IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR GEAR FOR STEERING VESSELS BY HAND OR STEAM POWER
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Daniel Davis, of 669, Commercial Road, Stepney,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS OR GEAR FOR STEERING VESSELS BY HAND OR STEAM
POWER"
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION left by the said George Daniel Davis at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th February 1881.
GEORGE DANIEL DAVIS, of 669, Commercial Road, Stepney, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR GEAR FOR STEERING
VESSELS BY HAND OR STEAM POWER,"
This Invention of improvements in apparatus or gear for steering vessels by hand
or steam power relates more particularly to certain improvements on the Invention
for which Letters Patent were granted to me dated the 9th July 1875, under the
No. 2469, and to improvements on the Invention for which Letters Patent were
granted to me dated the 28th April 1879, No. 1662, both such Patents relating to
steering vessels.
In the first named Invention there was no provision for disconnecting the sheaves
carrying the chains and gear with the action of the wheel on the rudder, and
consequently it became necessary when the apparatus was not required, for instance,
when auxiliary steering gear or other gear, say aft, was required, that the rudder
chains should be uncoupled, or the apparatus temporarily disconnected by removing
the worm or worm wheel, an altogether inadmissable practice, the inertia of the
worm from its slow pitch preventing the other apparatus from moving. The
apparatus is described in the printed Specification of the first said Patent, and more
particularly shown in Figure 10° and 11° of the Drawings.
The object of the first of my present improvements is to enable the steering gear
described when either auxiliary hand gear or steam gear is fitted to the vessel in
addition to this apparatus to be immediately thrown in or out of action. The shaft
shown in the said referred to Drawings as carrying the worm wheel for the worm
is made solid with the sheaves on the same axle carrying the chains, or at least
keyed together. In this my present Invention I make this connection of the

page_text: sheaves and worm wheel depend upon a conical coupling or friction plates, or other
equivalent devices, so that a screw passing through the axle or a screw nut on the
axle shall clamp or compress the sheaves and the worm wheel together when the
action is to be used, or release them so that the sheaves may revolve independently
of the worm, the worm wheel, and the steering wheel; other devices may be used
to connect the sheaves and worm wheel or to disconnect them. The steam or
auxiliary hand steering may be used without this apparatus being in motion,
except as to the sheaves and chains attached to the tiller, which therefore remain
coupled ready for use in an emergency.
The second part of the Invention relates to the operation of the steam valve in
steering gear operated by steam, which in, this Invention is put in motion by the
steering wheel itself, or a small hand wheel on another shaft.
In the second Patent referred to the steam valves were double and superimposed.
In my present Invention I use one steam valve in place of the two described in the
said Invention, and operate the same by the herein described device.
The steering wheel shaft carries two equal pinions, one geared to the mechanism
actuating the train of wheels, in connection with the mechanism for acting on the
rudder, the other set so as not to work into any other gear when hand power is
used, but if the shaft and wheel be moved on its axial line sufficient to throw the
first named pinion out of its gear, the second pinion gears into a third pinion on a
shaft, which then operates the steam gear by the second pinion on the wheel shaft,
the first named pinion during the use of the steam power being inoperative.;
a forked catch or any suitable devices may be used to actuate the longitudinal
inotion of this shaft and to fix it where desired, as it is intended to operate either
by one or several men, or by steam power controlled by one man.
The operation of this third pinion and its shaft is as follows:-The shaft is in
connection with the steam valve and operated by its longitudinal motion, the shaft
also carries a thread upon it of any desired pitch; on this thread works a nut; the
outer edge of this nut is cut into a worm wheel, the worm wheel gearing into a
worm cut or fixed on the crank axle of the steam engine. A prolongation of the
screw.nut provides a neck which placed in a bearing allows of its rotation, but
prevents longitudinal movement. The action of this apparatus is as follows:-
When the band wheel is rotated for use with the steam power the shaft revolves
and the steam valve is opened by the longitudinal action of the shaft, at the same
time the engine driving from its crank axle the worm nut carries the shaft and
valve in the reverse direction to close the valve. It results from this that the hand
wheel is continually turning on the steam to the engine, and the engine itself
cutting it off, and the consequence is that the engine runs as long as the steering
wheel is kept in motion and all racing is prevented.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Daniel Davis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th August 1881.
GEORGE DANIEL DAVIS, of 669, Commercial Road, Stepney, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR GEAR FOR STEERING
VESSELS BY HAND OR STEAM POWER."
This Invention of improvements in apparatus or gear for steering vessels by
hand or steam power relates more particularly to certain improvements on the
Invention, for which Letters Patent were granted to me dated the 9th July 1875,
under the No. 2469, and to improvements on the Invention for which Letters
were granted to me dated 28th April 1879, No. 1662, both such Patents relating to
steering vessels.
In the first named Invention there was no provision for disconnecting the sheaves
carrying the chains and gear with the action of the wheel on the rudder, and
consequently it became necessary when the apparatus was not required to be used
aft, for instance, when auxiliary steam gear or other gear, say aft, was required,
that the rudder chains should be uncoupled, or the apparatus temporarily dis-
connected by removing the worm or worm wheel, an altogether inadmissable
practice, the inertia of the worm from its slow pitch preventing the other apparatus
from moving. The apparatus is described in the printed Specification of the
first said Patent, and more particularly shewn in Figure 10° and 11° of the
Drawings.
The object of the first of my present improvements is to enable the steering
gear described when either auxiliary hand gear or steam gear is fitted to the
vessel in addition to this apparatus to be immediately thrown in or out of action.
The shaft shown in the said referred to Drawings as carrying the worm wheel for
the worm is made solid with the sheaves on the same axle carrying the chains, or
at least keyed together. In this my present Invention I make this connection of
the sheaves and worm wheel depend upon a conical coupling or friction plates, or
other equivalent devices, so that a screw passing through the axle or a screw nut
on the axle shall clamp or compress the sheaves and the worm wheel together
when the action is to be used, or release them so that the sheaves may
revolve independently of the worm, the worm wheel, and the steering wheel; other
devices may be used to connect the sheaves and worm wheel or to disconnect them.
The steam or auxiliary hand steering may be used without this apparatus being in
motion, except as to the sheaves and chains attached to the tiller, which therefore
remain coupled ready for use in an emergency.
The second part of the Invention relates to the operation of the steam valve in
steering gear operated by steam, which in this Invention is put in motion by the
steering wheel itself, or a small hand wheel on another shaft.
In the second Patent referred to the steam valves were double and superimposed.
In my present Invention I use one steam valve for starting the engine or putting
it into motion in place of the two described in the said Invention, and operate
the same by the herein described device.
The steering wheel shaft carries two equal pinions, one geared to the mechanism
actuating the train of wheels in connection with the mechanism for actuating on
the rudder, the other set so as not to work into any other gear when hand power
is used, but if the shaft and wheel be moved on its axial line sufficient to throw
the first named pinion out of its gear, the second pinion gears into a third pinion on
a shaft which then operates the steam gear by the second pinion on the wheel
shaft, the first named pinion during the use of the steam power being inoperative,

