AN IMPROVED METHOD OR IMPROVED METHODS OF PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSIAH
PEARCE HOLEBROOK of Devonshire Place, Edgeware Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Josiah Pearce Holebrook, Her especial license, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Josiah Pearce Holebrook, my exors,
adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Josiah Pearce Holebrook,
my exors, adñiors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all
Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OR IMPROVED METHODS OF PROPELLING VESSELS;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Josiah Pearce
Holebrook, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under, my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Pearce Holebrook, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improved method or improved methods of propelling vessels consists or
consist, firstly, of an improved paddle wheel, the paddles of which are not fixed
radially but move upon their centres; and, secondly, of a paddle wheel, the
paddles of which are fixed radially, as in the common paddle wheel, but which
is in other respects greatly varied and improved. And, first, of my improved
paddle wheel, in which the paddles are not fixed radially but move upon their
centres. Figure 1 is a side view of a wheel constructed on this plan, and
Figure 2 a sectional view shewing more clearly the essential parts of the
wheel. The wheel consists of five principal parts, with their connections and
appendages, namely, an octagonal framework in two parallel pieces, the
paddles between these frames, a guide wheel to give the desired position to the
paddles, a crank to which the octagonal framework and guide wheel are con-
nected in common, and what I call a star wheel which transmits the power
directly from the end of the paddle wheel shaft to the outer circle of the
paddle wheel. a, a, are the arms of the outer circle of the paddle wheel,
terminating on the outer side in the octagonal framework, and on the inner in
a nave which turns loosely on a part of the crank before mentioned. b, c, d, is
a bar which passes from one part of the octagonal framework to another,
intersecting two of the arms a, a, between the points 6 and d. e, e, are the
arms of the guide wheel, which are connected on the inner side with the
crank before mentioned, and project on the outer side a little beyond its
octagonal frame. The centre of the guide wheel is placed a little above the
centre of the paddle wheel. The paddle wheel and the guide wheel are
connected together by means of two metal straps moving upon four pivots,
two of which are fixed in the guide wheel at the points f and 9, and two at
the points h and i, of the bar b, c, d. The object of the bar b, c, d, being to
obtain the two positions h and i for two of the pivots of these straps, it is so
placed in the paddle wheel that if a circle were drawn from the centre of the
paddle wheel of the same size as a circle drawn from the centre of the guide
wheel, passing through the points ƒ and g of the guide wheel, and two
radii drawn from the centre of the paddle wheel, intermediately between the
radii of the paddle wheel, between which radii the parts h and i are placed, the
points of intersection of the circle and these two radii would be hand i

page_text: From the angles of the octagonal framings, and the extremities of the arms of
the paddle wheel, pass eight strong rods p, p, p, p, which brace together the
inward and outward circles of the paddle wheel. The paddles j,j, with stems
fixed to them, are placed upon these rods, and connected with the guide wheel
5 by means of the rods k, which I call guide rods, one end of which is attached
by means of pins, on which they turn, to the projecting ends of the arms e of
the guide wheel, and the other end works upon pins placed at the extremities
of the stems of the paddles. Each paddle consists of a plate of iron, an
iron half pipe with almost entirely closed ends, and three iron stems. A
superficial view of one of these paddles complete is given separately in
Figure 5, and an end view in Figure 6. A superficial view of the half pipe is
also given separately in Figure 7, and an end view in Figure 8. The half
pipe, it will be observed, is placed by its edges against the iron plate, and
upon this half pipe and plate are placed the three stems, the whole being
firmly fastened together. From the extremity u of an arm of the guide wheel
a guide rod proceeds to a stem of the uppermost paddle (Figure 2), while
from another extremity of another arm of the guide wheel a guide rod
proceeds to the stem of the lowermost paddle, both stems having holes in
them for pins for the connection of their respective guide rods. Any direction
given to either of these guided stems will be mainly transmitted by the half
pipe to the other stems and the other parts of the paddle, and thus any twisting
of the paddle is scarcely possible of occurrence. It is not necessary to have
three stems to a paddle, nor is it absolutely necessary to have the paddle
constructed of iron, as I have supposed it to be, because it may be made
of wood and iron in various ways, but the method I have described is one
which I think to be at once useful and strong. From what I have stated it will
have been seen that the paddle wheel and the guide wheel are attached, and
made to revolve together upon the principle of a well-known method, namely,
by means of straps or cranks, the distance between whose working points is
equal to the amount of the eccentricity of motion of the paddle wheel and
guide wheel, and whose same points are in a direction parallel to the direction
of the centres of the paddle and guide wheels. Every paddle in the course of
one revolution of the wheel assumes in turn each of the positions which the
different paddles exhibit in Figure 1, or other positions corresponding there-
with. In the sectional view, Figure 2, n, o, represents part of the paddle
wheel shaft; a, a, a, a, the arms of the paddle wheel, connected together at
their extremities by means of the rods p, p, p, p, upon which the paddles j, j,
turn, the inward arms a, a, of the paddle wheel terminating inwards in a nave
firmly fixed to the paddle wheel shaft, and the outward arms a, a, of the paddle

