IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS, AND ENGINES FOR PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Griffiths, of 69, Mornington Road, Regent's
Park, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VESSELS, AND
ENGINES FOR PROPELLING VESSELS."
Sealed the 10th February 1857, and dated the 28th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Griffiths at the
. Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
November 1856.
I, ROBERT GRIFFITHS, of 69, Mornington Road, Regent's Park, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VESSELS, AND ENGINES FOR PROPELLING VESSELS," to be as follows:-
. My improvements consist in constructing and forming of the bows of vessels
so that when under weigh the water will be driven away horizontally or,
upwards (instead of downwards), thereby causing less resistance to. the progress
of the vessel through the water.
The application of an apparatus on the bow of the vessel which will be put
into motion by the resistance offered to it from the water when the ship is
under weigh, so that the power thus obtained is made available as an auxiliary
to the prime mover. In this case I form the lower part of the ship's bow

page_text: (that is under water) conical, the first part of which is made to revolve upon
a shaft, which passes through a stuffing box into the vessel, from which the
power is transmitted (by either of the ordinary methods, such as shafting,
exhaust or compressed air, water, &c.) to the prime mover. Upon the
revolving cono I have blades set at an angle with the keel of the vessel, or
they may form a portion of a screw, so that when pushed through the water
by means of the prime mover they will cause the cone to revolve at the speed
due to the angle given to these blades. If the vessel is only a sailing ship, the
power will be transmitted to a screw, or any other propelling apparatus, for
that purpose.
Forming the keel of the vessel hollow underneath, so as to stiffen them, and
enable them to carry more canvass.
In the arrangement of the engines for propelling vessels, I place them on to
or between the boilers, and thus occupy room in the ship of little use instead
of that which is more valuable. When it is required to have the engines
fixed low in the vessel, I have the steam cylinders made with a fixed trunk
through them to allow the connecting rod to pass thro' it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Griffiths in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
GRIFFITHS, of 69, Mornington Road, Regent's Park, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Griffiths, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Griffiths, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Griffiths, 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 VESSELS, AND
ENGINES FOR PROPELLING VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that

page_text: I, the said Robert Griffiths, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Griffiths, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statoment
thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in constructing and forming the bows of
vessels so that when under weigh the water will be driven away horizontally
or upwards (instead of downwards), thereby causing less resistance to the
progress of vessels through the water.
Secondly, my Invention consists in the application of an apparatus on the
bow of a vessel, which will be put in motion by the resistance offered to it
from the water when the ship is under weigh, so that the power thus obtained
is made available as an auxiliary to the prime mover.."
Thirdly, my Invention consists in forming the keels of vessels hollow under-
neath, so as to stiffen them, and enable them to carry more canvas.
And, fourthly, in a mode of arranging the engines for propelling vessels on
to or between the boilers.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, I will
proceed to describe the Drawings bereunto annexed.
Figure 1 shows part of a side view of a ship or vessel constructed according
to the first part of my Invention; Figure 2, a front view thereof; and
Figure 3 shows a plan thereof. The lines on these Figures indicate the
peculiar formation of the forè part of a ship or vessel, by which it will be seen
that the parts of the bows or fore parts of the ship are constructed with a
view to cause the water as it is divided by the stem to be driven upwards and
partly horizontally by reason of the form given to the fore part or bows of the
vessel below the water line, where it will be perceived that there is produced
on either side a hollow channel, the parts below such channel swelling out, in
the manner clearly indicated by the lines shown in Figures 2 and 3, hence the
water will be driven upwards as the vessel moves through the water.
I will now proceed to describe the second part of my Invention.
Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section of a ship or vessel having this part of
mý Invention applied thereto. The fore part of the ship is made conical, and

page_text: has a shaft or axis passing through a suitable stuffing box. On the fore end
of the shaft is formed a cone, on which blades are fixed, set at an angle with
the keel of the vessel, or they may form portions of a screw, so that when
pushed through the water by means of the prime mover (a steam engine, for
instance, acting upon a propeller,) the cone will be caused to revolve, and thus
give motion to the shaft to which the cone and blades or screws are fixed,
If the vessel be
according to the speed due to the angle given to the blades.
only a sailing ship, the power will be transmitted to a screw, or any other form
of propeller applied to the vessel, and suitably arranged to receive rotatory
motion from the shaft to which the cone is applied.
The Drawing shows this part of my Invention applied to a vessel propelled
by a steam engine, and the shaft from the cone is geared with the shaft from
the engine; hence the power derived from the blades or screw on the cone
by the same being forced through the water is transmitted to the engine shaft,
and in aid thereof, as will readily be understood by reference to the Drawing.
I would remark that I am aware that it has before been proposed to make
the fore part of a ship conical below the water line, and to apply thereto a
conical propeller driven by suitable power in order to propel the vessel; I do
not therefore claim the same, this part of my Invention consisting in the
construction and application herein described, whereby the rotation to the fore
part of the cone is obtained by the forcing of the vessel through the water,
and the rotating motion derived therefrom is transmitted to a propeller.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which is shown in
section at Figure 5; where a represents the ordinary keel; and b, b, two
inclined keels, the spaces between such keels being left hollow, as is shown.
I will now describe the fourth part of my Invention.
Figure 6 shows a transverse section of a ship or vessel, and Figure 7 a plan
of part thereof. A, A, are two steam boilers having the steam cylinders or
engines B, B, between them, but by preference on a higher level, in order
to get as long connecting rods as may be to the propeller shaft C, which is also
between the two boilers, by which mode of combining the cylinders with the
boilers on board a vessel to give motion to a propeller shaft great con-
venience is obtained.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First, the constructing and forming the bows of vessels in order that the
water may be driven horizontally upwards in place of downwards.
Secondly, I claim the application of apparatus to a vessel, as hercin

page_text: described, to receive motion by being driven through the water and to transmit
the same to a propeller.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of constructing hollow keels to ships or vessels.
And, fourthly, I claim the mode herein described of combining steam
cylinders or engines with boilers used for propelling vessels.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Griffiths, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
GEO. PITT.
ROBT GRIFFITHS. (L.S.)