IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING THE MOTION OF THE FEATHERING FLOATS OF PADDLE WHEELS,
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wood, of Paisley, in the County of
Renfrew, and John Wells Farries, of Partick, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REGULATING THE MOTION OF THE FEATHERING FLOATS OF PADDLE WHEELS,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wood and
John Wells Farries at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Potition, on the 20th July 1875.
We, WILLIAM WOOD, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, and
JOHN WELLS FARRIES, of Partick, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "Iж-
PROVEMENTS IN REGULATING THE MOTION OF THE FEATHERING FLOATS OF PADDLE
WHEELS, AND IN THE MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that
is to say:-

page_text: object to obtain a greater efficiency of propulsive action by diminishing
the loss of effect due to the floats lifting the water during the ascending
portion of their motion when immersed.
The Invention consists in fixing to the body of the ship and at each
side thereof concentrically with the axis of the paddle shaft a toothed
ring or wheel.
This toothed ring or wheel is rigidly secured, so that it
cannot rotate, and upon the arms or framing of the paddle wheels, other
toothed wheels or pinions are carried, which being in gear with the fixed
toothed wheel are rotated on their axes when the paddle wheels are in
motion. To the axis of each such toothed wheel a pinion or crank is
attached, and cach crank is coupled by one or more connecting rods to
one or more levers or cranks on one or more floats The proportions or
lengths of the cranks, levers, and connecting rods being such that the
floats pass into the water nearly vertically, and pass out of it with a
slight inclination forwards, thus practically preventing the lifting of the
water and the loss of effect due to that action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Wood and John Wells Farries in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
WOOD, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, and JOHN WELLS
FARRIES, of Partick, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said William Wood and John Wells Farmies,
Her special license, that we, the said William Wood and John Wells
Farries, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said William Wood and John Wells Farries, our executors,
administrators, or 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,

page_text: within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING
THE MOTION OF THE FEATHERING FLOATS OF PADDLE WHEELS, AND IN THE
MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others),
that we, the said William Wood and John Wells Farries, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and scals, or under the hand and
scal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 we, the said William Wood and John Wells
Farrics, do hereby declare the nature of our 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
I had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :—
Our said Invention which relates to a new or improved arrangement
of mechanism for actuating feathering floats of paddle wheels, has for
its object to obtain a greater efficiency of propulsive action by diminishing
the loss of effect due to the floats lifting the water during the ascending
portion of their motion when immersed.
The Invention consists in fixing to the body of the ship and at cach
side thereof concentrically with the axis of the paddle shaft a toothed
ring or wheel
This toothed ring or wheel is rigidly secured so that it
cannot rotate, and upon the arms or framing of the paddle wheels other
toothed wheels or pinions are carried, which being in gear with the fixed
toothed wheels are rotated on their axes when the paddle wheels are in
motion. To the axis of cach such toothed wheel a pinion or crank is
attached, and each crank is coupled by one or more connecting rods to
one or more levers or cranks on one or more floats. The proportions of
lengths of the cranks, levers, and connecting rods being such that the
floats pass into the water nearly vertically, and pass out of it with a
slight inclination forwards, thus practically preventing the lifting of the
water and the loss of effect due to that action.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood

page_text: manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically
carried into effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2, an end elevation of a
paddle wheel showing our improvements applied thereto.
The framing of the wheel is marked A, and at the centre thereof is
the toothed wheel or ring B, this being fixed or arranged so as not to
rotate. Around the fixed toothed wheel or ring B, and carried on studs
or bearings in the paddle wheel framing A are the toothed pinions O:
gearing into the fixed toothed wheel B, which are rotated on their own
axes, as they are carried round the fixed toothed wheel by the rotation
of the paddle wheel. Upon each of these pinions C a crank is carried,
as shown, the pin of which is coupled to a crank or arm D on the float
shafts, as shown.
In the annexed Drawings each crank is shown connected to two floats,
but of course according to the size of the paddle wheel and to the
number of floats thereon, each crank may be connected to one, two, or
more floats, or a greater or less number of cranks may be employed.
By means of this arrangement for regulating the feathering motions of
the floats, they are caused to enter the water vertically, as shown by the
float No. 1, and to maintain that vertical or nearly vertical position
throughout the greater part of the period of immersion, as shown by the
imaginary position of another float at the dotted lines marked 2, and in
full view of another float at 3, the position of the float on emerging
from the water being shown in dotted lines at 4, that is to say, its
position at the time of emerging is inclined backwards, so that it leaves
the water with the minimum of resistance. The fixed toothed wheel B
has twice the number of teeth on it which are in each of the pinions C.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which
the same is or may be used, or practically carried into effect, we would
observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and construction of
paddle wheels in which the feathering of the floats is effected through
their being connected to cranks carried on pinions, substantially as

page_text: herein-before described and shown upon the annexed Sheet of Drawings
and so that the floats are maintained vertical or nearly so during the
greater part of their immersion, and inclined so as to emerge from the
water with a minimum of resistance
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wells Farrics, on behalf of
myself and the said William Wood, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.