IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SANFORD HALL, of Strathern Cottage, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex,
Lieutenant on Half Pay in Her Majesty's Army, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Nineteenth day of December, in the first year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Sanford Hall, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said William Sanford Hall, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Sanford Hall, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE
WHEELS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said William Sanford Hall, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Sanford Hall, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and

page_text: ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention relates to mode of affixing the float boards or paddles of
paddle wheels whereby those shocks heretofore so prejudicial to the machinery
and vessel will be avoided, and at the same time the power of the engine will
be more advantageously employed that when paddle wheels of the common
construction are used. I would remark that there have been various
attempts to improve the working of paddle wheels for propelling vessels, and
amongst other contrivances for that purpose it has been recommended to have
the float boards set at an angle to the shaft or axis, and I call particular
attention to this circumstance because my Invention relates to a mode of
constructing and applying float boards set or fixed in the wheel at an angle
one to the other, and each at an angle to the main shaft or axis of the wheel,
and to state that I do not claim the setting or affixing float boards of paddle
wheels at an angle, unless they be applied according to the mode constituting
my Invention, which I will now more particularly explain.
Description of the Drawing, in which the same letters indicate similar parts
wherever they occur:-
Figure 1 is an edge view of a paddle wheel, and Figure 2 is a side view
thereof, constructed according to my Invention. a is the shaft or axis;
b, b, the spokes; c, c, the bosses of, and e, e, the outer rings of, the wheels. In
these parts the paddle wheel is similar to those in common use, excepting
that the arms or spokes b, b, on either side being opposite each other, as would
be the case in a common paddle wheel, cach spoke b, it will be seen, is midway.
between two spokes on the opposite side of the wheel. From these Figures it
will be seen that the float boards are all at an angle to the shaft or axis a,
and that cach succeeding float board is at an angle to the preceeding float
board; thus, the float board (1) is set across the wheel at an angle to the
shaft or axis a in one direction. The float board (2) is at an angle to the
float board (1), and also at an angle to the shaft a; then the float board (3) is
at an angle to the float board (2), and is therefore parallel with the float
board (1); then the float board (4) is at an angle to the float board (3)
and parallel with the float board (2), and so on throughout the wheel; the
float boards marked with odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, being set in the
same direction across the shaft or axis a, and the float boards marked with the
even numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, being affixed in an opposite direction.
By this means there is produced a continuity of float boards crossing and
recrossing at every succeeding float board, by which means much evenness of
action will be obtained.

page_text: Figure 3 shews another arrangement of a paddle wheel. It differs from
that shewn at Figures 1 and 2, inasmuch as the baving the wheel divided
into two parts, but the float boards are set on each part in precisely the same
manner as those described in Figures 1 and 2, and are marked with the same
letters of reference, there being two sets of float boards in this wheel. This
may be increased to three or four or any indefinite number. I would remark
that in place of having the float boards of a flat surface, I make them of
boards or plates of iron slightly twisted in their length, in order that the ends
thereof may come evenly together, and also for allowing of their being more
readily affixed to the arms of spokes 6; and when wood is used for the float
boards I steam them, as is well understood, and then, by means of wedges,
cause the corners of the board to be forced in opposite directions, as is well
understood in twisting boards, or in any mode to obtain a permanent twist in
the length of the boards.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would remark that
although I have shewn the paddle wheels as having the float boards at a
particular angle in respect to the shaft or axis a, which is the angle I have
practised and have found fully to answer, I do not confine myself thereto.
What I claim as my Invention is, the mode of applying the float boards of
paddle wheels whereby each succeeding float board crosses the shaft or axis a in
an opposite direction to the float board which preceeds and succeeds it, thus
producing a continuous float board crossing and recrossing the main shaft or
axis in constant succession, by which great evenness of action will be obtained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Sanford Hall, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 18th day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand cight hundred and thirty-eight.
WILLIAM SANFORD (L.s.) HALL.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of June, in
the year of our Lord 1838, the aforesaid William Sanford Hall came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in
form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.