US479828A

US479828A - Electric steering-gear

Info

Publication number: US479828A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 1909-08-02

Description

(No Model.) z sneethsheet 1. E. H. MUMPORD.

ELEGTRIO STEERING GEAR. No. 479,828. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

WITNESSES INVENTOQ? (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. H. MUMFORD.

ELECTRIC STEERING GEAR No. 479,828. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR H. MUMFORD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC STEERlNG-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,828, dated August 2, 1892. Application filed August 20, 1891. Serial No. 403,198, (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR H. MUMFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of IVayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Steering-Gear; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to steering-gear for vessels, and has for its object the production of an apparatus by means of which complete control of the rudder of a vessel can be had by the use of the electric power produced by either voltaic or dynamic electric generator. To accomplish this result, I employ the mechanism represented in the accompanying drawin gs, in which- Figure 1 shows a plan. Fig. 2 shows an elevation. Figs. 3 and 4 show two forms of brake mechanism connected with the tillermotor. Fig. 5 shows a detail of the brake contact-pieces.

A represents the rudder-post; B, the tillerarm; GD, two curved arms of magnetic metal firmly fixed to the tiller-arm and having their center of curvature concentric with the center of the rudder-post.

E F are two curved solenoids having their centers of curvature concentric with the center of the rudder-post.

O and D together form a double plunger firmly attached to the tiller l3 and free to vibrate around the rudder-post A as a center.

0 is a curved arm free to vibrate within the solenoid E; D, a similar curved arm free to vibrate within the solenoid F. v

G indicates a switchboard arranged to switch the currentat will into either F E or both F and E or to break the circuit, so that there Willbe no currentin either F or E. Thus let a represent the line-wire. By placing switch 11 on b the current will pass through I) I) Z1 and return through c, completing the circuit and exerting a moving force in the solenoid F upon the arm D and tending to draw the tiller B toward the solenoid F. Similarly by placing switch H on d the current will pass through d d (Z c, and,completing the circuit, exert a moving force on arm 0. By placing switch H on e f the current will divide, and, passing through both solenoids, equalize the force on the two arms 0 D.

To aid in holding the rudder, I employ a brake mechanism. (Shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5.) In Fig. 3 the brake-head K is shown arranged to be pushed into braking contact by means of a spring S, pressing against a thrustblock T and the pin 5.

The brake-head K is at the end of a bar 7c of magnetic material, arranged to be drawn against the force of the spring S when the electric current passes through the coil M. The brake head or shoe K presses against a circular arm L, held by spokes Z Z to the rudderpost.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 the spring S draws the brake away from the arm L and the contact is made by the movement due to the electric force in the coil M. In this form the arm L and the brake-head K should preferably both be made of magnetic material, as in such case the plunger force is augmented by the magnetic force temporarily produced in the plunger composed of brake-head K and its stem. The switchboard is arranged in the one case, as in Fig. 3, to throw the coil M into circuit for the purpose of withdrawing the brake from frictional contact with the triotion-arm at the same time that the solenoid E or F is thrown into circuit to operate the arm 0 or D, while in Fig. at the switch is arranged to turn the current through the coil M only when it is switched off from both E and F. In each form the coils or solenoids E F M M are firmly secured to the body or deck of the vessel. The moving parts are secured to the rudder-post. The movable brake-head and plunger is held in proper guiding-blocks secured to the deck.

Any desired amount of power may be ob tained by placing the curved plunger-arms and solenoids in series one above another throughout the rudder-post, as indicated in Fig. 2, where two sets are indicated placed one above another.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as novel, and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent, is-

1. A steering apparatus for vessels, consisting of a rudder and rudder-post, a tiller and a curved arm of magnetic material attached thereto concentric to said rudder-post, and a solenoid fixed to the body of the vessel, arranged to receive within its coils a portion of said curved arm and to move it around its central support through the force of an elec tric current passing through said solenoid, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a steering apparatus, the combination of a rudder, rudder-post;tiller-arm, a circular arm of magnetic material attached at its middle point to said tiller-arm and extending in either direction therefrom into a curved solenoid, a line in electric connection with an electric generator, and a switch adapted to switch the circuit into either or both of said EDGAR H. MUMFORD. Witnesses;

CHARLES F. BURTON, MARION A. REEVE.