Improvements in or relating to the Propulsion of Vessels.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1898
Improvements in or relating to the Propulsion of Vessels.
T, JAMES HENRY LOADER of 39 Sotheby Road, Highbury Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows.-
This invention relates to the propulsion of vessels of various kinds, and may be
carried out in the following manner :-
I arrange one or more tubes in or in connection with the hull of the vessel
cach tube being conveniently arranged as a keelson and open at each end to the
water, although it may be provided with covers or valves in order to shut out
the water when required. In this tube are one or more pistons or equivalent,
preferably two, reciprocating together, and each adapted to turn so that when
moving in one direction it substantially closes the tube and when moving in the
other direction it lies across the tube so as to leave a free passage way on each
side of the piston.
This movement may be effected automatically by any
convenient arrangement of mechanism such as cams, levers, chains or the like.
The pistons may be operated by one or more steam cylinders and may be carried
upon the same or separate piston rods, the cylinders being arranged beside the
tube or at the end of it or as found most convenient. A convenient way of
niranging the mechanism is to place the cylinders beside the water tube tho
piston rod of the cylinder after passing out of the cylinder entering a supple-
mentary water tube secured on to the main water tube and connected with it
throughout its length, a rod or equivalent is connected to the piston rod which
works in the supplementary water tube, the rod passing through into the main
water tube and carrying the water tube piston which is turned with its face or
edge in the direction of its motion by a switch or equivalent mechanism 90
arranged that when it is desired to propel the vessel in one direction the piston
presents its face to the tube when making its outward stroke and its edge when
making the return stroko and vice versa to drive the vessel in the opposite
direction. A similar arrangement may be adopted in connection with the other
cylinder and piston.
The water tube may extend for practically the whole length of the vessel, or
only a portion thereof as desned and any convenient valve arrangement may be
adopted for operating the steam cylinder and reversing the movement of its piston
rod at the end of each stroke.
It will be understood that I may employ a long steam cylinder, the stroke of
which would equal that of the piston in the water tube, or I may operate the latter
by gearing or other mechanism and employ a short stroke to the steam cylinder
and I may if preferred bave a steam engine operating a rotary shaft in the ordinary
manner.
D101.
100%
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JAMES HENRY LOADER, of 39 Sotheby Road, Highbury Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
an and by the tollowing statement :-
This invention relates to the propulsion of vessels of various kinds, and may be
carried out in the following manner;-
"
Ianange one or more tubes in or in connection with the hull of the vessel
each tube serving conveniently as a keelson and being open at each end to the
water, although it may be provided with covers on valves in order to shut out
the water when required. In this tube are one or more reciprocating pistons
or equivalent, hereinafter termed "floats" and each adapted to turn so that
when moving in one direction it substantially closes the tube and acts against
the column of water within it to propel the ship and when moving the other
direction it "feathers or turns edgewise in the tube so as to leave a free
water-way on each side of the float. The reciprocation of the floats may be
effected by one or more steam cylinders the floats being carried upon the same
or separate rods, and the cylinders being arranged beside the tube or at the
end of it or as found most convenient. Any convenient valve arrangement may
be adopted for effecting the distribution of steam in the stean cylinders and
for reversing the movement of the pistons therein at the end of each stroke.
Switch or equivalent automatic mechanism is so arranged that when it is desired
to propel the vessel in one direction each float is turned to present its face
aft, say, when making its propelling stroke and its edges fore-and-aft when
making the return stioke and vice versa to drive the vessel in the opposito
direction.
The water tube may extend for practically the whole length of the vessel, or
only a portion thereof as desired and it will be understood that I may employ a
long steam cylinder, the stroke of which would equal that of the float in the water
tube, or I may operate the float by gearing or other mechanism from a steam
cylinder of short stroke Either simple or compound engines may be employed
for driving the floats.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example one mode of
carrying out my invention,
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of a ship's hull, showing a single
main tube in place therein.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 18 a plau view of the hull, illustrating the general arrangement of motor
cylinders and their appurtenances relatively to the fore-and-aft main tube.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are vertical sections on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the
feathering floats and feathering mechanism in the different positious they take up
during the propulsion of the vessel as hereinafter described.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.
Fig. 8 is a view of part of the interior of the main tube.
°
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and Figs. 7
and 8 are drawn to a still larger scale.
