IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS."-A commu-
nication from abroad by Rollin Germain, of the City of Buffalo, United
States of America.
Sealed the 11th April 1860, and dated the 24th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th October 1859.
J, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS," to be as
follows:-
The improved paddle wheel may be constructed with either one or two sets
of arms, or more than two sets, according to convenience. The object of the
Invention is to cause the paddles to enter and leave the water edgewise or
nearly so, and in passing through the air to offer their thin edges only to the
resistance of the air, while the paddles that are immersed will offer their

page_text: broadside to the water. The wheel is formed of outer and inner rims, which
are securely fastened by cross pieces to arins which extend from the central
hub. The paddles are made thick and strong in the middle, and taper
each way from the middle to an edge, and are suspended or hung upon their
centres, upon gudgeons or a shaft passing through the middle of each paddle,
and connected with the outer and inner rims of the wheel. These rims have
journal bearings, so that the paddles are held between the two rims with their
gudgeons or shaft pointing to the centre of the wheel,, and so that they may
be made to revolve upon their gudgeons or axles. The upper corners of the
paddle are turned or deflected in opposite directions. To the arms of the
paddles are adapted india-rubber or other springs, which are enclosed in boxes
or cases, the opposite ends of, which are secured to the arms of the wheel.
There are two springs to each paddle; the springs are strained or compressed
so as to cause the springs to pull at all times with sufficient force upon their
connections with the gudgeons or shaft of the paddles as to hold the paddles
in a line with the rims of the wheels when passing through the atmosphere,
but not with so great a force as to prevent the water from turning the paddles
as they pass edgewise into it to a position transverse to the rims of the wheel.
For that purpose the rods of the springs are connected with. pins on the end
of the paddle shaft. These pins stand a little on each side of the centre of
the end of the shaft, so that the pull of the springs upon the paddles tends
to keep the edges of the paddles in the line of motion of the wheel, or, in
other words, to cause the paddles to be held in and pass through the air
edgewise, and thereby encounter but small resistance therefrom.
By the
curve or deflection of the upper corners of the paddles,. the paddle is made as
it enters the water to strike the water with a glancing blow, or, in other words,
the pressure of the water is rendered greater upon one side of the paddle than
the other. This will begin to open or turn the paddle, which will obviously
continue until the pressure of the water upon the two wings of the paddle is
equalized: This would bring the paddle round to a position at right angles
with the rims of the wheel, were it not for a'modifying influence of the springs.
Springs of different kinds may be used and placed in different positions upon
the wheel or in the paddle itself, and may be attached'in various ways to the
wheel and paddle. What is most important in this connection is that they
be made strong, and be strained to that degree of stiffness as to liold the
paddles edgewise in the air with steadiness at the highest contemplated velocity
of the wheel. For the difference of resistance they will encounter in the air
and in the water is so great that the latter will readily turn thein to a position
nearly at right angles with the rims of the wheel against a much greater

page_text: counteracting force than is necessary to hold them edgewise in the atmosphere
as above mentioned. The corners of the paddles are turned or deflected in
opposite directions, so that the paddles will open in the same way by a reversed
as by a forward motion of the wheel; they may be turned or deflected in the
same direction, in which event the paddles would turn or revolve in a different
direction by a reversed motion of the wheel. As the object of turning or
deflecting the corners of the paddles as above mentioned is to cause it to strike
the water with a glancing blow, similar results may be produced by turning
or deflecting the other corners, or some intermediate or other part of it, in
either direction above described, except that the process of opening the paddle
would not commence as early; or, one side or face of a paddle, thick in the
middle and tapering each way therefrom, may have the other face straight,
and the straight side or face be held by the springs in a line parallel with the
rims of the wheel; or the same object may be secured by other means than
those above described, as; for instance, the springs may be so arranged and
attached to the gudgeons, or shaft, or paddle, as to hold the paddle a little
oblique to or out of liue with the rims of the wheel; in all which cases the
paddle in entering the water edgewise would strike it with a glancing blow,.
or meet with a greater pressure from the water upon one side of it than
the other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Edward Newton, 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..

