AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND. APPARATUS FOR ROWING BOATS ON WATER
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Stewart Jones, of 'Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Gentleman, for the Invention of. "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND.
APPARATUS FOR ROWING BOATS ON WATER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Stewart Jones at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th March 1867.
I, EDWARD STEWART JONES, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,--
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR ROWING BOATS ON. WATER," to be as.
follows:
In my improved mode of rowing boats the rower or rowers is or are enabled
to sit facing the stem or bow whilst propelling the boat ahead, and to retain
substantially the same desirable movements of the body and the oars as are now
necessary in rowing boats with oars in the manner universally practised.
The advantages of this mode or system in crowded waters and elsewhere-
are obvious.
In the apparatus which I employ oars of any ordinary form or oars
constructed with joints and bent in the manner herein-after described are
employed, but instead of the rowlock or rest for each oar being placed
between the rower's hands and the propelling blade, as is the case in the ordinary
method, I make the oar of greater length, and provide a rowlock or rest on.

page_text: that side of the boat, or in preference on an outrigger thereon, farthest removed
from the propelling blade and outside the rower's hands, so that when the oar
is in use that part of it which passes over the gunwale next the blade is
moved to and fro over or on the said gunwale. At or near the extreme end
of the oar, and outside the rowlock or rest just mentioned, a loop or strap is
passed over the oar, and by a lever and weight arranged on the principle of
the "Roman steelyard," the said oar is balanced in equilibrium, or as near.
thereto as may be desired on the said rowlock or rest. In this way the.
rower is enabled to grasp a perfectly balanced oar and is relieved from the work
of lifting the heavy blade end,
Although when rowing boats according to my Invention the movements of
the rower are substantially the same as in ordinary rowing, I would here point
out that, whereas in the latter the hands and the oar, where grasped are raised
when the blade is in the water and lowered when out of it, in mine they
are reversed, that is, the hands and the oar where grasped are lowered
when the blade is in the water and raised when out of it on the return
stroke.
Oars used in my system being longer than, oars used in the ordinary method
for a boat of the same size, although the distance from the extreme end of
the blade to the boat is not greater, I sometimes construct them with a joint
similar to the joint of a knife blade, so that they can be folded up and brought
in board quickly, and in some cases, as in racing boats, where the outriggers
project outwards and upwards a considerable distance, I form them the said
oars each with a bend in that part between the above described rowlocks or
rests and, the rower's hands.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Stewart Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
STEWART JONES, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Stewart Jones, Her special license that I, the said Edward Stewart

page_text: Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Stewart Jones, 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 "AN IMPROVED
MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR ROWING BOATS ON WATER," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Stewart Jones, 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 Edward Stewart Jones, 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 ful
lowing statement, reference being had to the accompanying 2 Sheets of
illustrative Drawings, and to the figures and letters thereon, that is to
say:
In my improved mode of rowing boats the rower or rowers is or are enabled
to sit facing the stem or bow whilst propelling the boat ahead, and to retain
substantially the same desirable movements of the body and the oars as are
now necessary in rowing boats with oars in the manner ordinarily practised in
this country. The advantages of this mode or system in crowded waters and
elsewhere are obvious.
In the apparatus which I employ oars of any ordinary form or oars constructed
with joints and bent in the manner herein-after described are employed, but
instead of the rowlock or rest for each oar being placed between the rower's
hands and the propeller blade, as is the case in the ordinary method, I make
the oar of greater length and provide a rowlock or rest on that side of the
boat, or in preference on an outrigger thereon farthest removed from the
propelling blade and outside the rower's hands, so that when the oar is in use
that part of it which passes over the gunwale next the blade is moved to and fro
over or on the said gunwale. At or near the extreme end of the oar, and out-
side the rowlock or rest just mentioned, a loop or strap is passed over the oar,
and by a lever and weight arranged on the principle of the Roman steelyard,
or by an elastic counterpoise, the said oar is balanced in equilibrium, or as near
thereto as may be desired, on the said rowlock or rest. In this way the rower

