IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Walker, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PROPELLING VESSELS."
Sealed the 13th December 1861, and dated the 18th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
June 1861.
I, ROBERT WALKER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
5 Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS," to be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention relates to improved means for propelling vessels, applicable
to full powered steamers, but peculiarly suitable for working with auxiliary
steam power.
The forms, positions, and modes of working of the apparatus adopted in the
improved system are susceptible of various modifications, but the principles or
essential features of the system will be understood from the description of a
few such modifications.
In one modification the propelling instrument consists of a blade, which,
wben at rest, lies horizontally, and which is fixed by its front end at right
angles to a vertical rod arranged at the stern of the vessel, for example, and
made to reciprocate vertically. The blade is constructed so as to possess an
elastic flexibility, and when it is moved downwards its outer back end is bent

page_text: upwards, its surface being inclined in such a way as with the downward motion
to propel the vessel forward. When the blade is moved upwards it becomes
bent in the opposite direction, so as to be inclined downwards towards its outer
back end, and so that it still propels the vessel forward.
There may be two or more such propelling blades on the same reciprocating
rod, or on separate rods, and they may be arranged to work at the sides or
other part or parts of the vessel. The reciprocating motion may take place in
various rectilineal directions, provided it is in a plane at right angles or nearly
so to the horizontal longitudinal centre line of the vessel. Or, instead of the
motion being rectilineal, it may be curved; such, for example, as would be
produced by jointing one part of the rod to which the blade is fixed upon a
rotating crank pin, another part working through a swivelling guide. With
such a motion the elastic flexibility of the blade may be made less, as the
motion causes the blade fixed at right angles or nearly so on the rod to assume
an inclination in some degree assisting the propelling action.
Provision may be made for adjusting the propelling details, so as to propel
backwards or sideways when necessary; and the propelling blades may bo
made adjustable as to their depth in the water, so as to suit different depths of
water or different draughts of the vessel to which they are applied.
Provision may also be made for elevating the propelling details out of the
water when not in use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WALKER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, ller heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Walker, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Walker,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Robert Walker, 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,

page_text: 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 VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said.
Robert Walker, 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
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Walker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, in writing, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to improved means for propelling vessels, appli-
cable to full-powered steamers, but peculiarly suitable for working with
auxiliary steam power.
The improved apparatus may also be arranged so as to derive a propelling
action from the motion which the waves produce in the vessel, or from the
relative motion between the waves and the vessel.
The forms, positions, and modes of working of the apparatus adopted in the
improved system are susceptible of various modifications, but the principles or
essential features of the system will be understood from the description of a
few of such modifications.
In one modification the propelling instrument consists of a blade, which,
when at rest, lies horizontally, and which is fixed by its front end at right
angles to a vertical rod arranged at the stern of the vessel, for example, and
made to reciprocate vertically. The blade is constructed so as to possess an
elastic flexibility, and when it is moved downwards its outer back end is bent
upwards, its surface being inclined in such a way as with the downward
motion to propel the vessel forward. When the blade is moved upwards it
becomes bent in the opposite direction, so as to be inclined downwards towards
its outer back end, and so that it still propels the vessel forward.
There may be two or more such propelling blades on the same reciprocating
rod, or on separate rods, and they may be arranged to work at the sides or
other part or parts of the vessel. The reciprocating motion may take place
in various rectilineal directions, provided it is in a plane at right angles or
nearly so to the horizontal longitudinal centre line of the vessel. Or, instead
of the motion being rectilineal, it may be curved, such, for example, as would
be produced by jointing one part of the rod to which the blade is fixed upon

page_text: a rotating crank pin, another part working through a swivelling guide. With
such a motion the elastic flexibility of the blade may be made less as tho
motion causes the blade, fixed at right angles or nearly so on the rod, to assume
an inclination in some degree assisting the propelling action.
Provision may be made for adjusting the propelling details so as to propel
backwards or sideways when necessary; and the propelling blades may be made
adjustable as to their depth in the water, so as to suit different depths of
water, or different draughts of the vessel to which they are applied.
Provision may also be made for elevating the propelling details out of the
water when not in use.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood and
carried into effect, I will proceed to particularly describe a modification which
is conveniently applicable in practice. In this modification there is at each
hind quarter of the vessel an aperture on the under side, through which there
projects vertically downwards a rod having fixed to it at or near its lower end
a rectangular or other conveniently shaped open frame. This frame has four
or other convenient number of openings, in each of which there is fixed by its
front edge or end a blade of steel or other material, of such a thickness and
temper as to possess the requisite elastic flexibility. Or, the blade itself may
be constructed so as to be rigid, being hinged to the frame at its front end,
whilst springs may be applied to it to govern its action. Inside the vessel the
rods are connected, either directly or through the intervention of levers or rods,
to cranks on a transverse horizontal shaft driven by a steam engine, in such a
way that the rotation of such shaft imparts a vertical reciprocating motion to
the rods and propelling blades attached to them. It is preferred to provide
the rods with loose bushes or sleeves held between collars, the reciprocating
motion being imparted to and through such bushes; and means being provided
for setting the rods round to cause the propelling action to take effect in a
backward or other direction, whereby great control over the movements of the
vessel will be obtained.
Instead of applying the motive power of a steam or other engine to effect
the propulsion of the vessel, by means of my improved apparatus, this
apparatus may be so arranged that its action may be caused by the oscillatory
motion produced in the vessel by the waves, or by the motion of the waves
relatively to the vessel. Thus, if a number of the flexible and elastic blades
are attached by their front ends to the vessel, or to a framework fixed to the
vessel, the motion of the vessel will cause them to be alternately plunged
downwards and raised upwards in the water, and in consequence of their
assuming different inclined positions, as already described, a forward propelling

page_text: strain will act on the vessel corresponding to the resistance experienced by the
blades in their downward or upward motion through the water. In this appli
cation a reciprocating motion relatively to the vessel is not imparted to the
blades, the motion of the vessel itself producing the requisite reciprocation;
and it will be obvious that the blades should be placed at or near the ends of
the vessel where the motion produced in it by the waves is greatest.
The
blades may be contrived so that the direction of their propelling action may be
varied as required; and they may be arranged to be raised out of the water
when their action is not wanted.
An important application of these automatic propelling blades is in the case
of vessels riding at anchor, when their propelling action may be directed so as
to greatly relieve the strain on the cable, and this without any expenditure of
steam or similar motive power. If the apparatus is arranged to be worked by
an engine, it will also serve for obtaining a propelling action from-the wave-
motion in case the engine is disabled or otherwise not working, it being
simply necessary for this purpose that the rods usually worked by the engine.
be-fixed...
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I have to state that
I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein-before described, but that
what I consider to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the propelling
of vessels by means of, blades arranged, worked, and acting substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Walker, havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
ROBT. WALKER. (L.S.)