A NEW METHOD OF PROPELLING VESSELS BY STEAM ON CANALS OR NAVIGABLE RIVERS, BY MEANS OF A MOVEABLE APPARATUS ATTACHED TO THE STEM OR STERN OF THE VESSEL
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBINSON, of Craven Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire'
send greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by petition, humbly represent to His present most
Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth that I had invented "A NEW
METHOD OF PROPELLING VESSELS BY STEAM ON CANALS OR NAVIGABLE RIVERS, BY
MEANS OF A MOVEABLE APPARATUS ATTACHED TO THE STEM OR STERN OF THE
VESSEL," whereupon His said Majesty was graciously pleased to issue His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-six, in the seventh year of His reign, whereby His said Majesty hath,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, given and granted unto me, the said
William Robinson, His especial licence that I, the said William Robinson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such deputies, servants, agents,
or others as I, the said William Robinson, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time appoint or agree with, and no others, during the
term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent, might lawfully
make, use, exercise, and vend, my said Invention within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in His Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad; in which Letters Patent is also contained a proviso
obliging me, the said William Robinson, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and and to cause

page_text: the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two
calendar months after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Robinson, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described and
ascertained by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following description
thereof:--
Figures 1 and 2 are representations of vessel or boat, of such form and
dimensions as is suitable to be used on canals or navigable rivers, and to the
stern of which vessel or boat my new moveable apparatus is attached in such
manner as to project out abaft over the stern thereof, in order to sustain a
paddle wheel, by means of which the vessel or boat is propelled when the said
paddle wheel is turned round by the power of a steam engine placed on board
the boat or vessel. Figure 1 being a horizontal plan, and Figure 2 a longi-
tudinal section of such boat or vessel when equipped with my said moveable
apparatus containing the paddle wheel within it; Figure 3 is a horizontal
plan of a part of the stern of the vessel or boat drawn on a larger scale
than Figure 1, in order to explain my said moveable apparatus more com-
pletely; Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the stern part of the vessel or
boat, on the same scale as Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a transverse section of
the stern part of the vessel or boat, on the same scale as Figures 3 and 4; in
all these Figures the same letters are used to mark the same parts. A, A, B,
D, D, is the paddle wheel, which is mounted within my moveable apparatus;
the said paddle wheel is on a similar construction to those used in other steam
vessels, viz, it is composed of two circular wheels A, A, fixed vertically upon
a horizontal axis B, and a suitable number of paddles D, D, D, D, are
extended between the two wheels B, B, and firmly fixed thereto at each end;
and the said paddle wheel is so placed within my moveable apparatus (which
is attached to the stern of the vessel or boat), that when the said paddle wheel
is turned round with continuous circular motion by the power of the steain
engine, its paddles D, D, shall dip in succession into the water, so as to row
or paddle therein in order to impel the vessel or boat forwards through the
water. The paddle wheel is mounted in the opening of a moveable frame
E, E, F, G, which is attached to the stern of the vessel or boat, and the after
or hinder end thereof (and the paddle wheel which it sustains) projects out-
wards abaft the stern; the sockets b, b, which receive the necks or pivots of the
axis B, are fixed upon the two wooden side rails E, E, of the moveable frame,
so that the paddle wheel can turn round freely within the opening of that
frame; and one of the extremities of the axis B projects outwards beyond the
bearing, in order to fix on the pulley wheel H, which receives the endless

