IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING MOTIVE POWER FOR PROPELLING VESSELS AND CARRIAGES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Phillips, of Linden Grove, Nunhead,
in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING MOTIVE POWER FOR PROPELLING VESSELS
AND CARRIAGES.”
Sealed the 29th April 1879, and dated the 7th November 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Phillips at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th November 1878.
WILLIAM HENRY PHILLIPS, of Linden Grove, Nunhead, in the County of
Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING MOTIVE
POWER FOR PROPELLING VESSELS AND CARRIAGES.
This Invention relates to improvements in means and apparatus for applying
motive power for propelling vessels and carriages.
The object of my improvements is to simplify the method of applying motive
power for the propulsion of vessels and carriages by dispensing with the ordinary
means, such as paddle wheels, screw propellers, cranks, driving wheels, and other
mechanism by substituting the impulse of a descending weight combined with the
force of steam or other elastic fluid to impart additional impulse to such descending
weight whilst acting at the same time on the head of the cylinder to aid in raising
and propelling the vessel or carriage.
According to one method of carrying out my Invention I employ a cross beam
firmly connected to a weighted pendant beam and strengthening bars.
The cross beam is furnished with axes moving in bearings supported by and
working on four sheer legs or other framework fixed to the deck of a vessel or the
platform of a carriage.
Steam cylinders are arranged in combination with the cross beam so as to actuate
the rocking beam and pendulous weighted arm, the piston rods being connected to
the ends of the rocking beam by chains or otherwise.
Steam is admitted alternately with advantage above the pistons only to draw
г
.

page_text: down the arm of the cross beam and thus raise the weight according to the length
of stroke of the piston.
When the steam is cut off from one of the cylinders the steam escapes from above
the piston of the other, at the same time when steam enters the cylinder it forces
the piston down and causes the pendulous weight to strike a fixed stop on the deck
or platform, or gives a concussive pull to a chain or rope fastened to the vessel or
carriage, by which means by successive strokes the whole of the vessel or carriage
is propelled or tugged forward.
According to another method of carrying out my improvements I employ a steam
cylinder having a strong piston rod more than double the length of the cylinder
which is firmly fixed upon an incline on the deck of a vessel or platform of a
carriage.
A heavy weight mounted on wheels is connected to the piston rod, and when
steam is admitted to the cylinder the weight is drawn up the incline, and when the
supply of steam is cut off and the escape opened at the same moment steam is
admitted to another cylinder, causing the weight to descend rapidly by the combined
force of its gravitation and the force imparted to it by the other piston with which
it is connected, thus causing it to strike a buffer or fixed stop on the deck or plat-
form, or to tug on a rope or chain fastened to the vessel or carriage.
The pendulous or movable striking weight and rocking beam may be actuated
either by steam or other motive power, or by manual labour.
A spring or springs may be substituted for one of the steam or other motive
power cylinders.
The apparatus may also be applied to a sleigh upon ice, snow, or frozen ground.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Phillips in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th May 1879.
WILLIAM HENRY PHILLIPS, of Lindon Grove, Nunhead, in the County of
Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING MOTIVE
POWER FOR PROPELLING VESSELS AND CARRIAGES."
This Invention relates to improvements in means and apparatus for applying
motive power for propelling vessels and carriages.
The object of my improvements is to simplify the method of applying motive
power for the propulsion of vessels and carriages by dispensing with the ordinary
means, such as paddle wheels, screw propellers, rotating cranks, driving wheels, and
other mechanism by substituting the impulse of a descending or movable weight
combined with the force of steam or other elastic fluid to impart additional impulse
to such descending or movable weight, whilst the steam or elastic fluid acts at the
same time on the head or forward end of the cylinder or cylinders to aid in raising
and propelling the vessel or carriage.
According to one method of carrying out my Invention I employ a cross beam A
firmly connected to a weighted pendant beam B and strengthening bars C, as repre-
sented in Figure 1 of the Drawings hereto annexed, which shows a sectional eleva-
tion of propelling apparatus arranged in accordance with my Invention.