page_text: wheel terminating inwards in a nave which revolves loosely upon the lower
part of the crank l, m. Hitherto the only connections I have shewn between
the outer and inner circles of the paddle wheel are the rods p, p, p, p, but in
7, r, s, t, Figure 2, and shewn separately, in Figures 3 and 4, is represented
the star wheel before mentioned, which I have introduced for the purpose of
farther connecting the outer circle with the paddle wheel shaft. I call it
a star wheel because it resembles in form a wheel without a periphery or
bounding lines. It is firmly attached by a nave to the extremity of the paddle
wheel shaft, and by the extremities of its arms (which are made of a bent shape
for the purpose) to parts of the arms a, a, of the outer circle of the paddle
wheel. By means of this star wheel the outer circle of the paddle wheel is
more directly moved by the paddle wheel shaft than by means of the rods
P.P.p.p, upon which the paddles move. It should properly be stated in this
place of this star wheel that the peculiar bent form given to it in Figure 2 is
not its only form, because, according to circumstances, it may be bent
differently, and may be superseded by a wheel with a rim, the arms of which
wheel need not be bent, but the extremities of which arms may be attached by
means of rods connecting other formed framings of the paddle wheel and this
then modified apparatus together; but I would' here observe, that the form
which I have given to this apparatus in Figure 2 is that which I consider
generally to be most desirable. It should be heré noticed, that this apparatus
is not seen in Figure 1, because being placed behind the paddle wheel, and its
arms coinciding in direction with parts of the arms of the paddle wheel shewn
in that Figure, it could not be exhibited in such a view of the wheel as is given
in that Figure. In a paddle wheel, such as is represented in the Figures
1 and 2, the measure of the eccentricity of the combination is equal to about
one half of the distance between the centre of the stem of a paddle and
the point at which the stem is guided; but it is hardly necessary to observe
that this measure of eccentricity may be increased, and that in proportion as it
is increased the paddles which are at the bottom of the wheel will assume
positions more nearly vertical, and vice versa. The converse of this proposition
must be equally evident, namely, that in proportion as the distance between
the two before-named points of the stem of a paddle is diminished, 'the paddles
will also assume positions more nearly vertical ones, and vice versa. From
Figure 1 it will be perceived that the arms of the guide wheel, upon which
the two lowest guide rods are placed, are equally distant from the lowest arm of
the paddle wheel, and this will be found to constitute an important novelty in
iny plan of construction; for it is by this or some like relative position of these
two parts that I am enabled to obtain. such positions of the paddles as are

page_text: shewn in the Figure. I have used a crank as a point upon which the guide
wheel may revolve, and I have placed the guide wheel within the paddle wheel,
but it is not absolutely necessary either that the crank should be used or the
guide wheel so placed, because a guide wheel upon a large eccentric centre
might be used, and the guide wheel might be placed outside of and on either side
of the paddle wheel, though not, in my judgment, to so much advantage.
.
My second improved method of propelling vessels consists of an improved
paddle wheel, the paddles of which are fixed radially, as in the common
paddle wheel, but in which the paddles are made to move from and towards
the centre of the wheel, so that any degree of immersion of the paddles may
be produced which may be deemed desirable, and the paddles may also be
reefed occasionally. The method by which the paddles of a wheel may be
made to recede from and approach towards the centre of a paddle wheel is
illustrated by Figures 9 to 14 inclusive. Nuts are fastened to the paddle boards,
and screwed to fit long screws extending from nearly the centre of the paddle
wheel to the rim of the paddle wheel, and these screws work in sockets at
their extremities, and other parts having near those extremities near the
centre of the paddle wheel small toothed pinions, which pinions take into the
teeth of a reel having the teeth of a crown wheel at each end, this reel
moving easily upon that part of the paddle wheel shaft which is between the
two circles of which the paddle wheel is composed. Between the side of the
vessel and the circle of the paddle wheel nearest the vessel is a crown wheel,
also moving easily upon the paddle wheel shaft, and between the crown wheel
and that end of the reel before mentioned, which is nearest the vessel's side,
there is a small toothed wheel whose bearings are fixed to the inner circle of
the paddle wheel, which takes both into the reel and the crown wheel,
maintaining a connection between both of these parts, while this small toothed
wheel is so placed on the paddle wheel that it does not take into the pinions of
the screws of the paddles. In connection with the crown wheel next the
vessel's side is a clutching apparatus, to grasp at times the circumference of
this wheel whenever the paddles are required to have their places changed
(the operation of which clutch I shall hereafter describe). Figure 9 reprc-
sents a sectional side view of a paddle wheel taken at that end of the reel
before mentioned which is nearest the vessel's side, or, to make myself more
clearly understood, of a section made by a plane in the direction of the dotted
line a, b, of Figure 10. In Figure 9 let the parts c represent the paddles
in section; those marked d nuts fastened to them; let the parts e represent the
screws passing through these nuts, playing by their outer extremities in sockets
f, and at parts near their other extremities in other sockets g, and also in