page_text: chain I, I, by means of which the paddle wheel is turned round, the said
endless chain I being also conducted round a similar pulley wheel K, which is
fixed on the main axis of the steam engine, so as to be turned round therewith;
and then the endless chain I communicates a corresponding motion to the
pulley wheel H, and to the paddle wheel, in order to propel the vessel. The
weight of the moveable frame E, E, F, G, and the paddle wheel which it
contains, is poised upon a cross-beam L, which is firmly fixed across the stern
of the vessel or boat, and those parts of the cross-beam L where the two side
rails E, E, of the moveable frame rest upon the said cross beam L, are made
round or cylindrical, in the manner of necks or pivots, which are encompassed
by iron bands or clasps f, and the same are applied at the under sides of the
side rails E, and fastened thereto by screw bolts, so as to form sockets which
encompass the necks of the cross-beam L, and attach the moveable frame to
the stern of the vessel or boat, but in such manner as that it may be turned or
raised upwards about the cross-beam L as a centre of motion, so as to raise
the paddle wheels quite out of the water, and to place the moveable frame in
a vertical position (or nearly so), in order to bring the said paddle wheel (as
well as the moveable frame within which it is contained) quite on board the
vessel, in the manner represented by the dotted lines in Figure 4 and Figure 5,
so that no part of my said moveable apparatus will project out over the stern of
the vessel or boat; but when the said moveable frame, together with the paddle
wheel which is contained within it, is lowered down about the cross-beam Las
its centre of motion into a horizontal position (or nearly so), then the after
part of the said frame and the paddle whcel will project out over the stern of
the vessel or boat, and the paddles of the wheel will dip into the water in a
suitable manner, to enable them to propel the vessel or boat when the wheel is
turned round by the power of the steam engine communicated by the endless
chain I, as before mentioned. The weight of the paddle wheel and its axis, and
the pulley wheel H, and that of the after end of the moveable frame E, E, F, is
balanced by means of a cross-piece G, of cast iron, which unites the two side
rails E, E, together, and forms the forward end of the moveable frame; this
piece of iron G is of sufficient weight to nearly counterpoise the weight at the
after end of the moveable frame, and enable it to be raised up more easily.
The moveable frame is raised upwards, as above stated, by means of a chain d,
which is affixed to the middle of the cast iron cross-piece G, at the inside
thereof, and passing over the upper side, the chain is carried down to a
small barrel or windlass M, which is situated near the bottom of the vessel,
and the pivots of its axis m turn in sockets which are firmly fixed to the
timber work of that bottom. On one end of the axis m a toothed wheel N is

page_text: fixed, and the teeth thereof are engaged by the thread of an endless screw or
worm n, fixed upon the lower end of an upright axis O, which rises up verti-
cally above the deck of the vessel or boat; and a handle is fixed on the upper
end in order to turn the axis and the worm round, and thereby the wheel N
is also turned round with a slower motion, but with great force; and the wind-
lass M, which is fixed upon its axis m, partaking of that motion (and winding or
rolling up the chain & around its circumference), will draw down the cross-bar G
of the moveable frame, so as to tip up or elevate the after end thereof, together
with the paddle wheel which is contained within it; and when the said moveable
frame is raised up as high as it can be raised by the winding of the chain d
around the barrel of the small windlass M, as before described, then the weight
of the frame and paddle wheel will come perpendicularly over the centre of
motion or cross-beam L, and therefore that weight will have no tendency to
throw the moveable frame down. But when it is required to lower the move-
able frame down again, in order that the paddle wheel may act in the water,
the handle at the upper end of the axis O must be turned round the reverse
way, so as to unwind the chain d from the barrel M, and the upper or outer
end of the. moveable frame being pushed over backwards. by hand at first
until its weight hangs over behind the centre of motion L, it-will afterwards
descend by itself, as fast as the chain is unwound from the barrel M, because
the hinder end of the moveable frame and the paddle wheel is made to over-
balance the weight of the cast-iron cross-bar G at the forward end of that
frame, so much that the moveable frame will descend of itself, but the greater
part of its weight being balanced, it can easily be raised up by turning the
handle at the top of the axis 0 of the worm. The moveable frame is
strengthened by a cross-piece of wood e, e, which is fastened to the under sides
of the two side rails E, E, of the frame, and when the frame is let down, this
cross-piece e, e, rests upon the top of the stern post P of the vessel or boat.
jis a strong cross-bolt, which is extended between the two side rails E, E,
across the extreme or after end of the moveable frame, to unite those side rails
together, and give strength to the frame; g, g, is a semi-cylindrical cover,
which is fixed upon the side rails E, E, of the frame, so as to cover up and
enclose the paddle wheel; this cover may be made either of iron plate or of
thin boards. R is the rudder of the vessel or boat; it is made of iron plate,
fixed to the lower end of an upright iron axis r, which passes down through
the stern post P, and the axis r is included within a metal tube, which pre-
vents the entrance of any water through the bottom. The rudder R passes under
the paddle wheel D, the upper edge being curved to correspond to the circular
form of the wheel. The axis r of the rudder passes up through the thick deck

