IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEEL FOR ME PRODHESION OR SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tipple, of Clarence Place, Gravesend, in
the County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE
WHEEL FOR ME PRODHESION OR SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tipple, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th December 1861.
I, WILLIAM TIPPLE, of Clarence Place, Gravesend, in the County of Kent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PADDLE WHEELS FOR THE PROPULSION OF SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS,"
to be as follows:-
According to this Invention the paddles are hung in bearings upon cross
shafts, with the dipping paddles or float boards inclined inwards towards the
circle of the travel of the wheel, this inclination is self-existing or adapting, so
that the wheel turns upon its axle and the paddles hang stationary except
those that are in action in the water. The angle of inclination is given to the
paddles by means of the leverage that exists in the bearings that are used to
hang the paddles. The balancing of the paddle is effected by placing the
cross shaft thereof a little below the centre or middle of the paddle, so that
when the paddle is making the sweep under the paddle shaft the resistance
shall be equal, the lesser surface sweeping through the dense or deep water,
while the greater surface above the cross shaft sweeps through the lighter or
shallow water, by which equality of pressure on the surface of the paddle is
effected;
this being the case, it is only necessary to give the paddle stability in
its position, which is accomplished by placing compactly shaped weights upon

page_text: the bottom of the paddles; these weights have a pendulous power, being hung
upon the end of a moving leverage. In constructing paddle wheels upon this
particular principle, I have found that the paddles pass under the paddle shaft
in a square perpendicular ship-driving manner. The reason why I employ
this balance paddle is because a circle cannot turn upon a fixed centre with a
portion of its body immersed in water without meeting with unprofitable
resistance when used for propelling vessels at sea, as is now the case with
paddle wheels which have fixed paddles; and in order to get rid of this un-
profitable resistance entirely, it is absolutely necessary that the paddle should
enter the water with the dipping edge or end inclined to the circle of the
wheel's travel, and having entered the water entirely it should instantly assume
a perpendicular position, taking the entire advantage of all the horizontal
sweep of the wheel's motion after making the whole sweep under the paddle
shaft in a square and upright manner; the paddle having done this, should then
turn and assimilate itself to the circle of the travel of the wheel, and leave the
water as it entered in a water clearing manner. This is the perfect theory of
the balance paddle wheel, namely, its principle of action. As it might be
supposed that the balance paddle would not act favorably under all circum-
stances, it is necessary to explain the theory of the dipping paddles in a galé
of wind, with the ship going head to wind, shewing the manner in which the
paddles are self-rectifying or adapting, when disturbed by the rolling or
striking of the waves against same for example; the waves are a considerable
distance apart from each other, and have an incline both before and behind
them and on which they stand as they roll onwards, now suppose a paddle
wheel constructed as above described to make 10 revolutions per minute, and
as the wheel contains 10 paddles, 100 paddles will dip per minute, consequently
a number of paddles will dip into the body of each wave, if one of the paddles
should be turned inwards by the waves, the course of the wheel would erect it
again by forcing the greater surface of the paddle upwards, the same action
being assisted by the weight affixed thereto, which sinks by gravitation, and it
is this novel principle of construction of paddle wheels which constitutes this
Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William. Tipple, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TIPPLE, of Clarence Place, Gravesend, in the County of Kent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Tipple, Her special licence that I, the said William Tipple,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Tipple, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and on 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PADDLE WHEELS,, FOR THE PROPULSION OF SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS,"
upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said William Tipple, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
5 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 per-
formed, 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.
nature of
"
) NOW KNOW YE, that I, tho said William Tipple, do hereby declare 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,
that is to say :-
According to this Invention the paddles are hung in bearings upon cross
shafts with the dripping paddles or float boards inclined inwards towards the
circle of the travel of the wheel, this inclination is self-existing or adapting,
so that the wheel turns upon its axle and the paddles hang stationary, except
those that are in action in the water. The angle of inclination is given to the
paddles by means of the leverage that exists in the bearings that are used to
O hang the paddles. The balancing of the paddle is effected by placing the cross
shaft thereof a little below the centre or middle of the paddie, so that when the
paddle is making the sweep under the paddle shaft, the resistance shall be
equal, the lesser surface sweeping through the dense or deep water, while the
greater surface above the cross shaft sweeps through the lighter or shallow
5 water, by which equality of pressure on the surface of the paddle is effected;
this being the case it is only necessary to give the paddle stability in its position,
which is accomplished by placing compactly shaped weights upon the bottom
of the paddles, these weights have a pendulous power, being hung upon the
end of a moving leverage. In constructing paddle wheels upon this particular

