871.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Robert Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 8th March 1871, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
JOHNSON, of 36, Houghton Place, Bradford, in the County of York,
Cashier, send grecting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEERING AND MANŒUVRING SHIPS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to
grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I
am the true and first Inventor thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Johnson, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
scal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
which forms part of this Specification.
My Invention has for its object the obtainment of a safer, quicker, and
more effectual method of steering and manœuvring ships, whereby the
steering apparatus and consequently the handling or manoeuvring of the
ship may be entirely under the control of one man, and consists of
the system of screws arranged at right angles to the ordinary line of
motion of the ship herein-after described.
Section 1.) A shaft is disposed athwart the ship either fore or aft
below her water line and at right angles to her usual line of motion, the
ends of which shaft pass into recesses formed in the sides of the ship,
suitable stuffing boxes and glands being fitted round the shaft to prevent
the ingress of water. Rotary motion is communicated to this shaft in
either direction from an auxilliary motive power, or it may be driven
from the main shafting, suitable reversing gear being interposed.
Multi-bladed screws of coarse quick pitch are fixed, one on either end of
the shaft, and perform their revolutions within the above-described
recesses. When convenient it is desirable to connect these two recesses
by a culvert or waterway, which culvert is constructed in the form of a
curve in order to allow of the central part of the shaft remaining within
the ship and in direct communication with the motive power employed.
I prefer to close the openings in the ship's side or ends of the recesses by
suitable covers when the apparatus is not in use. The revolution of the
shaft in either direction may by suitable mechanical means be made to
uncover the ends of the recesses, the ends remaining closed when the
shaft is at rest. The shaft may for this and the succeeding modes of
carrying out my Invention be divided in the middle and each of the
resulting parts driven by an independant motive power except when a
culvert is employed, when no advantage could accrue from such sub-
division. When both screws are fixed upon the same shaft it is evident
that they must be of similar hands. It will be readily understood that
by the revolution of the shaft and screws attached thereto the force
exerted by them on the surrounding water will have the effect of turning

page_text: the ship almost within her length should circumstances render this
desirable.
Section 2.) When the recesses either without or in conjunction with
the culvert are inapplicable or inconvenient a shaft is disposed laterally
through the ship at right angles to her keel in any part thereof, but by
preference at the stern, the ends of which shaft pass through the sides of
the ship, stuffing boxes and glands being provided to prevent the ingress
of water. The extremities of this shaft outside the ship are provided with
two-bladed screws of light pitch, by the simultaneous or individual
rotation of which the ship is steered, turned, and manoeuvred. When the
shaft or shafts bearing the screws are at rest the screws are compelled to
assume a feathered position so as to present the least possible resistance
to the progress of the ship.
Section 3.) When it is intended only to use my Invention as au
auxilliary steering power, or when fouling of the outside steering screws
is anticipated, a recess is formed in one or both sides of the ship, by pre-
ference near the bows, into which the screw can by means of a telescopic
shaft be withdraw when the apparatus is not being employed and the
recess closed.
When my
Invention is adapted to a sailing vessel either for steering
or as an auxilliary for tacking or going about manual power may be
employed, the necessary gearing intervening.
It is evident that by suitable pneumatic, electric, or mechanical con-
trivances the handles for starting or stopping the motive power employed
to drive any of the apparati above described may be brought to the deck
house or any desired position in the ship, thereby causing the ship to be
under individual control.
My Invention may be used separately or in conjunction with the
usual helm and rudder.
And in order that my Invention may be the better understood and the
more readily carried into practical effect, I will now proceed to describe
the Sheet of Drawings which forms part of this Specification, referenco
being had to the various figures and letters marked thereon.

page_text: section, and Fig. 4 a part plan of a ship showing the recesses connected
by a culvert or waterway; Fig. 5 is a section of a ship showing the
external adaptation of my Invention, the steering screws being placed as
near to the stern as practicable; and Fig. O is a section through, and
Fig. 7 a side elevation of the bows of a ship to which my Invention has
been applied as an auxilliary steering power. Similar letters of reference
are employed at each of the foregoing Figures to denote corresponding
parts in so far as such parts may be seen at or are common to each of
such said Figures respectively.
The shaft marked A in Figs. 1 and 2 is disposed athwart the ship by
preference near the stern as shewn, the extremities thereof passing into
the recesses 13, 13, through the stuffing boxes C, C; the screws D, D, arc
fixed to the ends of the shaft A and revolve within the recesses B, B.
The culvert or waterway marked B' in Figs. 3 and 4, is sometimes
employed to connect the recesses B, B, the said culverts being curved in
any direction most convenient to allow of that part of the shaft to which
the motive power is applied remaining within the ship. The recesses B, B,
whether employed separately or in conjunction with a culvert, are closed
except during the rotation of the shaft. If the recesses B, B, arc con-
sidered inapplicable or inconvenient the shaft A (at right angles to the
keel) may be placed farther abaft the ship, as in Fig. 5, and the ends
extended through the ship's side, stuffing boxes C, C, being provided to
prevent the ingress of water. The screws D, D, are fixed to the
extremities of this shaft, being outside the ship but in close proximity
to her sides.
When my Invention is used in the manner described in section 3 of
this Specification a narrow recess 13, only sufficiently large to contain the
two-bladed screw when at rest is formed in the bows of the vessel, as
shewn in Figs. 6 and 7. The shaft A passing through the stuffing box C
being constructed in any ordinary telescopic manner the screw D becomes
capable of protrusion from the recess B when the steering apparatus is
required, and of withdrawal into it when not in use, the recess 13 being
then closed.
In conclusion I would have it understood that I do not claim the
principle of steering and manoeuvring by screws, but what I do claim as
my Invention and desire to have secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is the application of screws for the purposes of

page_text: steering, manoeuvring, turning, and tacking, in the several modes herein-
before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
JOHN WARD,
31, Howard Street,
Little Horton,
Bradford, York.
ROBERT JOHNSON. (L.S.)