AN IMPROVEMENT IN PROPELLING VESSELS IN WATER
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of 16, Castle
Street, Holborn (City), London, and now of 29, Boulevart St. Martin,
Paris, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PROPELLING VESSELS IN
WATER." A communication.
Sealed the 31st October 1854, and dated the 23rd June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd June 1854.
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street, Holborn
(City), London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PROPELLING VESSELS IN WATER" to be as
follows:-
The employment at the sides or stern of the vessel of one or more propeller
or propellers, each consisting of a blade of flat or slightly curved shape attached
to a shaft or axis, dividing it into two equal or nearly equal parts, & having
a lateral movement at right angles, or nearly so, with a plane passing through
the centre of the vessel, at the same time that the blade has a reciprocating
circular motion upon it, resembling somewhat the wing of a bird or tail of a
fish. I do not confine the shape strictly as above described, as the principle

page_text: is capable of slight modifications according to the arrangements for working
the same; but the construction of the propeller and its movements will in
all cases be substantially the same in the employment of any number of
propellers of the form substantially as described, each having a movement to
& from the sides of the vessel, and a movement about a centre of axis, as
described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTE
EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street, Holborn (City), London,
and now of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, Her special licence that I'
the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I; the said-Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, 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, excrcise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
PROPELLING VESSELS IN WATER," a communication, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
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, that is to say:-

page_text: This Invention consists in the employment at each side or in the stern of
the vessel of one or more propellers, each consisting of a blade of flat or
slightly curved shape, attached to a shaft or axis, which is suspended from
some fixed part of the vessel, and receives an oscillating movement to and from
the vessel in a plane or planes which are perpendicular, or nearly so, to an
imaginary plane passing vertically through the centre of the vessel, at the same
time that the blade has a reciprocating circular motion around it. This move-
ment of the blades is intended to resemble in as great a degree as practicable
the movement of the wing of a bird or the tail of a fish..
These propellers may be applied to the vessel in a great variety of ways, and
may have motion communicated through an equal variety of means; but as
the construction of the propeller and its movements will in all cases be substan-
tially the same, it will be sufficient to describe such methods of constructing,
arranging, and operating it as are considered most practicable.
The accompanying Drawing illustrates four different modes of applying the
Invention.
Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a vessel in which one application of the
Invention is exhibited; Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of the same; .ȧnd
Fig. 3, a top view.
Fig. 4 is another transverse sectiou, showing a different mode of applying
the Invention.
:
Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the propellers, corresponding with Fig. 4.
Fig. 6, 7, are diagrams explaining other modes of applying the In-
vention.
"
Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrative of the movements of the propellers in any
way that they are applied.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a pair of propellers are represented arranged opposite
each other, and supposed to occupy a similar position to that in which the
common paddle wheels are usually placed. The blades A, A, may be of wood
or metal, but should be preferably constructed of wrought iron, are nearly flat,
being in some degree like the blade of an oar, but wider in proportion. Each
is attached by some suitable means to a shaft B, which is in line with it, and
which, if passing through it, would divide it into two equal parts, so that the
axis of the shaft may be considered the axis of the propeller.. Each shaft is
suspended near its upper end by a ball and socket connection (a), from a
framing C, outside the vessel, and at a short distance from the blade; it passes
through and fits an eye in the end of a rod D, which passes through the side
of the vessel, and works in guides c, c, within and without, to keep it in a'

page_text: position perpendicular to an imaginary plane, dividing the vessel centrally into
two equal parts. This rod D is connected by a connecting rod D', with a
beam E, on a rock shaft F, which is arranged in suitable bearings lengthwise
of the vessel. The rock shaft F carries an arm I, which is connected with
the connecting rod of an upright steam engine, which said connecting rod is
made in two parts I & H', jointed together by the pin b, which connects the
arm I therewith. The the crank shaft K of the engine carries another crank
T', in addition to the engine crank J, the said crank I' being connected
by a connecting rod L, with an arm M, secured to each of the propeller
shafts B.
. The rocking motion which is given to the rock shaft F, by the action of the
connecting rod of the engine upon the arm I, causes the rods D, D, to receive
a reciprocating, rectilinear motion, and to communicate an oscillating motion
to the propeller shafts, so that they move towards and from the vessel. The
crank I' on the engine shaft, through the agency of the rods L, L, and arms
M, M, gives the propeller shafts a reciprocating circular motion. The move-
ment of the propellers will be best understood by reference to Fig. 8, where,
as well as in Fig. 3, the positions occupied by the blades, at the termination of
their inward oscillations or movements towards the vessel's sides N, N, are
indicated in blue outline, and the opposite positions at the termination of their
movements from the vessel in red outline, and their position at one point in their
outward oscillations are shown in black, and at one point in their inward oscilla-
tions in black dotted outlines. The crauk I and the arms M, M, are so adjusted
that the propeller blades will be, at the commencement and termination of their
oscillation in either direction, as nearly as possible parallel, with lines passing
longitudinally through the centre of the vessel; but during their oscillation,
the movements of the propellers about their axes will cause them to assume an
oblique position, the degree of obliquity increasing from the commencement to
the centre of their oscillation, & then diminishing from the centre to the
end. The positions, shown in Fig. 8, in black & dotted outlines, are the
central ones, when the degree of obliquity is greatest. The two propellers and
the machinery for driving them should be so arranged that both should oscillate
from the vessel at the same time, and towards the vessel at the same time, and
therefore as they always move in opposite directions, the directions of their
obliquity will require to be the reverse of each other, as is shown by the black
and dotted lines in Fig. 8, in order that both may exert force to propel the
vessel in the same direction. It will be understood, that as the propellers
oscillate outwards from the side N of the vessel, they will exert force in s ch

