IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING APPARATUS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lanc, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING
APPARATUS." - A communication from abroad by Doctor Robert
Hunter, of Cincinnati, in the State of Ohio, United States of
America.
Scaled the 6th June 1871, and dated the 12th April 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th April 1871.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING
APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates chiefly to a class of propellers adapted to act in
a manner similar to the tail of a fish, and its peculiarity consists in the
propelling body or bodies being a solid blade or blades of caoutchouc
or india-rubber vulcanized, gutta percha or other natural elastic gum,

page_text: each, if more than one is used, tapering in thickness outward, and
clamped by its thick end between projecting bars from a vibrating shaft,
which shaft may be vertical, with the clastic blade in a vertical plane,
pointing when central and quiescent directly backward, or horizontal
with the blade in a horizontal plane, and pointing backward. The shaft
may also be inclined without changing the propelling effect.
The object of this Invention is the provision of a blade of a material
and peculiar shape that is non-corrosive, is not liable to fracture, is
indefinitely durable in clasticity and wear, and of a shape that will give
better results in propulsion than is possible with devices heretofore
designed for "fish tail-like" propulsion. When using vertical vibrating
shafts to carry the propeller blades it will be convenient to mount these
shafts in sliding frames, in order to allow of the raising and lowering
of the propeller blades from the deck of the vessel. The square or
feathered ends will be fitted with a vibrating arm (through the boss
of which it will be free to slide), and by means of this arm the shaft
will receive the vibratory motion. Supposing a pair of vertical elastic
blades to be used one at either side of the stern of the vessel, the arms
fitted to the vibrating shafts which carry the blades will be connected
by link rods to opposite ends of a piston rod which works in a steam
cylinder set intermediate between these arms. Thus when the engine
is at work the propelling blades will be vibrated through the direct
action of the piston rod on the arms of the propeller shafts. When a
group of propeller blades is used the blades will be set abreast of each
other, say, at equal distances apart, and these shafts will be connected
together, so as to move simultaneously by means of arms projecting
rearwards and a transverse link rod.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for latents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
3
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of April, in the year of our 3

page_text: Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence
that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROPELLING APPARATUS," being a communication to me from abroad by
Dr. Robert Hunter, of Cincinnati, State of Ohio, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
|say) :—
This Invention relates chiefly to a class of propellers adapted to act
in a manner similar to the tail of a fish, and its peculiarity consists in
the propelling body or bodies being a solid blade or blades of caoutchouc
or india-rubber vulcanized, gutta percha, or other natural clastic gum,
cach (if more than one is used) tapering in thickness outward, and
clamped by its thick end between projecting bars from a vibrating
shaft, which shaft may bo vertical, with the elastic blade in a vertical
plane, pointing when central and quiescent directly backwards, or
horizontal with the blade in a horizontal plane, and pointing backwards.
The shaft may also be inclined without changing the propelling effect.
The object of this Invention is the provision of a blade of a material
and peculiar shape that is non-corrosive, is not liable to fracture, is
indefinitely durable in clasticity and. wear, and of a shape that will give

