Improvements in Steering Gear.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1894
Con plete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 16th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering Gear.
We, FAWCETT PRESTON & COMpany, Limited, Engineers, JOHN SHIELD
PATTINSON, and WILLIAM ALLAN OGLETHORPE, Engineers, all of 17 York
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has reference to hydraulic steering gears of navigable vessels.
and wherein one or more hydraulic rams or cylinders is or are used in connection
with the rudder or tiller thereof, for moving it in the one direction or the other, that
is to "Port" or to "Starboard."
According to this invention, there is employed in connection or combination
with the rudder or tiller, a hydraulic ram or rams, pumps, and valve mechanisms
for operating same, that is forcing the ram or rams thereof in one direction or
the other in the desired manner; and hand wheels arranged on a shaft or shafts
and connected up with and adapted to operate a force pump of suitable type by
which water or other liquid can be forced into the cylinders of said rams in case
of the ordinary machinery for supplying liquid under pressure thereto, becomes
deranged or inoperative; and in connection with said pump a suitable valve is
used to cause the fluid to be passed to and from the cylinder or cylinders in the
desired manner.
There may also be used in connection with the wheel hand gear
a chain or rope, and winch mechanism for operating the tiller, as a further
alternative. In connection with these gears or mechanisms, suitable disconnecting
and connecting devices are employed for throwing them out of gear, and into gear,
as desired.
One special arrangement and combination of parts under this invention consists
as follows:-In connection with the tiller or mechanism connected therewith, there
is employed a hydraulic ram and cylinder on either side of same, such rams being
coupled up and linked or connected to the tiller or part connected therewith; and
in connection with this hydraulic apparatus pumps of suitable type or kind, and
having a valve gear by which the flow of liquid under pressure, and at exhaust
pressure, is distributed in the desired manner, are employed. In connection with
this hydraulic mechanism the hand gear is employed, by which, in cases when it
is desired, the liquid is forced to said rudder operating rams by the hand wheels,
such hand gear consisting of a shaft with hand wheels thereon, and a crank shaft
coupled up in line with same, and from which, force pumps-say three-are worked
for forcing the liquid to and from the rudder rams; whilst in connection with the
pump, a valve is employed and operated thereby (or by hand), by which the flow
in the proper direction takes place, or is caused, when working the hand wheels in
the one or other direction. Or, a separate valve may be used and worked by
hand which would allow the hand steering wheels being turned in either way
without necessarily changing the direction of the ship's head, and which will be
wholly under the control of the man who has charge thereof.
In one arrangement of valve gear for effecting this purpose, a piston valve or
slide valve may be used in connection with a pawl and ratchet wheel automatic
reversing motion, the ratchet wheels being on the pump shaft, and the pawls on a
rod connected with the valve, said wheels being arranged to move the valve in one

page_text: direction, and set it, when the hand wheels are turned one way, and in the other, when
such wheels are turned the other way. In accomplishing this, two ratchet wheels
and two pawls, oppositely disposed and working, may be conveniently used. The
valve would work in a suitable case with ports and passages, by which the reversal
of flow of liquid would be guided and regulated to and from the pumps, and
rudder ram cylinders.
In this special arrangement, the rope or chain, or auxiliary hand steering gear,
consisting of a winch and toothed wheels driven from the hand wheel of the shaft,
is disposed at the end of said shaft opposite that at which the pumps are disposed,
and the rope or chain carried over suitable pullies and connected up with the
tiller, or an extension thereof.
Dated this 7th day of April 1894.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.
Improvements in Steering Gear.
We, FAWCETT, PRESTON & COMPANY, LIMITED, Engineers, JOHN SHIELD
PATTINSON, and WILLIAM ALLAN OGLETHORPE, Engineers, all of 17 York
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to hydraulic steering gears of navigable vessels,
wherein one or more hydraulic rams or cylinders is or are used in connection with
the rudder or tiller thereof, for moving it in the one direction or the other, that is
to "Port" or to "Starboard."
