IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROPELLING SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED
THEREIN. A communication from abroad by Anselm Heel, of Bielefeld,
Westphalia, in the Empire of Germany.
Sealed the 30th March 1880, and dated the 4th October 1880.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th October 1879.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND IN THE
APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN.” A communication from abroad by
Anselm Heel, of Bielefeld, Westphalia, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention relates to a water pressure propeller consisting of a mechanical
arrangement by means of which a column or jet of water is drawn in and dis-
charged again from the ship, the current flowing in an opposite direction to that of
the required motion of the ship, and with a velocity capable of being regulated in
accordance with the required velocity of the ship.
The apparatus is so arranged as to cause the water to flow at as great a depth as
possible below the water line, in a direction parallel to that of the longitudinal axis
of the ship.
In carrying out this Invention ships are provided with at least two propellers
working independently the one of the other, one propellor being placed at each side
of the ship. In the case of large vessels from 4 to 6 or from 5 to 7 propellers may
be used, viz., in the first case 2 or 3 at each side of the vessel, and in the second
case an additional propeller is placed at the stern of the ship to be exclusively used
for steering purposes.
If the propellers are in operation and the flow of the water is directed from the
bows of the ship to its stern, the ship will be propelled in a forward direction. If
the water flows from the stern of the ship to the bows, the ship will be propelled in
a backward direction. Now if the water is caused to flow at the left hand side

page_text: from the bows of the ship to the stern, and at the right hand side from the stern to
the bows, the ship will be turned upon its vertical axis to the right hand. When
the flow of the water takes place in an opposite direction the ship will turn to the
left hand upon its vertical axis.
In ships where a very quick steering motion is required, a propeller is arranged
at the stern of the ship, as before mentioned, in such a manner that water flowing
horizontally and forming an angle of 90° with the longitudinal axis of the ship is
drawn in and discharged from the left to the right hand, or vice versa, causing thus
the ship to turn in accordance therewith.
The propeller consists of a cylinder with a piston directly connected with the
piston of a steam engine of a valve chest in communication with the cylinder, and
provided with two equilibrated suction valves and with two delivery valves of
similar construction, and of a suction and delivery vessel connected with the valvo
chest, and provided with a swivelling plate or valve for regulating the direction of
flow of the liquid.
The suction and delivery vessel extends horizontally into smaller passages
terminating outside the hull, and the orifices of which may be either partially or
entirely closed by suitable valves or regulating devices.
When the swivelling plate or valve before referred to is turned into one of two
positions which it is capable of assuming, the space below the suction valves will be
in communication with one passage, and the space above the delivery valves with
the other passage, and motion in a suitable direction being imparted to the piston
of the propeller by the steam engine, water is drawn in through the one passage
and the one suction valve, and the water in front of the piston is discharged
through the delivery valve and the other passage. When the piston of the
propeller performs a motion in a reverse direction, water will be drawn through the
other suction valve, and discharged again through the other delivery valve and
the delivery passage.
By bringing the swivelling plate or valve into the other position, the flow of the
water will be caused to follow a reverse direction while the piston is at work.
It will thus be seen that during the uninterrupted working of the piston, and
according to the position of the swivelling plate or valve, water will flow con-
tinuously from the bows of the ship to the stern or in the opposite direction, whilst
facility is afforded for varying the velocity of the water for a given speed of the
engine by adjusting the valves which regulate the size of the external orifices of
the passages.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
March 1880.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING SHIPS OR VESSELS, AND IN THE
APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN." A communication from abroad by
Anselm Heel, of Bielefeld, Westphalia, in the Empire of Germany.
The said Invention relates to a water pressure propeller consisting of an improved
mechanical arrangement by means of which a stream or jet of water is drawn in
and discharged again from the ship, the current flowing in an opposite direction to
that of the required motion of the ship, and with. a velocity capable of being
regulated in accordance with the required velocity of the ship.
The apparatus is so arranged as to cause the water to flow at as great a depth as
possible below the water line in a direction parallel to that of the longitudinal axis
of the ship.
