Improvements in Combined Steam and Hand Steering Gear.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1895.
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Steam and Hand Steering Gear.
I, JOHN MCLACHLAN, of the Firm of Bow McLachlan and Company, of the
Thistle Works, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineers and
Shipbuilders, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows, that
is to say:
My said invention has for its object to construct certain parts appertaining to
combined steam and hand steering gear in an improved manner and so that the
same handing or steering wheel can be used for steering with steam as for steering
by hand only.
When steering with steam considerably less hand force is required to turn the
wheel and fewer turns for a given movement of the rudder are needed, than when
steering by hand only. The difference between the numbers of turns will vary in
different cases, but as an example the case may be taken in which one number of
turns is double the other, such as eight and sixteen turns, from hard-to-port to
hard-to-starboard.
In carrying out the invention in such a case as indicated, the horizontal shaft
having on it the handing or steering wheel, and which is geared by bevil wheels
to a vertical shaft communicating with the steam motor details and parts for trans-
mitting the steering movements to the rudder, has on it a sleeve having externally
on it a screw thread which acts on the parts which move the pointer of the
indicator dial. The dial has on it two different scales (or pairs of scales) one
showing degrees of rudder movement corresponding to eight turns of the wheel,
and the other showing degrees of double size corresponding to sixteen turns.
pointer is made with separate points to indicate respectively on the different
scales.
The
In connection with the arrangement so far described provision has to be made
for adjusting the pointer when changing from steam to hand or vice versa, so that
the pointer may point on the scale appropriate to the change to the same-position
of the rudder as was pointed to on the scale in use before making the change.
If the rudder is in the middle position at the time of the change no adjustment is
required; but if the rudder is to port or to starboard the pointer must be shifted
to twice its distance from the middle position if changing from steam to hand,
and rice versa. For the purpose of allowing of the adjustment the screw sleeve
is movable on the wheel shaft, and is fixed to it except when adjusting, by a
pinching bolt, which connects to a disk fixed on the end of the shaft, the web or
disk-part of a handwheel keyed on the end of the screw sleeve. In order to make
an adjustment the pinching bolt is loosened and the position of the pointer on one
scale having been observed, the screw sleeve is turned by means of the hand-
wheel until the pointer marks the corresponding position on the other scale,
the pinching bolt being then screwed up again.
Dated this Twenty-first day of May 1895.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Combined Steam and Hand Steering Gear.
I, JOHN MCLACHLAN, of the Firm of Bow M°Lachlan and Company, of the
Thistle Works, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineers and
Shipbuilders, 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, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object to construct certain parts appertaining to
combined steam and hand steering gear in an improved manner, and so that the
same handing or steering wheel can be used for steering with steam as for steering
by hand only.
When steering with steam considerably less hand force is required to turn the
wheel and fewer turns for a given movement of the rudder are needed, than when
steering by band only. The difference between the numbers of turns will vary in
different cases, but as an example the case may be taken in which one number of
turns is double the other, such as eight and sixteen turns from hard-to-port to
hard-to-starboard.
In carrying out the invention in such a case as is indicated the shaft carrying
the handing wheel has on it a sleeve which is screwed externally to act on the parts
for moving the pointer of the indicator dial. The dial has on it two different
scales, one showing degrees of rudder movement corresponding to eight turns of
the wheel, and the other showing degrees of double size corresponding to sixteen
In changing from steam to hand or vice versa provision is made for making
the pointer indicate on the appropriate scale the correct position of the rudder.
For this purpose the sleeve is fixed to the handing shaft by a pinching bolt merely,
this bolt being loosened to allow of the sleeve being turned to move the pointer as
required.
turns.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings,
to be hereinafter referred to, and showing a part of combined steam and hand
steering gear as made with my improvements.
Figures, 1, and 2, of the drawings are respectively a plan and a vertical section,
corresponding to each other. Figures, 3, and 4, are respectively a horizontal and
a vertical section corresponding to each other, the latter being as at right angles
to Figure, 2. In these drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The horizontal shaft, A, having on it the handing or steering wheel, B, only
part of which is shown and which is geared by bevil wheels, C, to a vertical
shaft, D, communicating with the steam motor details and parts for transmitting
the steering movements to the rudder has on it a sleeve, E, having on it externally
a screw thread, which acts on parts, G, H, J, and K, for moving the pointer, L,
of the indicator dial. The part, G, is an annular nut screwed on to the sleeve, E,
and made with a part, M, projecting from it between guides, N, formed in the
casing, P, of the apparatus, which guides prevent it from being turned by the
sleeve. The part, H, is a toothed rack fixed to the annular nut, G, so as to be
longitudinally in line with the sleeve, E, and it gears with the part, J, which is a
toothed sector, on the pointer spindle, K. The dial has on it two different pairs
of scales, Q, and R, one pair, Q, showing degrees of rudder movement corresponding.
to eight turns of the wheel, B, and the other, R, showing degrees of double size
corresponding to sixteen turns. The pointer, L, is made with separate points, S,
and T, to indicate respectively on the differeut scales, Q, and, R.

page_text: In connection with the arrangement so far described provision has to be made
for adjusting the pointer, L, when changing from steam to hand or vice versa, so
that the pointer may point on the scale appropriate to the change to the same
position of the rudder as was pointed to on the scale in use before making the change.
If the rudder is in the middle position at the time of the change no adjustment is
required; but if the rudder is to port or to starboard the pointer, L, must be
shifted to twice its distance from the middle position if changing from steam to
hand, and vice versa. For the purpose of allowing of the adjustment, the screw
sleeve, E, is movable on the wheel shaft, A, and is fixed to it, except when adjusting,
by a pinching bolt, U, which connects to a disk, V, fixed on the end of the shaft,
the web or disk-part of a handwheel, W, formed in a piece with (or it might be
keyed on the end of) the screw sleeve. In order to make an adjustment the
pinching bolt, U, is loosened, and the position of the pointer, L, on one scale (Q)
having been observed, the screw sleeve, E, is turned by means of the handwheel, B,
until the pointer, L, marks the corresponding position on the other scale (R) the
pinching bolt, U, being then screwed up again. Stop pins X, fixed to an external
band plate, Z, are provided to limit the travel of the annular nut, G, when the
steam gear is being used, the plate with the stop pins being withdrawn to allow
of the annular nut having the longer travel required for the hand gear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Improvements in combined steam and hand steering gear, comprising on the
handing shaft an externally screwed sleeve which operates through intermediate
parts on a pointer arranged to indicate on a dial with separate scales for steam
and hand steering, together with means for adjustably fixing the screwed sleeve on
the banding shaft substantially as herein before described.
Dated this Nineteenth day of February 1896.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.