IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO ROWING BOATS CHIEFLY FOR RACING PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult of t firm of W. P. Thompson &
Boult, Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex and 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster
Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO ROWING
BOATS CHIEFLY FOR RACING PURPOSES." A communication to him from abroad
by Wilhelm August Rettig Architect of Berlin in the German Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th November 1882.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of the firm of Thompson and Boult, Agents for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex and
6 Lord Street Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR RELATING TO ROWING BOATS CHIEFLY FOR RACING PURPOSES [A commu-
nication to him from abroad by Wilhelm August Rettig Architect of Berlin in the
German Empire.]
"
These improvements in rowing boats especially those for racing purposes relate
to a construction which permits the weight of the boat to be considerably reduced
and at the same time so to brace or stay the boat that the twisting of the boat,
which hitherto has been unavoidable, is entirely obviated.
In carrying this invention into practice a deck passing through the entire length
of the boat is used together with peculiarly constructed outriggers and swivel row-
locks for the oars and the foot board is also made lighter the "bottom" being
dispensed with.
The following description refers more particularly to a boat with seats for four
oarsmen but these improvements may also be applied to boats with one seat or
with any suitable number, and existing boats may be reconstructed on this
system.
The general construction of the boat and its shape are the usual ones, but a deck
is employed which passes through the whole of the hull, it is continuous and so
connected with the ribs or timbers and the gunwales of the boat that the latter

page_text: forms a perfectly rigid body and that any twisting thereof when in use is entirely
obviated. To provide room for the legs of the oarsmen, the deck is provided with
elongated openings and to reduce the weight other openings are provided by the
side of the sliding seats.
The deck is fastened, by copper or brass rivets or nails, to a wooden ledge. For
strengthening the deck timbers are fastened to the under side of it in proximity to
the sliding seats.
Instead of the so-called bottom heretofore in use for supporting the feet, and of
the inclined footboard or stretcher the following is used. The footboard proper is
fitted with a recessed or hollow extension of such dimensions that it affords room
for the heels or it has instead of the extensions metal caps adapted to the shape of
the heel which caps, to decrease their weight, have perforations.
In both cases the stretcher rests at the top, by means of a transverse lodge
against shoulders attached to the rim or rail of the boat as is well understood and
at the bottom it bears directly upon the keel which where the stretchers bear upon
it is tipped with a metal rail so as to securely hold the stretcher by means of a
screw which takes into holes in this rail.
To diminish the weight of the outriggers they are constructed as follows: Rods
of thin sheet iron or sheet steel are used their figure in cross section being
approximately that of half an annulus, their ends have ear-shaped lugs_rivetted
thereon to enable the same firmly to be secured to the rail of the boat Each two
of these rods are connected with one another by a thin steel rod bent into zig zag
shape and provided with a rivet at each junction the whole resembling a trellis
girder..
The general arrangement of the outriggers likewise differs in principle from the..
heretoforo customary one. They are arranged, in plan approximately in the figure
of isosceles triangles in such a manner that the legs of these are directly opposite to
one another, and thereby enable the same to be stayed, one against the other, in
the interior of the boat. To this end oblique rods are held by the same screw
-which-fastens the outrigger-to-the-rail-of-the-boat-and-at-the-centre-the-oblique
rods are connected with a vertical rod supported on the keel. To support the deck
at those parts where the seats are vertical supports made of metal and carried by
the keel are provided.
The rowlocks are attached to the front end of the outrigger and the pin on which
the rowlock swivels also holds the two parts of the outrigger together.
The rowlock forms quadrangles with rounded angles whose top is open. Now to
impart to the said rowlock sufficient capacity of resistance with small weight and
also to leave a certain amount of play to the skull an angular section is chosen but
the planes of this sectional figure are not straight but curved or arched and all
sharp corners are carefully avoided. At the side of the rowlock there are shoulders
or projections by which it is held on the pin so as to swivel thereon. The lower
end of the latter is screw threaded and has a nut and as stated also holds the out-
rigger together in front.
The distance between the bars forming the outrigger is determined by a sleeve.
Two other rings are used to enable the rowlock to be set higher or lower within
certain limits.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Julius Boult in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th May 1883.
65
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of the firm of W. P. Thompson & Boult Agents for
Foreign Patent Solicitors of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex and
6, Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster Engineer IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR RELATING TO ROWING BOATS, CHIEFLY FOR RACING PURPOSES A com-
munication to me from abroad by Wilhelm August Rettig, Architect of Berlin in
the German empire
".
These improvements in rowing boats especially those for racing purposes, relate
to a construction which permits the weight of the boat to be considerably reduced
and at the same time so to brace the boat that the twisting of the boat, which
hitherto has been unavoidable, is entirely obviated
This object is obtained by the combined use of a deck passing through the entire
length of the boat together with peculiarly constructed outriggers and swivel
rowlocks for the oars, and the footboard is also inade lighter, as the bottom is
dispensed with.
In the accompanying drawings such a boat with seats for four oarsmen is shown
but these improvements may also be applied to boats with one seat or with any
suitable number and even existing boats may be re-constructed on this system.
Figure 1 shows. the plan of a boat.
Figure 2 longitudinal section thereof.
Figure 3 a transverse section on a somewhat onlarged scale.
Figures 4 and 5 details of the footboard or stretcher.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the boat drawn to full size.
Figure 7 a partial longitudinal section drawn to full size.
Figure 8 plan of part of the boat drawn to a scale of about 1/
Figures 9, 10 and 11 show the rowlock for the oar in detail.
Figure 12 details of the outrigger.