According to this invention, there is employed in connection or combination
with the rudder or tiller, a hydraulic ram or rams, pumps, and valve mechanisms
for operating same, that is for forcing the ram or rams thereof in one direction or
the other in the desired manner; and hand wheels arranged on a shaft or shafts
and connected up with and adapted to operate a force pump of suitable type by
which water or other liquid can be forced into the cylinders of said rams in case
of the ordinary machinery for supplying liquid under pressure thereto, becomes
deranged or inoperative; and in connection with said pump a suitable valve is
used to cause the fluid to be passed to and from the cylinder or cylinders in the
desired manner.
There may also be used in connection with the wheel hand gear
a chain or rope, and winch mechanism for operating the tiller, as
a further
alternative. In connection with these gears or mechanisms, suitable disconnecting
and connecting devices are employed for throwing them out of gear, and into gear,
as desired.
One special arrangement and combination of parts under this invention consists
as follows:-In connection with the tiller or mechanism connected therewith, there
is employed a hydraulic ram and cylinder on either side of same, such rams being
coupled up and linked or connected to the tiller or part connected therewith; and
in connection with this hydraulic apparatus, pumps of suitable type or kind,
having a valve gear by which the flow of liquid under pressure, and at exhaust
pressure, is distributed in the desired manner, are employed. In connection with
this hydraulic mechanism the hand gear is employed, by which, in cases when it
is desired, the liquid is forced to said rudder operating rams by the hand wheels,
such hand gear consisting of a shaft with hand wheels thereon, and a crank shaft
coupled up in line with same, and from which force pumps-say three-are worked
for forcing the liquid to and from the rudder ram; whilst in connection with the
pump, a valve is employed and operated thereby (or by hand), by which the flow

page_text: in the proper direction takes place or is caused, when working the hand wheels in
the one or other direction. Or, a separate valve may be used and worked by
hand which would allow the hand steering wheels being turned in either way
without necessarily changing the direction of the ship's head, and which will be
wholly under the control of the man who has charge thereof.
In one arrangement of valve gear for effecting this purpose, a piston valve or
slide valve may be used in connection with a pawl and ratchet wheel automatic
reversing motion, the ratchet wheels being on the pump shaft, and the pawls on a
rod connected with the valve, said wheels being arranged to move the valve in one
direction, and set it, when the hand wheels are turned one way, and in the other,
when such wheels are turned the other way. In accomplishing this, two ratchet
wheels and two pawls, oppositely disposed and working, may be conveniently used.
The valve would work in a suitable case with ports and passages, by which the
reversal of flow of liquid, would be guided and regulated to and from the pumps,
and rudder ram cylinders.
In this special arrangement, the rope or chain, or auxiliary hand steering gear,
consisting of a winch and toothed wheels, driven from the hand wheels on the shaft,
is disposed at the end of said shaft opposite that at which the pumps are disposed,
and the rope or chain carried over suitable pullies and connected up with the
tiller, or an extension thereof.
Drawings illustrating the invention above specified are hereto annexed. In these
drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan of the whole steering machinery of the ship, and Figure 2 is
a side elevation of same.
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation, and Figure 4 another sectional elevation
taken at 90° from that shewn in Figure 3, illustrating a valve according to this
invention for distributing the flow of liquid to and from the hand operated hydraulic
machinery; whilst
Figure 5 is an elevation and Figure 6 a plan of the mechanism by which this
valve for distributing the liquid is automatically actuated.
Referring in the first instance to Figures 1 and 2-a is the rudder tiller, it being
connected with the rudder stock by a yoke c thereon, and rods c', the rods c
being connected with the after end a¹ of the tiller a, which itself is in the form of
a yoke mounted upon a shaft a². d are hydraulic rams arranged one on either side
of and connected with the tiller a, and é are the cylinders in which the rams d
work, said cylinders being suitably mounted upon a bed on the ship. is the steam
punp by which the liquid used to actuate the rudder rams d is, under normal
conditions, forced into the cylindera e, and also drawn from the said cylinders.
