IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING TUGS, SUITABLE FOR TOWING A NUMBER OF FLATS ON CANALS WITHOUT DISTURBING THE WATER TO INJURE THE BANKS OF THE SAME, AND WITHOUT THE USE OF THE ORDINARY SCREW OR PADDLES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Thomas, of the District Bank, Llangefni,
in the County of Anglesea, North Wales, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING TUGS, SUITABLE FOR TOWING A NUMBER
OF FLATS ON CANALS WITHOUT DISTURBING THE WATER TO INJURE THE
BANKS OF THE SAME, AND WITHOUT THE USE OF THE ORDINARY SCREW OR
PADDLES."
Sealed the 3rd February 1874, and dated the 5th November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th November 1873.
I, ROBERT THOMAS, of the District Bank, Llangefni, in the County of
Anglesea, North Wales, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING TUGS, SUITABLE FOR TOWING A
NUMBER OF FLATS ON CANALS WITHOUT DISTURBING THE WATER TO INJURE THE
BANKS OF THE SAME, AND WITHOUT THE USE OF THE ORDINARY SCREW OR PADDLES,"
to be as follows:-
The Invention in the first place consists of an iron steam tug, say fifty
feet in length by fourteen feet in breadth (more or less in size), the

page_text: tug having two sharp ends to enable her to go either way without the
trouble of turning on the canal; underneath the tug from one end to
the other is formed on a circle of an arch so forming like two boats; on
both sides of the centre arch in both ends of the tug there is a stern
post formed of two iron sheets rivetted together and which runs for
three yards from stern post towards the centre of the tug in level depth
with the bottom of the tug; at the termination of the goose breastbone
keel the bottom part slopes three feet on a slope to the top of the arch;
at the end of the slope the arch is flat; in the flat part there is fixed a
regulator of square iron sheet, six feet in length by three. The inner
end of the regulator is hinged, at the other end is fixed a screwed rod
which could be turned from the deck of the tug just to touch the stern
end of it on the brakers that might be, in order to kill all the com-
motion underneath the tug with hardly any resistance to her speed.
In the centre of the tug from the hinge end of both regulators at
both ends there is an opening, say from thirteen feet in length by three
feet in width; in that opening is fixed the propeller on a square frame
exactly the same size as the opening on the frame, that is, fixed all
round the opening and on the deck of the tug there are eight pillars,
two feet three inches in height, four on each side of the frame; on the
top of the pillars there is another frame exactly the same as the bottom
frame in size and shape; on the bottom frame there is fixed three
pedestals both sides from the inner ends of the journals' shafts; in the
said pedestals there is a crank arm two feet in length, and on the top
frame there is everything the same except the shape of the crank, which
is only one rod turned to a shape of a circle in order to get rid of
fastening of the shaft in both ends of the cranks on both sides; from
the ends of the crank arm on the bottom frame there is a shaft from the
crank on one side to the other side, and so forming a complete crank
rest on the journals on both sides of the bottom frame; from the centre
of the bottom shafts (or the centre of the bottom crank it may be
called) there is a connecting rod to the centre of the top crank, two feet
in length, the same length as the crank's arms. The shaft of the cranks
turn in the journals of the connection rods, therefore the connecting
rods and the crank arms are exactly the same length; the connecting
rods are always kept in a perpendicular position while the connecting
rod from the top crank to the bottom one is passing the bottom shaft. to
the water, when the cranks are in a downward position, say three feet;

page_text: on that flat connecting rod is fixed the blades, three feet in length by
two feet nine inches, and so when in a downward position having a hold
in the water of nearly nine square feet, besides the swell from the speed
of the blades in moving will rise the water on the blade nearly nine
inches (more or less); the bottom shaft is about three inches above the
surface of the water, for the reason of causing less commotion by the
crank ends going through the water, only the blade itself enters the
water; when the apparatus is in motion the blades is moving regular
one after the other, the blade next to the stern will dip first to the water
perpendicularly, quite on its edge, and after moving to the centre, when
the cranks are in downward position and on the point of turning up
when the power decreasing, the second one will begin to take a good
hold in the water, and when that will reach the downward position the
first one will be out of the water, then the third blade will take its
place, and when this will pass the centre the first one will repeat its
holding, the blades by entering the water on their edges totally dis-
pensing with back water that paddle boats are troubled with, also
from the commotion created by striking the water with the paddle, the
blades entering the water on the edges and come out the same clear of
no back lash whatever.
For Driving the Apparatus.-On the outside of the pedestals where
the journals of the blades' driving cranks are fixed, there is a small
crank which continually keeps a correct position by connecting rods
from all the small cranks to each other in a line, and so from the bottom
ones to the top ones. To the middle outside small crank on the bottom
frame there is connected a direct motion from the cylinder working rod
of a horizontal engine, on the middle crank at the other side is exactly
the same arrangements working in right angles. There are also two fly
wheels fixed on the journals of the middle crank on the top frame to
assist the motion of the cranks passing the centres. There are also two
boilers in order to keep the tug straight on each side of the openings;
when the driving apparatus works, twelve inches height of iron sheet
is fixed on the bottom frame in order to keep off all splashes of water
with brass railings projecting, the driving gear from cause of
accidents; all the apparatus is to be covered from exposure of the
weather, top and sides.
Min funnel
of the onnentus at anch a beicht

page_text: tug there is a small house built for the captain and the engineer and
their family, which is comfortably fitted up with berths, cooking, and
living apartments.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
THOMAS, of the District Bank, Llangefni, in the County of Angelsea,
North Wales, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Thomas, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Thomas, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Thomas, 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
PROPELLING TUGS, SUITABLE FOR TOWING A NUMBER OF FLATS ON CANALS
WITHOUT THE DISTURBING THE WATER TO INJURE THE BANKS OF THE SAME,
AND WITHOUT THE USE OF THE ORDINARY SCREW OR PADDLES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Thomas, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Thomas, 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