page_text: is enabled to grasp a perfectly balanced oar, and is relieved from the work of
lifting the heavy blade end.
Although when rowing boats according to my Invention the movements. of
the rower are substantially the same as in ordinary rowing, I would here point
out that, whereas in the latter the hands and the oar where grasped are raised
when the blade is in the water and lowered when out of it, in mine they are
reversed, that is, the hands and the oar where grasped are lowered when
the blade is in the water and raised when out of it on the return stroke.
Oars used in my system being longer than oars used in the ordinary method
for a boat of the same size, although the distance from the extreme end of the
blade to the boat is not greater, I sometimes construct them with a joint
similar to the joint of a knife blade, so that they can be folded up and brought
inboard quickly, and in some cases, as in racing boats, where the outriggers
project outwards and upwards a considerable distance, I form them each with
a bend in that part between the above-described rowlocks or rests and the
Fower's hands.
On Sheet A of the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of
part of a beat or scull fitted with outriggers and oars balanced according to
my Invention; Fig. 2, an elevation looking towards the side of the boat,
Fig. 3 an elevation looking along the boat, and Fig. 4 a plan or bird's-eye
view, all of one of the outriggers and balances; Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively
views in elevation and section of oars constructed according to my Invention,
and such as are shewn in Fig. 1. In all these views like letters denote the
same parts.
A, the boat; B, outriggers, each formed with three free legs or staunchions
b, 61, 6, to be secured to the boat, and a rowlock or rest 6' for the oar; C,
the
oars, here shewn made of metal c bent into the form best seen in Figs. 5
and 6 at their inner ends, and wood c' at their outer ends, a joint being
formed at the junction of the two; these joints are provided so that the parts.c
do not require to be turned during the feathering of the oars. The rower's
hands, it will be observed, grasp the parts c¹, and the motion for feathering
takes place by c moving round, on, or over the shoulders on .c. The extreme
ends of C are fitted with trucks c; within these, but outside the rowlocks, a
loop d passes over each oar; these loops are made oval, so that when an oar
has to be shipped it is simply pushed or drawn through, but when it is in
working position it will be observed the greatest length of the truck is at
right angles to the greatest length of the loop a. d is connected by a swivel joint
to the piece d', which in its turn is jointed to the lever d³. By this arrangement
the loops d do not interfere with the free movement of the oars when in use.

page_text: d³moves on a fixed centre at d³, and is provided with a balance d', the weight
of which is proportioned to the length or weight of the oar or the fancy of the
rower. For racing boats very light weights could be employed by connecting
another lever to the end of d; this second lever could be placed alongside and
parallel to the gunwale. Every time the oar enters the water the balance d'
is raised by the oar moving d, d, and d³.
The oars C, for the purpose of getting them inboard quickly and for
facilitating stowage in small space, are constructed with joints at e, which allow
them to be folded up. When in use the lock pin f, secured by the chain and
staple g to the oar, is passed through it.
On Sheet B of the accompanying Drawings. Fig. 7 shews a portion of a
boat fitted according to my Invention; Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are respectively
plan, side elevation, and end elevation of one of the outriggers. In these four
views like letters denote the same parts.
H, the boat; I, outriggers, each formed of four staunchions i joined at i¹,
which form the rowlocks or rests for the oars J; these oars are straight and
of the usual formn; they are fitted with trucks at their outer ends. Between
and jan elastic strap k passes over each oar; the length or elasticity of k,
which is joined and fastened by the pin l, and can be lengthened or shortened
thereat, determines the weight of oar it will sustain in balance.
Figs. 11 and 12 are elevations similar to Figs. 9 and 10 of another
modification. Here m are the outrigger staunchions; ", the rowlock;
o, the oar with truck p; q, a stong india-rubber or other elastic ring, in which
the oar is at liberty to work freely, but by which it is held when not in use in
a nearly horizontal position out of the water; the rower has, therefore, only
to overcome the slight resistance of forcing the oar into the water to the
required depth when he uses it. The contractile energy of q, brought into
play when moving o, will assist in drawing its blade end out of the water at
the end of each stroke.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and particularized
the same by several modifications, and also by its application to boats with
one rower and with two or more rowers in such manner that any boat builder
would be enabled to carry the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to shape, proportion, nor exact arrangement
described and shewn so long as the leading features are retained; what I
claim is, ena'.ling the rower or rowers to sit facing the bow whilst propelling
the boat ahead by the mechanism or arrangement of parts herein described,
or ny modification thereof, the said mechanism or arrangement of parts con-
sisting substantially of a rowlock or rest for each oar, formed or placed on the

page_text: outrigger, or on, over, or near the gunwale of the boat on the side thereof
opposite to that on which the blade of the oar enters the water, and a lever
and weight, an elastic band or ring, or their equivalent, acting on the on
outside the rowlock or rest to hold it in equilibrium; and I also claim the
jointed oars, constructed substantially as set forth for rowing boats in the
mode herein described and claimed as of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Stewart Jones, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
In the presence of
JOHN T. KING,
Patent Agents
Liverpool.
EDWARD STEWART JONES. (L.B.)