Improvements in or Connected with Mechanically Propelled Life- boats, Applicable also to other Craft.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with Mechanically Propelled Life-
boats, Applicable also to other Craft.
I, JAMES CARLTON STITT of 17 Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this said invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates more particularly to Life boats (although it may be applied
to other navigable vessels) and in this specification I describe the invention as applied
to such a boat, the object being to provide mechanically propelled life-boats whose
weight shall not be much above that of the ordinary life-boats and so render it
possible to provide mechanically propelled "carriage" boats as well as mechanically
propelled boats of the floating or other "non-carriage" kinds.
66
23
According to this invention I combine and use a petroleum oil or spirit engine
with the life-boat--the engine being of the kind in which the oil or spirit is supplied
in a comminuted or vaporous state and is burned within the cylinders-an oil or
spirit reservoir, and a screw or hydraulic propeller but preferably a screw or
screws of the "Guide blade type." The engine may be conveniently provided with
two cylinders set side by side, or preferably opposite each other in a horizontal or
inclined position and working on the one crank.
The oil or spirit is conveyed in tanks which may be of cylindrical form and pro-
vided with pistons and springs or weights so arranged and operating that the oil is
forced up to the pump or supply valves of the engine.
The igniting of the charge is effected by electricity either directly within or in con-
nection with the cylinder, or through an intermediary slide valve having a firing
pocket the flame in which is ignited by a body such as platinum rendered incandescent
by electricity or by electric sparks. This arrangement as well as the air supply inlet
would be covered in and provided with suitable protecting funnels and cowls and
they may be provided with a valve or other device by which they are closed when the
boat is filled with water or capsized. The oil can also be cut off by a weighted
valve when the boat capsizes. The engine crank connecting rods and adjacent parts
may also be covered in or work in a closed compartment for protection of entry of
water.

page_text: Electricity may be obtained by a battery-primary or secondary or a dynamo electric
generator or a combination of these..
A pump may be provided to keep the space in which the engine works clear of
water, and to keep the cooling water of the cylinders in circulation.
The boat may be propelled by a single "guide blade" screw or by twin screws.
The engine may be started by an auxiliary air motor, the air to operate it being
stored in a suitable reservoir. Or it may be started by a lever or chain wheel and
friction clutch or ratchet or equivalent mechanism arranged to act upon or in con-
nection with the shaft. To assist in starting the engine and to make it steady in
running a fly wheel or fly wheels is or are provided on the shaft. If it is required to
have the engine a reversing one the reversal of it may be effected by the reversal of the
valve or other mechanism of the engine itself, or by the introduction on the shaft of
any known or suitable kind of friction clutch and bevel wheel or friction wheel
gear.
If a boat is arranged with engines and oil tanks as herein described the weights
are kept low and stability thereby preserved. Also self righting life-boats need lose
little or none of their self righting qualities.
It affords also such an arrangement whereby the engines may be placed below the
ordinary deck line and may, and would preferably be, covered entirely up or nearly
so, and without interfering in any material degree with the design and construction
of the ordinary type of life-boats.

page_text: improvements in or Connected with месnanically торене -
boats, Applicable also to other Craft.
JAMES CARLTON STITT of 17 Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This Invention relates to life boats propelled by mechanical means; and it is in
some points as indicated by the claims concluding this Specification, also applicable
to other craft, especially of comparatively small sizes. The chief thing however to
which it has reference and to which it is to be applied being life-boats, I in this
Specification describe it as applied solely to such a boat. The main object of the
Invention is to provide mechanically propelled life boats, whose weight shall not be
much above that of the ordinary life boats, and to so render it possible to apply
mechanical propulsion to "carriage-boats," as well as mechanically propelled boats
of the floating or other "non-carriage" kinds. The words "carriage boat" is used
to denote that size or species of boat which are generally so termed by the National
Life-boat Institution.
According to this Invention I combine and use a petroleum oil or spirit engine with.
the life boat, (the engine being of the kind in which the oil or spirit is supplied in
a comminuted or vapourous state and is burned within the cylinders), an oil or spirit
reservoir, and a screw, or a "hydraulic" propeller, but preferably, a screw or screws
of the "Guide-blade type." The engine may be conveniently provided with two.
cylinders set side by side, or preferably opposite each other in a horizontal or inclined
position, and working on the one crank.