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
Fig. 1 represents my Invention in longitudinal section. Fig. 2, plan
of tug and propeller; Fig. 3, transverse section; Fig. 4, plan of bottom
of tug; and Fig. 5, a plan shewing interior arrangements. The same
letters of reference indicate similar parts to all the Figs.
the
The Invention in the first place consists of an iron steam tug, say
fifty feet in length by fourteen feet in breadth (more or less in size),
tug having two sharp ends to enable her to go either way without the
trouble of turning on the canal, underneath the tug from one end to the
other is formed on a circle of an arch, so forming like two boats see
Figures 3 and 4. On both sides of the centre arch in both ends of the
tug there is a stern post a formed of two iron sheets rivetted together
and which runs by three yards from stern post towards the centre of the
tug in level depth with the bottom of the tug. At the termination of
the goose brest bone keel the bottom part slopes three feet on a slope
to the top of the arch; at the end of the slope the arch is flat. In the
flat part there is fixed a regulator 6 of square iron sheets, six feet in
length by three; the inner end of the regulator is hinged; at the other
end is fixed a screw rod c which could be turned from the deck of the
tug just to touch the stern end of it on the breakers that might be
in order to kill all the commotion underneath the tug with hardly any
resistence to her speed.
In the centre of the tug from the hinge end of both regulators at
both ends there is an opening d, say from thirteen feet in length by
three feet in width; in that opening is fixed the propeller on which
a square frame e, exactly the same size as the framing on the frame that
is fixed all round the opening, and on the deck of the tug there are
pillars two feet three inches in height on each side of the frame. On
the top of the pillars there is another frame 9 exactly the same as the
bottom frame in size and shape. On the bottom frame there are fixed
three pedestals both sides; from the ends of the journals shafts in the
said pedestals there are crank arms i, two feet in length, and on the top
frame there is everything the same except the shape of the crank, which
is only one rod turned to a shape of a circle in order to get rid of
fastening of the shaft in both ends of the cranks on both sides; from
the end of the crank arm on the bottom frame there is a shaft from the
crank on one side to the other side and so forming a complete crank

page_text: rest; on the journals on both sides of the bottom frame from the centre
of the bottom shafts (on the centre of the bottom crank it may be called)
there is a connecting rod to the centre of the top crank, two feet in
length, the same length as the crank arms. The shaft of the cranks
turns in the journals of the connection rods, and the crank arms are
exactly the same length. The connecting rods are always kept in a
perpendicular position while the connecting rod from the top crank
to the bottom one is passing the bottom shaft to the water when the
cranks are in a downward position, say three feet; on that flat con-
necting rod is fixed the blades, three feet in length by two feet nine
inches, and so when in a downward position having a hold in the water
of nearly nine square feet, besides the swell from the speed of the blades
in moving will rise the water on the blade nearly nine inches (more
or less). The bottom shaft is about three inches above the surface of
the water for the reason of causing less commotion by the crank ends
going through the water; only the blade itself enters the water when
the apparatus is in motion; the blades are moving regular one after
the other; the blade next to the stern will dip first to the water per-
pendicularly quite on its edge, and after moving to the centre when the
cranks are in a downward position and on the point of turning up;
when the power decreasing the second one will begin to take a good
hold in the water, and when this will pass the centre the first one will
repeat its holding, the blades by entering the water on their edges
totally dispensing with back water that paddle boats are troubled with,
also from the [commotion created by striking the water with the paddle
the blades entering the water on the edges and come out the same
clear of no back lash whatever.
For driving the apparatus on the outside of the pedestals when the
journals of the blades' driving cranks are fixed there is a small crank
which continually keep a correct position by connecting rods from all
the small cranks to each other in a line, and so from the bottom ones to
the top ones. To the middle outside small crank on the bottom frame
there is connected a direct motion from the cylinder working rod of a
horizontal engine on the middle crank; at the other side is exactly the
same arrangements working in right angles. There are also two fly
wheels fixed on the journals of the middle crank on the top frame to
assist the motion of the cranks passing the centres; there are also two
boilers, in order to keep the tug straight, on each side of the openings

page_text: where the driving apparatus works twelve inches height of iron sheet
is fixed on the bottom frame, in order to keep off all splashes of water,
with brass railings projecting the driving gear from cause of accidents.
All the apparatus is to be covered from exposure of the weather, top and
sides.
The funnel enters through the roof of the apparatus at such a height
as will go through all the bridges of the canals. At both ends of the
tug there is a small house built for the captain and the engineer and
their family, which is comfortably fitted up with berth, cooking, and
living apartments.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is carried into effect, I declare that what
I claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein-before recited
Letters Patent is, the improvements in propelling tugs suitable for
towing a number of flats in canals without disturbing the water or
injuring the banks of the same, and without the use of the ordinary
screw or paddle, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
on the Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Thomas, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
ROBERT THOMAS (T.01