IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rudd Oswald, of Sunderland, in the
County of Durham, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEERING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 30th January 1874, and dated the 19th August 1873.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Rudd Oswald
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th August 1873.
I, WILLIAM RUDD Oswald, of Sunderland, in the County of Durham,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN STEERING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to improve hydraulic steering
apparatus.
C
For this purpose the steering gear is arranged to consist of a hydraulic
cylinder fitted either with pistons or rams and bolted to the engine room
bulkhead, or placed in any other convenient position, the rams or piston
rods being fitted with cross heads carrying sheaves. Chains are made fast

page_text: at one end to the cylinder, and are passed over the sheaves and led up to
the deck and connected with ordinary steering rods geared to the tiller
in the usual manner.
A valve is fitted on a pipe communicating with the two ends of the
cylinder and with the water supply. The valve is worked from a handle
on the bridge or deck and enables the water to be admitted to either end
of the cylinder at pleasure, and to escape from the opposite end, thus
moving the rudder to port or starboard as may be wished. The rudder
head is fitted with a tell-tale wheel which communicates with an index to
shew the exact position of the rudder. The index is in a position that
will enable the steersman to see it from his position at the steering
handle.
The rams or pistons may be connected direct to steering rods without
the intervention of pulleys or sheaves, or varied in any other manner as
circumstances may require.
The motive power is obtained by means of a small pump, one on the
main engine and one on an ordinary donkey, which will force water into
an accumulator. The supply from these pumps will be so arranged as to
be instantly changed from one to the other.
The accumulator consists of a large ram, upon which steam from the
main or donkey boiler is constantly admitted, and a small ram under
which the water is forced by the pumps before mentioned, or an ordinary
loaded accumulator can be used.
]
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Rudd Oswald in the Great Seal Patent,25
Office on the 19th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RUDD OSWALD, of Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Engineer,
send greeting.
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 30
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty
year

page_text: seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Rudd Oswald, Her special license,
that I, the said William Rudd Oswald, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Rudd Oswald, my
› 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 expressed, 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 APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Rudd Oswald, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Rudd Oswald, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object to improve hydraulic steering
apparatus.
.
The steering gear I construct of a hydraulic cylinder or cylinders
fitted either with pistons or rams, and fixed to engine room bulkhead or
other convenient position. The rams or piston rods are fitted with
sheaves. Chains are made fast to the cylinder at each end, and pass
over these sheaves in a direction up to the deck where they are connected
with the ordinary chains or rods which are led and fastened to the tiller
of the rudder in the usual manner.
A single piston may be used (as shewn in Drawing) with rods attached
to either end. A valve arrangement is fitted to the cylinder which' is
worked by a handle from the deck; this enables the water to be
admitted to either end of the rams or pistons at pleasure, and to escape
from the opposite end, thus moving rudder either to port or starboard as
may be required. This handle is fixed to a standard or pedestal on
deck, so that the captain of the vessel or officer on watch can steer his
.

page_text: Steam or
apparatus.
compressed air may be used with. a similarly arranged
'

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim
the combined arrangement of steering gear, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Rudd Oswald, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.