page_text: a forked catch or any suitable devices may be used to actuate the longitudinal
motion of this shaft and to fix it where desired, as it is intended to operate either
by one or several men, or by steam power controlled by one man.
The operation of this third pinion and its shaft is as follows:-The shaft is in
connection with the steam valve and operated by its longitudinal motion, the shaft
also carries a thread upon it of any desired pitch; on this thread works a nut; the
outer edge of this nut is cut into a worm wheel, the worm wheel gearing into a
worm cut or fixed on the crank axle of the steam engine. A prolongation of the
screw nut provides a neck which, placed in a bearing, allows of its rotation but
prevents longitudinal movement. The action of this apparatus is as follows:-
When the hand wheel is rotated for use with the steam power the shaft revolves
and the steam valve is opened by the longitudinal action of the shaft, at the same
time the engine driving from its crank axle the worm nut carries the shaft and
valve in the reverse direction to close the valve. It results from this that the
hand wheel is continually turning on the steam to the engine and the engine itself
cutting it off, and the consequence is that the engine runs as long as the steering
wheel is kept in motion and all racing is prevented.
+
Other means of arriving at this motion of the valve shaft may be employed, but
the one above is simple and efficient.
In the Drawings forming part of this Specification Figure 1 shows the barrel
and sheaves relating to the first part of these improvements; a, the shaft or spindle,
and collar a solid with the shaft; b, the nut worked by a loose lever in the
sockets b' on the screw cut on the shaft c, the sheaves carrying the chains having
conical surfaces c working in the conical recesses in the worm wheel d. When
the nut bis screwed up the sheaves and the worm wheel are all drawn together
and forced up to the collar a', then the chains are acted on by the rotation of the
worm wheel, and when the nut is drawn back the worm wheel can rotate freely
without the sheaves. Friction plates may be used in place of the cone plates, but
the arrangement described is the one I consider the best.
Figure 2 is an elevation of parts of the engine and valve gear, and partly in
section; a is the shaft put in motion by the engine, carrying on it a worm at a¹
gearing into the worm pinion or wheel b, the worm a¹ is connected below with
another worm wheel which connects and gears with the chain barrel and apparatus
to actuate the steering gear, the worm wheel and nut b is tapped or screwed as a
nut in which works the thread on the axle c, the axle c being supported in the nut
on the frame or bracket c¹ and bearings c² on the valve box or cover, the end of
the axle c carries the pinion c³, and also between collars the stud or carrier c*
Gearing to the pinion c is the wheel & fixed on the shaft d' carried in bearings c³ ;
in the same frame carrying the bearings c² on this shaft is the nut c carrying the
tell tale c', shown in Figure 3, which shows the position of the helm. The nut cⓇ also
limits the action of the steersman, so that when he has brought the.nut home to
either bearing 5 the hand wheel must stop, and also the engine, so that no damage
can be caused by the steersman incautiously keeping the engine running after the
helm is hard over.
The shaft d carries the small steering wheel, not shown in the Drawing. When
this shaft is rotated by the steersman the pinion d drives the pinion c³ and shaft c
protrudes out or recedes in the nut b, at the same time it carries the carrier c¹, and
by the valve stem e operates the slide valve f according to the direction given to it,
one of the ports g is opened and the steam enters the engine cylinders through the
passages h. Directly the engine starts the worm a¹ on the engine shaft acts on the
gear of the rudder, at the same time actuating the worm wheel and nut b, this
acting on the shaft c as the engine rotates carries back the valve stem c directly in
the opposite direction that the steersman has moved it, consequently if the
steersman stops rotating his wheel the engine moves the valve and cuts off the
steam, so that the engine or engines run so long as the steering wheel is kept in
motion and all racing is prevented.

page_text: Figure 4 shows in elevation the engine cylinders and some of the ports and
passages.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,―
1st. The combination of the nut and shaft with the coned surfaces or friction
plates in combination with the sheaves and worm wheel for use in steering vessels,
substantially as described.
2nd. I claim the arrangement of the valve operated by the steersman and counter
operated by the engine, substantially as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Daniel Davis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
G. D. DAVIS. (L.S.)