IM- PROVEMENTS IN PROPELLERS FOR PROPELLING STEAM SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS, AND WHICH ARE DENOMINATED THE WHINFIELD OR CONICAL PROPELLER
Year: 1855

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Jane Ann Herbert, of No. 5, Waterden Place,
Guildford, in the County of Surrey, Widow, for the Invention of " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PROPELLERS FOR PROPELLING STEAM SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS,
AND WHICH ARE DENOMINATED THE WHINFIELD OR CONICAL PROPELLER."-
A communication from William D. Jones, of Pokeepsie, and Henry
Whinfield, of New York, both in the State of New York, United States
of Amarice
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with her Petition and Declara-
tion, on the 11th October 1855, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JANE ANN
HERBERT, of No. 5, Waterden Place, Guildford, in the County of Surrey,
Widow, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROPELLERS FOR PROPELLING STEAM SHIPS OR OTHER VESSELS, AND WHICH ARE
DENOMINATED THE WHINFIELD OR CONICAL PROPELLER," being a communication
from William D. Jones, of Pokeepsie, and Henry Whinfield, of New
York, both in the State of New York, United States of America, and
have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made

page_text: solemn declaration that the same was a communication to me, as herein-before
stated:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jane Ann Herbert do hereby declare
that the following complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed (that is to say):-
The following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and
operation of the said propeller, reference being had to the annexed Drawings,
making a part of this Specification, in which Figure 1 is an elevation or stern
view, when attached to a vessel; Figure 2 is a sectional view; Figure 3 is a
perspective side view. The same letters refer to like parts in each Figure.
A, A, the disks or wheels; B, B, the shafts or axles; C, C, the paddles or
buckets; D, the connecting or universal joint; E, E, the hinges or bolts; F, the
connection of paddles or buckets; H, denoting the point where the disks or
wheels are nearest together, and no resistance from the paddles or buckets; I,
denoting the point where the disks or wheels are farthest apart, and paddles
or buckets are balanced, and have the position of direct propulsion.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my Invention, I will
proceed to describe its construction and operation.
I construct the said Whinfield or conical propeller, for propelling steam
ships or other vessels, by placing two circular wheels or disks A,, A, or their
equivalents, with or without arms, having open spaces G, G, for the paddles or
buckets to turn, and are so constructed and set that their axes or shafts B, B,
stand at about one hundred and fifty degrees from each other, more or less,
and that the peripheries of said disks or wheels nearly touch each other at
one point, while the face of said wheels or disks A, A, diverge from each other
at about thirty degrees, more or less, in consequence of the inclination of their
axes, or by placing the said wheels or disks at any distance from each other,
but retaining the said or similar angle or relative position that the wheels or
disks have to each other, as before stated. The object attained by this last
position is, that without increasing the size of the wheels or disks, larger and
longer paddles or buckets can be obtained. And to these said wheels or disks,
or their equivalent, paddles or buckets C, C, or their equivalents, are attached
through their centre radially in the said openings in each of said wheels or
disks, according to the number of paddles or buckets required, and of length
sufficient to extend to half the distance between the said wheels or disks when
widest apart, and an equal distance outside of each of said wheels or disks, so
as to form balance paddles or buckets working and turning on their centres and
then connected, as hereafter detailed.

page_text: The propelling wheels or disks A, A, are driven in the same direction,
and at a uniform speed, by means of a universal joint D, or its equivalent;
connecting the interior end of said shafts B, B, or by any other suitable
means.
In the said openings in the said wheels or disks, one or more paddles or
buckets C, C, or their equivalents, are attached radially by means of any suit-
able binge, bold joint, or equivalent device, so that the centre of each paddle
or bucket stands radially in the openings named of each of the said wheels or
disks, and the shape of each of these paddles or buckets C, C, is such as to
occupy and extend to one half the distance between the said wheels or disks,
and an equal distance on the other or outer side of said wheels or disks, and
are fixed in the said openings, so as to open and shut on a pin, bolt, or hinge,
or equivalent device, and presenting an equal surface on each side of each of
the said wheels or disks, and forming perfect balance buckets; and when said
wheels or disks at I are farthest apart, the said paddles or buckets C, C, are
open and at right angles with the said wheels or disks A, A, and meeting each
other, are connected or joined at F in the centre, and occupying the whole
space between, and an equal distance outside of each of the said wheels or
disks; and pairs of these paddles or buckets thus formed, connected and
attached to the said wheels or disks in said openings by radial hinges, bolts, or
joints E, E, or their equivalent, extend across between the said wheels or disks,
and an equal distance on the other or outer side of each wheel or disk, and are
connected at their inner or guiding ends between the said wheels or disks by
means of a ring F, or other suitable joint or equivalent.
The operation of these balance paddles or buckets C, C, as they revolve with
and between these inclined wheels or disks A, A, is, that when any of the
paddles or buckets C, C, have reached the point H, where the said wheels or
disks are nearest together, they are closest or folded down on each side flat, or
nearly so, unto the plane of the said wheels or disks A, A, and pass through the
water without offering any resistance; but as said paddles or buckets C, C,
are moved on by the rotation of the said wheels or disks A, A, the paddles or
buckets C, C, will revolve and extend at each side, as at I, from the said
wheels or disks A, A, until said pair of paddles or buckets C, C, stand at right
angles to the planes of the said wheels or disks at the point I, where said
wheels or disks are farthest apart from each other, presenting an equal surface
on each side of each wheel or disk, so as to equalize the power, and prevent
any lateral strain or drawing of the said wheels or disks together, and forming
perfect balance paddles or buckets; and their formation and position taking
almost all strain from the said ring at F, where they are connected or joined,

page_text: tereby producing continued and direct propulsion at I against the water, and
scarcely any resistance at H, and the continued rotation of the wheels or disks
turn up or close said paddles or buckets, and extend and evolve them, as
the case may be, so that the said hinges, in their revolutions with the said
"wheels or disks, approach to or recede from each other, until they lie against or
at right angles with the plane of the said wheels or disks, as before detailed.
One or more pairs of paddles or buckets, or their equivalents, may be used
on the said wheels or disks, or their equivalents, and one or more of the pro-
'pellers thus formed may be applied at the stern, sides, or bottom of a ship in
any convenient or suitable manner.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, the arrangement
and combination of the parts forming a propeller, made and operated as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jane Ann Herbert, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JANE ANN HERBERT.
(L.S.)