IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, E.C., Editor of the Mechanics' Magazine, and
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS."
-A communication from J. C. Meunier, of Paris.
Sealed the 5th April 1859, and dated the 19th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th October 1858.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, E.C., Editor of the Mechanics' Magazine, and Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROPELLING VESSELS."-(A communication from J. C. Meunier, of Paris,
residing abroad,) to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the propulsion of vessels for carrying burdens,
such, for example, as those used on canals, and is designed, mainly to com-
bine means of adapting the propelling surface to the varying draughts of water
of the vessel with other necessary qualities. And the Invention consists in
employing propellers, each composed of a float board attached to vertical rods
or arms, the upper ends of which are connected to cranks, and which are
combined with other rods and cranks in such manner that throughout its motion

page_text: the float board always remains vertical. The motion of the vertical rods and
of the float board is in fact the same as if they depended from a rotating
crank pin and met with no resistance. The supplementary rods and cranks
are added for the purpose of enabling the propeller to move in this manner while
encountering the resistance of the water. The float board is adjustable, and
may be readily shifted up and down the vertical rods and arms to suit the
varying draughts of water of the vessel. Any suitable number of such pro-
pellers may be employed in a vessel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, E.C.,
Editor of the "Mechanics' Magazine," and Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, adminis-
trators 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 In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS," (a communication from
J. C. Meunier, of Paris, residing abroad,) upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, 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

page_text: following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the propulsion of vessels for carrying burdens,
such, for example, as those used on canals, and is designed, mainly, to com-
bine means of adapting the propelling surface to the varying draughts of
water of the vessel with other necesary qualities. And the Invention con-
sists in employing propellers, each composed of a float board attached to
vertical rods or arms, the upper ends of which are connected to cranks, and
which are combined with other rods and cranks in such manner that through-
out its motion the float board always remains vertical. The motion of the
vertical rods and of the float board is in fact the same as if they depended
from a rotating crank pin and met with no resistance. The supplementary
rods and cranks are added for the purpose of enabling the propeller to move
in this manner while encountering the resistance of the water. The float
board is adjustable, and may be readily shifted up and down the vertical rods
and arms to suit the varying draughts of water of the vessel. Any suitable
number of such propellers may be employed in a vessel.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal clevation of this improved machinery for pro-
pelling vessels; Figure 2 is a back view, and Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
The same letters indicato like parts in all the Figures.
A is the main or driving shaft which receives motion from the engine B,
placed by preference at the after part of the vessel. To each end of the shaft
A cranks O, O, are attached and have connected to them arms or rods D, D,
which carry upright arms A', B', and to which the float boards or propellers
H, I, are attached. b, b, are screw-threaded rods passing between the arms
A, B, and attached to the propellers H, I. c, c, are winch handles at the
upper part of the rods b, b, for the purpose of regulating the height of the
propellers H, I. On the rods O¹, C, O¹, C, are cranks attached to the arms
A¹, B', which are connected by rods I, I, I, I, to other cranks O", D¹, 0",
D. P, P, are weights on the cranks O, O, to regulate the motion of the
machinery.
It will be seen that on motion being communicated to the shaft A the
cranks, rods, and arms which are jointed to it will move in the direction
indicated by the red, blue, and dotted lines, whereby the propellers will be
caused to move always in a vertical position.
A detached view of part of one of the propellers or float boards is given at
Figure 4 with the rod for raising or lowering the same, shewn in section.
A slight modification of the arrangement just described for causing the pro-
pellers to move in a vertical direction is given at Figure 5; in this case an

page_text: additional crank, at or about right angles to the driving shaft, is required.
The blue lines X, X, X", indicate different levels of water a vessel might
draw under various loads; the float boards can be regulated to suit these and
other depths. The rods b, b, are graduated or marked, so that the height of
the propellers can be regulated from the deck.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the improve-
ments in propelling vessels,-
First, the employment of propellers composed of float boards attached
to vertical rods, arms, and cranks, in manner and for the purpose herein-
before described.
And second, the means and appliances herein-before described for regulating
the height of the propellers or float boards on the vertical rods.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)