IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING VESSELS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Figge, of Old Cavendish Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Figge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th May 1881.
AUGUSTUS FIGGE, of Old Cavendish Street, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING
VESSELS."
«
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for propelling and steering vessels
or floating bodies, and for increasing the speed of the same, and consists in the
employment of a flexible feathering propelling apparatus constructed in imitation
of a fish's tail, of any flexible non oxidising material, preferably of steel-bronze,
and fixed at the stern or at the sides of a vessel, or at both the stern and the sides,
and acting with a rocking motion instead of the rotary motion of a screw propeller;
of two or more feathering fins fixed in the keel of a vessel in such a manner that
each fin is rotated in a horizontal plane by a vertical shaft, and is feathered or
caused to present its broad surface and its edge alternately. The improvements
are performed by making the propellers in the shape of a fish's tail, the main stern
propeller being keyed to a shaft to which a rocking or reciprocating motion is
given; the shaft at or near its junction with the propeller is supplied with a
universal joint which allows of the propeller being used as a rudder; the side stern
propellers have additional shafting geared on to the main shaft, and said shafting
is passed through water tight stuffing boxes and gives rocking motion to the side
propellers. The bottom fins are placed in or under the keel and are actuated by
any suitable machinery and gearing; the fins are made to feather by cams and are
revolved in one direction for forward propulsion, and in the other for backward
motion, or for turning the ship some are worked forward and some backward.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Augustus Figge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th November 1881.
AUGUSTUS FIGGE, of Old Cavendish Street, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING
VESSELS."
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for propelling and steering vessels
or floating bodies, and for increasing the speed of the same; and it consists,
Firstly. In the employment of a flexible feathering propelling apparatus con-
structed in imitation of a fish's tail of any flexible non-oxydizing material, preferably
of steel-bronze, and fixed at the stern or at the sides of a vessel, or at both the
stern and sides, and acting with a rocking motion instead of the rotary motion of
a screw-propeller.
Secondly. Of two or more feathering fins fixed in the keel of a vessel in such
a manner that each fin is rotated in a horizontal plane by a vertical shaft and is
feathered or caused to present its broad surface and its edge alternately.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood, I have illustrated
it in the accompanying Drawings, and will proceed to describe it with reference
thereto.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a vessel provided with my propelling and
steering apparatus; Figure 2, a plan view of propeller, and Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7,
are detail views; the same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding
parts in all Figs. A represents my fish-tail-propellers composed of flat flexible ribs,
one propeller being attached to a centre-piece a, a, which centre-piece in its turn
is keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft B. The whole apparatus rests and moves
by means of shaft B in a swinging frame-work C, which is attached either to the
rudder post of the vessel or to the vessel itself; motion is communicated to shaft B
from the main shaft B₁ by means of a universal joint (see Figure 7), or by any
other suitable means; main shaft B¹ receives its motion from the engine in the
interior of the vessel and the framework C is steered and governed by the usual
steering apparatus on deck or elsewhere, thus causing the fish-tail-propeller which
is attached to it to swing and act with an oscillating motion at any desired angle.
When side stern propellers are used they are worked through water-tight boxes
and by gearing off the shaft B¹ as shown. O, Fig. 1, are vertical shafts driven
by any known means from inside the vessel; these shafts pass vertically through
the bottom of the vessel and revolve in suitable bearings. A horizontal shaft p
is geared with the lower part of the vertical shaft O and forms two arms, on which
are mounted loose the two fins q, q', (see Figs. 4, 5, & 6). These fins turn on their
horizontal axis by means of two cross-arins r set at right angles to each other,
attached to the root of each blade and moving respectively against two concentric
cam surfaces 8, s, sunk in the upper part of the bottom of the vessel, by which
means the height of the openings in the keel of the vessel may be reduced to the
height of the cross-bars r without impeding in any way the free passage of the fins.
The outer cam s acts upon the arm and the inner cam s¹ upon the arm ¹.
is a depression in the outer cam and also in the inner one which respectively
permits the corresponding cross-arins to turn a quarter round, and as the projecting
segments or cams 8, sl, alternately act upon the arms r, r, the blade or fin is turned
through an are of 90° upon its axis at each revolution of shaft O. It will be seen by
this arrangement that when one shaft O is geared right and the next one is geared
left the fins of both present simultaneously their broad side to the water at each
There

page_text: side of the ship, and feather for the return stroke simultaneously through their
respective openings in the keel, by reversing or throwing out of gear one shaft;
the action of the other turns the ship on its axis, or by reversing the gear of all
the fins they will instantaneously propel the vessel backwards.
Thus whilst my
flexible fish-tail-propellers by their oblique action on the water and little resistance
to the same propel the ship at great speed forward, but are incapable of driving it
backward, this backward motion is taken up and performed by the bottom fins
(after setting the stern propellers at rest) in exact imitation of a fish. It will be
seen that by this combination of fin- and fish-tail-propellers great facilities for
steering, stopping, and backing are afforded.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the method of performing
the same, I do not claim the originality of the general idea of employing a fish-tail-
shaped propeller for the propulsion of a ship, nor the idea of employing a feathering
side or bottom fins for the propulsion or manoeuvring of such floating bodies, but
what I claim is,―
Firstly. The combination and construction of the flexible feathering fish-tail-
propellers worked with a rocking motion in movable frame-work, or attached in
a suitable manner to the stern of the ship, and which can be moved by the
steerman and turned to any desired angle, substantially as herein described and
illustrated.
Secondly. The combination of two or more fish-tail-propellers attached to the
stern sides of a vessel, like twin-screws worked with a rocking motion through
fixed water-tight stuffing boxes.
Thirdly. The construction of fins with two cross-bars acted on by the recessed
cams for feathering said fins, substantially as herein described.
Fourthly. The combination and arrangement of the apparatus for propelling and
manoeuvring ships or other floating bodies by the combined action of the fish-tail-
propellers and bottom fins, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus Figge, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of November, A.D. 1881.