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS," being a communication from abroad
by Rollin Germain, of the City of Buffalo, United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The improved paddle wheel which forms the subject of the present Inven-
tion, may be constructed with either one or two sets of arms, or more than
two sets, according to convenience, may be used. The object of the Invention
is to cause the paddles to enter and leave the water edgeways, or nearly so, and
in passing through the air to offer their thin edges only to the resistance of
the air, while the paddles that are immersed will offer their broadside to
the water.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved
paddle wheel; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal
section of the compression spring and its enclosing case; Fig. 4 is a cross
section of one of the paddles or floats representing the curve or deflection of
its corners; Fig. 5 is a cross section showing the greatest thickness of the
paddle at the middle and the gradual taper to its edges; Fig. 6 is a cross
section of a modified form of paddle, having one side flat with its other side
gradually rising from an edge to its greatest thickness in the middle.
In Figs. 1 and 2, A represents the shaft upon which the wheel revolves;
B is the hub of the wheel; C, C, are arms which are firmly connected with
the hub B. The wheel is formed of outer and inner rims D, D, and E, E,
which are securely fastened to the arms C which extend radially from the
central hub. Cross pieces F connect the two rims E, E, together and serve
as braces. The paddles G are made thick and strong in the middle, and taper
each way from the middle to an edge, as represented in Figs. 4 and 5, and
are suspended or hung on their centres upon gudgeons, or on a shaft passing
through the middle of each paddle, and connected with the outer and inner
rims D and E of the wheel. These rims have journal bearings, so that the

page_text: paddles are held between the two rims with their gudgeons or shaft pointing
to the centre of the wheel, and so that they may be made to revolve upon
their gudgeons or axles, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper corners
of the paddle are turned or deflected in opposite directions, as represented at
Fig. 4, and to the arms of the paddle are adapted india-rubber or other
springs which are enclosed in boxes or cases, the opposite ends of which
are secured to the arms of the wheel. Fig. 5 represents a cross section of
the paddle at right angles to the shafts through the middle. J, Fig. 1, is the
paddle shaft, and K is the journal box of the paddle shaft.
Z (Fig. 3)
represents an india-rubber or other spring enclosed in a case or tube W. The
rubber or other elastic substance has a hole through the middle, through
which the metallic rod X passes, and S is a cap screwed on the end of this
rod, which cap rests or presses on the end of the rubber or other elastic
substance within the case. Upon the opposite end of the tube or case is a
head t screwed into it, with a hole through the middle for the rod X to pass
through and work in. The rod ✗ is connected with the paddle shaft or
gudgeon by means of a link, as shown at m. The case or tube is fastened to
an arm of the wheel, as shown at r in Fig. 1. There are two springs to each
paddle. The springs are strained or compressed by screwing down the caps
on the ends of the rods, or by screwing the heads of the tubes through which
the rod X passes into the tubes, so as to cause the springs to pull at all times
with sufficient force upon their connections with the gudgeons or shafts of the
paddles, to hold the paddles in a line with the rims of the wheels when passing
through the atmosphere, as shown at G in Fig. 1, but not with so great a
force as to prevent the water from turning the paddles as they pass edgewise
into it, to a position transverse to the rims of the wheel, as shown at G¹
(Figs. 1 and 2). For that purpose the rods X of the springs are connected
with pins J on the end of the paddle shaft, as represented at m in Figs. 1 and
3; these pins stand a little on each side of the centre of the end of the shaft,
so that the pull of the springs upon the paddles tends to keep the edges of the
paddles in the line of motion of the wheel, or, in other words, to cause the
paddles to be held in and pass through the air edgewise, and thereby encounter
but small resistance therefrom. There should be a joint in this part of the
rod near the shaft, or a link or short chain connecting it with the shafts, as
shown at V in Fig. 3, so as to permit the paddles turning half way round, in
case their wings come in collision with any substance immoveable or difficult
to be thrust out of their way, and so that they may readily turn and glide by
and be less liable to injury from any such obstruction. By the curve or
deflection of the upper corners of the paddles, as shown in Fig. 4, the paddle