The cross beam A is furnished with axes A¹ moving in bearings supported by and
working on four sheer legs D or other frame-work fixed to the deck of a vessel or
the platform of a carriage.
Steam cylinders E and E¹ are arranged in combination with the cross beam A so
as to actuate the rocking beam and pendulous weighted arm B, the piston rods
being connected to the ends of the rocking bean by chains or otherwise."
Steam is admitted alternately with advantage above the pistons e only in order
to draw down the arm of the cross beam E and thus raise the weight b according
to the length of the regulated stroke of the piston.
When the steam is cut off from the cylinder E the steam escapes from above the
piston of the cylinder E¹, at the same time when steam enters the cylinder E' it
forces its piston down and causes the pendulous weight b to strike a fixed stop b¹
on the deck or platform, or gives a concussive pull to a chain or rope b² fastened to
the vessel or carriage at 63, by which means by successive strokes the whole of the
vessel or carriage is propelled or tugged forward.
Figure 2 shows a transverse section of the supporting frame D and pendulous
beam B.
E, E', are the cylinders firmly bolted down, the smaller cylinder being for-
ward; e and e' are pistons receiving steam on the upper surfaces only; f. f', are
piston rods passing through stuffing boxes f2, f; g.g¹, are slide tubes for opening
and closing steam ports; h, h', are steam feed pipes from boiler having cocks h², h³,
for wholly or partially cutting off steam feed; i, ', steam escape pipes connected
to exhaust ports.
While at rest the pendulous beam B hangs perpendicularly, but on steam
being turned on by cocks h2, h3, the piston e descends, drawing down the after
end of beam A, causing the weight to strike the fixed stop b¹, or to give a
momentary tug on the rope 62, which rope is firmly secured to stanchion or
fixed stop 6s.
The regulators being adjusted to cut off the steam at half stroke or less, on
steam being turned on at the cocks h2, h3, the piston e¹ descends, causing the pen-
dulous weight b to strike the fixed stop b with momentum due to the combined
forces of the weight in its descent and the impulse caused by the down stroke of the
after piston e¹.
On the plate e descending to the top of the slide tube g¹ the feed port is closed
and the exhaust port opened. The reverse action takes place at the same time with.

page_text: cylinder E by the piston e forcing up the slide tube g, thus opening feed port and
closing exhaust.
Thus while the steam is on at cylinder E' it is off at cylinder E, and while the
steam is on at cylinder E it is off at cylinder E', and so on in continued alternate
Each impulsive
action with speed according to the pressure of steam used.
stroke of the weight causes the vessel or carriage to advance or to be impelled
forward.
According to another method of carrying out my improvements I employ a
steam cylinder d having a piston d¹ and piston rod d, the cylinder d being
firmly fixed upon an incline d on the deck of a vessel or platform of a car-
riage, as shown by Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawings.
A moveable weight consisting of heavy wheels and frame f, f, is connected to
the piston rod d2, and when steam is admitted to the cylinder d the travelling
weight fis drawn up the incline d, and when the supply of steam is cut off and the
escape opened, steam being constantly admitted to another cylinder g, the weight is
caused to descend rapidly by the combined force of its gravitation and the force
imparted to it by the piston g' with which it is connected, thus causing it to strike
a buffer or fixed stop f¹ on the deck or platform, or to tug on a rope or chain f*
fastened to the rear of the vessel or carriage.
Steam is admitted constantly into cylinder g by the pipe gx, Figures 3 and 4,
which is provided with a cock or outlet for the discharge of condensed steam that
may pass the piston.
Steam is also turned on to the fore end of cylinder'd by cock d*, and when the
piston recedes and draws back the weight f, f, at the same time drawing back the
piston of cylinder g, and by so doing forces the steam contained in cylinder g back
into the boiler.
The piston of cylinder & having receded and cut off the feed and opened the
exhaust of cylinder d the steam re-enters the cylinder g and draws forward the
weight f, the frame of which weight strikes the fixed stop f¹ with an impulsive
force due to the descending weight accelerated by the full force of steam acting on
the piston of cylinder g.