In carrying out the said Invention ships are provided with at least two
propellers working independently the one of the other, one propeller being placed
at each side of the ship. In the case of large vessels from four to six or from five
to seven propellers may be used, videlicit, in the first case two or three at each side
of the vessel, and in the second case an additional propeller is placed at the stern of
the ship to be exclusively used for steering purposes.
If the propellers are in operation and the flow of the water is directed from the
bows of the ship to its stern, the ship will be propelled in a forward direction. This
position of the parts is hereinafter designated position No. 1. If the water flows
from the stern of the ship to the bows, the ship will be propelled in a backward
direction. This position of the parts is hereinafter designated position No. 2.
Now if the water is caused to flow at the left hand side from the bows of the ship
to the stern, and at the right hand side from the stern to the bows, the ship will be
turned upon its vertical axis to the right hand. This position of the parts is
hereinafter designated position No. 3. When the flow of the water takes place in
an opposite direction, the parts being in the position hereinafter designated position
No. 4, the ship will turn to the left hand upon its vertical axis.
In ships where a very quick steering motion is required a propeller is arranged
at the stern of the ship, as before mentioned, in such a manner that water flowing
horizontally, and forming an angle of ninety degrees with the longitudinal axis of
the ship, is drawn in and discharged from the left to the right hand, or vice versa,
thus causing the ship to turn in accordance therewith.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1, and Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 of the accompanying
Drawings illustrate a single propeller as applied to one side of a ship or vessel,
Figure 1 being a longitudinal section taken along the line 1, 2, 3, 4, Figure 2,
which Figure is a horizontal section corresponding to Figure 1, and taken along the
line 5, 6, Figure 4; Figure 3 being a longitudinal section taken along the line 7, 8
(Figure 2); and Figure 4, a transverse section taken along the line 9, 10, Figure 2;
it will be understood however that the propellers are intended to be duplicated or
employed in sets in accordance with the indications herein before given; Figures 5,
6, 7, and 8, on Sheet 2, are diagram plans illustrating respectively the motions of
the vessel when the parts are in the several positions herein before referred to,
Figure 5 corresponding to position No. 1, Figure 6 to position No. 2, Figure 7 to
position No. 3, and Figure 8 corresponding to position No. 4.

page_text: The propeller consists of a cylinder A, with a piston B directly connected with
the piston B¹ of a steam engine A¹ of a valve chest C in communication with the
cylinder A, and provided with two equilibrated suction valves D and D', and with
two delivery valves E, E¹, of similar construction, and of a suction and delivery
vessel F connected with the valve chest, and provided with a swivelling plate or
valve G for regulating the direction of flow of the liquid.
The suction and delivery vessel F extends horizontally into smaller passages
H, H', terminating outside the hull, and the orifices of which may be either partially
or entirely closed by suitable valves or regulating devices J, J.
When the swivelling plate or valve G is turned into the position represented by
full lines in Figure 3, the space below the suction valves D, D', will be in com-
munication with the passage H, and the space above the delivery valves with the
passage H¹.
On now imparting motion by means of the engine A¹ to the piston B of the
propeller in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figures 1 and 2, water is
drawn in through the passage H and the suction valve D, and the water in front of
the piston is discharged through the delivery valve E and the passage H¹. When
the piston of the propeller performs a motion in a reverse direction, water will be
drawn in through the suction valve D', and discharged again through the delivery
valve El and the passage H¹
By bringing the swivelling plate or valve G into the other position, as indicated
by dotted lines in Figure 3, the flow of the water will be caused to follow a reverse
direction while the piston is at work.
It will thus be seen that during the uninterrupted working of the piston B, and
according to the position of the swivelling plate or valve G, water will flow
'continuously from the bows of the ship to the stern or in the opposite direction,
whilst facility is afforded for varying the velocity of the water for a given speed of
the engine by adjusting the valves J, J, which regulate the size of the external
orifices of the passages H, H¹.
The diagrams Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, will render intelligible the action of the
apparatus in the various cases which occur in practice.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that I am aware that it has been previously
proposed to effect the propulsion of ships or vessels by drawing in and discharging
streams or jets of water, and therefore to this in itself I lay no claim, but what I
consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,—
The peculiar arrangement and combination of parts for effecting and regulating
the passage of the water, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described
and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Specifica-
tion set my hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)