page_text: plank k, which covers over the stem of the vessel or boat; and the upper end
of the axis 7, which rises above the plank k, is made square, to fix on a lever or
handle h, which serves for a tiller to steer the vessel or boat. This tiller comes
up through the opening of the moveable frame, so as to remain clear of every
part of that frame when raised up, as shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 4, as
well as when it lowered down into the proper position for propelling the vessel
or boat. S is a pulley or sheave, which turns on a pin fixed at the inside of the
stern part of the vessel or boat, close by one of the side rails E of the moveable
frame; this pulley serves to conduct and bear up the lower part of the endless
chain I, which part hangs slack, and by its weight tends to keep the upper
part of that chain extended tight between the two pulley wheels H and K,
which have rims projecting upon their edges to prevent the chain falling off
sideways froin the edges of the wheels. The circumference of each of the wheels
H. and K has cogs or teeth projecting from it, which are adapted to enter into
the openings of the links of the chain, so as to hold it fast upon the circum-
ferences of the wheels, and prevent it from slipping thereupon. When the
moveable frame is raised up, as before described, the endless chain I becomes
slack, but the weight of the chain keeps it always sufficiently tight around the
two wheels H and K to prevent it slipping off of the edges of them. The
paddles D, D, of the paddle wheel are curved, as is shewn in Figure 3, and
they move with the concave side forwards, in order to give them a better hold
of the water than flat or plain paddles would have. The angles or corners of
each paddle D are rounded off so much as to avoid any chance of ever
touching or disturbing the sloping sides or banks of the canal or river naviga-
tion. In order to restrain the waves or surge which the motion of the paddle
wheel produces in the water, two large flaps of flat iron plate or boards are
suspended by hinge joints from the side rails E, E, of the moveable frame, so
as to hang down vertically beneath the same and dip into the water, in order
to enclose the paddle wheel at each side, and prevent the wave or surge from
passing out sideways, or at least to restrain the force of such waves or surge,
insomuch that they will not wash with violence against the banks of the canal or
river navigation to do any injury thereto; and a similar flap may, if found neces-
sary, be suspended from the cross-boltj, at the after end of the frame, so as to hang
down therefrom into the water behind the paddle wheel, in order to moderate
the wave or surge which is sent out backwards by the motion of the paddles.
The construction and mode of operation of the steam engine by which
the paddle wheel is to be put in motion, being no part of my said Inven-
tion, the same need not be described in this Specification, and any kind
of steam engine which is or can be used on board steam boats or vessels may

page_text: be used to propel boats or vessels on canals or river navigations, according to
my new mode of applying a paddle wheel at the stern or at the stem of such
vessels or boats by means of my moveable apparatus herein-before described;
that is to say, the steam engine may be of the kind called high-pressure, to be
actuated by the elastic force of very hot steam, and discharging the same into
the open air when it has produced its effect in impelling the piston; or the
steam engine may be of that kind in which the steam is condensed by the
application of cold water, after the manner commonly practised for steam
vessels or boats. High-pressure steam engines being more simple, and taking
up less space than condensing engines, will in most cases be preferable for my
new mode of propelling vessels or boats on canals and river navigation. The
steam engine is placed in the stern part of the boat, as shewn at T, T, Figures
1 and 2, and the boiler is situated before the engine V, V. The engine may
be made with only one cylinder and piston, and with a fly wheel to regulate its
motion, or the engine may be made with two cylinders combined, so as to act
alternately, by means of two cranks, upon the same axis, in order to give a
continuous rotative motion thereto without any fly wheel, and the pulley
wheel K for the endless chain I must be fixed upon that axis. The cylinder
or cylinders of the steam engine may be placed either in a horizontal or in a
vertical position, as is found most convenient. The boiler may be constructed
according to any of the methods already in use for steam vessels or boats; viz,
the fire may be applied within an interior furnace fixed withinside the boiler,
or the fire may be applied on the outside of the boiler, beneath the same, or
the boiler may be composed of a number of tubes or cylinders combined
together to form a vessel capable of containing water and steam, and disposed
in a furnace so as to receive the heat of the fire and flame. The chimney of the
furnace must be made to fold down with a joint, so as to admit of lowering the
chimney down out of the way when the vessel or boat is to pass beneath bridges.
These various modes of constructing steam engines being well known
to competent engineers, and being no part of my Invention, need not be
described here. The steam engine and its boiler, being placed in the least
possible space at the stern part of the vessel or boat, will leave all the forward
part thereof vacant for the cargo which it is intended to carry, but when the
boat is unloaded, the weight of the engine and its boiler, together with that of
my new moveable apparatus, being all at the stern part, would occasion the stern
to sink too deep into the water. The steam engine and its boiler are therefore
to be erected upon, and firmly fastened to a strong flat platform of wood Z,
Figs. 1 and 2, which is to lay loose in the bottom of the vessel, with its weight
resting upon straight sliders of wood, covered with iron Q, Figs. 1 and 2, in such