Figure 5 is a vertical section, and Figure 6, a horizontal section of another arrange-
ment of means and apparatus for propelling vessels and carriages in accordance with
my Invention.
7 and m are steam cylinders of equal proportions; 11, m³, are pistons with piston
rods 12, m, working in stuffing boxes 1,3 m³; l, m, are feed and exhaust ports and
apparatus with sliding tubes 15, m³, for opening and closing steam ports; 16, m, are
screw plugs to stuffing boxes; 17, supporting arm bolted on to cylinders carrying the
cross bar 1, the ends of which pass through slots near closed end of the pipes 15, m³;
19 is a pipe from boiler to feed ports; 710, 711, lever cocks to control supply of steam;
12, pipe for carrying off steam from exhaust ports, Figure 7; 113, steam pipe con-
necting the cylinders l, m, and communicating with boiler by the pipe [¹ with
cock ; n, strong frame-work erected on deck or platform of a vessel or carriage to
be propelled, on which frame-work the cylinders and other parts of the apparatus
employed are firmly mounted; o is a cylinder with piston o' and piston rod 02
working in stuffing box o³, having a supply pipe o leading from boiler with cock o;
p, a pulley wheel having three grooves, Figure 6, on which the ropes or chains are
fastened; q, a pulley wheel over which the rope or chain from cylinder o passes;
,, heavy rollers with frame and axles; s, inclined plain on which the rollers
traverse; t, strong fixed stop provided with flexible cushion t'.
The rope or chain p¹ is firmly secured to the ends of piston of cylinders l, m,
the bight of the rope or chain being securely bolted into the middle grove of
wheel p.
The two ropes or chains p², p³, connected together at both ends, pass round
the outer grooves of pulley wheel p, being connected to the roller weight r, the
other end being attached by a single rope or chain q² passing over pulley wheel
to piston rod of cylinder o.
"

page_text: Steam being first turned on by cock 15 the two cylinders and m are charged
with steam in rear of the piston l, m, without causing any material action of the
pistons.
Steam is also turned on by the cock o to above the piston o' of cylinder o, and
lastly, steam is turned on by levers 710, 11. When the piston m¹ is impelled forward
against the exhaust the steam in rear of pistons l' and 'm' partly passing alternately
from one cylinder to the other while being constantly charged by the full pressure
of steam from the boiler by pipe 114.
While the piston l' recedes the piston m¹ advances from the full force of steam
acting in rear of piston m¹.
The piston rod m² pulling on the rope or chain p' the piston o¹ of cylinder o at
the same time pulling on rope or chain q², causing the weighted roller frame to strike
the fixed stop to propel the vessel or carriage with impulsive force due to the com-
bined force of steam on one piston of the large cylinder and the force of steam acting
on the smaller cylinder o.
The piston mon advancing forces forward the slide pipe m³, closing the exhaust
and opening the feed, whilst by action of the cross bar 18 the steam feed of cylinder
is closed and the exhaust opened, and so on; the fore ends of pistons l¹ and m¹ open
and close the four ports in alternate action.
The pendulous or movable striking weight and rocking beam may be actuated
either by steam or other motive power, or by manual labour.
"
A spring or springs may be substituted for one of the steam or other motive power
cylinders.
The apparatus may also be applied to a sleigh upon ice, snow, or frozen ground.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice, I would remark that I do not claim any of the
mechanical parts separately which are well known and in common use, but what I
claim is,
The improved means and apparatus for applying motive power for propelling
vessels and carriages by the impulsive force of a weight or weights accelerated by
the pressure of steam or other motive power to cause the movable weight to transmit
its force to the hull of a vessel or the body of a carriage to propel the same, sub-
stantially in the manner hereinbefore described, and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, and 6 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
I also claim the improved method of obtaining additional propelling or lifting
power by admitting the steam at the forward or upper ends above the pistons of the
cylinders only, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described, and
represented in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Phillips, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
WILLIAM HENRY PHILLIPS. (L.S.)