A New and Improved Vehicle to Travel both on Land and on Water.
Year: 1886

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION:
A New and Improved Vehicle to Travel both on Land and
on Water.
We WILLIAM BURCHELL of No. 5 The Sanctuary Westminster in the City of
Westminster Solicitor and CHARLES EDWARD AUSTIN of 1 Westminster Chambers
also in the City of Westminster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention has for its object the enablement of a Vehicle which has travelled on
land to pass with its Cargo on to and travel on water, and vice versa of a Vehicle which
has travelled on water to pass with its Cargo onto and travel on land. Whilst the
Vehicle travels on a foreshore it will be on a roadway prepared for the purpose so
nearly on the level as to cause no obstruction to the Navigation.
By our Invention therefore the necessity usually entailed on all ordinary Ferries of
a Pier Causeway or other construction for the purpose of landing or embarking Cargo
is avoided.
The Inventors construct their Vehicle in the following manner But they claim the
right to construct it with any modifications thereof they may from time to time find
lesirable.
The bow and stern are similar and nearly square The height of the Vehicle on its
wheels is such as to bring the deck to the same level as the Quay or Dock at which it
discharges or takes in traffic in such wise that carriages may be driven straight on and
off the Quay without the aid of any intermediate appliance.
The Vehicle when on land is borne on wheels in rows placed in bearings attached
to the sides of slots made in the bottom of the Vehicle.
The upper segments of the wheels revolve in fore and aft troughs fixed inside on
the floor of the Vehicle of such height as to prevent the flooding the Vessel when
n water.
The peripherys of some or all of the wheels are shaped with teeth so cut as to work
nto worm blocks carried by and fixed on a shaft placed longitudinally in the troughs
and made to revolve, when required, by any ordinary mechanical connection with the
motive power, such as cranks and links or pullies and bands or chains.

page_text: As the shafts revolve the worm blocks fixed to them convey the motion to the wheels
by means of the inter locking of the worms and the teeth, thereby causing the wheels
also to revolve and so propel the Vehicle.
The Vehicle may be driven through the water by any ordinary propeller such as
paddles or screws but the Inventors employ their propellor secured by patent No. 9472.
An example of this invention is shewn by the annexed drawing which represents a
Ferry Boat for conveying ordinary Railway and Road traffic.
It is furnished with two double cylinder engines of which one works both propellor
and wheels on one side and the other engine works both propellor and wheels on the
other side.
The Vehicle is steered by the acceleration or retardation or reversal of the motive
force on one side or the other as required which is effected by fine-drawing the steam
or reversing the reciprocal movement of the pistons.
Fig. 1 shows the sheer plan and the longitudinal section.
Fig. 2 shows the body plan.
Fig. 3 shows the half breadth of the deck and the hold.
In all the figures the same letters indicate the same parts.
D. D. the deck S S. Passenger sheds, T. T. the trough containing W. W. the worm
shaft and R. R. the wheels. P. P. is the propellor. CC the cams which transmit the
motion. E. E. the cylinder. B. B. the boiler.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what wo claim is,
1. A new and improved combination and contrivance for a locomotive vehicle which
will pass, without stoppage, on and from land to and on water, and on and from water
to and on land, for the carriage and conveyance therein and thereon, both on the land
and the water, of persons animals and things.
2. The combination in one and the same vehicle of the mechanical contrivances
shewn and described in the Specification and Drawings.
WILLIAM BURCHELL.
C. E. AUSTIN.