Improvements in the Propulsion and Steering of Ships, Boats and like Vessels.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Propulsion and Steering of Ships, Boats
and like Vessels.
I, CONSTANTIN JANCZARSKI, of Hughesovka, South Russia, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in the propulsion and steering of
ships, boats and like vessels.
According to the invention I make use of the following principle, that is to
say, when a board, for example, is immersed in water at an inclination and air
or a suitable inert gas be forced under the same the said inclined board or the
like will have motion imparted to it by the pressure due to the tendency of the
air to rise vertically to the surface of the water. This principle I apply to the
propulsion of vessels by inclining the bottoms of the hulls thereof and forcing
air under the inclined planes near the lowermost points thereof, the said air
exerting pressure upon the said planes so as to impart motion to the vessel in the
manner above described.
In carrying out the invention I advantageously construct the hull of the
vessel with the central portion of the underside thereof inclined upwards from
the middle to the bow and stern respectively, thereby forming inclined planes
or the like which may be enclosed with ribs or the like, to form trough shaped
channels or guides rising from the middle of the vessel to the bow and stern,
the said ribs or the like also serving as the keel. The air is forced into these
channels through pipes near the lowermost or central point at either side and
one or the other of these pipes is used according as it is desired to drive the vessel
forwards or backwards by the escape of the air in the manner above described.
In practice I find it advantageous to force air into the pipes by means of a
steam jet, the said jet being advantageously supplied with steam by a boiler
fitted in the vessel and sucking air into a pipe which is provided with a valve
or cock having a suitable number of passages, so that by turning the said valve
or cock the air can be injected into one or other of the air pipes, driving the
vessel forwards or backwards.
Instead of inclining the Lottom of the vessel's hull in the manner above
described I may attach to the bottom of the vessel a pair of inclined troughs or
the like into which the air is injected or forced in the above described manner.
The vessels may be provided if desired with rudders for steering or the steer-
ing may be effected by means of the air which is caused to issue through pipes
suitably arranged for this purpose for example through four pipes opening in
pairs on each side of the median longitudinal plane of the vessel.
By employing air at a pressure corresponding to the weight of a column of
water extending from the water level to the bottom of the hull I ensure the air
after passing under the hull reaching the surface with practically no velocity
so that no eddies or prejudicial currents are set up.
Although I have described a steam jet device for supplying the compressed

page_text: air for driving the vessel I wish it to be understood that I can employ any other
means suitable for this purpose. Furthermore, instead of air other inert gases
could be used, for example the products of combustion or explosion from a ther-
modynamic engine, carbonic acid gas, etc.
Dated the 19th day of July 1899
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Propulsion and Steering of Ships, Boats
and like Vessels.
I, CONSTANTIN JANCZARSKI, of Hughesovka, South Russia, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to improvements in the propulsion and steering of
ships, boats and like vessels.
According to the invention I make use of the following principle, that is to
say, when a board, for example, is immersed in water at an inclination and air
or a suitable gas forced under the same, the said inclined board or the like will
have motion imparted to it by the pressure due to the tendency of the air to rise
vertically to the surface of the water. This principle I apply to the propulsion
of vessels by inclining the bottoms of the hulls thereof and forcing air under the
inclined planes near the lowermost points of the said planes, the said air exert-
ing pressure upon the planes so as to impart motion to the vessel in the manner
above described.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the principle of the invention:
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a boat constructed according to the invention:
Figure is an end view thereof:
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the boat; and
Figure 5 is an underside view of the same.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a boat provided with generating apparatus
for propelling it according to the invention:
Figure is a vertical section of a suitable air injector:
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation at right angles to Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a plan view of a modified construction of boat constructed according
to the invention:
Figure 10 is a view of a detail; and
Figures 11 and 12 are a side elevation and an end view respectively of a further
modification.
Referring first to Figure 1 A represents a board supposed to be immersed at
an inclination in water and to be supplied through the pipe B with a suitable
gas, such as air, under pressure, the said compressed air then tending to flow up
the inclined underside of the board and escape at the surface of the water as
clearly shewn. The compressed air or other gas exerts a force upon the under-
side of the board perpendicular thereto and this force can be resolved as indicated
in the diagram shewing the component force tending to press the board forwards
in the direction of the arrow in the figure.
Referring now to the arrangement shewn in Figures 2 to 5 a is the hull of
a boat, the central portion of the underside thereof being inclined upwards as

