IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME. ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME.
ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad
by Alexandre Hédiard, Civil Engineer, of 13, Boulevart St. Martin,
Paris
Scaled the 29th January 1869, and dated the 11th August 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 11th August 1868.
IN
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS
APPARATUS FOR THE SAME, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
According to this Invention I inject steam at a high pressure from a.
suitable boiler through an apparatus composed of several cones, to which

page_text: the water has free access, disposed one within the other at the bottom
of a vessel, which steam carries with it a column of water of sufficient
diameter to produce by its reaction on the surrounding water sufficient
power to propel the vessel. For this purpose I introduce the steam from
the boiler directly into the first cone open at the rear end, through which
the water is drawn by the action of the steam at a corresponding rate to
that at which the steam is projected from the central cone. This column
of water moving at the same rate as the steam then enters a second
cone arranged in a similar manner to the first mentioned, but of larger
diameter, which is also open to the water at its rear end. I place a
number of cones in this manner one on the other of constantly increasing
'diameter, a water space being left between each until a sufficient size is
obtained, but so as not to affect the rate of speed of the column of water
and prevent its imparting its whole available force for producing the
reaction desired.
By the adoption of the above improvements neither screws nor engines
are required for the propulsion of vessels, there being a consequent
absence of friction and wear and tear, while space is considerably
economized. Several of these propellers may be applied if desired on
each side of the keel like the fins of a fish, which arrangement in
addition to the propelling effect produced by the jets would also tend
to raise the vessel and diminish its draught of water. Air may also be
used instead of water as the propelling agent.
This Invention is also applicable to all kinds of blowing apparatus,
also for creating a vacuum in the tubes of pneumatic railways, or in
tubes used for the transport of letters and parcels, and lastly for raising
water.
The annexed Drawing gives two illustrations of the mode of applying
the Invention to the propulsion of vessels.
Figure 1 represents a first arrangement. a, b, c, d, cones of increasing
diameter disposed one in the other in the manner shown at the stern e of the
vessel, the cones being maintained in their respective positions by means
of stays ff; g, tube for projecting steam through the cones in a central
line common to all. The water enters at the rear ends of the cones from
space h, and is projected in the form of a column i, j, into the surrounding
water.
Figure 2 shows another arrangement of the apparatus based on the
same principle as the foregoing in which a man at

page_text: formed into annular chambers, through which steam is projected from
channels k, l, independently of the central steam jet. The orifices of
the cones are also made cylindrical, so that the steam may escape in an
annular form and in a parallel direction to the central jet. This latter
arrangement offers the additional advantage of ensuring the same speed
in the different zones of the liquid column, which consequently enables
the diameter of the latter to be increased as much as desired, as also the
number of the cones.
SPECIFICATION
in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, .
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME, ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSEE," a communication to me from abroad by
Alexandre Hediard, Civil Engineer, of 13, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, 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

page_text: 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 Alexander Melville Clark, 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 following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
According to this Invention I inject steam at a high pressure from a
suitable boiler through an apparatus composed of several cones, to which
the water has free access, disposed one within the other at the bottom
of a vessel, which steam carries with it a column of water of sufficient
diameter to produce by its reaction on the surrounding water sufficient
power to propel the vessel. For this purpose I introduce the steam from
the boiler directly into the first cone which is open at the ends, and
through which the water is drawn by the action of the steam at a corre-
sponding rate to that at which the steam is projected from the central
cone. This column of water moving at the same rate as the steam then
enters a second cone arranged in a similar manner to the first mentioned,
but of larger diameter, which is also open to the water at its end. I place
a number of cones in this manner one on the other of constantly increasing
diameter, a water space being left between each until a sufficient size
is obtained, but so as not to affect the rate of speed of the column of
water and prevent its imparting its whole available force for producing
the reaction desired. I may also introduce steam into the conical or
cylindrical apparatus by means of a slide valve in order to produce
intermittent jets, the column of water projected by the steam acting on
the surrounding water in the manner before described. Two of these
conical or cylindrical apparatus may be disposed in a vessel so as to work
alternately, and thus produce a continuous action.
By the adoption of the above improvements neither screws nor engines
are required for the propulsion of vessels, there being a consequent absence
of friction and wear and tear, while space is considerably economized.
Several of these propellers may be applied if desired on each side of the
keel like the fins of a fish, which arrangement in addition to the pro-
pelling effect produced by the jets would also tend to raise the vessel and
diminish its draught of water. 'Air may also be used instead of water as
the propelling agent.

page_text: This Invention is also applicable to all kinds of blowing apparatus,
also for creating a vacuum in the tubes of pneumatic railways, or in
tubes used for the transport of letters and parcels, and lastly for raising
water:
The annexed Drawing gives illustrations of the mode of applying the
Invention to the propulsion of vessels.
Figure 1 represents a first arrangement. a, b, c, d, cones of increasing
diameter disposed concentrically one in the other in the manner shown at
the sterne of the vessel, the cones being maintained in their respective
positions by means of stays f, f; g, tube for projecting steam through
the cones in a central line common to all. The water enters the cones
from space h, and is projected in the form of a column i, j, into the
surrounding water for producing the reaction desired..,
Figure 2 shows another arrangement of the apparatus based on the
same principle as the foregoing, in which a number of cones b, d, are
formed into annular chambers through which steam is projected from
channels k, l, independently of the central steam jet. The orifices of the
cones are also made cylindrical, so that the steam may escape in an
annular form and in a parallel direction to the central jet. This latter
arrangement offers the additional advantage of ensuring the same speed
in the different zones of the liquid column, which consequently enables
the diameter of the latter to be increased as much as desired as also, the
number of the cones.
Figure 3 shows another arrangement of the apparatus based on the
same principle as the foregoing, but in this case intermittent jets of
steam d are discharged in the cylindrical tubes a, a, from a steam pipe c
by means of a slide valve e or other means producing the same effect.
The water projected by the steam jet is caused to impinge on a tapered
tern b, and so spread, producing the same effect as the cones before
lescribed. All shocks prejudicial to the rudder are also in this manner
voided. f, space by which water has access to the cylindrical tubes a, a.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
erforming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The improved apparatus to be applied for the propulsion of vessels
bstantially as shown and described.

page_text: 2ndly. I claim the particular arrangement of the cones described and
illustrated in Figure 1 of the Drawing, and also the central steam jet
for imparting the same rate of flow to the water as is possessed by such
jet.
3rdly. I claim the arrangement shown in Figure 2 consisting of
double cones acting in the manner before described but with increased
effect.
4thly. I claim the arrangement of cylindrical apparatus shown in
Figure 3 based on the same principle as the preceding and operating in
the manner herein-before described.
5thly. I claim the application of the apparatus to other purposes, such
as to form a blowing apparatus for creating a vacuum in pneumatic tubes
for raising water and otherwise.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
ning
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery. Lane,
London.
A.. M. CLARK. (L.S.)