CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Quidde and Charles Mayet, both of
Biala, in the Kingdom of Galicia, in the Empire of Austria, but now of
Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustė Quidde and
Charles Mayet at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 21st February 1857.
We, AUGUSTE QUIDDE and CHARLES MAYET, both of Biala, in the Kingdom
of Galicia, in the Empire of Austria, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in adapting to vessels cylinders open at one end,
and fitted each with a piston working air-tight therein; said cylinders may be
placed either within the vessel to be propelled at or near the stern thereof,
or they may be placed at the outside of the said vessel; in either case
they must be placed below the surface of the water in which the vessel is.
The aforesaid pistons may be worked either by steam power or by manual
labor, the effect being to propel the vessel by impulsion of the aforesaid pistons
against the water which enters their respectivo cylinders each time they are
exhausted of atmospheric air.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,. filed
by the said Auguste Quidde and Charles Mayet in the Great Seal
l'atent Office on the 21st August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, AUGUSTE
QUIDDE and CHARLES MAYET, both of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Auguste Quidde and Charles Mayet, Her special licence that we,
the said Auguste Quidde and Charles Mayet, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Auguste Quidde and Charles
Mayet, our executors, administrators, 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 Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PRO-
PELLING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Anguste
Quidde and Charles Mayet, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of
one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and causo
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 we, the said Auguste Quidde and Charles Mayet,
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 thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists in adapting to vessels cylinders open at one end, and
fitted each with a piston working air-tight therein; said cylinders may be
placed either within the vessel to be propelled at or near the stern thereof,
or they may be placed at the outside of the said vessel, in either case they
must be placed below the surface of the water in which the vessel is.
The aforesaid pistons may be worked either by steam power or by manual
labour, the effect being to propel the vessel by impulsion of the aforesaid pistons
against the water which enters their respective cylinders each time they are
exhausted of atmospheric air.

page_text: In order to expiam our
proceed to describe the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference. markod
thereon respectively, as follows.
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a vessel, partly in section, shewing our
improvements adapted thereto; Figure 2 is an end elevation of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a ship's stern, shewing another mode of
arranging our said improvements; Figure 4, an end view of Figure 8. At
each of the foregoing Figures we employ similar letters of reference to denote
corresponding parts, in so far as such parts appear or can be seen at each of
such said Figures respectively.
At Figures 1 and 2 the propelling mechanism is placed inside the vessel
at the stern thereof, whereas at Figures 3 and 4 the propelling mechanism
is placed outside the vessel. .A, A, are metal cylinders, bored perfectly true,
and each fitted with a piston B, working water-tight in said cylinders; C, C,
rods connecting the pistons B with the cranks D, D, which may have rotatory
motion imparted thereto by spur wheels E, E, or in any convenient and
suitable manner. One end of each of the cylinders A, A, is open and the
opposite end closed, the closed end being furnished with a pipe F for the
admission and emission of atmospheric air to and from such said cylinders
during the movement of the pistons therein. The Drawing at Figures 1 and 2
shews the cylinders A, A, and their mechanism placed inside the vessel, the
open ends thereof being fixed into openings formed or left in the stern of
the vessel, so that the water in which said vessel floats may enter freely there-
into. The Drawing at Figures 3 and 4 shews said cylinders and their
mechanism placed outside of the vessel. When this is the case we should
recommend anti-corrosive metal being employed in the construction of those
parts that are below the surface of the water. Instead of using reciprocating
pistons in the cylinders A, A, we propose, if desirable, to employ a screw therein
mounted upon a revolving shaft suitably supported, by which we produce a
similar effect to that of the aforesaid pistons. We would here observe, that
although we have only described and represented two cylinders and pistons or
screws, it might be desirable in practice to employ four or more of such said
pistons or screws, two at the stern and two in about the same position at the
vessel's sides that paddle wheels are generally placed. When this is the case,
one pair of pistons or screws should be moving in one direction while the

page_text: other pair of piston's "or screws are moving in an opposite direction, so as to
keep up a continuous propelling movement.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of our said
Invention of Certain Improvements in Propelling," together.with the best
means wo are acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, we
would remark, in conclusion, that we hereby declare our Invention to consist
in, and we claim, the mechanical arrangements above particularly described
and represented for the purpose of propelling, as above stated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Augusto Quidde and Charles Mayet,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day of August, in
the year of our Lörd One thousand eight hundred and fifty-soven.
Witness,
HENRY GILL
Unter den Linden, No. 27,
Berlin.
AUGUST QUIDDE.
(L.S.)
CHARLES MAYET. (L.S.)