IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FROM RIVERS OR STREAMS OF WATER, AND FOR FACILITATING BOATS ASCENDING AND DESCENDING RIVERS OR STREAMS
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Louis Roman at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
March 1868.
I, Louis ROMAN, of Paris, France, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FROM RIVERS OR STREAMS OF WATER, AND FOR
FACILITATING BOATS ASCENDING AND DESCENDING RIVERS OR STREAMS," to be
as follows:-
The Invention relates to apparatus for obtaining motive power from
rivers or streams of water, and applying this power for driving
machinery, towing boats up or down streams, or for other similar useful
purposes.
The apparatus consists of an endless chain provided at suitable
distances apart with transverse paddles or float boards, which chain is
laid horizontally in the vertical plane over two or more horizontal
pulleys, drums, or tooth wheels, the axis or arbors of which revolve in
bearings provided in boats or other suitable moveable or fixed parts,
and which allows more or less of stretching the chain and keeping the
lower part of this latter and the paddles of that part immersed in the

page_text: water in the direction of the current, whereas the remainder or upper
part of the chain and the paddles of this latter part are out of the
water, the current of which latter acting on the immersed paddles will
cause the immersed part of the chain to move forward in the direction
of the current and the non-immersed part in the opposite direction, in
consequence of which the chain will impart a revolving motion to the
drums, pulleys, or wheels, and to their axis or arbors, which revolving
motion of the said drums, pulleys, or wheels and their axis or arbors
may be usefully employed for driving machinery, towing boats, or other
similar purposes,
which may
be effected by any of the known mechanical
means for transmitting the revolving motion of the said drums, pulleys,
or wheels, or their axis or arbors to the main shaft of the machinery
to be driven, or by connecting one end of a rope to the boat to be towed,
whereas the other end is wound as if on a windlass on the said drums,
pulleys, wheels, or their axis or arbors, or by various other well-known
mechanical means. Instead of one endless chain of paddles two or
more of such chains or endless ropes may be employed simultaneously
for procuring the revolution of the said pulleys, drums, or tooth wheels.
The Invention consequently consists,―
1ly. In imparting a rotary motion to two or more drums, pulleys, or
tooth wheels, the axis or arbors of which revolve in bearings provided
in boats, on the sides of the rivers, or streams of water, or other suitable
moveable or fixed parts by means of an endless chain or chains provided
with paddles, which chain or chains are laid over the said drums, pulleys,
or wheels, part of the paddles being at the time immersed in the stream
or river, the current of which latter acting on the immersed paddles
drives the endless chain or chains, and thereby procures the rotary
motion of the drums, pulleys, or wheels.
2ly. In making the rotary motion thus imparted to the said drums,
pulleys, or tooth wheels subservient for driving machinery for towing
boats, or for other similar useful purposes by means of any suitable
known mechanical means.