Improvements in Home Exercising Rowing Boats to Register Distances.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Home Exercising Rowing Boats to Register
Distances.
I, GEORGE BOWMAN of 115 Queen. Victoria Street London E.C. Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for exercise in the shape
and form of a rowing boat to be used in halls and public places of amusement and to
have connected thereto a mechanical device for registering the distance which each
stroke of the oars or sculls would propel an ordinary boat upon the water. I am
aware that the apparatus of the boat itself is already well known but as yet no
apparatus bave been connected to the mechanism worked by the sculls or sliding
seat of the boat by means of which it can be ascertained what progress the rower
in the boat would have made had he been actually rowing in an ordinary boat upon
the water. When the sculls or sliding seat are moved backwards and forwards in
the boat ordinary mechanical means are used to connect them finally to a revolving
rod or wheel. To this wheel or rod is connected by any ordinary gearing the hands
which are worked round in connection with the dial plate of a distance registering
mechanism, and thus the action of the rower is duly registered upon the dial
plate by means of the revolution of the hands. The face of the dial is marked
with distances of miles and parts of a mile. It may be found easier to revolve
the dial plate behind another plate having a suitable perforation in the same for
displaying the figures which shewing the distances the rower has travelled. It is
well known that in double sculling one oar or scull is generally pulled stronger
than the other one, I have therefore allowed if necessary a small compensating
weight or balance to be used in connection with this scull, or oar which is pulled
the stronger. It will easily be understood that ordinary mechanism can be devised
by means of gearing down so that the backward and forward motion of the sculls
and sliding seat can be transferred into a slow rotary motion in connection with
the dial plate, which shall duly register the distances which would be traveller by
an ordinary sculling boat upon the water, which shall meet with the same amount
of friction as will be arranged to be overcome by the rower in this mechanical
boat. As my improvements are capable of some modifications without departing
from the principle thereof I do not restrict myself to materials or dimensions, or
to the precise form or placement of the several parts thereof.
Dated this 26th day of March 1891
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Application.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Home Exercising Rowing Boats to Register
Distances.
I, GEORGE BOWMAN of 115 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C. Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for exercise in the form
of a rowing boat to be used in halls and public places of amusement and to have
connected thereto a mechanical device for indicating the distance which each stroke
of the oars would propel an ordinary boat upon the water.
I am aware that home training rowing apparatus have been used before and are

page_text: well known, but not of the precise form described in this Specification, nor in
conjunction with mechanism, worked by the sculls or sliding seat of the boat, by
means of which it can be ascertained what progress the rower in the boat would
have made, had he been actually rowing in an ordinary boat upon the water.
When the sculls are moved backwards and forwards in the boat, ordinary
mechanical means are used to connect them finally to a revolving rod or wheel.
To this wheel or rod is connected by any ordinary gearing to the hands which are
worked round in connection with the dial plate of a distance registering mechanism,
and thus the action of the rower is duly registered upon the dial plate by means
of the revolution of the hands.
The face of the dial is marked with distances of miles and parts of a mile. It
may be found more convenient to revolve the dial plate behind another plate
having a suitable perforation in the same, for displaying the figures, which show
the distances the rower has travelled.
It is well known that in double sculling, one oar or scull is generally pulled
stronger than the other and I therefore allow, if necessary, a small compensating
weight or balance to be used in connection with this scull, or oar which is pulled the
stronger.
It will easily be understood that ordinary mechanism can be devised by means
of gearing down, so that the backward and forward motion of the sculls cau be
transformed into a slow rotary motion in connection with the dial plate, which shall
duly register the distances which would have been travelled by an ordinary sculling
boat upon the water, which shall meet with the same amount of resistance as will
he arranged to he overcome by the rower in this mechanical boat.
This invention it will be seen is capable of some modifications, without departing
from the principle thereof.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side clevation, and
Figure 2 a plan of a rowing machine to which my apparatus can be applied.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a front and side elevation of a dial, to which
several machines can be connected.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is the frame upon which the various parts
are mounted, the upper and lower parts being connected by the posts B. C is
the seat running on rollers C' on the raised sides A', on which the rower sits,
placing his feet against the foot-board D situated at the end of the frame.
The rower grasps the handles E which take the place of oars, and pulls as if
rowing. These handles are connected to and revolve the shafts F by intervening
mechanism, consisting of the drum or wheel F¹ forming the upper end of the
shaft F, the plate ( with raised sides G', having friction pieces G in the form
of pawls, which are pressed on the drum F by suitable springs, and the rod E',
on which the handle E is placed, pivotted to the raised parts G. The pawls G³
only grip the drum F, which has a rough face, when the oars are pulled in
the direction of the rower, slipping easily on it in the other direction. The
handles E can turn on their rods, so that the motion of feathering can be given
to the handles.
The shaft F and its accompanying mechanism is supported by the stay H,
which can be slipped at its inner end into a case H', fixed to the sides of the
frame A and holted securely to it.
The shaft F revolves the central shaft I by means of the two cross pieces F³,
I'
revolving at an angle to each other. The shaft I is supported in brackets on
the posts and has a drum or wheel K mounted rigidly upon it. Partly round
this drum extends a leather strap L which acts as a brake and retards the
motion of the drum, being connected by a cord L' to the spring balance L.
This cord can be shortened or lengthened in any suitable manner, pulling the
strap tighter on the drum, or loosening it as required, the pressure being indicated
by the spring balance L². By this device the friction on the drums of several
rowing machines can be accurately adjusted to any predetermined amount.

page_text: On the shaft I is formed a worm I which gears into a worm wheel M on the
shaft N. This shaft actuates the indicating mechanism at each stroke of the
oars, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, where two shafts N turn their respective
hands over the dial plate P, through the medium of the grooved pulleys N' O¹,
so that the speeds of two machines can be read instantly on the same indicator.
Any other form of connection may be used, such as worm gearing, and the
dials may be replaced by any other indicator, which will show the relative speeds
of the various competitors.
When the machines are to be used singly, the large dial is disconnected, and the
speed of each rower is read on the small dial Q, worked from the shaft N, by
the cord and pulleys, or by any other convenient means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said iuven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) An indicating device attached to rowing machines, which will show the actual
distance which would be travelled by the rower, or rowers if more than one
machine be attached, when pulling in an ordinary boat or boats, substantially as
described.
(2.) An indicating device attached to rowing machines, actuated by means of a
rod or shaft, revolved through suitable mechanism by the rower on pulling the
oars, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
'
Dated this 28th day of December 1891.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.