IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1853

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Datition on the 20th Tuly 1859
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 90th July 1859
(This Invention did not proceed, the Law Officer having refused Pro-
visional Protection.)
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street,
Holborn (City), London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS FOR PROPELLING
VESSELS" to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention consists in arranging and combining
the floats in such a manner that they form a continuous series of romb-
shaped buckets all round the wheel.
The object of this mode of arranging and combining the floats is to
prevent violent concussions when they strike the water, and to hold
the water upon which they act in an unbroken body, and thereby to
render their action more effective than that of the floats as commonly
arranged.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1, is a front view of a paddle
wheel constructed accorded to my Invention. Fig. 2, is a section of

page_text: the same in a plane passing through the axis. Fig. 3, is a side eleva-
tion of the same, partly sectional. Fig. 4, shows a portion of the
periphery of the wheel as it would appear when projected on a plane.
Fig. 5, represents one of the buckets as seen from the inside of the
wheel. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the
several Figs.
The frame of the wheel consisting of the bosses A, A, arms B, B,
and rings C, C, may be constructed in the usual manner, and
strengthened by oblique stays a, a. The rings C, C, may be made of a
width equal to the whole depth of the floats, or one may be placed near
the inner and another near the outer edges of the float.
The floats D, D, are arranged with their outer edges in lines running
spirally round the wheel in opposite directions at angles of about 75°
to the axis, the crossings of the said lines forming a number of romb-
shaped buckets E, E, which have no openings excepts towards and from
the centre of the wheel. The inner openings of the buckets are con-
tracted endwise (see Fig.1,) for the purpose of giving the front
angle such a form as to prevent back-lift in rising from the water,
which makes the said inner openings depart from the rhombic form,
inasmuch as the side angles are cut off and the figure is made six
sided, as shown in Fig. 4. The best material for the floats is sheet
iron, and the several floats may be united together and to the arms C, C,
by bolts or rivets. The number of buckets will depend upon the width
of the wheel. The width of the wheel shown in the Drawing includes
three buckets, which I consider to be about the proper number, though
it may be varied.
A number of half buckets of triangular shape will be formed
unavoidably close inside the rings, if rings are used, which may not be
absolutely necessary, as the wheel could be made of sufficient strength
by uniting the floats and arms.
I do not confine myself to the angle before stated for the floats, but
have merely given that which I at present consider best.
This wheel acts upon the water with a constant succession of floats
united to form the letter V. It is true that other wheels have floats
united to produce this form, but the peculiarity of this arrangement is,

page_text: that while every float acts upon the water with propulsive effect, it is
at the same time effective in holding together in a solid body the water
upon which the float which immediately succeeds it acts, or, in other
words, the peculiarity may be said to consist in a combination of succes-
sive series of rhomb-shaped close buckets, of which the two front sides
of the rhomb give a propulsive effect, while the two back sides prevent
the breaking up of the water upon which they act, and the consequent
loss of their effect, the said back sides also forming the front sides or
propelling parts of succeeding buckets.
The operation of this wheel is the same in whichever direction it
turns, and therefore it will return backwards as well as forwards. It
can be made of great strength as it is self-bracing.