page_text: other sockets by their other extremities h. Upon squared parts of these
screws, between these two sets of sockets last mentioned, are fixed small
toothed pinions ; the part j represents a section of the paddle wheel shaft.
Now, besides the parts of Figure 9 already described, there is still. another
part to notice, which is, the small toothed wheel k, which maintains the con-
nection between the reel and the crown wheel before mentioned; this small
toothed wheel is the same as is shewn in another position in Figure 18, being
marked also in that Figure k. Figure 9 represents the interior side of the
circle of the paddle wheel nearest the vessel's side, which circle exactly resembles
the other circle in structure, except as regards the small toothed wheel k,
which appertains to the inner circle exclusively, and except also the screws
thereof, the screws of the two circles being threaded in opposite directions,
Figure 10 is an edge view of a paddle wheel of the construction I am now
describing, shewing the paddle wheel shaft, the reel, the crown wheel, and the
clutching apparatus in section, and the uppermost and lowermost paddles with
their screws and nuts in full view. In this Figurej represents the paddle
wheel shaft, 1, 2, the before-mentioned reel, m, m, the crown wheel, and n, n,.
part of the clutching apparatus in section; the parts marked f the outer
sockets of the screws, those marked g the other sockets, and those marked h
the innermost sockets of the screws e, e, e, e, of the uppermost and lowermost
paddles; the parts marked i represent the pinions fixed near the ends of the
screws, and those marked d the nuts fastened to the paddles through which
the screws pass. The small toothed wheel k of Figure 9 is not shewn
in this Figure (Figure 10) in order to avoid confusion in the Drawing. It
should be specially noticed of Figure 10 that the screws of one wheel are
differently threaded from those of the other, because the reel, by putting the
opposite pinions into opposite action, would, unless this difference of threading
was made, cause the nuts at one end of a paddle to advance towards, while
the nuts at the other end of the same paddle would recede from, the centre of
the paddle wheel. Figure 11 represents a longitudinal section of the reel
before mentioned, and Figure 12 an end view of each end of the same reel.
Figure 13 represents the mode of connection of the reel, with the crown wheel
before mentioned; and Figure 14 represents the crown wheel before men-
tioned, which is marked m, when clutched, and also represents the paddle
wheel shaft in section, which is marked j. The clutching apparatus, shewn in
Figure 14, consists of two pieces of iron n, n, playing on a strong pin o at one
end, while the other ends have two screwed holes to receive the screwed
spindle p, which spindle, be it observed, is screwed half-way with a right-
handed thread, and the other half-way with a left-handed thread; the object

page_text: of these different threads being to make both parts of the clutch approach and
depart equally from each other at the same time. This spindle. works in two
sockets marked q, and has a tapering squared end r to receive a key by
which it may be turned. It should be observed, that as the parts of the
clutching apparatus n, n, which are in contact with this spindle, do not move
exactly in a straight line, it will be necessary that the screwed holes in these
parts should be somewhat larger than the screwed part of the spindle, in order
that when these parts depart from the positions in which they are represented
in Figure 14, neither the spindle nor these parts should be strained. When
the clutching apparatus is in the position in which it is represented in
Figure 14, the paddle wheel shaft is not prevented from being in motion,
because as the crown wheel m moves easily upon the paddle wheel shaft j,
the clutching of the crown wheel m does not necessarily stop the paddle wheel
shaft j. Now, if this shaft be in motion while m is clutched, the paddles will
be made to advance or recede, their motion depending upon the direction in
which the paddle wheel shaft is in motion. In order to shew the effect pro-
duced upon the paddles by the crown wheel m being stopped I shall first
refer to Figure 18, and I shall suppose that the paddle wheel moves in the
direction of the arrow against this Figure. Now as the paddle wheel moves.
round it carries with it the small toothed wheel, and as this wheel k cannot
move round with the paddle wheel against the teeth of the crown wheel m,.
without also turning on its centre, and as this wheel k cannot turn round
on its own centre without also turning round the reel 2, it follows that the
position of the reel upon the paddle wheel shaft will always be changing while
the wheel is in motion on its own centre. The reel being thus set in motion,
let us refer to Figure 10 to perceive the effect upon the paddles. The reel,
taking into all the pinions of the screws, will, by its motion, turn the screws
on one side in one direction, and the screws on the other side in another
direction, and as these screws have their threads, some in one direction and.
some in a reverse direction, the effect upon these screws will be that parts of
them will be continually evolving from and entering the different nuts, and as
the screws are prevented by the combination from moving towards the
centre of the paddle wheel, the nuts, and with them the paddles, will move
towards the periphery of the wheel; of course, if the paddle wheel revolves in
a contrary direction, the results will be contrary. By what has been said, and
supposing Figure 10 to represent part of a larboard wheel, it will be perceived
upon consideration that if it were desirable to place the paddles nearer the
periphery of a wheel while a vessel was in motion, the only operation which
would be necessary to be performed would be to bring the clutch into opera-