The oil or spirit is conveyed in tanks which may be of cylindrical form and pro-
vided with pistons and springs, or weights, so arranged and operating, that the oil is
forced up to the pump or supply valve of the engine.
The ignition of the charge is effected by electricity, either directly within, or in
connection with the cylinder, or through an intermediary slide valve having a firing
pocket, the flame in which is ignited by a body, such as plantinum, rendered incan-
descent by electricity or by electric sparks. This arrangement as well as the air.
supply inlet would be covered in and provided with suitable protecting funnel cowl,
and they may be provided with a valve or other device by which they are closed
when the boat is filled with water or capsized. The oil can also be cut off by a
weighted valve, when the boat capsizes. The engine crank, connecting rods, and
adjacent parts may also be covered in or work in a close compartment, for protection
of entry of water.
Electricity may be obtained by a battery primary or secondary, or a dynamo
electric generator, or a combination of these."
A pump may be provided to keep the space in which the engine works, clear of
water, and to keep the cooling water of the cylinders in circulation.

page_text: The boat may be propelled by a single "guide blade " screw, or by twin screws.
The engine may be started by an auxiliary air motor the air to operate it being
stored in a suitable reservoir; or it may be started by a lever or chain wheel and
friction clutch or ratchet or equivalent mechanism, arranged to act upon or in con-
nection with the shaft. To assist in starting the engine and to make it steady in
running a fly wheel or fly wheels is or are provided on the shaft. If it is required
to have the engine a reversing one the reversal of it may be effected by the reversal
of the valve or other mechanism, of the engine itself, or by the introduction on the
shaft of any known or suitable kind of friction clutch and bevel-wheel or friction-
wheel gear.
The drawings which serve to illustrate the invention show two arrangements, one,
including Figures 1 to 5, shows an arrangement in which a Thornycroft Guide Blade
Propeller, in combination with an internal combustion oil or spirit engine, is used as
the propelling mechanism; and the other, including Figures 6 and 7, shows an
arrangement in which the propelling mechanism consists of a Turbine and Jet
Propeller, and an oil or spirit engine.
In the first arrangement, Figure 1 shows in section, a self-righting life-boat of the
Royal National Life-boat Institution's type; Figure 2 is a cross section at the
line XX, figure 1; figure 3 is a detail of the oil or spirit reservoir; Figure 4 is a
longitudinal section showing the oil or spirit engine and its accessory mechanisms;
and Figure 5 is a plan of same.
In the second arrangement Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of the Turbine and jet
propeller mechanism and Figure 7 is a cross section showing same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
With reference in the first instance to figures 1 to 5, in which the Petroleum
Engine and a Thornycroft Guide Blade Propeller are used, the Engine has two
cylinders, designated A A, placed in the same plane axially, the connecting rods of
which work on a common crank B. The engine arranged as above described is of
the kind known as "Spiels Petroleum Engine."
1
In adapting the "Spiel " Engine to a Life-boat of the Royal National Life-boat a
type, I have made a special provision for introducing the air to the cylinder, a
modification in the ordinary ignition arrangement, and a special provision for the
supply of oil or spirit. The arrangement by which the air is led to the cylinder A
consists of a pipe C, having a cowl (, placed under a thwart. This cowl is of a type
ordinarily employed to admit air, but to exclude spray; if however water happens
in any way to enter the pipe C it passes the branch C, and falls into the bilges of
the boat through the weighted relief-valve E; by this arrangement air flows in a
dry state through the pipe C to the engine. In case the boat ships solid seas,
the entrance to the cowl C¹ is closed by a floater valve E¹, which is free to rise on
the pipe C and is lifted and covers the air entrance. If the boat is capsized the 4
relief valve E would fall open, and the air for the engine would be drawn from the
space in which the pipe C is located.
The modified igniting device consists in the employment of a platinum or equiva-
lent metal sponge, or rod, or wire, raised to incandescence by the electric current,
as a kindler, in lieu of a spirit lamp as usually employed in the "Spiel " and like 4
Engines, otherwise the device for igniting the combustible charges in the cylinder is
Electricity is by preference obtained from a primary battery suitably
arranged and covered to prevent the liquid being spilt; or it may be obtained by a
small dynamo.
the same.