y are threeway cocks by which the pump f, or the hand driven pump is put in
communication and cut off from the rudder ram cylinders e, f being the pipes
connecting said cocks with the pump f, e¹ are the pipes connecting the said
cocks 9 with the cylinders e, and h the pipes connecting said cocks with the
liquid distribution valve of the hand actuated hydraulic machinery. i designates
generally the hand operated pump, which, as will be seen, consists of a triple
plunger or three throw arrangement, the crank of which is mounted upon the
upright column bearings desiguates generally the valve for distributing the
flow of liquid to and from the pumpi and the cylinders e. I is the mechanism for
operating the valve k. m are hand steering wheels mounted upon the shaft m',
by which the pump is actuated, the shaft m' being coupled up with the crank of
the pump i by a suitable coupling m³. n is a winch drum for working the wire
rope connected with the tiller end, for actuating the rudder in the event of the
pumps and being deranged, or when required; and n¹ is a pinion mounted on
the end of the hand wheel shaft m', and adapted to be put in gear with the
toothed wheel n' on the shaft of the drum n; the mechanism for putting this
pinion n' in and out of gear with the wheel n³, being a sleeve n³ connected with the
wheel n', and sliding on a feather on the shaft m³, and moved to and fro by the
lever n', which is actuated by the hand wheel and screw gear nº. The wire rope

page_text: (or chain) is designated o, and is connected with and operates on the tiller end
(which is extended for this purpose beyond the point acted upon by the rams d) by
passing it over fixed pullies p on the ship on either side, and pullies p' on the
tiller end.
Referring now more particularly to Figures 3 and 4, the valve for automatically
distributing the liquid to and from the pump i and ram cylinders e there shewn,
is of the piston type, with suitable ports and passages. The different parts of this
valve are as follows:-The spindle 1 of the valve has upon the lower end of it,
pistons 2, 3, and 4, of the same size, in this example, as the valve spindle itself, the
parts of such spindle connecting them together being of reduced diameter. The
casing 5 in which the pistons and valve spindle 1, 2, 3, 4, work, has in it, ports 6
and 7, with branches 6 and 7×, these branches being connected to the pipes h,
connecting this valve with the cocks g. The port 6, with the piston 2, and its
branch 6 and the pipe h connected with it, controls the flow of liquid to and
from the starboard rudder hydraulic cylinder e; and the port 7, with the piston 3,
and its branch 7* and the other of the pipes h, controls the flow of liquid to and from
the port hydraulic cylinder e. In connection with these ports 6 and 7, there is a
port 8 between them, with a branch 8* connected by a suitable pipe with the pumpi,
through which liquid from said pump is conveyed to the valve and distributed,
according to the position of the pistons 2 and 3, in relation to one or other of the
ports 6 or 7; whilst other ports 9 and 10, respectively above the port 6 and below
the port 7, are provided for use in connection with the said ports 6 and 7 for con-
veying the exhaust or return liquid from the starboard steering cylinder e or port
cylinder e, respectively, to the pump i; this return liquid being conveyed to the
pump through a branch 11 common to these two ports 9 and 10, they being
rendered common by a connecting branch 12..
i
The mechanism by which the pistons of the valve are moved, is shewn in
Figures 5 and 6. It comprises the vertical rod 13, which is directly connected
with the valve spindle 1, and guided by guides 14; upper and lower pawls 15 and 16
hinged upon the rod 13, and having free movement upon their hinges towards each
ether, and disposed in relation to the axis of the pump shaft i', one on either side
of it, in the horizontal plane in which it lies, and normally pressed in a direction
away from this plane downwards and upwards by a spring 17 connected to the
tails thereof; and ratchet wheels 18 and 19 mounted on the end of the pump crank
shaft, the teeth of which engage with the pawls 15 and 16, respectively. The
teeth of the ratchet wheel 18 are adapted to engage with the pawl 15 when the
shaft is rotating in one direction, and to move the rod 13 up; but when moving
in the opposite direction, the pawl 15 is merely moved about its hinge by the teeth
and without affecting the rod 13. The teeth of the ratchet wheel 19 are opposite
in their arrangement or disposition to those of the wheel 18, and are adapted to act
upon the lower pawl 16 when going in one direction and press the rod 13
downwards, whilst when moving in the opposite direction and the rod 13 is moved
up by the wheel 18 and the pawl 15, the pawl 16 is merely moved about its hinge
by the teeth of 19 without affecting the rod 13. In this way, then, according to
the direction in which the pump crank is moved by the hand wheels m, so the
rod 13 will be moved either up or down, and the valve spindle 1 and pistons of the
valve moved up or down, setting thereby the pistons 2 and 3 thereof so as to
distribute liquid from the pump i to the starboard hydraulic cylinder e by way of
the port 6, or to the port hydraulic cylinder e by way of the port 7, and the return
of liquid from either of the said cylinders e, whichever it may be, by way of either
the port 6, 9, and 11, or 7, 10 and 11, to the pump i. It will be seen that
when the valve is set in one way or the other, it will remain in that position
so long as the pump crank is rotated in the direction which causes it to move
into that position, but directly the motion of this crank is reversed, i.e. moved in
the opposite direction, the mechanism is actuated, and the valve k reversed.