page_text: principle, I have found that the paddles pass under the paddle shaft in a square
perpendicular ship-driving manner. The reason why I employ this balance
paddle is because a circle cannot turn upon a fixed centre, with a portion of
its body immersed in water, without meeting with unprofitable resistance when
used for propelling vessels at sea, as is now the case with paddle wheels which
have fixed paddles; and in order to get rid of this unprofitable resistance
entirely, it is absolutely necessary that the paddle should enter the water with
the dipping edge or end inclined to the circle of the wheel's travel, and having
entered the water entirely, it should instantly assume a perpendicular position
taking the entire advantage of all the horizontal sweep of the wheel's motion,
after making the whole sweep under the paddle shaft in a square and upright
manner; the paddle having done this should then turn and assimilate itself
to the circle of the travel of the wheel, and leave the water as it entered in a
water clearing manner. This is the perfect theory of the balance paddle wheel,
namely, its principal of action. As it might be supposed that the balance
paddle would not act favorably under all circumstances, it is necessary to ex-
plain the theory of the dipping paddles in a gale of wind with the ship going
head to wind, shewing the manner in which the paddles are self-rectifying or
adapting when disturbed by the rolling or striking of the waves against same,
for example, the waves are a considerable distance apart from each other
and have an incline both before and behind them, and on which they stand as
they roll onwards; now suppose a paddle wheel constructed as above described,
to make ten revolutions per minute, and as the wheel contains ten paddles,
one hundred paddles will dip per minute, consequently a number of paddles
will dip into the body of each wave, if one of the paddles should be turned
inwards by the waves, the course of the wheel would erect it again by forcing
the greater surface of the paddle upwards, the same action being assisted by
the weight affixed thereto, which sinks by gravitation, and it is this novel
principle of construction of paddle wheels, which constitutes this Invention.
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
Figure
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
is a side elevation of a paddle wheel or propeller constructed
according to this Invention. Figure 2 an edge view of Figure 1, at each of
Figure is a side elevation of a paddle wheel or propeller constructed
according to this Invention. Figure 2 an edge view of Figure 1, at each of
the foregoing Figures similar letters of reference are employed to denote cor-

page_text: responding parts. A is a portion of the paddle wheel shaft of an engine or
prime mover; B, B, B, naves or bosses fixed on A; C, C, C', are arms of flat
iron, the ends whereof are formed taper and fit into corresponding recesses
formed in the naves or bosses B, B, B, to which they are affixed by bolts and
nuts a, a; the arms C, C, are fastened and stayed together by segmental rings
E, and rivets e, e, as at Figure 1. The middle arms C¹ are formed shorter
than the outer arms C, C, and the ends of said middle arms have bearings
formed thereon or affixed thereto to receive the axes or cross shafts H; these
axes or cross shafts are supported in bearings fixed to or formed upon the
outer arms at b, b, and have paddles I, working loosely thereon, said paddles
are made of plate iron stiffened by T shaped pieces of metal, and have each a
weight K affixed thereto of such gravitating power as to cause each paddle
to enter the water at an angle of about 80° with the horizon.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of this In-
vention, together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, I hereby declare this Invention to consist in and I
claim constructing paddle wheels with balance paddles substantially as de-
scribed, set forth, and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tipple, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
WILLIAM TIPPLE. (L.S.)