mttilan. THE ADVOCATE OF INDUSTRY, AND JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC, MECHANICAL, AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
VOLUME XII. NEW-YORK, MAY 9, 1857. NUMBER 35.
I i holds it, or aids in holding it in any position, I is worked in a very simple manner by the
IMPROVED CAPSTAN FOR SHIPS.
i
Scientific American, PUBLISHED WEEKLY At 128
Fulton Street, N.Y. BY MUNN do CO.
(Sun Buildings.!
Fi;S. 1
Fij. 2----.--;
___
O. D. J,lUNN, S. H. WALES, A. E. BEACH.
S 47 td t ;
niu: dn?E'ni.:r!!icE hkA!C: to receive subscription! American. Single copies of the paper are on folalfl' at the office of publication and at all the periodical atores in thi city. Htooklyn, and JelSQY City. TER.M8-@2 for the Scientific
cipal citios
Responsible Agents and towns in
may aho be the
United States.
fou nd in
all the prin
'I foot.
manner by the hand , while the brake which
motion to the helm is turned in t he ordinary
A represents the head of tho rudder; B the
tiller or helm, and G the steering wheel.
the extremity of B is carried an upright shaft, 0, meshing into shaft the curved rack , D, which connected 'to the
On
at the bottom of which is a short gen.r wheel,
l atter IS
holted firmly to the deck. is steering wheel by bevel
The
upright F, of
shaft, gears ,
main
employed.
D'?
del' in six months. See Prospectus on last page. �. year,-l
in adv n c.�
a
and
the re�
No Travelin Agent!!
wheel, G. results in revolving the wheel, 0, and consequently in turning the rudder. to
revolution given by the belmsman to
c on ceale d w ithin the h ou s in g, E, so that any
the
the
Improved
Capslan
for
"bill'.
number of r ev o l utio n s of the s teering wbeel
The
The accompanying figures illustrate an im was iesued to
required
provement in caps tans , for which a patent March l a st.
instead of a horizontal shaft or s pindle.
to a single windlass, placed upon a vertical
J. B. Holmes, on the 3d of A captan is somewhat similar It
words, the "purchaee" of the man at the
angular motion in the rudder, or in other wheel in turning the rudder, depends on the
pr odu c e a cer t ain amount of
relative pr o p or tioJ;l s of the parts, but is in pretty r api d turning of the s hip. of h oldin g or che cki ng the
tended always to be such as will allow of a The means referred to of br a ki n g and thus
is generally employe d as a raising or moving ser or cable around i ts vertical barrel, and machine, by winding up a d rag chain, baw
raise o r move a heavy body. It is tl.liI1 o s t convenient and useful machine, and its applica
payi ng it off as regularly as it is wound on, to
wheel by friction are as follows :-The upright r i e d a t each extremity, not in the housing, E , shaft which carries the gear wheel, 0, is car
motion of the
t i o n on shipboard
gener"l application of any machine-it. common use--renders every improvement on it,
bodies is familiar to mot
and for moving
heavy Th e
but i n the lever, H, which latter is free to re This lever, H, is
persons.
through the l u gs , 1.
volve on the bolt represented, which passes
connected by a link, L, to the lever, J, which lat
however small, of great moment, because it affects a vast number of persona terestlil. The barrels of windl8.ll ses are mad. called weIpa, for the purpose of and in
ter is hinged at K, to the under side of B, an d 8.11 t o
can be worked hy the foot in such a manner turn H slightly on its longer portion of the lever, J, is divided as
center, 1.
The
with a series of elevation! and depress ion s , the former holding the chain as it is wouud on.
represented, so that it may be operated from
O wing failt as it ill wound upon it. The welps are barrel, and it prevents the chain from riding, also made high to catch the uneven parts o f ( one part overlieing another,) as it is wound the chain, which enables it to be held by at the upper portion of the barrel and run off one or two tnrns lowing a very short harrel to be used.
either side of the shaft, F.
to the manner in which these elevations and depressions have been formed hitherto on the barrels of windlasses, the chain did not slide . freely on them towards the middle as fast as
foot to J, the lever, H, is moved, and the bevel wheels in E, as also the gearing, 0
it! correponding gear, hut
are ordinarily in but a fair con tact each with
The gear wbeels
on applying the
it was wound up, and as a consequence one was liable to overlie another. The
around
the barrel, thus al It
below. For more information, see note at the end of the description of the succeeding machine,
pressed together with great
force, and the
an d
D, are
turn
simple improvement in this capstan obviates this, and some other defects in their construction. Fig. 1 is a perspective view; fig. 2 a verti
also dis pen s es with the use of feeding strips to keep t h e chain on the small part of the
increased friction tends to hold the whole firmly, or to allow it to work only with considerable difficulty. Instead of forcing the
which is an improvement by the same inventor.