page_text: clearly shewn at b and c respectively from the middle to the bow and stern thus
forming inclined planes. These inclined planes are advantageously enclosed by
side boards or ribs d, d whereby trough-shaped channels or guides are formed
which rise from the middle of the vessel to the bow and stern and can serve as a
keel. The air or other gas is forced into these channels through pipes e, e at
either side of the lowermost or central point of the inclined bottom, one or the
other of these pipes being used according as it is desired to drive the vessel
forwards or backwards by the escape of the air in the manner above described
with reference to Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a boat shewing apparatus for injecting
air under pressure into the supply pipes e, e. The said arrangement comprises
a steam boiler from which steam is conveyed through the pipe g₁ to an in-
jector which sucks in air and supplies it to the pipes e, e. is a three-way
valve for controlling the supply of compressed air and steam to either of the
pipes e, e as may be desired.
Figures 7 and 8 are views of an air injector which can be suitably employed
with this arrangement; it comprises the body provided with the internal steam
nozzle j, the said body being attached to the valve i at one end and provided
at its other end with the air inlet openings 2. The nozzle may be adjustable
within the body j, to regulate its position according to the pressure of the steam,
and for this purpose I advantageously provide the said nozzle with a screw
thread working within a nut supported on the body j and with a hand
wheel for rotating the said nozzle.
Figure 9 is a plan view of a boat wherein four supply pipes h, k, k², are
employed arranged in pairs upon either side of the meeting point of the two
inclined propelling planes, the two pipes of each pair being located upon the two
sides of a median longitudinal vertical plane through the boat. This arrange-
ment of four supply pipes permits of the vessel being steered by means of the
compressed air or other gas, and to enable the said compressed air or gas to be
fed to any one or more of the pipes as may be required, I advantageously pro-
vide the distributing device, Figure 10, shewn to a larger scale than Figure 9;
the said device comprises a casing into which the four pipes k, k¹², open
and which receives a valve plug m provided with a transverse passage m' in
communication with a peripheral passage m², the said latter passage being of
such a width that it can place any two consecutive pipes k, k, 2, into com-
munication with one another. By rotating the plug the two former pipes or the
two latter pipes may be placed in communication with the supply of air or other
gas under pressure; or the said gas may be supplied to any one of these pipes
only or to any two pipes for purposes of steering. For example, when the plug
is in the position shewn in the figure the boat is propelled forwards; by turning
the plug through an angle of 180° the motion of the boat is reversed by turning
it slightly to the right or left the direction of motion of the vessel is correspond-
ingly altered. By rotating the plug through an angle of 45° the gas is supplied
to the pipes, or k, and finally by turning the plug through an angle of
90° the supply of gas is cut off and the vessel stopped.
Figures 11 and 12 illustrate a modification. In this arrangement instead of
inclining the bottom of the vessel's hull, as in the constructions above described,
a pair of inclined troughs or the like n, are suitably attached to the bottom
of the vessel, the said troughs inclining upwards from the middle of the boat to
the bow and stern respectively as in the case of the inclined bottom. The air
is injected through the pipes e, e in a similar manner to that above mentioned.
In this boat I have shewn a rudder o for steering although it is obvious that I
can utilize the air supply in the manner above described either in lieu of the
rudder or in conjunction therewith.
By employing a steam jet device for forcing the air beneath the vessel, the
said air which mixes with the steam is heated and thereby caused to expand,
this expansion increasing its useful effect.

page_text: The utilization of air at a pressure corresponding to the weight of a column
of water extending from the water level to the bottom of the inclined planes
ensures that the air, after passing under the hull, will reach the surface with
practically no velocity so that no eddies or prejudicial currents are set up..
Although I have described a steam jet device for supplying the compressed
air for driving the vessel I wish it to be understood that I can employ any other
means suitable for this purpose. Furthermore, instead of air, other gases could
be used, for example, the products of combustion or explosion from a ther-
modynamic engine, carbonic acid gas, etc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The described method of propelling and steering ships, boats and like
vessels by means of the pressure of a suitable gas upon inclined planes provided
upon the underside of the vessel, substantially as herein before described.
2. A ship, boat or the like having the central portion of the bottom of the
hull inclined upwards from the middle to the bow and stern respectively, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
3. A ship, boat or the like having the central portion of the bottom of the
hull inclined upwards from the middle to the bow and stern respectively and
having the said inclined faces enclosed by depending sides, ribs or the like,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In a ship, boat or the like the combination with the hull, of troughs or
channels which incline upwards from the middle to the bow and stern respectively,
and of means for supplying a suitable gas, such as air, to the lowermost points
of the troughs, substantially as herein before described.
5. In a ship, boat or the like, the combination with the hull, of planes at the
bottom thereof which incline from the middle to the bow and stern respectively,
of apparatus for injecting air to the lowermost points of the said planes, and of
means for controlling the supply of air, substantially as herein before described.
6. In a ship, boat or the like, the combination with the hull of planes at the
bottom thereof which incline from the middle to the bow and stern respectively,
of four supply pipes which open on to the said planes at either side of median
transverse and longitudinal planes through the hull and of means such as a four
way valve for controlling the supply of a suitable gas, such as air, to the said
supply pipes, substantially as herein before described.
7. Ships, boats or the like constructed substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in Figures 2 to 5; 6; 9 and 10; and 11 and 12 respectively of
the accompanying drawings.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
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