IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING GEAR FOR BARGES AND OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Brown Spencelayh and William Rowland Taylor,
both of Rochester, in the County of Kent, Engineers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING GEAR FOR BARGES AND OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS."
Scaled the 29th December 1876, and dated the 13th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Brown Spencelayh
and William Rowland Taylor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 13th July 1876.
WILLIAM BROWN SPENCELAYH and WILLIAM ROWLAND TAYLOR, both of Rochester,
in the County of Kent, Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING GEAR FOR BARGES
AND OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS.".
Our Invention relates to steering gear for the rudder of barges and other boats,
and consists of improved apparatus for actuating the rudder, whereby increased
power is obtained in performing that operation by hand.
In carrying out our Invention we attach to the rudder post bearing the rudder a
segment of a bevel wheel having teeth formed in its periphery, and we impart
motion to such segmental wheel by means of a bevel pinion engaging therewith,
and mounted on one end of a shaft or spindle which is supported in suitable
plummer blocks or bearings, and carries at its opposite end a hand wheel, by the
act of turning which latter the shaft or spindle is rotated, and motion is transmitted
through the bevel pinion and segmental wheel to the rudder, whereby it is turned
in the required direction.
The hand wheel may be retained in any position into which it has been turned
by the aid of a detent or catch engaging in a suitable ratchet or other wheel fixed
on the shaft or spindle.
Means are provided for disengaging the pinion from the segmental wheel by the
act of raising a pawl situate close to the steering wheel, whereby the rudder may
be thrown out of gear as required, so as to enable it to swing when at anchor. The
segmental wheel has formed on it a socket for the facility of its attachment to the
rudder post, and a cap is provided to fit on the post.
:
The pinion may be arranged either above or below the segmental wheel, but it
is preferred to place it below the same, as the latter arrangement admits of the
rudder rising as required without the restraint, and the tendency to derangement

page_text: or fracture of any of the parts of the gear to which in the former arrangement it is
liable.
The apparatus may be constructed so as to be actuated by a hand wheel turned
horizontally or by one turned vertically, whilst still retaining the same principle,
the details only being modified as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Brown Spencelayh and William Rowland Taylor in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th January 1877.
WILLIAM BROWN SPENCELAYH and WILLIAM ROWLAND TAYLOR, both of Rochester,
in the County of Kent, Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING GEAR FOR BARGES
AND OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS."
Our said Invention relates to steering gear for the rudder of barges and other
boats, and consists of improved apparatus for actuating the rudder, whereby
increased power is obtained in performing that operation by hand.
The several Figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings illustrate a method
of carrying out our Invention, in which Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section;
Figure 2, a corresponding plan, and Figure 3 a transverse section of a portion of a
barge with our improved steering gear applied thereto; Figure 4 is a detail section
taken along the line 1, 2, Figure 2, and herein-after referred to.
Similar letters indicate like parts in all the Figures.
A is the vessel; B is the rudder; and C, the post carrying the latter. To the
rudder post C we attach a segment of a wheel D having teeth formed in its
periphery, and we impart motion to such segmental wheel by means of a pinion E
engaging therewith, and mounted on one end of a shaft or spindle F, which is
supported in suitable plummer blocks or bearings G, G, and carries at its opposite
end a hand wheel H, by the act of turning which latter the shaft or spindle F is
rotated, and motion is transmitted through the pinion E and segmental wheel D
to the rudder B, whereby it is turned in the required direction.
The hand wheel H may be retained in any position into which it has been
turned by the aid of a detent or catch I engaging in a suitable toothed wheel K
fixed in the shaft or spindle F.
The pinion E may be thrown as required out of gear with the segmental wheel D
by drawing the shaft F longitudinally through its bearings after having previously
lifted a detent or clutch L (shewn in detail in Figure 4), which maintains the pinion
E in gear by engaging with a collar M provided on the shaft when the apparatus
is in its normal working position, as shewn in the Drawings, facility being thereby
afforded for disengaging the rudder when necessary, so as to enable it to swing
when at anchor.
The segmental wheel D has formed. on it a socket for the facility of its attach-
ment to the rudder post and a cap N, which fits on the post.
The pinion E may be arranged either above or below the segmental wheel D, but
it is preferred to place it below the same, as shown in the Drawing, as the latter
arrangement admits of the rudder rising as required without the restraint, and the
tendency to derangement or fracture of any of the parts of the gear to which in
the former arrangement it would be liable.
The apparatus may be constructed so as to be actuated by a hand wheel turned
horizontally, whilst still retaining the same principle, the details only being modified
as required.
It is obvious also that a complete wheel may be used in lieu of a segment
only, but the latter arrangement being the more convenient is by preference
employed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said In-

page_text: vention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
we would observe in conclusion that what we claim as the Invention secured to us
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, effecting the steering of
barges and other similar vessels by the employment of a toothed wheel, or a seg-
ment thereof, operated by a hand wheel through the intervention of a pinion, the
apparatus being fitted with engaging and releasing devices, and constructed and
arranged generally so as to operate substantially in the manner herein-before
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Brown Spencelayh and William
Rowland Taylor, have to this our Specification set our hands and seals, this
Ninth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
WILLIAM BROWN SPENCELAYH. (L.S.)
WILLIAM ROWLAND TAYLOR. (L.S.)