IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS."-A communication
from abroad by Ambroise Raphin, Commercial Agent, of 29, Boulevart
St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 2nd February 1866, and dated the 29th August 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th August 1865.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved propeller, which may be mounted
either at the sides or in the longitudinal axis of the vessel to which it is
applied.
The propelling apparatus consists, first, of discs V, V, mounted in the same.
vertical and horizontal planes, and turning on horizontal axes O, O; 2ndly, of
longitudinal bars or connecting rods A, A, furnished with ribbed pallets a, a,.
firmly fixed at equal distances apart. The one of these bars which is next
the discs V, V, is connected thereto, so that they act as cranks. The other
bars are connected to the above mentioned, and held at a suitable distance

page_text: apart by links R, R, the joint pins b, b, of which are mounted, so as to turn
freely in said bars, which thus always maintain their relative vertical positions
during the horizontal to-and-fro motion, combined with the up-and-down
motion to which they are subject. The position of the bars furnished with pallets
is regulated in such manner that the angle assumed by the links permits of
the pallets of one or more of these bars entering the water, while those of
another bar or bars are leaving it, consequently there will always be a certain
number of pallets in action on each, side of the floating body.. The bars may
work either backwards or. forwards, while the pallets act by traction, the water
forming the resisting medium. By the aid of a suitable motor and trans-
mitting parts the rectilinear motion of the piston is transformed into a con-
tinuous circular motion imparted to axes 0, 0, on which are mounted the discs
V, V, which serve for regulating the motion of the apparatus while acting as
cranks in the manner described. These discs are of such diameter that a
horizontal plane
l plane taken tangentially to their circumference through the lower
extremity of the vertical radius of this circumference will pass a little below
the extreme course of the pallets, and even below the bottom of some vessels,
which arrangement serves to protect the pallets and vessel against shocks, and
also enables certain vessels, supported as it were by the discs, to overcome
obstacles which would stop the motion. of other vessels. It may happen that
through the weight being more or less heavy, the immersion of the pallets
may be too great or too little, to obviate which I raise or lower the propelling
apparatus. according to circumstances. For this purpose I increase, or
diminish the length of the cranks k, k, of the discs or wheels by the aid of a
slide made in the longitudinal axis of said cranks, whereby the several bars
may be raised or lowered in relation to the water level as above mentioned.
The same result may also be obtained by the aid of screws or racks applied
in such manner as to act on the pivots of the links R, in order to regulate the
position of the various parts.
.
In the application of these improvements to marine propulsion it would be
preferable, especially for ships of war, where the propellors require to be pro-
tected as much as possible from the action of the waves, projectiles, and
concussion in boarding to place the propelling apparatus inside the vessel in
the longitudinal axis of the hull, it being protected at the bow and stern by a
suitable metal casing. In the latter case the number of working bars may
be increased, as also their length, without interfering with the equilibrium of
the vessel...
In the annexed Drawing Fig. 1 represents a plan of a vessel furnished on
one side with propelling apparatus according to this Invention; Fig. 2 side

page_text: view, and Fig. 3 transverse section of same; while Fig. 4 shows a cross
section of one of the pallets detached. The same letters serve for all the
Figures. The frame supporting the axis of the propelling apparatus is not
seen in the Drawing.
The Invention consists in the improved propelling apparatus herein
described, the pallets of which may be either fixed or jointed, while the length
and number of the bars and pallets, and the form and arrangement of the
same, together with the means of communicating motion thereto, may be
varied as desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my ex-
ecutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Clark,
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 there;
in expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING
VESSELS," a communication to him from abroad by Ambroise Raphin, Com-
mercial Agent, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 suid William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner. the same is to be per

