Improvements in Windlasses.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 25th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 25th Feb., 1887.
Improvements in Windlasses.
We, DAVID DEANE NAPIER, WILLIAM DIXON NAPIER, and ALEXANDER KELLY,
of the firm of Napier Brothers, of 100 Hyde Park Street, Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers and CHRISTIAN DETHLEFF BIRCK HANSEN in
the employment of the said firm, Draughtsman do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows, that is to say:-
-
This Invention has for its object to improve the construction of windlasses in a
manner to diminish the strains acting on the main axle and other principal parts of
the windlass, and so that for a given power the windlass may be made considerably
lighter than heretofore. Important practical advantages result from the improved
construction, as the cost will be reduced, and the space occupied on board ship will be
diminished.
In carrying out the Invention we employ an improved cable wheel which may be
described as shaped like an ordinary round-grooved pulley, but having pairs of inclined
projections on the sides of the groove to engage between the ends of those links of the
chain cable which lie flatways in going round the wheel, whilst there are indentations
in the bottom of the groove to receive the inner parts of those links which go edge-
ways round the wheel. The parts of the windlass are so arranged for the passage of
the cable to, round, and from the cable wheel, that the cable is always in contact with
about one half of the wheel; and the cable wheel is made with only four pairs of the
lateral engaging projections hereinbefore referred to. This construction admits of
the cable wheel and other parts being made of the smallest workable sizes and so that
the leverage of the cable on the cable wheel and the strains which depend on such
leverage are less than in existing windlasses.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Windlasses.
We, DAVID DEHANE NAPIER, WILLIAM DIXON NAPIER, and ALEXANDER KELLY,
of the firm of Napier Brothers, of 100 Hyde Park Street, Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, and CHRISTIAN DETHLEFF BIRCK HANSEN, in
the employment of the said firm, Draughtsman, 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 :-
This Invention has for its object to improve the construction of windlasses in a
manner to diminish.the strains acting on the main axle and other principal parts of
the windlass, and so that for a given power the windlass may be made considerably
lighter than heretofore. Important practical advantages result from the improved
construction, as the cost will be-reduced, and the space occupied on board ship will be
diminished.
In carrying out the Invention we employ an improved cable wheel which may be
described as shaped like an ordinary round-grooved pulley, but having pairs of inclined
projections on the sides of the groove to engage between the ends of those links of the
chain cable which lie flatways in going round the wheel, whilst there are indentations
in the bottom of the groove to receive the inner parts of those links which go edge-
ways round the wheel. The parts of the windlass are so arranged for the passage of
the cable to, round, and from the cable wheel, that the cable is always in contact with
about one half of the wheel; and the cable wheel is made with only four pairs of the
lateral engaging projections herein before referred to. This construction admits of
the cable wheel and other parts being made of the smallest workable sizes, and so that
the leverage of the cable on the cable wheel and the strains which depend on such
leverage are less than in existing windlasses.
And in order that the said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood we hereunto append four sheets of explanatory drawings to
be hereinafter referred to and representing examples of windlasses made with our
improvements.
Figures, 1, and 2, on sheets, 1, and 2, of the accompanying drawings are a plan and
side elevation of a steam capstan windlass, that is a windlass which can be worked by
steam or by means of a capstan. Figures, 3, and 4, on shecis, 3, and 4, are a plan
and a longitudinal vertical section of a winch-geared hand windlass. In these
drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same or like parts wherever
they are repeated.
In the modification shown in figures, 1, and 2, the windlass details are carried upon
a bedplate, A, of a nearly rectangular form in plan with lateral extensións to support
two vertical steam cylinders, B, the pistons of which are connected to cranks at the
ends of a transverse horizontal shaft, C. The shaft, C, carries clutches, D, and bevil
pinions; E, arranged to gear with a bevil wheel, F, on a vertical shaft having on it a
worm gearing with a wormwheel, G, fast on the main windlass shaft, H. The main

page_text: shaft, H, as loose on it two cable wheels, J, having in connection with them as usual
brake pulleys, K, and hand levers, L, for applying the brakes. Either cable wheel, J;
is engaged with the worm wheel, G, when required, by means of a key or pin entered
into sockets provided for it. A capstan, M, is shown as arranged in connection with
the windlass, this capstan by means of a pair of bevil wheels driving a horizontal
shaft, N, which by means of another pair of bevil wheels (not shown) can drive the
vertical shaft having on it the worm which gears with the wormwheel, G, on the
windlass shaft, H. A clutch, O, is fitted on the shaft, N, to allow of the capstan being
put into or out of gear as required.
Instead of the capstan, M, being as shown, on the same deck as the windlass, it may
be placed on an upper deck, and it may be connected to the windlass by means of a
vertical shaft, P, indicated by dotted lines and gearing by means of spurwheels, Q,
with the vertical worm shaft of the windlass, a clutch, R, being provided for putting
it into or out of gear as required.
In the modification shown in figures, 3, and 4, there are no steam cylinders with
accessories, and the main shaft, 11, has on it a spurwheel, S, which has gearing with it
a pinion, T, on a shaft, U, having on it winch handles, V, and also a chain pulley, W,
to receive a messenger driving chain, X, from a winch at a little distance.
In both the modifications shown in the accompanying drawings the cable wheels, J,
are constructed and arranged in relation to other parts in the improved manner
constituting the essential features of this Invention. That is to say each cable wheel, J,
is made with only four pairs of the lateral engaging projections which project in from
the sides between the links of the cable, Y, which lie flatways in going round the
wheel. In connection with this construction of the cable wheel, J, the cable, Y, is
made to be always in contact with or bearing on at least half the wheel, circumferen-
tially, whilst passing-round it, each cable, Y, being led from forward of the windlass
to the upper part of the cable wheel, J then round the rear half of the wheel, and finally
forwards under the wheel to the deck pipes, Z, through which it passes down to the
locker, the deck pipes, Z, being formed in each case at the forward part of the bed-
plate, A, of the windlass.
The improved construction of cable wheel combined with arrangements for leading
the cable to, round, and from it, as hereinbefore described, can be advantageously
applied to various windlasses differing more or less in their other parts from the
examples hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
Constructing the cable wheels of windlasses each with only four pairs of projections
for engaging with the cable links, combined with the arranging of the part of the
windlasses so that each cable may be in contact with about half of the wheel in passing
round it, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants Agent.