IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING OR MANŒUVRING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS."
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Robert Augustus Glover, of Brading,
in the Isle of Wight, Master of Arts, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING OR MANŒUVRING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Robert
Augustus Glover at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 7th May 1870.
I, FREDERICK ROBERT AUGUSTUS GLOVER, of Brading, in the Isle
of Wight, Master of Arts, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING OR MANEUVRING SHIPS AND
OTHER VESSELS,” to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the steering, turning, and
manoeuvring of vessels by assisting the ordinary rudder, and also to
overcome the well known difficulty experienced in screw vessels of
going astern without being carried sideways or otherwise out of their
intended course. To this end I provide moveable rudders, which are
pivotted at their upper ends to the sides or fore foot of the vessel; or
•

page_text: wherever their action is most likely to facilitate the desired result.
These moveable rudders are intended to be lowered when required for
use, and are made to fit the lines of the part or parts of the vessel to
which they are to be applied. They are held in position by chains or
attached either to each side of the foot or lower end of the rudder
or to the sides of the rudder. The shape of the rudders may be made
to correspond in form with the form of the vessel's side, and are so
made that they may be capable of being folded back when no longer
required for use, and thus avoid the necessity of instant removal.
ropes
In applying a moveable rudder to the fore foot of vessels I pivot the
rudder by its upper end to the stem or cutwater of the vessel at or near
half the depth of the same, and I lower it and hold it in position when
required for use by the chains or ropes as before described. In this
case the rudder may be worked by tiller or tackle as may be most
convenient.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Robert Augustus Glover in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 7th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, İ, FREDERICK
ROBERT AUGUSTUS GLOVER, of Brading, in the Isle of Wight, Master
of Arts, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Frederick Robert Augustus Glover, Her special
licence that I, the said Frederick Robert Augustus Glover, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick
Robert Augustus Glover, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any 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 STEERING OR MANŒUVRING
SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,

page_text: the said Frederick Robert Augustus Glover, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 bo
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Robert Augustus Glover,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the steering, turning, and
manoeuvring ships and other vessels by assisting the ordinary rudder,
and also to overcome the well known difficulty experienced in screw
vessels of refusing to steer when going astern or otherwise.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn at Fig. 1 a side
elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view of part of a vessel with my improve-
ments adapted thereto; Fig. 3 is a tranverse vertical section of the
same.
The Invention consists in providing moveable rudders, fins, wings,
or steering devices, which are pivotted at their upper ends to the sides
or fore foot of the vessel, or wherever their action is most likely to
facilitate the desired result. These moveablo rudders or fins a, a, are
shewn in Fig. 2 as adapted to the bow quarters and also to about the
central midship part of the sides of the ship or vessel. They are
connected to the vessel at their upper ends by swivel or universal joints,
and are intended to be lowered when required for use, their back parts
being made to fit the lines of the part or parts of the vessel to which
they are to be applied. They are held in position by chains or ropes b, b,
attached either to each side of the foot or lower end of the fin or rudder or
to the sides of the same. The inner side of these fins or rudders must
be made to correspond in form with the vessel's side, and are so
constructed that they may be capable of being hoisted up when no
longer required for use, and thus I facilitate their instant removal.

page_text: When these fins or rudders or steering appliances are required for use
it will only be necessary to loosen or let go the holding chains b, b, so
as to let the fins or rudders fall into the position shewn in the Figures.
The pressure of the water' will be sufficient to keep them in place
against the sides of the vessel, and as they will offer resistance to the
water as the vessel advances her head will be pulled round in the
required direction as indicated by the black dotted line in Fig. 2. To
produce this effect one of the bow quarter rudders and the midship
rudder of the opposite side must be lowered. If it be required to turn
round in the opposite direction these rudders must be lifted out of the
water and the others lowered,
In applying a moveable rudder to the fore foot of vessels I pivot the
rudder by its upper end to the stem or cutwater of the vessel by means
of an universal joint as shewn in Fig. 4, and in the manner already
mentioned, and I lower it and hold it in position when required for use
by the chains or ropes as before described. In this case the back rib
of the rudder is supported in a socket c, in which it may be turned in
either direction like an ordinary rudder, and it may be worked by chains
or tackles as may be found most convenient. When this bow rudder is
not required for use it is raised up out of the water and turned round
on its joint, so that it may be conveniently stowed against the stem
under the bowsprit as shewn by dots in the Figure. I would remark
that, if desired, the letting-go tackle adapted to, these fins, rudders,
or steering devices may by means of ropes or chains be placed under
the command of the steersman, so that on an emergency he may let
go any or all of the fins without the necessity of summoning any of
the crew for the purpose. It will be understood that if all the fins
are let go together they will have the effect of greatly retarding the
progress of the vessel, and therefore may be found useful to prevent
collisions.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Steering
or Manoeuvring Ships and other Vessels," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, adapting to the sides or
fore part of the vessel moveable temporary fins, wings, rudders, or
steering devices, as herein set forth, and which devices are capable of
being lowered when required for use and raised again out of the water

page_text: and stowed against the sides or other parts of the vessel when no longer
required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Robert Augustus Glover,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of November,
in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
FRED. R. A. GLOVER.
(L.S.)