page_text: a degree as is due to their angle, to propel the vessel forward, as indicated
by the arrow in Fig. 8; and that when the direction of oscillation is reversed,
the direction of the obliquity is reversed also, and therefore the force acts
to propel the vessel still in the same direction. The action of the propellers
is reversed by simply reversing the engines, which causes a reversal of the
direction of the obliquity of the blades relatively to the direction of their
oscillation.
The arrangement of the propellers and engine, shown in Fig. 4, is better
adapted than the arrangement just described, to be placed near the stern or in
the run of the vessel, where, owing to the peculiar shape of the vessel, all out-
side framing may be dispensed with. In this arrangement the propeller shafts
B, B, pass through the vessel's side, and are suspended with ball and socket
joints, the socket part of the joint being secured directly to the side of the
vessel. The upper parts of the shafts B, B, work in guides f,f, which confine
them so that they can only oscillate directly towards & from the sides of the
vessel. The oscillating movement & the movement around their axes are
both effected by the same means, viz., by an arm M, secured to each shaft
above the ball, and having its end turned in the form of a pin or journal,
to fit in a bearing in a crank or disc P, see also Fig. 5, on the shaft Q
of the engine, conveniently arranged for the purpose. The revolution of the
shaft Q will cause the propeller shafts to receive both the movements desired,
which are precisely the same as those given by the machinery shown in
Fig. 1, 2, 3.
The diagram, Fig. 6, shows a mode of hanging & operating the propeller,
which is essentially like that shown in Fig. 4, the only difference being that
the propeller shaft is suspended from a framing outside the vessel, & the
engine shaft Q extends through the side, the disc or crank P requiring to be
outside the vessel, as the propeller shaft is entirely outside. This modification
of the way of hanging the propeller shown in Fig. 4, is intended to be applied
when the propeller is placed near the waist of the vessel where the sides are
nearly upright. Another modification is shown in Fig. 7, where the pro-
peller is hung in the side of the vessel, in the same manner as in Fig. 4;
but in order to make the blade clear the side of the vessel in its oscillation,
the range of its oscillation is thrown farther outwards, the shaft being in this
modification in about a vertical position at the termination of its oscillation
toward the vessel, but in the others being vertical at the centre of its oscil-
lation. The range of the oscillatory motion of the blade may be carried
further inwards or outwards to suit the shape of the vessel, as it is desirable

page_text: that in oscillating towards the vessel the blade should arrive within a short
distance thereof; & it may be so far changed, without changing the effect,
as to bring the propeller entirely under the vessel, and to make it oscillate
towards & from the bottom.
The propeller shafts may also be hung in the same way as is shown in
Figs. 1, 2, & 3, & the oscillatory movement of each may be produced by a
horizontal engine, whose piston rod will supply the place of the rod D. The
circular movement may be then produced by a vertical crank shaft, with a
crank at the top, to connect by a rod with the arm M on the propeller
shaft.
.
The propeller blade is in all cases intended to be nearly or quite submerged,
but not deeper than just to cover it. It is desirable that the propellers should
be capable of being raised & lowered to suit variations in the draft of the
vessel, & therefore it will be well to have the arm M & the ball of the
suspension joint or connection a of each attached together, or made all in one
piece, as shown in Fig. 1, & the shaft of the propeller secured within them
by a moveable key, which might be taken out to admit of the said shaft with
the propeller blade attached being raised & lowered, without disturbing the
proper relation of any of the machinery employed to drive it..
The shape of the broadside, of the propeller blade is not of particular
importance, or at least my Invention is not limited to any shape, as it may be
varied. Any number of propellers may be used upon each side of the vessel,
being arranged at any such parts of the length as may be thought best; they
may be so arranged as to be driven by a train of shafting from one engine,
or driven singly or in pairs by separate engines.
The degree of oscillation of the blades to and from the vessel may be varied
to a very great extent, but it is considered preferable that it should be not less
than twenty or more than sixty degrees. Their circular motion about their
axes may be from forty to sixty degrees in either direction from the position of
parallelism with the direction of the vessel's movement. One advantage of
this propeller is, that they are capable by a stoppage of the engine in the
proper position, without being unshipped, of being inade to stand stationary,
cach with its edges in a line parallel with the central one of the vessel,
so that they will offer no obstruction when it is desired at any time to
discontinue their use. This renders them particularly applicable as an
auxiliary power for sailing vessels, to be used during calms & light or
adverse winds.
I claim the employment, for propelling vessels, of any number of propellers

page_text: constructed & arranged in any way substantially as described, & having
each a movement towards & from the side of the vessel, & a reciprocating
circular movement about a centre or axis, substantially as herein set forth,
without respect to mechanical means, or to any arrangement of the same,
whereby the said movements are produced..
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, have
hereunto set my hand & seal, the First day of December 1854.
A. E. LORADOUX BELLFORD. (L.S.)