IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS, OR MACHINERY FOR WORKING HELMS OR RUDDERS, CRANES, AND OTHER MACHINERY
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Robert Hay Fisken, of Leeds, in the
County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS, OR MACHINERY FOR WORKING HELMS
OR RUDDERS, CRANES, AND OTHER MACHINERY."
Sealed the 22nd April 1873, and dated the 26th October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Robert Hay
Fisken at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th October 1872.
.
I, THOMAS ROBERT HAY FISKEN, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS, OR MACHINERY FOR WORKING
HELMS OR RUDDERS, CRANES, AND OTHER MACHINERY," to be as follows:
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for steering.
ships, or machinery for working helms or rudders, cranes, and other.
machinery...
Upon that part of the helm or rudder shaft which usually is above the
deck of the ship or vessel I mount fast a wheel (in a convenient and
+

page_text: suitable position) provided with internal teeth, within which (or within
its bosom or interior) I place a second wheel provided with external
teeth, but with a less number than the internal wheel, and gearing into
the same. Upon the bosom or external toothed wheel I cast or fix
another wheel also with external teeth, but having a less number, and
mount the two loosely upon an eccentric, which in turn is mounted
loosely upon the upper part of the rudder shaft, or the shaft upon which
the internal wheel is mounted. The eccentric forms part of or is other-
wise made fast to the boss of the hand wheel, so that when motion is
given to the hand wheel both it and the eccentric move together. The
external wheel with the least number of teeth gears into an internal
toothed wheel (having a less number of teeth than the first-mentioned
wheel), which is suitably made fast to the deck of the ship, and the boss
or eye of which is cast or left large, so that it does not touch the eccentric
or hand wheel.
The mode of operation is as follows:-When motion is given to the
hand wheel, it by means of its eccentric actuates the two external
toothed wheels, and causes them to have a circular eccentric motion
within the internal toothed wheels, and to impart a slow motion to the
one fixed to the rudder shaft, and consequently the rudder or helm is
turned either to the right or left, as motion is given to the hand wheel.
According to a second modification I mount fast an external toothed
wheel upon the rudder shaft, and above this I mount loosely an eccentric,
upon which works a compound wheel provided on one side with internal
teeth, which gear into the external toothed wheel, but having a greater
number of teeth than the said external wheel, and on the other side or
that part which works loosely upon the eccentric with external teeth,
which gear into an internal toothed wheel (suitably fixed to the deck or
other framing of the machinery) having a greater number of teeth than
itself.
The mode of operation of this modification is as follows:- -When
motion is given to the hand wheel and eccentric the latter actuates the
compound wheel, and causes it to roll round or gear into the other two
wheels; and as the one fixed to the deck is prevented thereby from
having motion a slow circular motion is imparted to the first-mentioned
wheel which causes the [shaft to turn either to the right or left' as
motion is given to the hand wheel.

page_text: The hand wheel and other parts herein-before mentioned appertaining
or relating to my Invention may be placed or situated in any convenient
and suitable positions.
It will be understood that the above-described modifications of my
Invention may be similarly employed in any machinery where a quick
motion or speed requires to be reduced to a slow one, such as in cranes
and other machinery, and so dispense with the necessity for intricate and
costly gearing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Robert Hay Fisken in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ROBERT HAY FISKEN, of Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, send
greeting.
any
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Robert Hay Fisken, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Robert Hay Fisken, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Robert
Hay Fisken, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at 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 APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS, OR MACHINERY FOR
WORKING HELMS OR RUDDERS, CRANES, AND OTHER MACHINERY," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Robert Hay Fisken,
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 Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW ID, that 1, the said
FOODCEO may
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement in writing, and on reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for steering
ships, or machinery for working helms or rudders, cranes, and other
machinery.
According to one modifination illustrated in Figure 1 on the accom-
panying Drawings, I mount fast upon that part of the helm or rudder
shaft 1, which is usually above the deck of the ship or vessel an
internally toothed wheel 2, within the interior or bosom of which and
gearing therewith I place an externally toothed wheel 3, with a less
number of teeth. Upon the wheel 3 I cast or fix another externally
toothed wheel 4, with a less number of teeth, and mount the two loosely
upon an eccentric 5, which is likewise mounted loosely upon the upper
part of the shaft 1. The excentric 5 forms part of or is otherwise made
fast to the boss 6 of a hand or steering wheel 7, so that when motion is
given to the wheel 7, both it and the eccentric 5 move together. The
wheel 4 gears into another internally toothed wheel 8 (having a less
number of teeth than the wheel 2), which is made fast to the deck of the
ship (as shown in Figure 1, or as shown in Figures 2 and 3), and the
boss or eye of which is cast or left large so that it shall not touch the
cccentric 5 or wheel 7.
The mode of operation is as follows:-When motion is given to the
wheel 7 it by means of its eccentric 5 actuates the wheels 3 and 4, and
causes them to have a circular eccentric motion within the wheels 2 and
8, and to impart a slow motion to the wheel 2 fixed to the shaft 1, and
consequently turns the rudder or helm either to the right or left as
motion is given to the wheel 7.
According to a second modification illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings in Figures 2 and 3, I mount fast an externally toothed wheel 9
upon the shaft 1, and above this I mount loosely the eccentric 5, upon
which works a compound wheel 10, provided on one side with internal
teeth 11 (of a greater number than the wheel 9), which gear thereinto,
and upon the other side or that part which works loosely upon the
eccentric 5 with external teeth 12 (of an equal number to the wheel 9),