Regarding now the whole operation of the steering machinery shewn:
:- When
from any cause the pump f-which would under ordinary conditions be used to

page_text: move or actuate the rudder-became deranged, or were it desired to use the hand
actuated hydraulic machinery, this pump is cut off by turning the cocks g so as to
put the pipes in connection with the pipes e' of the cylinders e, thereby cutting
off simultaneously from these pipes the pipes of the pump f; then the haud
actuated hydraulic gear, consisting of the hand wheels m and the pump and
valve, is instantly caused to control the tiller and actuate it. Then should from
any cause both the pump and the hand bydraulic gear or pump, or parts
connected with them, become deranged, and incapable of being used, or should it
be otherwise desired to actuate the rudder by the wire rope mechanism described,
through the hand wheels, then the pump i can be disconnected from the shaft m
by the coupling m³, and the pinion n' being thrown into gear with the tooth
wheel n of the barrel by the connecting and disconnecting mechanism described,
the hand wheels m will then operate the barrel n, and so the tiller would be moved
by this winch gear and the ropes o.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
-
1. In steering gear or machinery for ships, wherein the rudder is normally
hydraulically operated by a pump, the employment in connection with such
machinery of a pump; hand wheels connected with and adapted to actuate said
pump, in the manner set forth, and to supply liquid under pressure to the rudder
hydraulic actuating rams or machinery; and a valve by which the flow of
liquid to and from the said pump and rudder hydraulic rams or machinery is
distributed..
2. A gear or machinery for steering ships, consisting of or comprising hand
wheels, as m, a pump or pumps actuated thereby for forcing liquid, and hydraulio
rams and cylinders or a ram and cylinder adapted to act upon and move the rudder,..
and actuated by the liquid moved by the said pump or pumps, and a valve
interposed between said pump or pumps and the hydraulic rudder actuating rams.
or machinery, by which the flow of liquid to and from said pump or pumps and
rudder hydraulic machinery is regulated, controlled, or distributed, substantially
as in the manner described.
3. In ships' steering gear or machinery comprising an alternate means of
actuating the rudder, and consisting of a pump for forcing liquid to hydraulic rams.
or machinery connected with the rudder, and hand wheels and a pump operated
thereby for forcing liquid to said rudder hydraulic rams or machinery, a valve
actuated from said hand actuated machinery and adapted to distribute the flow of
liquid to and from the said hand actuated pump, and the rudder hydraulic rams or
machinery: operating substantially as herein set forth.
4. Steering mechanism or gear for ships, comprising substantially as described
hydraulic rams and cylinders or machinery connected with the rudder and adapted
to operate it; a pump adapted to force liquid to said hydraulic machinery; hand
wheels and a pump connected with and operated thereby for forcing liquid to said
rudder hydraulic machinery; a winch connected with and adapted to be operated
by said hand wheels; and ropes or chains connecting said winch with the tiller of
the rudder, with suitable connecting and disconnecting mechanisms by which the
rudder may be actuated, purely hydraulically, or by hand actuated hydraulic
machinery, or by mechanical gear.
5. The valve k in connection with steering gear in the manner and for the
purposes described, constructed and adapted to operate as set forth with reference
to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.
6. The ratchet wheel and pawl mechanism, arranged and combined in connection
with a hand actuated hydraulic steering gear, constructed and adapted to operate
as set forth with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, and to actuate a
liquid distribution valve connected with said gear, in the manner and for the
purposes described.

page_text: 7. The steering machinery having its parts arranged, combined, and adapted to
operate particularly as set forth with reference to and as shewn in Figures 1 and 2:
of the drawings.
Dated thie 8th day of January 1895.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.