Improvements in and connected with Paddle-wheel Boats.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Paddle-wheel Boats.
I, JACOB SALTER BAKER of No. 10 Old Slip New York in the County and State of
New York United States of America, Merchant, 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 :-
My invention consists of horizontal paddle wheels projecting from recesses in the
sides of the hull of the vessel and located in the opposite exterior sides of the hull
below the water line as hereinafter described reference being made to the accom-
panying drawing in which :-Fig. 1, is in part a horizontal section of a boat having
the paddle wheels arranged according to my invention. Fig. 2, is a transverse
section of the same, and Fig. 3, is another transverse section representing modifi-
cations in the wheel recess and paddles.
Anywhere along the sides of the hull a, of the boat but forward of the middle
and below the water line and as near the level of the keel as practicable I provide
a paddle wheel recess b, for a horizontal paddle wheel c, which I fit therein on a
vertical shaft d, supported in a step e, below and extending upward through a stuffing
box, suitably to be geared to the driving shaft g, common to both wheels, with
bevel wheels h, or so as to be independently geared with a separate engine if desired,
said wheel recesses and wheels being so arranged that the paddles of the wheels
project at one side of the wheel beyond the side line of the hull into the water a
suitable distance for taking effect thereon when rotated for driving the boat, whilst
the rest of the wheel runs within the recess where it is free from the retarding
influence of the outside water and, with what water may also occupy the recess is
carried along with the boat with practically no more resistance than if carried in
the boat.
The recesses enclose the wheels on the top bottom and sides except so much
as projects out of the sides of the boat into the water said recesses being suitably
open on that side for the purpose, for the rest they are curved conformably to the
circumference of the wheels.
The closure of the bottom prevents the water from rushing in at the opening and
out through the bottom which would be obstruction.
I prefer to construct the wheels so that the reach of the paddles beyond the
sides of the hull into the water is half the radius of the wheel but they may of
course be varied in this respect if desired, and I also construct them with a spiral
pitch directed so that the reactionary effect of the water has a lifting action on the
wheel to give an upward tendency to the boat, particularly forward which favours
propulsion both by the more solid resistance of the water and by the diminished
submerged section consequent upon the lifting of the boat.
It also enables the wheels when geared separately to be used to right and steady a
rolling vessel or one listed to one side by the shifting of the cargo, or ballast, the
wheel on the low side being driven at high speed whilst the other is slowed or
reversed.
I also prefer to connect the paddles to the hub and thereby to the shaft by means of
a disk j, or it may be two disks instead of independent arms as the disks are much
stronger and will run in the water contained in the recesses with less obstruction
than independent arms will, for, although such water will rotate to some extent with
the arms or disks so as not to offer much resistance it will undoubtedly run somewhat
slower and with the disk or disks it will only have surface friction, whilst with the
arms there would have to be more or less displacement.
Wheels of this kind may be driven by smaller lighter and cheaper high speed
engines than such as the common paddle wheels require, they work in more solid

page_text: water with less slip and they are not affected by logs, ice, and other small objects
floating on the surface.
I only represent one wheel in each side of the boat, but it is manifest that I may
employ two or more in each side if desired.
I will in some cases construct the wheel recesses with a central hub k, filling the
space each side of the disk j, and between the inner ends of the paddles to exclude
water therefrom as in fig. 3, and will make the paddles with the upper end having a
forwardly curved projection 7, also as in fig. 3, both of which devices will increase the
efficiency of the wheels to some extent.
I am aware that wheels have been arranged horizontally in such recesses in the side
but they have always been placed at the middle or more or less back of the middle of
the boat, whereas the special feature of my invention is the location of such wheels
forward of the middle which enables such wheels to work to much better advantage
because the direction given to the water in parting along the forward part of the boat
is substantially the same as the wheels also give and the wheels therefore work in
more solid water and with less counter action than when located back of the shape of
the hull forcing the water outward, and they have in this position a lifting effect
which buoys the bow materially and enables it to be loaded heavier and to go faster.
. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The combination with a boat, of a horizontal paddle wheel projecting from a
recess in each exterior opposite side of the hull below the water line and located
forward of the middle and where the shape of the hull has parting action on the water
and the wheels have buoyant effect on the bow substantially as described.
2nd. In a bort having horizontal paddle wheels located in and projecting from
recesses in the side of the hull below the water line and located forward of the middle
said wheels constructed with a spiral pitch of the paddles directed so that the
reactionary effect of the water has a lifting action on the wheels substantially as
described.
3rd. The combination with a boat, of horizontal paddle wheels consisting of paddles
connected to the vertical shaft by a central disk and located in recesses in the sides of
the boat forward of the middle and having a spiral pitch of the paddles directed to
have lifting effect on the boat substantially as described.
4th. In a boat baving horizontal paddle wheels located in and projecting from
recesses in the side of the hull below the water line, said wheels constructed with a
disk connecting the paddles to the hub substantially as described.
5th. In a boat having horizontal paddle wheels located in and projecting from
recesses in the side of the hull below the water line, said wheel recesses having central
hubs filling the space between the inner ends of the paddles and each side of the disk
or arms connecting the paddles to the shaft substantially as specified.
6th. In a boat having horizontal paddle wheels located in and projecting from
recesses in the side of the hull below the water line, said wheels constructed with a
forwardly curved projection of the upper ends of the paddles substantially as
described.
Dated this 10th day of July 1889.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.