IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1843

page_text: WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Second day of November, in the seventh year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Kibble, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John Kibble, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Kibble, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said John Kibble, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Kibble, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-

page_text: Figure 1 represents the side view of a steam boat having apparatus applied
thereto according to my Invention; Figure 2 shews a side view separately of
the apparatus used for propelling vessels; Figure 3 is a transverse section of
a vessel with the apparatus applied thereto; Figure 4 shews a plan, Figure 5
a side view, and Figure 6 a front view, of part of the endless chain used, with
paddles or floats applied thereto. These Figures shew the means of con-
structing the chain and paddles or floats which I believe to be the best for
carrying out this part of my Invention. And I would here remark that I am
aware that endless chains, with paddles or floats applied thereto, have before
been proposed to be used for propelling vessels, but in such cases the wheels
used for carrying and giving motion thereto were constructed with numerous
teeth, which entered between the parts of the chains, and thus moved the end-
less chains with their floats or paddles; but I believe such mode of giving
motion to endless chains of paddles or floats never came into practical use; and
I believe that the use of teeth on the wheels which carry and give motion to
endless chains are, for the purpose of propelling vessels, wholly useless and
prejudicial. And the first part of my Invention, although it involves the use of
endless chains, consists in the employment of friction or surface driving of such
endless chains, or the wheels which carry and give motion to them. The end-
Jess chains used consist of a series of bars or plates a, a, combined together by
pins or axes passing through their ends, as shewn, and to these bars or plates
a, a, are affixed the floats b, b, by means of eye bolts c, c, which have pins or
axes d, d, passed through the plates a, a, and through the holes in the eye
bolts, as shown. The eye bolts pass through the plates e, e, of the diagonal
stays; the floats are secured to the diagonal stays by nuts and eye bolts, as
shewn, and as will readily be understood on examining the Drawing. g, h,
are two wheels on each side of the vessel; the wheels 9 receiving motion
from the main axis or shaft of the engines on board the vessel; and I prefer
that the axis of the wheels g should be connected with the axis of the wheels h
by connecting rods i, though this is not absolutely necessary, as the endless
chains will give motion to the wheels h, h. The carriages or bearings of the
axis of the wheels h, h, are made capable of adjustment towards or from the
axis of the wheels g, as is well understood by engineers and mechanics, in
order that the endless chain of paddles or floats may be kept suitably distended.
I

page_text: The wheels g, h, are grooved on the periphery, as shewn, so that the chains
cannot move out of the correct position, but there are no teeth to take into
and between the parts of the chain; but the driving of the chains is simply
effected by the surface of the wheels acting against the surfaces of the chains,
which causes the chains to be moved; and it is this combination of surface
contact of carrying wheels g, h, with the use of endless chains of paddles or
floats, which constitutes the peculiar character of this part of my Invention.
Another part of my Invention consists of the use of flexible metal bands
carrying floats or paddles combined with suitable wheels for giving motion
thereto by surface contact. Figure 7 shews a side view, partly in section, of
two wheels g and h, with grooved peripheries, as before explained, having
therein an endless band of thin sheet metal j, carrying paddles or floats. I
would here remark that although I believe thin metal plates are the best
suited for making the necessary endless band for receiving the floats or
paddles, yet I do not confine myself thereto, as an endless band of wire ropes
may be employed in place thereof. The Drawing shews the endless band to
consist of a thin plate of metal, but several may be used according to the
strength required; on this plate are affixed the floats or paddles k, k. Figure 8
shews an edge view of one of the wheels, and an endless band, with floats or
paddles. Figure 9 shews a plan, Figure 10 a side view, and Figure 11 a
back view, of the endless band with floats affixed thereto. Figure 12 shews
a plato cut into the form which I have used when making the floats for carry-
ing out this part of my Invention. This plate, Figure 12, is to be bent up at
right angles at the dotted lines l, l, to form parts of two floats or paddles, the
part between 1, 1, being fixed to the endless plate j, and the parts m, m, of each
two succeeding plates, Figure 12, are fixed together at their outer ends, n, n,
being diagonal stays affixed to the floats or paddles m. By either of the above
arrangements a series of floats or paddles may be carried by an endless chain
or by an endless plate, by which a considerable surface of floats or paddles can
at one time be in the water propelling, by which that width of float boards
necessary when using paddle wheels is avoided.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I am
acquainted with for performing the same, I would remark that I do not con-
fine myself to the precise details, provided the peculiar character of either part
my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,—-
of
First, the giving motion to endless chains carrying floats or paddles for pro-
pelling vessels by means of surface driving of wheels, in place of using wheels
with teeth which enter amongst the parts of the wheels.
.
And, secondly, I claim the giving motion to endless metal plates or bands

page_text: carrying paddles or floats, for propelling vessels by means of wheels, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Kibble, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.