page_text: tion, the motion of the engine would do all the rest. It would not even be
necessary to firmly grasp the wheel m, but only to prevent it from going as
fast as the paddle wheel, because a difference in speed of the wheel m and the
paddle wheel would produce (only more slowly) the same effect that would be
produced by totally arresting the progress of the wheel m while the paddle
wheel was in motion. By Figure 9 it appears that the paddles would not be
reefed but only moved from their places; but by the same means that the
whole of a paddle is moved a part of one could also be moved, and if a move
able part of a paddle were brought under cover of another fixed part, such a
paddle would really be reefed. It follows that the modification shewn in
Figure 9, in order to allow of its paddles being reefed, only requires to have
permanently fixed paddles, and small moveable ones pushed out beyond the
fixed ones, and then upon moving the smaller ones under cover of the fixed
ones the paddles of the wheel would in reality be reefed. It will have been
perceived from what has already been stated that the paddles in Figures 9
and 10 do not travel upon the arms of the wheel, but merely upon the screws,
while the screws are partly attached to the arms and partly to the nave of the
wheel; but there is nothing in this combination to prevent bolts from being
fixed to the paddles, which bolts may slide upwards and downwards upon the
arms of the paddle wheel, or the nuts of the paddles may be made of such
a form that they may do for bolts as well as nuts. In Figures 9 and 10 the
screws are represented as turning round while the nuts advance and retire, but
this is not absolutely necessary, because the screws may be made to advance
and retire, bringing and taking with them the paddles fastened to them, and
the nuts of the combination may be made alone to revolve; for, suppose that
the pinions were not firmly fastened to the screws, but screwed within and
made to act as nuts upon the parts of the screws within them, then by the
revolution of the pinions in different directions the screwed threads within
them would cause the screws to advance or retire. In the case of such a
combination as this it would not be necessary that the screws marked e should
be screwed through all their length, but only through such a part as would be
necessary for their working through the distance through which they could,
under such circumstances, work. Until the clutching apparatus is brought into
action, the paddles and their screws, and the reel and the wheel k, and the
wheel m, all revolve as the paddle wheel revolves; in fact there is not the
slightest action between any of the parts of which the paddle wheel is com-
posed but when the clutch is brought into operation; then only is there any
motion among
the parts of the paddle wheel. When the paddles are desired
to be pressed more outwards towards the periphery of the wheel, all that is

page_text: necessary to effect this purpose is to bring into slight contact the wheel m,
and the clutching irons n, n, and to keep this contact until the paddles arrive
at the positions desired.
And having now fully described my said two improved paddle wheels, I
declare that I do not claim as of my Invention any of the parts of which the
said wheels are respectively composed as in themselves and separately con-
sidered new; but that what I claim as of my Invention in respect of the first
wheel herein-before described is the general combination of known mechanical
contrivances, by which the position of the paddles is varied according to the
revolution of the wheel, and according to the degree of useful resistance
required from them, in a more simple and efficient manner than by any other
wheel on the same principle heretofore in use; and in respect of the second
wheel herein-before described, the general combination of known mechanical
contrivances, by means of which the paddles, although fixed radially, may be
iminersed to any desired degree, and may also be occasionally reefed. And I
clain further the separate application of the guide and star wheels herein-
before described separately or conjointly, respectively modified to any other
of the known paddle wheels on the feathering principle, and also the sepa-
rate application of the contrivances or methods herein-before described, to
differently immersing or to reefing the paddles of wheels when these paddles
are radially fixed. And such my Invention being to the best of my knowledge
and belief entirely new, and never before used within that part of Her said
Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her
said Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, or Her said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, I do hereby declare this to be
my Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe that this my said
Specification doth comply in all respects, fully and without reserve or disguise,
with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patont
contained, wherefore I hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege
to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josiah Pearce Holebrook, have hereunto
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of August, One thousand
set
JOSIAH PEARCE (L.s.) HOLEBROOK.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-seventh day of August,
in the year of our Lord 1838, the aforesaid Josiah Pearce Holebrook came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification 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 Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.