IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lemuel Wellman Wright, of Brooklyn, in the
State of New York, United States of America, for the Invention
IT DANDED WHEELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lemuel Wellman Wright
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd August 1869.
I, LEMUEL WELLMAN WRIGHT, of Brooklyn, in the State of New
York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS," to be as follows:-
The object of these improvements in paddle wheels is to prevent con-
cussion as each float or bucket strikes the water, to prevent the swell or
sidewise wave from the paddle, and to prevent the lifting of as much
back water as the ordinary paddle wheel raises. These objects are
accomplished by making each bucket pointed on the outer edge, so that
the angle penetrates the water, and by placing these buckets diagonally to
the axis of the shaft and arranging them in rows around the wheel
standing at alternate opposite inclinations in order that the water may

page_text: be passed to the rear instead of being thrown off laterally either towards
or away from the vessel. I make use of a shaft carrying arms and rims
forming the circular frames of a paddle wheel of any desired size or
proportions. Between these frames the buckets are placed. Each bucket
is made with the outer edge running to a point so as to enter the water
gradually, and these buckets are placed at an angle of about 45° to the
radial planes of the wheel, and the buckets are arranged in the wheel so
that the buckets of one range stand at an opposite inclination to those
of the next range. By this arrangement the water will be thrown away
from the vessel by the action of one range of buckets, and then towards
it by the action of the next range of buckets, thereby one will counter-
act the lateral tendency of the other and cause the water to be passed
directly to the rear, and the diagonal position of the buckets prevents
the
lifting of as much back water as is now usual. Each range of
buckets forms a section of a many threaded screw, and one range cor-
responds to a right-handed screw and the next to a left-handed screw,
and the buckets stand separately and are arranged so that the buckets of
one range stand intermediately to the buckets of the next range; hence
the water instead of receiving a backward movement as soon as struck
by the paddles is thrown against the buckets of the next range, increasing
the resistance or hold on the water, and the diagonal position prevents
back water being raised even if the edges of the paddles are straight.
When the buckets are each provided with a projecting point the con-
cussion is lessened and the hold on the water increased.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Lemuel Wellman Wright in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEMUEL
WELLMAN WRIGHT, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United
States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, Her special. S

page_text: licence that I, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Lemuel Well-
man Wright, 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 and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, my executors or ad-
ministrators, 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 Lemuel Wellman Wright, 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, reference being made to the annexed Drawing
forming part of this Specification, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
-:
Fig. 1 represents an elevation of my improved paddle wheel; Fig. 2
is a plan of the same; Figs. 3 is an elevation, and Fig. 4 a plan of one
of the buckets detached. Similar marks of reference denote the same
parts.
The objects of this Invention are to prevent concussion as the buckets
of the wheel strike the water, to avoid the swell or sidewise wave from
the paddle wheel, and to lessen the lifting of water as the buckets leave
the same.
I accomplish these objects by placing the buckets diagonally
(at about 45°) to the axis of the shaft, and arranging them in ranges or
rows around the wheel, the buckets of one range standing at an opposite
inclination to those of the next range, and I place the buckets of one
range intermediate to those of the adjoining ranges.
In the Drawing a is the shaft of the paddle wheel; b, b, the arms
connected to the shaft a and to the rings d in any suitable manner, and
to these arms the buckets c are attached, the whole composing the paddle
wheel. These buckets are to be arranged in two, four, or more ranges
or rows rimming the wheel, each range standing at an opposite

page_text: rear.
inclination and each bucket in a position diagonal to the axis of the
shaft and intermediate to the buckets of the adjoining ranges. I prefer
that the diagonal position of the buckets should be about 45° to the
vertical planes of the rims or arms to which they are attached. By
reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that by placing the buckets in the
diagonal position above-mentioned, and by making the inclination of each
range of buckets run in an opposite direction, each of said ranges forms
a section of a many threaded screw, one range corresponding to a right-
handed screw and the next to a left-handed screw, and the buckets of
one range standing intermediately to those of the next range, the water
instead of receiving a backward movement as soon as struck by the
buckets will be thrown against the buckets of the next range, increasing
the resistance or hold of the buckets on the water, preventing the side
swell in a great measure, and finally passing the water directly to the
I have shown the outer ends of the buckets as projecting beyond
the edges of the arms or rims of the wheel, and each bucket coming to
a sharp point. Instead of being so formed they may be made with a
circular or straight outer edge, as shown at f, g, by dotted lines Fig. 1, or
if desired the buckets might be flush with the rims of the wheel. A
paddle wheel made in the manner above set forth possesses many
advantages over the wheels heretofore used. The diagonal position of
the buckets prevents concussion as they enter the water and gives to each
of said buckets the properties of a section of a screw, so that each
bucket commences to take a hold upon the water at the point of entering,
and continues during its entire passage through the water to act against
the water, and during the latter part of its passage very little or no
water is lifted, and as the lateral tendency of the water as thrown by
the buckets of one range is counteracted by the next range of buckets,
the water is passed directly to the rear, and the heavy side swell caused
by the ordinary paddle wheel is avoided. The wheel acts equally well
or nearly so when going in either direction, and the wheel may be
immersed to a greater extent than the paddle wheels heretofore made
without injuriously affecting the same, thereby increasing the hold of the
wheel on the water, and the paddles are not liable to be injured by the
waves.

page_text: the buckets of one range come opposite to the spaces between the
buckets of the next range, as and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of January A.D.
One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witnesses,
CHAS. H. SMITH,
121, Nassau St.,
New York.
GEO. D. WALKER,
121, Nassau St.,
New York,
LEMUEL W. WRIGHT. (L.S.)