IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE- WITH
Year: 1853

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Browne at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
January 1853.
(Void by reason of notice to proceed not having been given within the
time prescribed by the Act.)
I, JOHN BROWNE, of Charles Street, Regent Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR OTHER
NAVIGABLE VESSELS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH," to be as follows:-
The object of this is Invention to obtain by means of certain forms or
lines of construction and mechanical arrangements applied to vessels
generally, whether using wind or steam as a motive power, increased
rapidity of motion through the water, also by propellers of a new con-
struction to acquire similar result and consequent economy of fuel; it
being in my opinion certain that the increased rapidity I hope to
obtain by my novel mode of construction will in nowise increase the
consumption of fuel for power, while the use of such power being to
drive a vessel upon the waters with a double, treble, or even greater
velocity than steam or sailing vessels now attain, the time saved will
cause the saving of fuel. I intend to construct my ship or vessel flat-

page_text: bottomed, or as nearly so as possible; and as such a bottom would
possess little or no "holding" power, and be consequently unsteady and
unsafe without some stay or support, I purpose using a keel so made or
contrived that its various parts will shut up or be received inside the
ship's hold when desirable. Or, as I purpose to form a ship with pro-
pellers in the centre, there would in this case be two keels equally
capable of being absorbed or taken into the ship's hold when outward
circumstances, such as inedequate depth of water, rocks, sands, or
floating wreck, might require; the whole or any of the parts of these
keels to slide in or be received into a proper casing in the hold; this
species of keel I call the "yielding keel," and it may be made in
several parts, as the length of the ship may render desirable. The
yielding keel is not a fixture, but works independently, yielding to
pressure, is made of iron, something like a double-handed saw for
sawing stones; it is at liberty to work up and down through the deck,
according as it meets with resistance. The longer the arms or
branches, and the broader the blade, the greater leverage it will
have, and the greater steadying power it will possess. In a long built
vessel a number of parts of this keel will be required, and according to
circumstances one or two rows thereof may be used. These keels may
be trussed up on entering low water. A flat-bottomed ship or boat
using the yielding keel will have the advantage of going into shallower
water, of obtaining greater speed, less motion, and greater safety than
the present constructed vessels possess. The ship may be rigged,
masted, &c. in the ordinary manner, but not, as it is technically called,
so "square" or, in other words, the masts and yards are to be of
smaller comparative dimensions, as otherwise there would not be a
depth of hold in my ship to afford sufficient stay. Or this new descrip-
tion of vessel may be wheel rigged; but this I need not explain, as this
mode forms the subject of a Patent granted me some years since. A
further improvement I intend to employ in the construction of my new
ship is a propeller which may be called a box in box propeller, which
is constructed like a long box with a shorter one inside, the outward one
is open at the end, and the inside one is closed. The inside box worked
up and down, or backwards and forwards, will act in the water as a
propeller, making little or no backwater. In case of fire I propose an

page_text: I
apparatus to be arranged at or near the bow of the ship in such
manner as the forward motion thereof shall cause a large body of water
to be taken into the apparatus, and from thence by pipes or otherwise
conveyed to that part of the ship where combustion is suspected or has
taken place. When I use my yielding keel in a boat, such boat being
hollowed, or, as it may be termed, tunnelled, to receive the propeller,
which will be in the centre thereof, the boat being, of course, open at
the fore and aft ends of said tunnel to admit the waters to pass to
receive the strokes of the paddles, and afterwards to flow away astern.
I use a propeller formed of an endless chain of paddles supported by
and moving on rollers, such rollers being worked by the engines, and
geared to secure their true horizontal positions in any convenient
manner. It is believed such paddles will make no backwater.
also intend using a flap or wash board, so arranged before the hollow
or tunnel above mentioned to serve to steady the craft when pitching.
It is assumed that by the use of the novel forms and apparatus men-
tioned herein that great speed will be attained. I do not intend to
bind myself to the use of all theso improvements on board each ship
that may be constructed according to my Invention generally. I
would also observe that in some circumstances no masts, yards, or
hamper of any kind is required, but that the whole body of the
ship may be covered over by a roof, constructed so as to beat
least obnoxious to the action of the wind or water, as a vessel
passing on the water at treble the usual speed or more should
expose as little angular or plain surface to the wind as possible; the
woof would follow the shape of the vessel, sharp at the bow and broad
at the stern. I have endeavoured to render my intentions under-
standable, which is somewhat difficult within the reasonable limit of
a Provisional Specification, and I desire it to be understood that in
my Final Specification the most minute particulars will be given, and
Drawings therewith enrolled.