page_text: which gear into the wheel 8, which has a greater number of teeth; the
wheel 8 is fixed in position upon pillars or brackets 13, made fast to a
base plate 14, secured to the deck or framing of the machinery, the boss
15 of which serves as a bush for the shaft 1.
If it is wished that the wheel 7 should be in a horizontal position it is
secured to or formed with the eccentric 5, as shown in Figure 1; but if
required in a vertical position the eccentric 5 is made fast to or formed
with a bevil wheel 16, which gears into another bevil wheel 17 fast upon
a horizontal shaft 18 (mounted on a framing 19, and revolving in bushes
20), upon which the wheel 7 is similarly mounted.
The mode of operation of this modification is as follows:- -When
motion is given to the wheel 7 and eccentric 5, the latter actuates the
compound wheel 10, and causes it to roll round or gear into the two
wheels 9 and 8, but as the wheel 8 fixed to the deck is prevented thereby
from having motion a slow circular motion is imparted to the wheel 9,
which causes the shaft 1 to turn either to the right or left, as motion is
given to the wheel 7 either to the left or right, and the helm is moved
either to starboard or larboard.
Another application of this modification is illustrated in Figures 4, 5,
and 6, showing how the Invention can be applied when the actuating
apparatus is placed at a distance or detached from the shaft 1, which in
this case works in a bush 21 fitted in the deck at 22. In this modification
the eccentric 5 is formed with a shaft 23, upon which the wheel 7 is
mounted fast. The wheel 8 is held by the supports 13, but the wheel 9
is mounted loosely on the shaft 23, and is formed at one part with a deep
V chain or rope groove 24. In this modification, as in the last, the
eccentric 5 imparts the motion to the wheel 10, which actuates the
pulley wheel 9, causing it to turn in the direction required.
25 repre-
sents a chain or rope attached to the tiller bar 26 (fast on the shaft 1) at
27, and secured to or working in the groove 24, and passing round guide
pulleys 28, and by which the desired motion is imparted to the shaft 1,
and the vessel steered accordingly.
The wheel 7 and other parts herein-before mentioned appertaining or
relating to my Invention may be placed or situated in any convenient
and suitable positions.
It will be readily perceived that the above-described modifications of
my Invention may be similarly employed in any machinery where a

page_text: quick motion or speed requires to be reduced to a slow one, such as in
cranes, lifts, hoists, and other machinery, and so dispense with the.
necessity for intricate and costly gearing. For example, the chain 25
can be used as a lift or hoist.
66
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
Improvements in Apparatus for Steering Ships, or Machinery for
Working Helms or Rudders, Cranes, and other Machinery," together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim
as my Invention, the improved apparatus or means for working helms or
rudders for steering ships, or for actuating cranes, lifts, hoists, or other
machinery, substantially as above described, and as illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification or application thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Robert Hay Fisken, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
THOMAS ROBERT H. FISKEN. (L.S.)