page_text: manner that the whole of the engine and boiler can be drawn or slided along
the bottom of the vessel or boat, from the stern thereof towards the head, to
such a distance as is found requisite to trim the vessel when the same has
little or no cargo on board. The said platform, upon which the engine is built,
may be moved or slided along the sliders at the bottom of the vessel by means
of chains and windlasses turned by wheel-work and screws similar to that
already described for raising up the moveable frame with the paddle whee!.
When the engine is moved forward in the vessel, by this means the endless
chain I must be lengthened suitably to the increased distance between the two
pulley wheels H and K, or the chain may be taken off from those wheels, and
another chain of suitable length put into its place. Bearing pullies or sheaves,
similar to that already described, and which is marked S in Figure 3, must be
applied beneath the endless chain I, in a suitable manner to bear up the
weight of the slack part of the chain, and prevent the same from dragging.
The centre pins upon which such bearing pullies or sheaves turn should be
fastened against the inside of the vessel in such manner as that the same may
be fixed at any required height, in order to draw up the chain to a proper
tension, and to take up the slack of the chain if it is longer than it should be.
My aforesaid moveable apparatus, with its paddle wheel, may be applied at the
stem of the vessel instead of at the stern thereof, and will produce nearly the
same effect as when the same is attached to the stern, in the manner herein-
before described. When a great propelling power is required in order to drag
other boats or vessels, two such moveable apparatuses, each with its paddle
wheel, may be applied, one at the head and the other at the stern of the vessel
which is intended to drag other vessels after it, both the paddle wheels being
put in motion by the same steam engine, which may in that case be placed in
the middle of the length of the vessel, two separate endless chains being
conducted from the engine, viz, one chain to turn each of the paddle-wheels.
Having now described the construction of my moveable apparatus, and in
what manner the same is to be attached to the stem or stern of the vessel, I
do hereby declare that the novelty of my method of propelling vessels by steam
on canals or navigable rivers, consists in the herein-before described method of
applying a paddle wheel at the stern or at the stem of a vessel for canal or
river navigation, by means of my herein-before described moveable apparatus,
in such manner that the paddle wheel can be raised up and taken on board the
vessel so as to be entirely out of the way, in the manner herein-before
described, in order that the vessel may be able to pass through the locks of
canal or river navigations without any inconveniences from the paddle wheel
and moveable apparatus, although the vessel is of the full length that boats or

page_text: vessels are commonly made for such canal or river navigations, viz,. the full
length that the locks thereof will admit to pass. Also in the application of
hanging side boards or vertical plates suspended under the moveable frame
and behind the same, in the manner herein-before described, in order to restrain
the waves or surge of water which is occasioned by the motion of the paddle-
wheel, and prevent the same doing injury to the banks of the canal or river
navigation. Also, in the manner herein-before described, of placing the steam
engine and its boiler upon a moveable platform, so as to be capable of
moving all the engine along the length of the boat in order to trim the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and twenty-six.