IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULICS STEERING GEAR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Stout of Hofal Wen Conway in the County of
Carnarvon Civil Engineer and Charles Henry Hillcoat of the City of
Liverpool Shipowner for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULICS
STEERING GEAR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Stout and Charles
Henry Hillcoat at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
15th December 1882.
CHARLES STOUT of Hofal Wen Conway in the County of Carnarvon Civil
Engineer and CHARLES HENRY HILLCOAT of the City of Liverpool shipowner
IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULICS STEERING GEAR
An ordinary steam engine cylinder, with piston; piston rod extending through
each end of cylinder covers and fitted with hooks to secure the rudder chains to;
A plate cut off valve, with an ordinary slide valve working on the back of said
cut off valve, motion is given to the cut off valve by a quadrant so arranged that,
when the piston moves the quadrant sets the cut off valve in motion in the same
direction as the piston takes, the slide valve is moved by the steering wheel or
tiller and when opening one of the ports the piston is set in motion which in turn
sets the cut off valve in motion and by this means shuts off the communication
when the rudder has attained the desired position. The slide valve is provided
with a spring so that when the steering wheel is left at rest the valve is forced in
the middle of the cylinder face and if the piston is in any other position than the
centre it will be forced there and will be self recovering. An Automatic and
adjustable exhaust load valve is fitted on the exhaust port to prevent the rudder
moveing in bad weather.
Pressure supplied by means of force pump

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Stout and Charles Henry Hillcoat in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th June 1883.
CHARLES STOUT of Hofal Wen in the County of Carnarvon Civil Engineer
and CHARLES HENRY HILLCOAT of the City of Liverpool Shipowner IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HYDRAULIC STEERING GEAR
An ordinary steam engine cylinder, with piston; and rod extending through cach
end of cylinder covers, and fitted with. hooks to secure rudder chains to, The
covers are fitted with glands to keep the rods tight and prevent water or other
liquid which may be used from leaking: Upon the face of the cylinder where the
slide valve (in an ordinary steam cylinder) works a plate cut off valve having
ports corresponding with those in the cylinder face but wider, the exessive width
of the steam ports to be taken from the direction of the centre so that in all cases
the extreme out-sides of the steam ports of the cylinder and plate cut off valve will
be exactly the same length-Motion is given to this valve by means of a quadrant
which is so fixed that when the piston is at one end of the cylinder the ports are
nearly closed a block (attatched to a crosshead which is fixed on the end of
piston rod) works in or on the said quadrant, and causes it the said quadrants arc
to maintain by the aid of the afore named block a constant defined position
governed by the distance the piston rod is out of the cylinder on the side where
the block is attatched, the quadrant by this means moves upon a centre which
centre is fixed about the middle of the arc of said quadrant, and the line or plane
of motion of said quadrant to be parallel with the motion of the piston rod. When
the piston is equal distance from either end of cylinder the block which actuates
the quadrant will be exactly over the centre of the centre of motion of the arc
of quadrant; in this last defined position, it is connected to the rod which sets in
motion the cut off valve, and the said valve will then be in the centre of the ports
on the cylinders face; the direction of motion this cut off valve takes is the same
as the piston-Working on the back of the afore named cut off valve is an ordinary
slide valve having very little lap either on the steam or exhaust sides, this slide
valve is actuated and set in motion by the tiller or steering wheel it is also
provided with or actuated by a spring or springs which springs may be placed to
actuate any of the rods which give motion to the slide valve directly or indirectly,
the object of the said spring or springs, is to move the slide valve (and steering
wheel) into the centre so that when the steering wheel or tiller is left at rest (in
other words not held) the slide valve will be forced into the centre by the spring
or springs directly or indirectly just as they are attatched to the valve direct or to
the rods which actuate the valve-On the exhaust port of said cylinder is fitted
an automatic and adjustable escape valve-that is a valve having a spring which
presses upon the said valve, this spring is regulated by a screw so that inore or less
pressure may be applied-Attatched to the above named cylinder is an ordinary
force pump (although this is not absolutely necessary) but where oil is used the
pump is better attatched to the cylinder so that the pipe may lead directly from
the discharge side of the pump to the pressure side of slide valve casing, and the
suction side of said pump inay be directly connected with the exhaust side of said
cylinders, now to prevent the pump stopping which it would do when the slide
valve and cut off plate valve completely covered the ports of communication with
the ends of cylinder, an automatic and adjustable escape valve is fitted (similar to
the one before described) on the delivery pipe of said pump and the said valve is
provided with an escape pipe which is in direct communication with the suction pipe
of said pump, so that the pump would continue to work and simply pump the
liquid through the discharge pipe of pump and when the pressure exceeded that
at which the valve is loaded it would escape into the suction pipe of said pump;

page_text: by this means a constant, pressure is maintained within the slide valve chest, and
the same liquid is re-used there being no means of escape for liquid.