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
'statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to an improved propeller, which may be mounted
either at the sides or in the longitudinal axis of the vessel to which it is
applied.
.
The propelling apparatus consists, 1st, of discs or wheels V, V; mounted in
the same vertical and horizontal planes, and turning on horizontal axes o, o;
2ndly, of longitudinal bars or connecting rods A, A, furnished with: ribbed
pallets a, a, firmly fixed at equal distances apart. The one of these bars which
is next to the discs V, V, is connected thereto, so that they act as cranks, and,
in fact, are mounted on crank pins. The other bars are. connected to the
above mentioned, and held at a suitable distance apart by links R, R, the joint
.or crank pins b, b, of which are mounted so as turn freely in said bars, which
thus always maintain their relative horizontal position during the horizontal
to-and-fro motion, combined with the up-and-down motion to which they are
subject. The position of the bars furnished with pallets is regulated in such
manner that the angle assumed by the links permits of the pallets of one or
more of these bars entering the water, while those of another bar or bars are
leaving it, consequently there will always be a certain number of pallets in
action on each side of the floating body. The bars may work either back-
wards or forwards, while the pallets act by traction, the water forming the
resisting medium. By the aid of a suitable motor and transmitting parts the
rectilinear motion of the piston is transformed into a continuous circular
motion imparted to axes 0, 0, on which are mounted dises or wheels V; V;
which serve to regulate the motion of the apparatus while acting as cranks in
the manner described. These discs are of such a diameter that a horizontal
plane taken tangentially to their circumference through the lower extremity
of the vertical radius of this circumference will pass a little below the extreme
course of the pallets, and even below the bottom of some vessels, which
arrangement serves to protect the pallets and even the vessel against shocks,
and also enables certain vessels, supported as it were by the discs, to overcome
obstacles which would stop the motion of other vessels. It may happen that
through the weight being more or less heavy the immersion of the pallets
may be too great or too little, to obviate which I raise or lower the propelling
according to circumstances. For this purpose I increase or diminish the
length of the cranks K, K, of the discs or wheels by the aid of a slide made in
the longitudinal axis of said cranks, whereby the several bars may be raised
or lowered in relation to the water level as above mentioned: The same

page_text: result may also be obtained by the aid of screws or racks applied in such
manner as to act on the pivots of the links R, in order to regulate the position
of the various parts.
In the application of these improvements to marine propulsion it would be
preferable, especially for ships of war where the propellers require to be pro-
tected as much as possible from the action of the waves, projectiles, and
concussion in boarding, to place the propelling apparatus inside the vessel in
the longitudinal axis of the hull, it being protected at the bow and stern-by a
suitable metal casing.. In the latter case the number of working bars may
be increased; as also their length, without interfering with the equilibrium of
the vessel.
In the annexed Drawing Fig. 1 represents a plan of a vessel furnished on
one side with propelling apparatus according to this Invention; Fig. 2 side
view, and Fig. 3 transverse section of same; while Fig. 4 shows a cross
section of one of the pallets detached. The same letters serve for all the
Figures. The frame supporting the axes of the propelling apparatus is not
shown in the Drawing.
I reserve the right of modifying the details in the application of this
improved method of propulsion. Thus instead of placing three cranks on
each side of the vessel, as shown in the Drawing, I may substitute ordinary
cranks in the place of two of them, which answers the same purpose of dis-
tributing the weight, while a disc wheel is mounted on each end of the middle
shaft only.
The shafts on which the working bars are mounted are also bent at an
angle of sixty degrees, that is, they each form an equilateral triangle com-
prised in a circle, the radius of which is determined by the crank.
In the present instance I make the pallets half the length of the crank, by
which disposition the above conditions are attained. Generally speaking
these connecting rods and bars may be mounted in any regular polygonal
form working in a circle determined by the radius of the crank. For vessels
of small dimensions and of light draught it will be sufficient to adopt an
equilateral triangle for forming a connection between the bars, while the pro-
peller may be disposed on each side of the vessel. In all cases for ships of
large tonnage and for sea service the propeller should be mounted in the lon-
gitudinal axis of the vessel, and the working bars connected in a square,
pentagon, hexagon, or other figure, that is to say, having four, five, six, or
other number of working bars..
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be pro-

page_text: tected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved
propelling apparatus herein described, the pallets of which may be either
fixed or jointed, whatever may be the length and number of the bars and
pallets, and the form and arrangement of the same, together with the means
of communicating motion thereto, all as herein-before described and repre-
sented in the Drawings annexed.
:
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)