The general construction of the boat and its shape are known but a deck A is
employed which passes through the whole of the hull and is continuous and is so
connected with the ribs or timbers and the gunwales of the boat that the latter
forins a perfectly rigid body and that any twisting thereof when in use is entirely
obviated. To provide room for the legs of the oarsmen, the deck A is provided
with longitudinal openings Figures 1 and 8 and to reduce the weight other openings B
are provided by the side of the sliding seats for the oarsmen.
The above mentioned deck A is fastened, by copper or brass rivets or nails, to the
wooden ledge a in the manner shown in Figure 6. For strengthening the deck
timbers bare fastened to the under side of it in proximity to the sliding seats
(Figures 1, 6 and 8) as its resistance will be most heavily taxed in this part by the
bodily weight of the oarsmen.
:
Instead of the so called bottom heretofore in use for supporting the fect, and of
the inclined foot board or stretcher a stretcher of the form shown in Figures 4 and 5
is used. The footboard proper c against which the feet bear is fitted with a
recessed or hollowed extension of such dimensions that it affords room for the heels
of the rower, as will be seen in Figure 4. In Figure 5 the foot board has, instead of
the extensions metal caps d adapted to the shape of the heel, which to decrease
their weight have perforations.
In both cases the stretcher rests at the top, by means of the transverso ledge f
against shoulders attached to the rim or rail of the boat as is well understood, and

page_text: at the bottom bears directly upon the keel C. This keel C is, where the stretchers
bear upon it, tipped with a metal rail i so as to securely hold the stretcher by means
of the screw O which takes into holes in this rail i.
To diminish the weight of the outriggers, they are constructed as follows: mare
rods of thin sheet iron or sheet steel are used their figure in cross section being
approximately that of half an annulas, their ends have ear-shaped lugs n rivetted
thereon to enable the samo firmly to be secured to the rail of the boat (Figures 3,
12) reach two of these rods m are connected with one another by a thin steel rod p
bent into zigzag shape this latter p being provided with a rivet at each junction.
Thus an outrigger is provided which is of extremely small weight whilst being capable
of very great resistance and has the shape of a trellis girder.
The arrangement of the outriggers likewise differs in principle from the heretofore
customary one. They are arranged, in plan, approximately in the figure of isosceless
triangles (Figures 1-8) in such a manner that the legs of these are directly
opposite to one another, and thereby enable the same to be stayed, one against the
other, in the interior of the boat itself. To this end the oblique rods (Figures
1, 6, 12) are held by the same screw which fastens the outriggers to the rail of the
boat and at the centre are connected with a vertical rod t this being supported on
the keel C.
It is obvious that a perfectly continuous rigid system is thus produced which in
itself is capable of taking up the thrust of the sculls so that the gunwales and skin
of the boat are scarcely required to bear any strain as the forces acting on the
outriggers which are opposite to one another balanco one another. To support tho
deck vis: that part where the seat is vertical supports u made of metal and carried
by the keel, are provided, as will appear from Figure 7.
-
The rowlocks for holding the oars or skulls (Figures 3, 9, 10, 11) are attached to
the front end of the outrigger and the pin on which the rowlock swivels also holds
the two parts of the same together.
The rowlock forms quadrangle with rounded angles whose top is open. Now to
impart to the said rowlock (Figure 9) sufficient capacity of resistance with small
weight and also to leave a certain amount of play to the skull an angular soction is
chosen but the planes of this sectional figure are not straight but curved or arched
and all sharp corners are carefully avoided. At the side of the rowlock there aro
shoulders by which it is held on the pin w so as to swivel thereon. The lower ond
of the latter is screw threaded and has a nut and as stated also holds the outrigger
in front.
The distance between the two bars m of the outrigger (Figures 9, 10, 11) is
determined by a sleeve. Two other intermediary rings are used to enable the
rowlock to be set higher or lower within certain limits. These positions are thus
obtainable, either the medium one, as shown in the drawing where one ring is
immediately under the rowlock, the other under the nut, or both rings may together
be placed under the rowlock or under the nut whereby the rowlock is raised or
lowered. Heretofore the outriggers had to be entirely unscrewed and plates had to
be interposed at
Having now fully described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of
performing the same as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent I wish
it to be understood that what I Claim and desire to protect under the hereinbefore
in part recited Letters Patent is :-
In racing oar or sculling boats.
First: The employment of a continuous deck A of light wood provided in the
plane of the seats in which elongated holes are cut for receiving the legs of the
oarsmen and in which sunaller apertures are cut by the side of the seats so as to
reduce the weight of the whole structure substantially as set forth and shown.
Second-The construction of the outriggers consisting of two semi circular
plates of iron or steel m trussed by means of the steel wire p bent into zigzag shape,
operating similarly to trussed girders substantially as described and shewn in
Figuro 12 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: Third: The footboard or stretcher whereby the so called bottom can be dispensed
with and which is firmly connected with a wooden or metal support or with caps d
of metal for the heels of the oarsmen substantially as described and shown in
Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourth-The general arrangement of the outriggers in the form of approximately
equilateral triangles, and their connection with one another in such a manner that
the rods raud t connect those sides of the outriggers which are opposite to one
another thus producing a rigid structure as the forces acting on the outriggers which
face one another, neutralize one another, thus greatly relieving the sides of the boat
substantially as described and shewn.
Fifth The rowlock of angular cross section for holding the oar which by
altering the position of the discs or rings can be raised or lowered substantially as
described and illustrated in Figures 9, 10, 11 of the accompanying drawings.
Sixth-The combination of the improvements indicated in Claims 1-5
substantially in the manner shown in the drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Julius Boult have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fourth day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
ALFRED J. BOULT (L.S.)