IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING, VESSELS."
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Alexander Fall, of Hoboken, in the State
of New Jersey, United States of America, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING, VESSELS.""
Scaled the 20th April 1869, and dated the 22nd February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Alexander Fall
at the Office of the Commissiouers of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd February 1869.
I, GEORGE ALEXANDER FALL, of Hoboken, in the State of New
Jersey, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to avoid the friction of a vessel sliding
endwise through the water. I accomplish this object by making the
buoyant power a series of cylindrical revolving floats arranged in pairs
on a shaft so as to roll over the water and sustain a platform between
four such floats, or said floats may be arranged one behind the other.
The framework or platform on which the journal boxes of the respective

page_text: shafts are fitted is also provided with an engine or other means for
rotating the buoyant cylinders. The peripheries of the cylinders are
fitted with buckets that act against the water in effecting the propulsion
as the cylinder is rolled; these are between flanges formed by a con-
tinuation of the flat ends of the cylinders, hence these flanges protect
the buckets, and on them the float could roll if it came in contact with
a sand bar or the bottom in a shallow place. The buckets are set so.
that a space is left between their inner edge and the periphery of the
cylindrical float for the escape of backwater.
This Invention is especially designed for canals to prevent the washing
of the banks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Alexander Fall in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ALEXANDER FALL, of Hoboken, in the State of New Jersey, United
States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Alexander Fall,
Her special licence that I, the said George Alexander Fall, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Alexander Fall, 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 PROPELLING VESSELS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Alexander
Fall, 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

page_text: 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 George Alexander Fall, 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 following statement, reference being made to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that
is to say)
Fig. 1 is a plan representing my said improvements, and Fig. 2 is a
sectional elevation showing one of the propelling floats partially broken
open. Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.
The object of this Invention is to avoid the friction of a vessel sliding
endwise through the water. I accomplish this object by making the
buoyant power a series of revolving cylindrical floats arranged in pairs
on shafts so as to roll over the water and sustain a platform between
four or more such floats, or said floats may be arranged one behind the
other. The framework or platform on which the journal boxes of the
respective shafts are fitted is also provided with an engine or other
means for rotating the buoyant cylinders. The peripheries of the
cylinders are fitted with buckets that act against the water in effecting
the propulsion as the cylinder is rolled; these are between flanges
formed by a continuation of the flat ends of the cylinders, hence these
flanges protect the buckets, and on them the float can roll if it comes
into contact with a sand bar or the bottom in a shallow place. The
buckets are set so that a space is left between their inner edge and the
periphery of the cylindrical float for the escape of backwater.
This Invention is especially designed for canals to prevent the washing
of the banks.
In the Drawing, a, b, c, and d represent the floating drums, e the
patform supported between them, and hung or sustained by the
boxes ff, on the shafts g, g, of the drums, and h, h, are pulleys or
wheels, to which the motive power from an engine or otherwise is
applied. Each floating drum is made as light and buoyant as possible,
reference being had to the strength required. The hollow floating drums
can be made of sheet metal to attain the required strength and lightness,
and the sheet metal is extended to form the side flanges i, i, between
which the buckets 1, 1, are secured, and there is a space left, as at f',

page_text: between the inner edge of the buckets and the drum to allow backwater
to run down freely and discharge. These cylinders may be placed in a
row, one behind the other.
The boxes ff, may be connected to a
frame moving upon a ring bolt, so that one of the shafts may be swung
into an inclined position to the other, and thereby steer the vessel. In
this case there should be supporting rails or tracks formed as ares of a
circle for the boxes f to bear upon.
These improvements might be made in a light portable form for the
purposes of exercise and pleasure upon the water, and in that case the
cylindrical floats can be driven by belting and wheels and cranks, the
cranks being fitted to turn separately or together; if the latter the vessel
will have to be steered by a rudder, but if the cylindrical floats are
fitted so that those on one side can be turned faster or in a different
direction to those on the other side the steering can be effected without
a rudder.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, the floating
cylinders with buckets upon their peripheries mounted upon shafts that.
sustain a platform, the parts being constructed and operated in sub-
stantially the manner set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Alexander Fall, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of July,.
A.D. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witnesses,
CHA. H. SMITII,
121, Nassau St., New York.
HAROLD SERRELL,
121, Nassau St., New York.
GEORGE A. FALL. (L.S.).