Now assuming the rudder chains of a vessel or ship or the connecting rods in
connection with the rudder for actuating or governing the direction of the rudder,
be connected to the hooks or shackles afore described and as fitted on the piston
rods, then it is evident that if these chains, rods, are so attatched when the rudder
is in the longitudinal vertical plane of a ship or vessel, and the piston of the .
cylinder before described is in the middle of said cylinder: that the block which
actuates the quadrant is also in the centre of the arc of said quadrant and in the
position before described when the cut off valve covers the ports in the cylinders
face therefore the whole must be at rest, and if the ship or vessel answers her
helm or rudder truly the course of the vessel is defined and in a straight line
with the keel of said ship or vessel.
Now the pump is set in motion and the pressure is obtained within the valve
chest of cylinder (this pressure may be regulated at will to the capacity of said
pump) so that by moving the steering wheel or tiller to port or starboard the slide
valve is moved accordingly and the communication is made between the chest
and the end of cylinder and the piston moves (and the rudder likewise) but as the
piston moves the piston rod also moves, and the block which actuates the quadrant;
then since the cut off valve is actuated by the quadrant it also moves and defines
the position of the piston (which rules the position of the rudder) by closing the
ports; this may take place until the piston arrives at the end of the cylinder the
quadrant has then closed the communication by actuating the cut off valve. Now
assuming the piston to be away from the centre of the cylinder, (the slide valve
must in the first place have been moved); by letting the wheel or tiller free the
springs before discribed to actuate the slide valve force it into the centre of the
ports, and forms a communication with the end of cylinder and valve chest,
so that the piston is again actuated by the pressure and forced into the centre of
cylinder when the quadrant again actuates the cut off valve and closes the
ports: Now both ends and all the ports are full of liquid and all escape prevented
so that the rudder is firmly held in the place defined.
To prevent the piston being moved by a heavy sea striking the rudder the auto-
matic and adjustable escape valve is fitted on to the exhaust port of cylinder and
the pressure may then be determined at pleasure; To prevent the rudder chains
breaking if the rudder is struck by a heavy sea an air vessel is fitted on each end
of cylinder so that the piston may move about three inches and thus act as an
elastic link.
We make the following claims as being new and not in use before
First A spring or springs for the purpose of moving the slide valve directly or
indirectly, (that is it may or they may actuate the slide valve by being in direct
contact with it, or by actuating the rods which set the slide valve in motion) in a
lateral direction such as such valves take in an ordinary steam engine: into the
centre of the ports so that when the springs are at rest the slide valve covers all
the ports in cut off valve.
Secondly-A quadrant as described for actuating the cut off valve such quadrant
having the centre of oscillation about the middle of the said quadrants arc.
Thirdly The automatic and adjustable load on the exhaust port of cylinder as
described.
Fourthly The general arrangment substantially as described
In witness whereof I the said Charles Stout have hereunto set my hand
and seal this the fourteenth day of June in the year of our Lord 1883.