US2972324A - Steering device for ships - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 21, 1961 c. WILLIAMS 2,972,324

STEERING DEVICE FOR SHIPS Filed Feb. 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. .1. 2

v INVENTOR.

A TTOQ/VE'YS.

Feb. 21, 1961 c. WILLIAMS STEERING DEVICE FOR SHIPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21, 1958 FIG. 4.

I a u I s a m M u m 4 r V o NM r 1/ r W "H tes 2,972,324 STEERING DEVICE FOR SHIPS Carroll Williams, Lakeland, NJ. (N ational Agriculture College, Doylesto'wn, Pa.)

Filed Feb. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 716,732

1 Claim; (Cl; 114-163) This invention relates to steering gear for ships, and

more particularly has reference to steering gear that will permit'a'ship tomake a faster, sharper turn than 'is possible with a conventionalsingle rudder provided at the rear end of the vessel;

The main objectof'the invention is to provide a fin disposed 'forwardly-from-the conventional rear rudder, and adapted-to beturned to selected positions in'respect to the rear rudder and vice versa, in such a way as to permit a sharper turn to be made wherever desired.

Another object" is 'to provide, in an'auxiliary steering device for vessels of the character described, means that will be particularly designed to insure a swift response of the auxiliary steering fin to turning of the wheel by the helmsman.

Another object is to provide an auxiliary steering device of the character stated that will be applicable not only to surface vessels, to permit the same to make turns in the manner previously described herein, but will also be applicable to submarines, in such a way as to permit the submarines to dive or surface faster and more sharply than has heretofore been possible with conventional diving planes.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a surface vessel equipped with the steering gear according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a reduced top plan view in which the vessel is shown in full and dotted lines in a plurality of different positions assumed thereby during the making of a single turn.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a still further enlarged sectional view on line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view enlarged above the scale of Figure 4, taken on line 66 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a plan sectional view, on a scale enlarged above that of Figure 6, taken substantially on line 7--7 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a vessel generally designated 10 is illustrated, and includes a hull 11 of conventional shape, screw 12, and rear rudder 14. All this is conventional per se.

The auxiliary steering mechanism generally designated 15, constituting the present invention is disposed forwardly of the rudder, and in a typical arrangement may be located substantially halfway between midship and the bow.

The auxiliary steering device includes an auxiliary fin 16 extending in close proximity to the keel, midway between opposite sides of the hull. Fin 16 (see Figure 6) is elongated in a horizontal direction, with its distal end trailing. At its proximal end, the fin has a connection to a vertically disposed shaft 18. A vertical, tubularhousing 20 has a liner 22 in which shaft 18 is journaled. At its lower end, shaft 18 is threadedly engaged in an upwardly opening'recess 24 formed in a low, upstanding projection provided-upon the leading end of the fin' 16. A transversely extending shear pin 27 is provided, adapted to shear in the event of excessive pressure, as for ex-- ample on collision, to prevent damage to the hull and to the auxiliary steering mechanism.

The lower end portion of shaft 18 is journaled in a packing gland including a packing ring 28 underlyingthe packing 30. integrally formed on the upper endof the housing 20 is an outwardly directed, horizontal, whollyflat flange 3, bearing against the inner wall 33'of' the hull 11. Packing 34 is disposed in the upper end portion of thehousing, beingcompressedabout theshaft 18by a packing nut 36 threadedly engagedin the upper end of the housing.

Shaft 18 at its upper end is secured to the-'hub 38 of a gear segment 40, the teeth; of which extend through slightly more than as shown in Figure 7. Gear segment 40 rotates in a horizontalplane and'is in mesh with a beveled pinion 42 secured to a horizontally extending shaft 44 journaled in bearings provided in upwardly projecting bearing arms 46 secured to a bearing support plate 48 fixedly mounted upon the inner wall 33.

Connected to shaft 44 for rotation therewith is a sprocket 50 about which is trained a chain 52 extending upwardly into the wheel house 53. Chain 52 is trained about a sprocket 54 Within the wheel house. Sprocket 54 is free to rotate relative to a horizontal shaft 56 extending through bearings 57 provided in the upper ends of vertically extending, elongated bearing support arms 58, 60 mounted upon the deck 61 adjacent opening 63, through which opening chain 52 extends.

A non-circular, reduced, axial extension 62 of shaft 56 engages in a complementary center opening of a main wheel 64 abutting a spacer sleeve 66, which in turn abuts an auxiliary wheel 68, free to rotate on shaft 56 and bolted at 69 or otherwise fixedly secured to an end flange of a sleeve 71) receiving and free to rotate on shaft 56, sprocket 54 being integral with the other end of sleeve 70.

A drum 72 is pinned at 73 to shaft 56 for rotation therewith and coiled about the drum is a cable 74 extending downwardly through opening 63 to a sheave support bracket 76 fixedly secured to and extending downwardly from the underside of deck 61 adjacent opening 63. Immediately below deck 61, cable 74 is trained about sheave 78 freely rotatable on bracket 76, said cable then extending rearwardly to control the turning of the rudder 14.

Thus, the helmsman can control the main rudder as well as the auxiliary rudder or fin 16, turning both wheels to selected positions relative to one another. If desired, the wheels could be spaced apart sufiiciently to be independently turnable by different helmsmen. In any event, during normal operation of the vessel the main wheel 64 would be used to operate rudder 14 to control the direction of movement of the vessel. Assuming that the vessel is to make a sharp turn (see Figure 3) one would turn rudder 14 from its neutral, straight position denoted in the full line showing in Figure 3, counterclockwise. Auxiliary rudder 16 is turned from its neutral position clockwise. As a result, the vessel moves from position A into position B in Figure 3, then to position C and then to position D, thus making a sharp turn in minimum time. Obviously, any of various positions of the rudders relative to each other can be selected.

The invention has utility not only in surface vessels, but also in submarines, to control diving and surfacing. In other words, the fins 16 could be a pair of fins at opposite sides of the submarine hull, located forwardly of the rear diving planes, so as to constitute auxiliary or forward diving planes, in which event the fins 16 would be operable independently of the rear diving planes, to cause downward or upward movement of the submarine at angles achieved more rapidly, and more sharply, than the diving angles presently obtained.

The device may also be used as a brake, in that the auxiliary fin can be turned directly broadside to the foreand-aft direction of movement, independently of or in combination with the rear rudder.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a boat having a vertical axis rear rudder and a vertical axis forward rudder, said forward rudder having a vertical shaft, a rotary horizontal shaft supported on the boat above said vertical shaft, a cable drum fixed on said horizontal shaft, cable means wound on said drum and leading to the rear rudder, rotating means for said vertical shaft comprising a sleeve journaled on said horizontal shaft and means operatively connecting said sleeve to said vertical shaft, a forward rudder steering wheel circumposed on said horizontal shaft and fixed to said sleeve, a rear rudder steering wheel fixed on said horizontal shaft, said steering wheels being independently rotatable relative to each other for independently rotating the forward and rear rudders, said rotating means comprising a sprocket wheel fixed to said sleeve, an endless sprocket chain trained around said sprocket Wheel, a horizontal axis bevel pinion mounted on the boat below the horizontal shaft and having a sprocket wheel thereon over which said chain is trained, said vertical forward rudder shaft having a vertical axis bevel gear fixed thereon and meshed with said pinion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 48,087 North June 6, 1865 916,893 Seely Mar. 30, 1909 1,213,238 Nickels Jan. 23, 1917 1,529,036 Richey Mar. 10, 1925 1,682,815 Vincent Sept. 4, 1928 1,903,265 Peck Mar. 28, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 634,453 France Nov. 19, 1927

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