A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING BOATS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, LOUIS BELLEFONDS of 33 Southampton Buildings, Holborn, London, Architect
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR PROPELLING BOATS to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to propel a boat by means of treadle mechanism
instead of with sculls or oars as hitherto-thus not only obviating the laborious
exertion accompanying the exercise of rowing but also enabling persons
unacquainted therewith to divert themselves upon the water with perfect safety
and ease.
To effect this I first fit a boat either with a screw propeller or with paddles-
I then fix therein a seat having a rigid back.
Conveniently placed in front of this seat is a movable horizontal bar-(hereafter
termed the "treadle bar ")-carried on oscillating levers one of which actuates
a pawl and ratchet.
This treadle bar is worked by the feet, by pushing the same forward until it
comes in contact with a stop when the operator discontinuing the forward pressure
such bar is brought back to its normal position by means of a suitable spring
attached thereto.
By this means a to and fro motion is imparted to such bar, which motion is by
means of toothed gearing transmitted to a driving shaft which is connected with
the screw propeller or paddles of the boat.
A fly wheel mounted either on the driving shaft or on an intermediary shaft
serves both to regulate the motion and also to prolong it during the recoil of the
spring affixed to the treadle bar.
The above described arrangement forms a single action motor.
When desired however the same may be readily converted into a double action
motor by fitting the boat with two seats so placed that the occupants when seated
are facing each other; while mounted in a suitable framing, placed centrally
between such seats are two horizontal bars one on each side-carried on oscillating
levers and impelled by a rack and pinion motion.
In connection with such levers or their equivalents are two pawls which actuate
two ratchet wheels mounted on two shafts which are connected and controlled by
two toothed wheels which cause them to revolve at the same speed but in an
inverse direction.

page_text: As by this dual arrangement the action is rendered continuous the fly wheel may
either be reduced in size, or dispensed with altogether-I prefer however to retain
it in order to store up power.
If desired such double action motor may be worked by a single person by
employing a spring of a tension equivalent to one half the power of the operator,
thus dividing such power between the propelling impetus and the tension of the
spring, which latter would reciprocate one half of such impetus during the recoil
of the bar.
By lengthening the seats and bars any number of persons may unite their forces
in the operation and so obtain a maximum speed with a minimum exertion.
Dated thin 01ch dan
L
1001

page_text: I LOUIS BELLEFONDS of 33 Southampton Buildings Holborn London Architect
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING BOATS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
"
The object of this invention is to propel a boat by means of treadle mechanism
instead of with sculls or oars as hitherto-thus not only obviating the laborious
exertion accompanying the exercise of rowing but also enabling persons
unacquainted therewith to divert themselves upon the water with perfect safety
and ease.
To effect this I first fit a boat either with a screw propeller or with paddles-
I then fix therein a seat having a rigid back-Conveniently placed in front of this
seat is a movable horizontal bar (hereafter termed the treadle bar) carried on
oscillating levers one of which actuates a pawl and ratchet; or carried on horizontal
bars acting as hereinafter explained. This treadle is worked by the feet by pushing
the same forward until it comes in contact with a stop; when, the operator
discontinuing the forward pressure such bar is brought back to its normal position
by means of a suitable spring attached thereto.
By this means a to and fro motion is imparted to such bar which motion is by
means of toothed gearing transmitted to a driving shaft which is connected with
the screw propeller or paddles. of the boat.
When desired however this may be converted into a double action motor which
I will proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings
wherein Fig 1 is a longitudinal view partly in section of a boat fitted according to
this invention Fig 2 is a transverse section, and Fig 3 a plan.
The boat is fitted with two seats A and B so placed that the occupants when
seated are facing each other while placed centrally between such seats are two
horizontal bars a and a¹ one on each side carried on transverse bars 6 6¹, which
carry rollers cccc; the said rollers travel on the rails dď¹ fixed to the framing e e¹
attached to the boat.
Two frames g g¹ fixed to the transverse bars 6 6¹ by screws or otherwise, carry
two racks hh one of which is fixed to the top part of the frames g gl and the
other to the lower part of same.
In connection with the racks are two toothed
wheels kk which by means of pawls and ratchet wheels placed inside the drums l'
give to the bevel wheel m a rotary motion which is transmitted to the driving
shaft n by means of the bevel pinions p or p¹ and thus turns the screw-propeller r
or paddles of the boat.
The ratchet and pawls are so arranged that the to and fro motion imparted to
the racks by the alternate action of the operators seated on the seats and acting
with their feet on the bars a a¹ gives through the racks hh' and the toothed
wheels kk a continuous rotary motion to the bevel wheel m.
A fly wheel mounted either on the driving shaft or on an intermediate shaft as
shown in Figs 1 and 2 serves to regulate the motion or to prolong it in case of
a single action motor during the recoil of the spring affixed to the treadle bar.
A brake may be provided to the fly wheel to enable the operator to stop the same
at will
To reverse the motion of the screw or paddles there is provided on the shaft n
a clutch t actuated by forked levers 8. This traversing motion may be placed to
act upon any part of the shaft.

page_text: When so desired this double action may be worked by only one operator by
employing a spring of a tension equivalent to one half the power of the operator
thus dividing such power between the propelling impetus and the tension of the
spring which latter would reciprocate one half of such impetus during the recoil of
the bar. By lengthening the seats and bars any number of persons may unite
their forces in the operation and so obtain a maximum speed with a minimum
exertion. The seats A and B may be adjustable in order to suit the varying height
of the operators.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
The construction and arrangement of mechanical device as described and shown
in the drawings for the purpose herein set forth.