A is the main tube which lies fore-and-aft in the ship; or if desired there may
be two such tubes parallel with each other on opposite sides of the keel, so as to
get twin propelling mechanism. Only one tube however is employed in the
examples illustrated. B are sluice valves, one at each end of the main tube in
order that it may be closed to access of the sea if necessary; ordinarily however,

page_text: the sluice valves are open, and the tubo affords a water-way through the ship from
one end to the other. A' is a cover removable to allow the interior of the tube to
be inspected from inboard. CC are the motor cylinders disposed within the ship
at opposite sides of the tube A, one forward, the other aft. D D' are the valve
chests of the cylinders C C respectively; these valve chests are supplied with
steam or other motive fluid from any suitable source, and are fitted with valves
capable of being operated by tappet or other mechanism forming no part of the
present invention The cylinder C, the float operated by it, and tho feathering
gear and other appurtenances of both, will now be described; the description
thereof will serve also as a description of the similar parts including the float H4
similarly arranged to co-operate with the cylinder which will then not need to
be particularly described. Within the cylinder C is a piston with two piston
rods E E extending through stuffing boxes F on the cylinder cover. G is a long
closed water-ught easing bolted on to the side of the main tube A in line with the
cylinder C to receive the piston rod E, which passes into it through a stuffing box G'.
For the casing GI may substitute a cover-plate bolted to guides between which
the piston-rod E is situated. The other piston rod E' of each cylinder is connected
to the ontside cross heads N or N' which latter are connected to each other in the
manner hereinafter described. Within the water-tight casing the wall of the main
cylinder A to which the casing G is bolted is slotted fore-and-aft, and through this
slot extends the cross-hend E2 constituting a connection between a feathering
float H which is to be reciprocated in the tube, and that one of the piston rods E
by which the float H is driven. The float His pirotted to the cross-head E 2 on
a long pin H' carried by the latter, so as to be able to rotate about a horizontal
axis extending transversely across the main tube A; thus it will be seen that
when the piston rod E 18 reciprocated it causes in the present example the feathering
float to travel bach wards and forwards in the tube A for nearly half the length of
the latter. The switch device by which the float H is caused to feather, that is to
say, to rotate at the beginning and end of its reciprocation will now be described.
Upon one side of the float two rollers II 2 II 3 are journalled at points approximately
equi-distant from the pin II' or axis of rotation of the float; on the inside of the
main tube A are devices which act upon these rollers to produce the required
feathering action. lu the present instance cam plates I and J with their acting
surfaces J horizontal and 1 J 2 inclined upwards and towards each other, nro
fixed inside the tube A at the ends of the path of the float EI. Between and below
these cams and also inside the tube is a bar K held upon a pivot L and having
ends K K 2 bevelled as shown in approximate correspondence with the bevel of
the inclined faces 1. 2 of the cams I J This ba K is the switch and together
with its companion bar at the other end of the tube is connected with an adjusting
lever K 3 by which it is adjustable on the pivot L so that it will bear with one
end K 2 on the cam face J 2, leaving a clear passage-way between the end K' and
cam face (as in Fig. 4) or reversely so that it bears with the end K' against 'the
cam-face leaving a clear passage-way between the end K2 and the cam
surface J 2 (as in Fig. 6). The adjusting device for the bar K 18 elastic or is
other wise constructed so as normally to retain the bar in either position of
inclination to which it may have been adjusted, whilst permitting it to yield
momentarily for purposes hereinafter explained; for instance the levei K3 may be
held after adjustment by a spring, instead of being rigidly locked. Let it be
assumed for the sake of explanation that the bar K has been adjusted in the position
indicated at the left hand end of Fig. 4, and that the float His in the position
indicated in full lines in that figure, being about to move to the left. In the
position in which it is at present shown both rollers H2 H 3 upon it bear against
the horizontal portion of the cam J, so that the float can only move forward edge-
As it moves from under the cam J it travels along the underside of the
bar K which by acting on the rollers H 2 H 3 keeps the float horizontal in the sanie
manner as the cam J, and after passing from under the bar K it 18 maintained
horizontal by the other cam I, arriving at the end of its stroke in the position a
Wise.

page_text: which it is indicated in dotted lines at the left hand of Fig. 4. On the return
stroke of the float the roller 3 meets with the inclined upper edge of the
eud K' of the bar K which causes that roller to rise and the float to turn like
the float II 4 in Fig. 6 about its transverso axis and lio across the tube in a vertical
plane, as at X Fig. 4 forcing a column of water therethrough in the direction of
the arrow until the float in its movement brings the roller H 3 against the inclined
face J 2 of the cato J which retards it whilst the axis of the float travels on ; thus
the float is brought once more into the feathering position from which it started;
the bar L yields to allow the roller H 3 to force its way between it and the cain J
whilst the float tuins as described from the propelling to the feathering position.