page_text: better results in propulsion than is possible with devices heretofore
designed for "fish tail-like" propulsion.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in vertical longitudinal
section the stern end of a vessel fitted with the improved propeller, and
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same showing the propellor on each side of
the rudder, and also the arrangement of direct-acting steam engine for
working the propellors; Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross section on
enlarged scalo of the rudder blade and vibrating shaft, to which it is
attached.
an
Figures 4 and 5 exhibit modifications in the application of the Inven-
tion, Fig. showing a propellor operating in the bow of a vessel, and
Fig. 5 shewing a gang of simultaneously operating blades adapted for
light draft vessels, scows, and similar craſt.
A, Figures 1 and 2, is the stern ond of the vessel, and B, the vibrating
blades, which are located and operated one on each side of the hull.
These blades are connected to a direct-acting steam engine, by which
they are driven simultaneously.
The construction designed for the attachment and operation of the
propellors is as follows (although many modifications may be made in
this to suit particular cases) :-C is the cylinder of a direct-action steam
engine bolted to a suitable foundation. The piston rod C¹ of this
engine passes through both ends of the cylinder, and connects by cross
heads D, D', and pitmen E, E', with the short levers F, F', of the
vibrating shafts G, G', to which the propellors B, B', are secured.
The propellor blades are formed of solid caoutchouc or india-rubber,
gutta percha, or other natural clastic gum, india-rubber properly
vulcanized to give stiffness and spring being preferred to any other
gum in usc. The blades may be further stiffened by being interlayered
with hemp, linen, or other material similar to certain kinds of rubber
packing. They are secured at their thick ends by compression and
bolting between the jaws g, g', of the shafts G, G', and they decrease
gradually in thickness from the shafts backwards. This tapering form
of the blades enables them to assume under the resistance of the water
the most favorable curve for propulsion, the action and effect being a
closer imitation of that of a fish's tail than is possible to attain with any a
combination or construction of clastic motal. A single blade may bo
used alone to propel a vessel, and this may be placed either in the bow

page_text: or stern, or two blades may be used, as previously explained, or a gang,
as shown in Fig. 5, the blades being arranged in every case to point to
thic rear.
When a gang or group of blades is used, as shown at Fig. 5,
the blades will be set abreast of each other (say at equal distances
apart) and their shafts will be connected together, so as to move
simultaneously, by means of a transverse link rod connected to arms
projecting rearwards from the shafts. The vibrating shafts to which
the rubber blades are attached may be journalled in any position
(vertical, horizontal, or inclined) in a plane at right angles to the
vessel's line of motion, and the shafts may be split to receive the gum
blades, the sides of the shaft being drawn close to compress the gum by
means of bolts.
I am aware that thin blades of steel have been used which received a
motion similar to a fish's tail for propelling vessels, and that steel frames
covered with a jacket of india-rubber have also been used to accomplish
fish tail-like propulsion, but these devices have been abandoned as im-
practicable, owing to the treacherous nature of tempered steel when its
elasticity is depended upon, and the failure so far to give the steel such
a form that it will act properly when vibrating in the water.
The improved propellor blades are made of firm tenacious gum, solid
and thick at the axis. They possess many advantages over every com-
bination of steel. They are not liable to break or be injured by contact
with solid bodies while in motion. They suffer no corrosion in water,
are remarkably durable, and will preserve their spring indefinitely.
Having greater thickness at or near the axis than is possible in steel
blades, they assume under the resistance of the water a better form for
propulsion. The blades may be raised and lowered at will even while
in operation to suit the draft of the vessel by means similar to what is
shown in Fig. 1, where the vertical shafts G are journalled in the sliding
frames I, one for each blade. The shafts are square at the upper end,
and pass through square holes in the driving levers F, F¹, which are not
permitted to rise and fall. The blades, shafts, and journal bearings can
be elevated and depressed by screws J tapped into the shafts. There
are many other ways of accomplishing the same result, viz., the adjust-
ment vertically of the blades. The propellor blades may be employed
as rudders by lateral adjustment, and may be employed for the guiding
and propelling of small boats by hand when placed in the ordinary
position of the rudder and operated as a rudder.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements
in propelling apparatus, as communicated to me by my foreign corre-
spondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details of construction and arrangement herein-before described with
reference to the accompanying Drawings, as these may be variously
modified, as before stated, without departing from the nature of the
Invention; but what I claim as new and desire to secure under tho
above in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The propeller herein described consisting of blades of india-
rubber or other clastio gum connected to vibrating shafts, substantially
in the manner and for the purpose specified.
Second. In the described combination with the vibrating blades and
shafts, giving simultaneous action to the vibrating blades by the direct-
action steam engine, arranged substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.