IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Chaplin, of No. 24, Cheyne Walk, Chelsea,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS OR VESSELS."
Sealed the 1st March 1864, and dated the 17th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Chaplin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
September 1863.
I, ALEXANDER CHAPLIN, of No. 24, Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS OR VESSELS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention is designed principally as an auxiliary power for propelling
sailing ships during a calm, and more especially for such ships as are provided
with a steam engine for winding combined with a cooking and distilling appa-
ratus, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me in the
year 1861, dated the 7th October, No. 2499; but it is also capable of being
adapted to other vessels fitted with a special engine, and it may even occa-
sionally be actuated by manual labor by means of a crank. In either case
the driving, shaft connected to the motive power projects through the bulwarks
of the vessel and a. small paddle wheel is mounted on a short shaft suspended
at the outer end of a radial arm which swings on the end of the said driving
shaft, or on a separate stud or shaft suitably placed near the said shaft. The.

page_text: length of this radial arm is so proportioned to the size of the vessel that when
the arm lies at an angle of about forty-five degrees the floats of the paddle
wheel have their proper immersion below the line of floatation of the vessel
when unladen. I prefer to drive the paddle wheel by an endless chain passing
round a grooved pulley keyed upon its journal, and round a similar pulley
keyed on the driving shaft (but it may also be driven by bevil wheels, or by
any other suitable gearing). It will be evident that the paddle wheel, being
mounted at the lower end of a radial arm as described, can be raised or
lowered without altering the tension of the endless chain so as to give the
floats their propet immersion, according to the draught of the vessel when
loaded, more or less, and the radial arm can then be fixed in this position by
any suitable means, the lower end of the arm being supported from the ship's
side by an adjustable stay. By making the central portion of the paddle
wheel of a drum shape it may be made buoyant, so that it will float at its
proper degree of immersion so as to accommodate itself to the rolling of the
vessel. In this latter case the radial arm must not be fixed, but must be free
to swing loosely on the driving shaft or on its centre of motion. The inner
side of the lower end of the radial arm is provided with a "fender," of india-
rubber or other suitable material, to prevent injury by friction or concussion
against the ship's side.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Chaplin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
CHAPLIN, of No. 24, Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex,.
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh:
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grants
unto me, the said Alexander Chaplin, Her special licence that I, the said
Alexander Chaplin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
I, the said Alexander Chaplin, 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 therein expressed, should and lawfully might:
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain:

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS OR VESSELS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that J, the said Alexander Chaplin, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 said Alexander Chaplin, 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 in writing, and on reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention is designed principally as an auxiliary power for propelling
sailing ships, during a calm, and more especially for such ships as are provided
with a steam engine for winding combined with a cooking and 1 distilling appa-
ratus, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me in the
year. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, dated the Seventh October,
No. 2499; but it is also capable of being adapted to other vessels fitted with
a'special engine, and it may even occasionally be actuated by manual labour by
means of a crank. In either case the driving shaft connected to the motive
power projects through the bulwarks of the vessel, and a small paddle wheel
is mounted on a short shaft suspended at the outer end of a radial arm which
swings on the end of the said driving shaft, or on a separate stud or shaft
suitably placed near the said shaft. The length of this radial arm is so pro-
portioned to the size of the vessel that when the arm lies at an angle of about
forty-five degrees the floats of the paddle wheel have their proper immersion
below the line of flotation of the vessel when unladen. I prefer to drive the
paddle wheel by an endless chain passing round a grooved pulley keyed upon
its journal and round a similar pulley keyed on the driving shaft (but it may
also be driven by bevil wheels or by any other suitable gearing). It will be
evident that the paddle wheel, being mounted at the lower end of a radial
arm as described, can be raised or lowered without altering the tension of the
endless chain, so as to give the floats their proper immersion according to the
draught of the vessel when loaded, more or less, and the radial arm can then
be fixed in this position by any suitable means, the lower end of the arm being
supported from the ship's side by an adjustable stay. By making the central
portion of the paddle wheel of a drum shape it may be made buoyant, so that
it will float at its proper degree of immersion so as to accommodate itself to

page_text: the rolling of the vessel.
In this latter case the radial arm must not be fixed,
but must be free to swing loosely on the driving shaft or on its centre of
motion, there being a check or stop to prevent too great oscillation. The
inner side of the lower end of the radial arm is provided with a "fender," of
india-rubber or other suitable material, to prevent injury by friction or con-
cussion against the ship's side.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in Apparatus for Propelling Ships or Vessels," I will now proceed to describe
more in. detailing manner in which the same is to be or may be performed.or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be distinctly
understood, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof;
and have marked the same with letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:
.
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 represents part of a ship's side (near to
the stern) with my improvements shown as applied thereto; and Figure 2 is a
plan view of the same.
a, a, is a countershaft connected with the ship's engine or other motive
power and projecting through the bulwarks of the vessel; 6, 6, is a radial ȧrm,
the upper end of which swings upon the shaft a, a, whilst the lower end thereof
carries a short shaft or axle c, c, upon which the paddle wheel d, d, is mounted;
e, e, is a grooved chain wheel or pulley keyed upon the driving shaft a, a, and
driving a similar wheel or pulley f,f, (keyed on the axle c, c, of the paddle
wheel d, d,) by means of an endless chain 9.9; h, h, is an adjustable stay; and
i, i, is a fender, of india-rubber or other elastic material, to prevent injury to
the ship's side by the friction or concussion of the lower end of the radial arm
against the same; k, k, are hand cranks connected to the shaft a, a, by the
spur gearing 1, 1, by means of which the paddle wheel may be worked by, the
crew in case the ship's engine should be disabled, or in cases where there is
no engine on board.
It will of course be understood that although I have only shown one side of
the vessel in the Drawings, both sides of the vessel may be fitted with the
apparatus; and I may here also state that the auxiliary paddle wheels (when
two are used) may both be driven from one shaft, or they may (if preferred)
be entirely independent of each other.
It will be evident that by adjusting the diagonal stay h, h, the paddle wheel
d, d, may be raised or lowered to suit the line of flotation of the vessel without
at all interfering with the tension of the driving chain 9, 9, as the axis of the
paddle wheel will at all times be equidistant from the shaft a, a, as shown by
the dotted are m, m. It will also be evident that if the paddle wheels are

page_text: made buoyant, so as always to float at the proper degree of immersion, and
both radial arms are left free to swing on the driving shaft a, a, or (when two
are used) on their respective shafts, if independent of each other, then the
paddle wheels, being self-sustaining, will always remain immersed to the
required degree, and will accommodate themselves to the rolling or other
motion of the vessel.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
Improvements in Apparatus for Propelling Ships or Vessels," together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention,
the use or employment for such purpose of auxiliary paddle wheels (either
self-sustaining or otherwise) mounted at or near the outer extremity of radial
arms, and driven by chains, bevil gearing, or otherwise, from the centre of
oscillation of the said arms, whether such radial arms are allowed to swing
freely or not, and whether the said paddle wheels are driven by a steam engine
or other motive power or by hand labor.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Chaplin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
ALEX. CHAPLIN.. (L.S.