The float operates somewhat in the manner of an oa proceeding one way along
the tube in a vertical position and returning edgewise; and if it be desired to
reverse the direction in which the ship is propelled, it is necessary merely to tilt
the bar K from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 into the position in
which it is shown in Fig. 6, under which circumstances, the stroke from night to
left of the drawing will be the propelling stroke, thrusting a column of water along
the tube A. in the direction indicated by the arrow, and the toke from left to
right will be the feathering stroke, that is to say, the conditions will the the converse
of those which existed in the preceding example. The engines therefore, need not
be reversed when the action of the floats is to be reversed.
In Fig. 5 the bar K 18 supposed to have been adjusted as in Fig. 6 below it, but
is shown as yielding to allow the two rolleis H2 H3 to pass between its end K2
and the bar M. A bar M with bevelled ends is fixed to the side of the tube A
below each bai K in order that while one of the rollers on each float travels above
the bar K during the propolling stroke the other roller passing, as it does below
the bar M will prevent the float from being 'feathered' until the end of the
propelling stroke As aforesaid there are two steam cylinders C C¹ disposed
towards opposite ends of tho main tube A, the float H being operated by mechanism
under the control of the cylinder C and a similar float H 4 being operated by the
cylinder C. The feathering devices and the airangements for counecting the
steam piston with the float H4 are similar to those herein before described with
reference to float H aud as aforesaid need not be particularly described
To prevent the floats from turning to feather except at the ends of their strokes
I may provide within the tube A at the side opposite to the bars K and M, such a
device as is illustrated in Fig. 8 where the sides of the tube A are formed as
gunde bars 5 baving a groove H 6 between them u which fits a rectangular or
other projection Qou the float. The groove is widened at the ends H 6 II 7 and
when the float arrives opposite those widened portions it can be turned, but when
the float is opposite the narrow portions of the groove it can only be horizontal or
vertical, because the projection Q will not enter the groove II 6 except the float 18
in one of those two positions. In this view (Fig. 8) one piston-rod is shown in two
positions.
In order that easy and continuous propelling action may be obtained I preferably
employ two floats such as H II 4 in the examples illustrated and these two floats
are so arranged and connected that for instance while one moves aft making its
propelling stroke, the other 18 moving forward and making a feathering stroke, the
last named float will in turn make its propelling stroke while the first named float
makes a feathering stroke and so on. To ensure the retention of the two floats in
their proper relative positions for this alternate mode of action the piston rods E
of the two cylinders C C' are outside the casings G and are ench provided with
cross heads N N' respectively and these cross heads are connected to each other
by chains and rods P, as shown, the equivalent of an endless chain; the chains O
pass round pulleys Q turning on fixed pivots supported at opposite ends of the
tube.
The cross-heads being thus connected the power of both the cylinders is applied,
to effect the propelling stroke of each float, the piston of one cylinder acting
directly on its float, and that of the other acting through the chains O and rods P.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
olaim 18;-
1. In apparatus for propelling vessels, the combination with a tube such as A, of
one or more floats such as H, and apparatus for reciprocating and feathering the
float or floats for the purpose described.
2. In apparatus for propelling vessels the combination with a tube such as A and
reciprocating feathering floats such as described of appiritus to cause each float to
perform its propelling and feathering strokes in the desired order relatively to like
strokes of another float for the purpose described.
3 In propelling-apparatus such as described the combination with a tube such
as A and two or more floats and diving-apparatus therefor of an endless chaia or
the like such as O P and pulleys such as Q for the purpose described.
4. In propelling-apparatus such as described the combination with a float such
as II of reversing feathering apparatus therefor comprising a yielding switch such
as K cams such as I and J and rollers II 2 H 3 or projections on the float with or
without the bar M substantially as described.
5. In propelling-apparatus such as described the combination with a tube such
as A and a reciprocating feathering float such as H of an axial angular projection
such as II 5 on the float and guides such as Q substantially as and for the purpose
doscribed.
6. In propelling apparatus such as described the combination with a tube such
as A motor cylinders such as C C arranged parallel therewith and floats such
as II H 4 operated by the pistons of those motor cylinders substantially as and for
the purpose described.
7. In propelling-apparatus such as described a float such as H pivoted on the
cross-head of a motor piston-rod for the purpose described.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a complete apparatus
for propelling vessels substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of February 1896.
JAS. H. LOADER.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.