Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 31st May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
I JAMES RAYMOND BARRETT of No. 19 Prince of Wales Road, Carshalton, in the
County of Surrey, Shorthand Correspondent do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :-
:-
Propelling This is effected by means of two paddle wheels at the stern of the
boat revolved by means of an endless chain passing over the axle between the two
paddle wheels and thence over small cog wheels fixed to the bottom of the boat.
Those cog wheels fitted with treadles are revolved by people sitting over them, as
in a tricycle.
Propulsion may also be obtained by means of the screw propeller with a series of
cranks extending along the bottom of the boat, supports being placed between each
crank, similar to the supports of the cog wheels above mentioned.
Workers sit, one over each crank facing the side of the boat, thus having direct
action.
Reversing This is effected by turning the treadles backwards. This reverses the
paddle wheel, and the vessel floats astern.
Steering This is under control of the rider nearest the stern, he being elevated
some distance above the other occupants of the boat, and it is effected by turning the
handles in front of him, to the right or left as required, i.e.-if the boat is required
to be turned to the left, he pulls the left hand handle, and vice versa.
Stopping This is effected by the person sitting nearest the stern pushing forward
a lever, and thus applying a band brake to the axle of the paddle wheels.
Construction: The boat is constructed of steel or other suitable material and is
made in three parts:-an open boat in the centre, with water-tight floats constructed
on the lines of a canoe, one on each side.
These floats, besides rendering the boat very steady, make it almost an impossibility
to capsize, and are detachable, so that should one be damaged, it can be taken off and
another put in its place. The size of the floats depends on the number of people to
be carried, and as the width of the boat is not increased proportionately to the number

page_text: of workers, but only lengthened, the amount of work to be done decreases as the
number of workers together with deck space is increased.
A fender of iron or wood surrounds the boat to protect the floats from injury when
coming in contact with any hard substance.
A light rail and netting, 3 feet high, encircles the vessel, precluding the passengers
promenading the deck from any possibility of falling into the water. The deck
extends completely round the centre boat to a width of 2 feet 6 inches supported by
the floats above referred to.
A perforated pipe runs along the bottom of the boat connected with a small hand
pump in the bows, by which any water finding its way over the deck and into the
boat, may be at once removed.
Dimensions: The centre boat would be about 3 feet deep, 2 feet 6 inches beam,
with a draught of about two feet. The two floats having a beam of 2 feet 6 inches
with a draught of only 2 or 3 inches.
A vessel 12 feet long with these dimensions would give a deck space of over
60 square feet, and would accommodate twelve persons, besides those propelling the
boat, with case, although its actual floating capacity would exceed this by 8 or 10 more
people.
The loss of life so common with the ordinary rowing boat is entirely avoided by
the use of this invention as with ordinary precautions it is impossible to capsize it.
A. Incomplete section of boat's side. No. 1 represents the fore part of airtight
float referred to in specification. No. 2 situation of pedals and continuous chain for
revolving paddle wheels. No. 8 side section of paddles and paddle box. No. 4 handles.
one on either side of person working pedals.
B. End section of boat.
No. 5. Airtight floats. No. 6 Hull. No. 7 Saddle & seat rod, adjustable.
No. 8 weather board, for preventing hull shipping water. No. 9. fender surrounding
deck for preventing floats being injured in case of collision. No. 10. position of
pedals with cog wheels for working continuous chain. No. 11 water line.
C General view of complete boat.
No. 12 wire or cord netting surrounding deck. No.
shank to handles in front of man acting as steersman.
box. No. 16 paddles. No. 17 rudder. No. 18 hull.
on either side.
13 chain passing from rudder
No. 14 float. No. 15 paddle
No. 19 saddles with handles
D. Side view of continuous crank fitted with foot pedals for revolving a screw
propeller with direct action, the men turning same sitting on saddles facing the side
of the boat, instead of the bows, as would be the case when boat is propelled by the
paddle wheel.
E. Vertical view of boat, showing amount of deck accommodation on either side of
hull No. 20 being hull. No. 21 deck supported on the floats. No. 22 wheels with
cog wheels between them over which the continuous chain passes causing the paddles
to revolve by the pressure brought to bear on the treadles by those working the boat.
No. 23 axle on which paddles revolve.
The centre boat, can if desired be removed, in which case the space between the
two remaining floats is decked over. The propelling machinery is then screwed on
to this deck, instead of in the centre boat as before described.

page_text: Although I have shown the boat as adapted to be operated by three people sitting
upon the seats it is to be understood that by making the boat proportionately longer
may be adapted to receive more than three sets of treadle mechanism in which
case each of the intermediate sets between the front and back seis is provided with
a double sprocket wheel as hereinbefore described. Or it may be constructed to be
driven by one or two persons as desired.
The steering is effected by means of a rudder n which is connected in any suitable
manner with one of the handles h' (preferably one belonging to the set of treadle
mechanism nearest to the stern) in the same manner as the steering wheel of a tricycle,
so that by turning the said handle the rudder can be moved in one or other direction
as desired.
In the modification of my invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 the hull a is dispensed
with a deck being placed over the space between the two floats. In this case the sets
of treadle mechanism are placed upon the said deck, and their motion is transmitted
to a paddle wheel o through the chain p, the gearing 1, m being dispensed with. Or a
propeller may be placed beneath the deck and the motion of the treadle mechanism be
communicated thereto by any suitable means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination with a boat adapted to be driven by a paddle wheel or screw
propeller of two or more sets of treadle mechanism for operating the said paddle wheel
or propeller, the several sets of treadle mechanism being connected by chains, sub-
stantially in the manner described.
2. The improved boat and the mechanism for propelling the same through the
medium of either paddle wheels or a screw propeller, substantially as described with
reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.
3. The modification of my invention substantially as described with reference to
Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 21st day of May 1998
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.