The oil in the "Spiel" and other similar oil and spirit Engines is injected into 5
their cylinders by a small pump, so that an exact and constant quantity is introduced
at each stroke, and under ordinary conditions oil is supplied to the pump from a
cistern or reservoir by gravity. This arrangement however is not suitable for a
life-boat, and in its stead I provide the cylinder F, as an oil reservoir, the oil being
forced up to the oil pump of the engine by the pistons F1, on which a small constant

page_text: pressure is maintained by the springs F³. The pipe F³ is the pipe by which
the oil is conducted to the pumps. The pump is located at F4, but is not shown in
detail.
It will be observed that the engine and the oil reservoir are placed in separate.
compartments formed by the bulkheads k. Each compartment would be kept dry
by a bilge pump G, of which G, Gare the suction pipes. The pump may be
worked off any part of the engine; but a very convenient point is the shaft H¹ of
the reversing gear H hereinafter described.
The starting gear of the engine consists of one or two cranks I, working in a
bracket on one of the thwarts T of the boat, two chain wheels 1', I', and a chain I³..
The chain wheel I' may be one of the common grip type, by which, when the gear is
set in motion, the shaft of the engine will be engaged and rotated; but as soon as
the engine starts and over runs the speed of the gear, the gripping action ceases.
The reversing gear H consists of an arrangement of nitro wheel and friction
clutch cones, such as is commonly used in various sorts of machinery. The gear is
controlled by the hand worth wheel H2. By operating the gear in the usual manner
to the right or left the screw or other motor can be made to run in either way or
stopped at will.
The propeller shown is that known as "Thornycroft Guide Blade Propeller." It is
in itself not so liable to foul as a propeller of the ordinary type, and it is still further
protected from wreckage, ropes, etcetera by the longitudinal bars J. The screw shaft
is provided with a flexible coupling, and is connected to and worked directly off the
crank shaft of the engine.
In adapting the "guide blade" propeller to the boats of the Roya! National Life-
boat Institution type, the bottom of the boat at the stern is raised as shown; and to
compensate for the loss of displacement, and the increased weight, an equivalent
extra length must be added to the boat.
It has been thought better to construct the boat aft as shown, than to form a
channel or tunnel in the "aft" part of boat, and arrange the screw within it; as a
channel would at all times be a more difficult yet a weaker form of construction; this
however could be done; or, the propeller might work in a "port" aft as is
ordinarily the case in screw steamers. Indeed so far as the structural formation of
the boat is concerned, I do not lay down any conditions or attach any special
importance to any particular formation of stern as essential to the application of this
Invention.
It is obvious that the engine and oil reservoir need not be placed together as shown
on the plans for instance the engine might be placed further aft and the oil
reservoir more forward; the only connection between the two being the pipe through
which the oil is conducted to the engine.
Buoyancy tanks may be fitted into the spaces in the machinery compartments
unoccupied by the engine or oil reservoir; and thin sheets of ductile non-corrosible
metal, designated R, may be used to line these compartments, so as to keep water out
of them, should the skin of the boat be damaged and admit water.
Access may be had to the chambers in which the machinery exists by employing
suitable movable hatches, such as P, which are rendered water tight when put down;
or in lieu of constructing the machinery space a closed one as shown a suitable
raised tower or deck house may be erected on the deck, the house being sufficiently
large for a man to stand in and attend to and control the engines.
The following are some of the advantages claimed for and attending the use of
arrangement and applications of mechanisms shown and described.
The engine when started requires no attention whatever for many hours, acting
precisely as the "Otto" and other gas engines do. In all motors, other than electric,
whether they use steam or any other vapour generators, coal or oil fires, or oil lamps,
have to be lighted and kept burning to generate the vapour of water or oil, etcetera ;
levels of the liquid in the generators have to be watched and controlled, and pressures
have to be watched and controlled; all under very difficult and trying circumstances,
and entirely different from those existing in ships or larger craft. In the "Spiel" or
h

page_text: like oil and spirit motors none of these conditions have to be complied with; the oil is
drawn into the pump of the engine by a pump, and forced into the cylinder and
exploded each stroke. The quantity of oil delivered being constant and the action
positive, just in the same way as a gas engine is supplied with its gas. The only
condition necessary to proper working is that the oil reservoir is supplied with oil,-
of course this would be done at times when the boat is not in active service.
