IMPROVEMENTS IN WROUGHT-IRON SHAFTS FOR STEAM BOATS AND OTHER PURPOSES WHERE GREAT STRENGTH IS REQUIRED
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Sussex Place,
Loughborough Road, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WROUGHT-IRON SHAFTS FOR STEAM BOATS AND
OTHER PURPOSES WHERE GREAT STRENGTH IS REQUIRED."-A communication
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th November 1855.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Sussex Place, Loughborough Road,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WROUGHT-IRON SHAFTS FOR STEAM BOATS AND OTHER
PURPOSES WHERE GREAT STRENGTH IS REQUIRED" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the manufacture of large wrought-iron
shafting suitable for steam boats, and other purposes where great strength is
required. Heretofore it has been usual to manufacture such shafting by weld-
ing and forging the same each in one piece, and the difficulties in getting sound
shafts by such means of manufacture greatly increase as the diameters of the
shafts increase. Now, this Invention consists of constructing each shaft of
several pieces, which are not welded together, but are caused to retain the form
of a shaft by means of being fitted together, and bound by strong hoops or rings
of wrought iron. For this purpose a central bar is used, of comparatively small

page_text: diameter as compared with the intended diameter of the shaft, having around it
several sectional pieces which make up the diameter desired. The sectional
pieces and the internal bar are, each forged and formed with care, which can
readily be accomplished with soundness by reason of the comparatively small
dimensions, and the sides thereof are made with grooves and projections, in
order that they inay go together with accuracy, and then be bound together
at intervals in the length, or from end to end, with hoops or rings of wrought
iron; by which means greater strength can be obtained with a given weight
of wrought iron than when attempting to obtain a large shaft in one mass of
welded and forged iron. It is not essential that the interior or central part
should be solid, as it may in some cases be hollow.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office
on, the 25th, April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I GEORGE
I;
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of. Sussex Place, Loughborough, Road, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Tomlinson Bousfield, Her special licence that I, the said Georgo
Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield; my executors, adminis-
trators, 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, exercise; and vend; within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WROUGHT-IRON SHAFTS FOR STEAM BOATS AND
OTHER PURPOSES WHERE GREAT STRENGTH IS REQUIRED," (a communication from
'Otis Tufts, of Boston, United States of America,) upon the condition
(amongst others) that I; the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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,

page_text: 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 George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object the manufacture of large wrought-iron
shafting suitable for steam boats and other purposes where great strength is
required. Heretofore it has been usual to manufacture such shafting by
welding and forging the same each in one piece, and the difficulties in getting
sound shafts by such means of manufacture greatly increase as the diameters of
the shafts increuse. Now, this Invention consists of constructing each shaft
of several pieces, which are not welded together, but are caused to retain the
form of a shaft by means of being fitted together and bound by strong hoops
or rings of wrought iron. For this purpose a central bar is used, of com-
paratively small diameter as compared with the intended diameter of the shaft,
having around it several sectional pieces which make up the diameter desired.
The sectional pieces and the internal bar are each forged and formed with
care, which can readily be accomplished with soundness by reason of the
comparatively small dimensions, and the sides thereof are made with grooves
and projections, in order that they may go together with accuracy, and then be
bound together at intervals in the length, or from end to end, with hoops or
rings of wrought iron; by which means greater strength can be obtained with
a given weight of wrought iron than when attempting to obtain a large shaft
in one mass of welded and forged iron. It is not essential that the interior or
central part should be solid, as it may in some cases be hollow.
And in order that the said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a top view of the improved shaft; and Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5
are cross sections of the same, taken through the red lines. I construct the
improved shaft A of such a number of separate pieces of wrought iron bas
will make each piece from its size best adapted for the process of hammering,
so as to be thereby the most strengthened and rendered the freest from the
defects before named, incident to large solid shafts wrought in one piece. Six
or eight pieces work well. I forge and hammer each piece separately; I plane

page_text: each piece into the required shape; I tongue and groove each piece longi-
tudinally, as shewn in section at C, for the purpose of interlocking the pieces
together lengthwise; I also cut cross grooves in the adjacent faces of the
several pieces, as shown at d, for the insertion of steel keys e, to prevent any
movement of the pieces among themselves lengthwise of the shaft. I fit and
lock the pieces together with their longitudinal tongues and grooves and lateral
keys, and then bind them with large wrought-iron collars f, which are to bo
fitted on hot, and shrunk by cooling; I also fit and shrink on in the same way
the large hubs or centre pieces g, holding and carrying the paddle wheel arms,
so that said centre pieces shall serve as powerful collars to bind together the
shaft. These collars and hubs may be fitted on over the ends of the lateral
keys or some of them, to prevent their starting out; I also fit on hot the large
crank h, and shrink it by cooling, so as to make that serve as a collar to bind
the shaft. The central space i, enclosed by the pieces h, may either be left
vacant or be fitted by a core of suitable size, and I make the above-named
parts of suitable size and shape to answer the requirements of the shaft in
whatever use it is to be put to, whether in propelling large steamers or heavy
machinery. I thus obtain a wrought-iron shaft of any required strength for
practical use, so constructed as to bear greater torsion and strain, and be
less liable to break from flaws than shafts constructed in any other way
known to me.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details described; but what I claim is, the constructing large
wrought-iron shafts with pieces separately wrought and fastened together, as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
R. BROWNING,
New Court, St. Swithin's Lane.
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)