HOLMES' SHIP STEERING APPARATUS .
pinion, 0, into clo.er locking contact with the
fixed rack s, D, the link, L, may he made by
taken at the center of the barrel head and capstan head. capstan is secured firmly t o the deck; B is The hot'.om plate, A, of the
ce.l section, and fig. 3 a horizontal
section
a ilimple and obvious
modification
of
the
parte to press directly agains t D, but the arrangement represented is preferred because it not only aids the hell'!lsman in retaining the command of the helm and holding the wheel
the stationary shaft on which the barrel , 0, moves; D is the cap piece firmly attached to the barrel. The upper ring of the capstan
with ease in any desired position, but takes up any 10lt motion or backlash which is usuing in such sitUations, and compels the whole to work IImoothly and silently, or to remain
has notches for the reception of a sliding clutch , S . A plate, F, is keyed fast to shaft
ally an objection to the employment of gear
gear wheels and pinions in the cap, consisting slow motion of the capstan. the capstan turns freely
B to sustain the spindles or centera of the of multiplying gearing, b, a, 0, for the fast or Tbe head, H, of B. on the ahaft
without any play whenever the wheel , G, is held firmly, however violent and intermittent may be the action of the waves.
The curved rim, M, fixed to the deck on the rack , D, is also an important feature of the invent ion , as it serves by the aid of the fric side of the rudder head opposite to the curved
or openings in it. and when these are turned round, the barrel 0 i s revolved.
The handspikes are inserted into the holes
clutch, S , is fitted into head H.
The iliding When this
clutch is 110 moved that a projection on it takes into one of the recesses of the cap-piece D, the head, H, and the cap'piece, D, then clutch together, and the barrel, 0, is rotated by direct action. By moving the clutch , S ,
tion roller represented between it and the rudder head, to relieve the latter from all the side strain which would otherwise be tbroWD on it by the device described. Without this
provision the effect of the foot applied to J would result in causing violent friction The ends to be accomplished by the great manded to turn the rudder of a large ship varieties of steering devices used on ship and especially to steady and retain the same board are quite peculiar. It is necessary in when its broad surface is acted on by a heavy
and
a little further inward, the projection on the
clutch takes into a receSI in plate G, as round thus communicates motion
wear in the rudder post, at the point where the rudder head emerges from the deck, but
shown in fig. 3; the head , H, when moved
throngh
with this gnard all tendency thereto is entirely removed. It will be observe d that this device gives
pinion O-fast on this plate-- t o the wheels, thus setting in motion the multiplied gearing,
as required. ridges, W.
position of the helm quite rapidly from an intermediate position to one
" tacking 11 or " goin about,'! to
change the
� ea..
Mr. John B. Holmes, of this city, is t he in
The barrel , 0, is formed with w elps, or
extremity of
ventor of the improvement illnstrated by the accompanying perspective view, which is secured by letters patent dated March 3d, of the of moving or changing the position helm or tiller with a kind of brake
middle, leaving space. of greatest w id th there
These are made narrowest at the
rable to shift the helm with great alacrity from oth r. one extreme of
its motion, and in some cases it is desi
is in every respect trong and serviceable. It is now in successful use on
sometimes inclines to do, in a heavy sea, and two large
ruU liberty to the rudder to rise .lightly, as it
easily towards the middle of the barrel
s tructi n g them, the chain slides freely
whole length of the barrel.
between them ; the weipa are also made the
By th1l.l con as
an d
obtaining of any extremely great multipli
e
While these necessities preclude the
it! pOllition to
the
present year.
It combinlll a suitable means ships , the Caravan and the Pomona. of the
cation of " purchase " by the introduction of ing to bear a considerable amount of friction to worm wheels or the like, a great force ia deaid in holding it. The wheel which gives
for bring
South street, or 10 and 62 Attorney s t reet,
addressing the agent, Mr. John
Further information
may b e
obtained by R. Pra tt, 67
this city.
� 1857 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC.