The engine is such that it can be started and worked by unskilled men, as is proved
by actual daily practice. In this respect all that can be said of gas engines can be
said of this engine.
The whole of the machinery (except starting and reversing handles) is placed
below the deck of the boat, allowing substantially all the deck to be traversed or
used as heretofore.
The weight of machinery is very small, and may in part be accepted in lieu of the
water ballast, now often used, or the keel, or both, and occupying the space below
deck the centre of gravity of the mass is thus got down very low in the boat,—a
feature of great importance.
The power exerted by the engines per unit of weight of machinery would be as
great if not greater than could be obtained from any other motor.
Given steel and gun metal as the metals of which the machinery is formed, it renders
it quite possible to apply the arrangement herein shown to carriage, as well as other
life-boats; particularly so if plateways be employed on the wheels of the carriage.
No radical change to the Royal National Life-boat Institution boats would be
necessitated in applying the machinery we propose, which, on account of its simplicity,
compactness, ease of handling, and lightness, seems to afford, a more desirable means
of life-boat propulsion. But of course it is just as suitable to most other forms of
life-boats.
In Figures 6 and 7 I have shown an arrangement of "Spiel" Petroleum Engine,
combined with a turbine jet propeller, as an alternative to the Thornycroft Guide
Blade Propeller. It will be observed that all that has been said with reference to
the engine applies just as fully to this case. This system of jet propulsion, however,
it has been proved, necessitates a considerably greater power to drive the boat at a
speed equal to that capable of being obtained by a Guide Blade Propeller;
consequently a proportionate extra weight of fuel would be required, and the weight
of machinery would have to be proportionately increased. The weight of water
carried in the turbine and the pipes is considerable, and further detracts from the
efficiency of the apparatus.
The engine, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, is placed with its crank shaft in the
vertical plane nearly, and is geared to the pump spindle by spur wheels K. K. The
entrance passage L of the pump is bifurcated as shown, the halves being located on
each side of the keel, which is itself preserved intact.
The delivery pipes M. M, are led to the side of the boat under the fender, and they
are provided with two orifices, one for going ahead and the other astern; and
valves 0, 0, are provided on each orifice pipe to direct the water through the ahead
or astern orifices.
It is proposed to cast the engine and pump cover in one piece, so that practically
the whole of the working parts of the machinery can be secured rigidly and safely
to a common bed.
Regarding the liability of stoppage by ropes, etcetera, of the Guide Blade Propeller,
the water inlet is protected by bars, and besides this it is hardly probable that ropes
or other matters would get into the Propeller for the reason that in the part of the
vessel at which it is placed the section of the boat is less than the midship section,
and all matters passing under the boat would be flowing freely away from the
boat.
This invention provides a most convenient arrangements where, or if it is desired,
to provide Life-boats with mechanical means of propulsion, and such power is
intended to be only auxiliary to the oars and sails of the existing boats, full oppor-
tunity to use sails and oars, being provided as heretofore, if necessary or desirable,

page_text: and the full power of the engines being used to entirely relieve or assist the man,
and to allow them to manoeuvre the boat when alongside of a wreck, or under
conditions where oars could be used with greater effect than any mechanical means of
propulsion.
It is evident the Invention explained and illustrated with respect to position and
relative arrangement of the parts and details generally, is capable of modification in
accordance with the requirements of different cases, and different kinds of both Life-
boats and other small craft.
In applying this machinery to other small craft such as Yachts, Launches, etcetera
some of the features of the Invention are very suitable, and those are included in the
claims concluding the Specification.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would state in.
conclusion, that my Invention consists mainly of a mechanically propelled life-boat.
comprising several parts, as hereinafter specified in the claims, all adapted to serve
particular and peculiar useful ends in such a boat, and to fulfil conditions peculiar to
life-boat construction and service; and I wish to point out, that to those acquainted
with life-boats, and their service and the conditions under which their service is.