page_text: is made, as it enters the water, to strike the water with a glancing blow, or, in
other words, the pressure of the water is rendered greater upon one side of
the paddle than the other. This will begin to open or turn the paddle, and
this will obviously continue until the pressure of the water upon the two
-wings of the paddle is equalized. This would bring the paddle round to a
position at right angles with the rims of the wheel, were it not for a modifying
influence of the springs hereafter described. This opening or turning of the
paddle will cause a further straining of the springs, which strain will be exerted
by the side or wing of the paddle first entering the water; and the paddle will
not therefore be turned round by the action of the water quite to a right angle
with the rims of the wheel, but the wing of the paddle first entering the water
will stand more or less in advance of the other wing, and as it approaches the
surface in coming out of the water there will be a larger volume or weight of
water pressing or weighing down upon the other wing, which excess of weight
or pressure, acting in conjunction with the springs, will cause the paddle to
return to its original position, and come out of the water edgewise.
It is also obvious that the springs in forcing the paddle back to its original
position will impart to it a shaking or vibratory motion, and will aid in
freeing it from the water that would hold to it by cohesion. Springs of
different kinds may be used and placed in different positions upon the wheel or
in the paddle itself, and may be attached in various ways to the wheel and
paddle. What is most important in this connection is that they be made
strong, and be strained to that degree of stiffness as to hold the paddles
edgewise in the air with steadiness at the highest contemplated velocity of the
wheel, for the difference of resistance they will encounter in the air and in the
water is so great, that the latter will readily turn them to a position nearly at
right angles with the rims of the wheel against a much greater counteracting
force than is necessary to hold them edgewise in the atmosphere as above
mentioned. Therefore, should the springs be strained to a greater stiffness than
necessary for the purposes aforesaid, no bad action or consequences would
ensue therefrom, unless the straining be carried to great extremes; for it is
not only obvious that the water will open or turn the paddles, but that the
force exerted in making the change will not be lost to propulsion. The
corners of the paddles are turned or deflected in opposite directions, so that the
paddles will open in the same way by a reversed as by a forward motion of the
wheel; they may, however, be turned or deflected in the same direction on
both sides, in which event the paddles would turn or revolve in a different
direction by a reversed motion of the wheel. As the object of turning or
deflecting the corners of the paddles as above mentioned is to cause them to

page_text: strike the water with a glancing blow, similar results may be produced by:
turning or deflecting the other corners, or some intermediate or other part of
the paddle in either direction above described, except that, the process of
opening the paddle would not commence as early. Or one side or face of a
paddle, thick in the middle, and tapering each way therefrom, may have the
other face straight, as shown in Fig. 6, and the straight side or face may
be held by the springs in a line parallel with the rims of the wheel; or the
same object may be secured by other means than those above described, as, for
instance, the springs may be so arranged and attached to the gudgeons or
shaft or paddle as to hold the paddle a little oblique to or out of line with the
rims of the wheel, in all which cases the paddle on entering the water edge-
wise would strike it with a glancing blow, or meet with a greater pressure
from the water upon one side of it than the other. I therefore do not intend to
limit myself to the particular mode of curving or deflecting the upper corners
of the paddle as first above described, but wish to include such other modes of
forming the paddle and of placing or hanging it as I have mentioned, and all
such modifications thereof that may be calculated to produce similar results
and as do not depart from the principles of the present Invention, the object
of which is to cause the paddle held by the action of a spring or springs,
so as to pass edgewise through the atmosphere, to strike into the water with
a glancing blow, or encounter a greater pressure from the water on one side
of it than on the other, and be thus turned to a position where it will operate
upon the water with great propelling force until it nears the surface in coming
out of the water, and then by the joint action of the water and springs to be
turned back, so as to emerge therefrom edgewise and with a shaking or
vibratory motion. Another object sought to be obtained by the use of paddles
made and hung and acting in combination with a spring force as above
described, is to have a constant strain upon the springs that shall be sufficient
to hold the paddles with steadiness as they pass through the air, and in such
a position that they shall pass through the atmosphere edgewise.
Having now described this Invention of improvements in paddle wheels,
which has been communicated to me by my foreign correspondent as aforesaid,
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as
the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the construction of a
paddle wheel for vessels for navigation, wherein the paddles are made and hung
substantially as above set forth, in combination with a spring or springs placed
upon the wheel, and so connecting with and acting upon the paddles as to
hold them edgewise in the line of motion while passing through the atmosphere,
and also to cause them to enter the water edgewise, and allow them to

page_text: glance or turn in the water (by the action of the water thereon) to a
position transverse to the rims of the wheel and for the purposes herein
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)