IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRO- PELLING VESSELS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS. PATENT to Arthur Rigg, junior, of the City of Chester,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRO-
PELLING VESSELS."
Sealed the 30th September 1864, and dated the 7th April 1864.
at
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Rigg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th April 1864.
I, ARTHUR RIGG, junior, of the City of Chester, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
PROPELLING VESSELS," to be as follows :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for propelling
vessels, and is applicable where rotating propellers, such as paddles or screws,
are employed. When rotating paddles are employed, the floats of the
paddle as they leave the water throw a quantity of water upwards behind
them; now in order to cause the water so thrown upwards behind the paddle
to be deflected so that it shall be caused to flow in a direction opposite to
that in which the vessel is moving, or nearly so, I place behind the paddle
fixed curved plates or vanes so formed that as the water is by the paddle
thrown upwards against them, the water is by them gradually deflected and
caused to flow in a horizontal direction. When screw propellers are employed,
a quantity of water is carried round with the screw, and is also thrown
outwards from it. And in order to cause the water so caused to rotate or be

page_text: thrown outwards by the screw to flow in a direction opposite to that in which
the vessel is moving, or nearly so, I place around or at the rear of the screw
or both around and at the rear of the screw, a number of fixed curved blades
or vanes so formed that the water as it passes from the screw is by them
gradually deflected and caused to flow in a direction parallel with the axis of
the screw. The curved blades or vanes may be carried by a cylindrical case
that is concentric with the axis of the screw, the cylindrical case both
enclosing the curved blades and also the screw. In front of this case or
towards the bow of the vessel, a grating of suitable dimensions may be fixed
to prevent weeds and other obstructions finding their way into the apparatus
and fouling the screw.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur Rigg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
RIGG, junior, of the City of Chester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand-eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Arthur Rigg, Her special licence that I, the said Arthur Rigg,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Arthur Rigg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Arthur Rigg, 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 Arthur Rigg, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: The Diagram Figure III. illustrates these operations. In plan let A, B,
represent the blade of a screw propellor moving in the direction shown by the
arrow, and the arrows c, c, c, are the direction in which for illustration I may
consider the water to be driven off; C, D, is one of the curved blades or
vanes above described, upon which the impinging water is caused to change!
the direction of its course, and follows the arrows d, d, d. In some cases it
may be desirable to enclose the blades or vanes, or screw, or both, in a tube
or tunnel of suitable dimensions, but this would rather have for its object the
protection of the parts than any increase of motive power.
Figure IV. is a side elevation of paddle wheel turning in the direction of 1
the arrow, and throwing up water behind, curved plates or blades I, K, and
L, M, are attached to the side or other convenient part of the vessel, against
which plates or blades the water thrown by the paddle wheel is by them
directed horizontally.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of 1
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim, the application
of curved blades or vanes to change the direction of the water, leaving the
screw from an angular to a parallel or nearly parallel course. Also the
application of curved plates or blades behind paddle wheels so as to change
the oblique direction of water driven from their floats to one parallel to the
horizon or nearly so.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Rigg, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed by the said
Arthur Rigg, junior,
in the presence of
J. S. KEWLEY.
ARTHUR RIGG, JUNIOR. (L.S.)