rendered, it is known that to provide or design a mechanically propelled life-boat
having shallow draft, great buoyancy, and "stiffness," or in fact any desired com-
bination of qualifications, and especially the one of self-righting, a general knowledge
of modes of propulsion of ships and ordinary small craft, such as Launches, Yachts-
etcetera affords an entirely inadequate knowledge to enable an engineer or others to
design a mechanically propelled Life-boat which will comply with the conditions under
which it has to serve. Hence analogy in designing such a boat goes little or no way
in aiding one in the attempt of working out the solution of the problem of an
efficient and practical mechanically propelled life-boat, having the feature of construc
tion such as above specified. The mechanically propelled boat herein described has
been designed, that is the parts and their arrangements have been chosen, by reason
of their being known and tried mechanisms of a simple form, and easily worked or
controlled by persons who have to use them, and who are mostly unskilled in their
method of construction, and they have been applied, arranged and combined as set forth
because they fulfil the peculiar conditions required of a machinery suitable for the purpose
of their application, and the service they would have to be put to and render, and I
declare that what I claim in respect of the above described Invention is:
1. The mechanically propelled life-boat substantially herein described, that is to say
a life-boat wherein the propelling mechanism consists of an oil or spirit engine, a
closed oil or spirit reservoir adapted to serve as a fuel container for said engine, and a
screw propeller arranged in the stern of the hull.
2. A mechanically propelled life-boat substantially as herein described, wherein the
propelling mechanism consists in the combination of an oil or spirit engine disposed
in the bottom of the hull, as described; a screw propeller of the "guide-blade" type
disposed in the stern of the hull, as described; and an oil or spirit reservoir placed
in the bottom of the hull, as described.
3. In a life-boat of the Royal National Life-boat Institution's type, or other like
kinds, provided with a deck, the arrangement and disposition of parts substantially as
described with reference to Figures 1 to 5, by which the engine and oil or spirit
reservoirs do not interfere with the general constructions and arrangement of the boat
and deck.
4. The construction of oil or spirit reservoir for use in life-boats and other craft.
herein described, consisting of a chamber having one or two pistons, and a spring or
a weight, or a plurality of same, and said pistons serve to keep the oil or spirit from
flowing loosely about in the said chamber.
5. The construction of oil or spirit reservoir claimed in the next preceeding claiming.
clause, wherein the springs or weights are adapted to force the oil or spirit to the
engine or propelling apparatus or machinery.

page_text: 6. In a life-boat in which a screw propeller of the "guide-blade" type is employed,
the construction of stern of the boat, and arrangement of propeller, substantially as
set forth with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings.
7. The mechanically propelled life-boat substantially as described with reference to
Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings, that is to say, a boat wherein an oil or spirit engine
of the type specified, a turbine jet propeller adapted to take in water in the bottom
of the vessel and eject it above the water line at the sides, and an oil reservoir having
a spring retained or weighted piston or pistons operating in the manner described,
are employed and operate in connection with each other as set forth.
8. In a life-boat provided with mechanical means of propulsion, the use in the space
or compartment in which the motor is placed, of a ductile metal lining, for the purposes
set forth.
9. In an oil or spirit engine of the type specified used for propelling life-boats and
other craft, in which a slide valve having a firing pocket of any known kind, is
employed as specified, the use as a means of kindling the charge of combustible
mixture in said pockets, of a platinum or other suitable metal sponge, rod, or other
device, adapted to be rendered incandescent by the electric current; substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
10. A starting mechanism for oil or spirit engines of life-boats and other shaft,
arranged and operating substantially as set forth with reference to Figures 1 to 5.
11. The reversing mechanism for oil or spirit engine of life-boats and other craft,
consisting of the device H and a device or disc H³, arranged and operating substan-
tially as set forth.
12. The construction and arrangement of passage for conducting air to the oil or
spirit engine, substantially as herein set forth with reference to the Drawings.
13. The combination of the engine A, oil or spirit reservoir F, reversing gear H, H³,
and starting gear I, I, 13, 1³, arranged and operating as set forth with reference to
Figures 1 to 5.
14. The arrangement of bilge pumps G, and pipes G³, G; substantially as set forth
with reference to Figure 5 of the drawings.
15. The construction of oil or spirit reservoir, for holding or feeding, oil or spirit
to machinery of life-boats and other craft, set forth with reference to Figure 3,
consisting of the cylinder F, pistons F¹, springs F2 and piston rods working through
said springs, all arranged as described.
Dated the Sixth day of February 1889.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Agents.