Improvements in Propelling Apparatus for Ships or Vessels.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Propelling Apparatus for Ships or Vessels.
We, SALVATORE BRUNO, of 71, Piazza Venti Settembre Sampierdarena, near
Genoa, Engineer, and ONORATO BARBOSIO, of 32, Via San Rocco, Magenta,
Barrister, both in the Kingdom of Italy, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to a propelling apparatus which can be adapted for ships or
vessels of any kind and for any purposes. This improved apparatus comprises one
or more paddle-wheels having fixed or articulated floats fixed to arms that are
arranged to slide at a, right angle to the rotary paddle-shaft. Such a movement of
the said arms and also that of the articulated floats is obtained by means of curvi-
Einear guides placed on either side of each paddle wheel and secured to the ship or
vessel. The form and arrangement of these guides relatively to the rotary paddle
shaft are such as to compel the arms to slide at a right angle to the said shaft and the
Hoats to assume the inclinations necessary for immersing into and rising in the water
and for pushing back or cutting the same so as to obtain the maximum useful effect
and also the minimum loss of active force through shocks and resistances during their
active movement below and passive movement above the paddle-shaft. Our improved
propelling apparatus can be arranged at any suitable point of a ship or vessel either
above or below the water line with a complete cargo, and its action has the same
effect whether it is partly or entirely immersed. In this regard it differs altogether
from the known paddle-wheels having articulated floats, which are impracticable
for occan navigation, whereas our propeller is quite suitable for this purpose.
When the propelling apparatus acts below the water line with a full cargo it must
be placed in boxes or casings wherein by means of compressed air, the water is kept
at the level suitable for obviating the passive resistances which would be opposed
to the floats during their upward movement.
In the case of articulated floats such an expedient will not be necessary; how-
ever the said boxes or casings will always be useful for the purpose of inspecting and
repairing the apparatus, for which it would otherwise be necessary to place the ship
or vessel in dry dock.
In the accompanying drawing
Figures 1 and 2 represent the arrangement of a paddle wheel having fixed floats
the details of which are shown in Figures 3 and 4.
"
designates the rotary paddle-shaft.
the arms adapted to slide in the nave m.
tt cross pieces fixed to the extremities of the arms and to which the floats p, p
correspond.
9, the fixed guide upon which move the rollers, mounted upon the
extremity a of the floats.
G the box or casing for the compressed air, whose sides in front and at
the rear are adapted to the form of the ship or vessel so as to obviate any shock
or resistance.
Figure 5 represents in diagram the arrangement of a paddle wheel having
articulated floats, the details of which are shown in Figures 6 and 7. In these
figures a designates the rotary paddle shaft.
r, the sliding arms carrying at their extremities the cross pieces t, t.
a' the rotary axis of the float which can be varied in the said cross-pieces.
other cross-pieces which are mounted upon the axis a' and the extremities of
which carry rollers moving upon the guides g g'. The latter are so constructed
that while the arms accomplish their motion of translation at a right angle to the

page_text: paddle shaft, which takes place before they commence to act, that is to say, to force
back the water, the cross-pieces and the floats pl pass respectively to the
positions indicated by the numerals 1, 2 and 3, 4 so that in the motion of trans-
lation of the ship or vessel the floats will make a rotary movement upon the paddle
shaft, a motion of translation at a right angle to the said shaft and a rotary motion
upon the axis a', the said floats making one complete revolution on their axes for
every two made by the paddle wheels. These motions are produced so as to obtain
the maximum useful effect in the active movement of the floats and to ensure the
minimum resistance almost in their position at a right angle to the direction of the
movement of the ship or vessel and in their passive movement the water being
divided in accordance with the velocity of the ship or vessel and the rotation of the
paddle wheel.
Figure 9 shows another arrangement of the propelling apparatus placed in boxes'
or casings.
Figure 8 represents the arrangement of a propelling apparatus having articulated
floats with simple arms for small ships or boats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
First. The improved propelling apparatus for ships or vessels, which comprises
one or more paddle wheels having fixed floats attached to arms that are caused to
slide at a right angle to the rotary paddle shaft through the medium of curvilinear
guides substantially as, and for the purposes herein before described with reference
to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawing.
Second. The improved propelling apparatus for ships or vessels, which comprises
one or more paddle wheels having arms arranged to slide at a right angle to the
rotary paddle shaft and carrying articulated floats which are caused to turn upon
their axes through the medium of curvilinear guides, substantially as and for
the purposes hereinbefore set forth with reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the
accompanying drawing.
Third. The modified arrangement of the propelling apparatus having articulated
floats substantially as represented in Figure 8 of the accompanying drawing.
Fourth. The improved propelling apparatus constructed and combined sub-
stantially as above described and as shown in the several figures of the accompanying
drawing.
work day of July 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.