AN IMPROVED WATER VELOCIPEDE
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED WATER VELOCIPEDE."-A communication from
abroad by Jules Marie de la Rue, Attaché of the French Ministry
of Marine, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th February 1869.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED WATER VELOCIPEDE," a communication,
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a locomotive apparatus which I call a water
velocipede. The principle of the said apparatus rests upon the employ-
ment of a paddle wheel operated by treadles and forming the means of

page_text: locomotion for the floating part of the apparatus. The said apparatus
is constructed with two, three, or more insubmergible boats or floating
parts, which may be formed of any suitable material. These boats are
arranged side by side at a sufficient distance apart to allow the paddle
wheel or wheels to be placed between them, and are connected by cross
bars. The said paddle wheels are operated by treadles similar to those
of land velocipedes, and the desired direction is given to the apparatus
by a rudder which is controlled by a chain wheel according to the
"Vaucanson or other system. The operator mounts upon a saddle
(preferably formed of caoutchouc) fixed upon two steel springs, and his
hands, resting upon a lever or bar which forms the tiller, are useful for
the three purposes of locomotion, steering, and maintaining equilibrium.
The said bar forms a point of support, by means of which the force of
impulsion is greatly increased while the fatigue of the legs is diminished.
By means of this bar the rudder can also be made to act instantaneously
and with the desired force, while the equilibrium if disturbed can be
restored by throwing the weight of the body upon the side opposite to
the overbalanced part of the apparatus. I may furnish the wheels with
any number of floats, but I prefer to limit them to twelve to harmonize
the expenditure of power and the force of impulsion, that is to say, to
reduce the strain and at the same time ensure the best action of the
floats, which if more numerous would be too near together and would
beat the water as it is raised without any useful effect. The rudder is
of that class known in nautical language as a balanced rudder. The
required movements are transmitted to it through chains or cords, which
are controlled by the chain wheel or other wheel fixed upon the rod or
shaft of the tiller. A wrought-iron fork is provided to receive the
connecting rods of the treadles and the shaft or rod of the tiller. The
paddle wheel and other parts of the apparatus are protected by a sheet-
metal cover or casing. One or more seats are provided in convenient
positions, the same being movable, and sliding upon rails or in
Prooves.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED WATER VELOCIPEDE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing, under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and.
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
My Invention relates to a locomotive apparatus which I call a water
velocipede. The principle of the said apparatus is based upon the
employment of a paddle wheel operated by treadles and forming the
means of locomotion for the floating part of the apparatus. The said
apparatus is constructed with two, three, or more insubmergible boats

page_text: "
or floating parts, which may be formed of any suitable material. These
boats are arranged side by side and at a sufficient distance apart to allow
the paddle wheel or wheels to be placed between them, and are con-
nected by cross bars. The said paddle wheels are operated by treadles
similar to those of land velocipedes, and the desired direction is given
to the apparatus by a rudder which is controlled by a chain wheel
according to the "Vaucanson or other system. The operator mounts
upon a seat or saddle (preferably formed of caoutchouc) fixed upon steel
springs; his legs move the pedals, and his hands, resting upon a lever
or bar which forms the tiller, are used for the three purposes of locomotion,
steering, and maintaining equilibrium, the said bar forming a point of
support, by means of which the force of impulsion is greatly increased,
and the fatigue of the legs is diminished, while by means of this bar
the rudder can also be made to act instantaneously and with the desired
force, and the equilibrium if disturbed can be restored by throwing the
weight of the body upon the side opposite to the overbalanced part of
the apparatus. I may furnish the wheels with any number of floats,
but I prefer to limit them to twelve to harmonise the expenditure of
power and the force of impulsion, that is to say, to reduce the strain and
at the same time insure the best action of the floats, which if more
numerous would be too near together and would beat the water as it
is raised without any useful effect. The rudder is of that class known
in nautical language as a balanced rudder. The required movements
are transmitted to it through chains or cords, which are controlled by
the chain wheel or other wheel fixed upon the rod or spindle of the
tiller. A wrought-iron fork is provided to support the connecting rods
of the treadles and the spindle or rod of the tiller. The paddle wheel
and other parts of the apparatus are protected by a sheet-metal cover
or casing.
By the aid of the accompanying Drawing the nature of the said
Invention may be fully understood.
Figure 1 is a plan of the said water velocipedc; Figure 2 is a vertical
longitudinal section on the line C, D, Figure 1; Figure 3 is a transverse
section of the apparatus; Figure 4 is an end elevation of the said
apparatus. In these Figures similar letters indicate the same parts.
A, A', are the boats or insubmergible floating parts, which may be
made of any suitable material and of any desirable form; H is the
driving wheel; there may be one or more of these wheels, the same being

page_text: furnished with any desired number of floats or paddles; H' aro the
pedals of the said driving paddle wheels; K is the balanced rudder;
L, L', are the ropes or chains for operating the rudder K; M, M', are
the plate and spring of steel for supporting the india-rubber saddle N ;
0, 0¹, is the wrought-iron fork intended to receive the connecting rods
of the pedals and the rod or shaft of the rudder; P, P', is the case or
drum of sheet metal; q, q', is a cross bar. One or more seats are placed
in convenient positions, the same being movable and sliding upon rails
or in grooves.
Several modifications may be made in the said apparatus, and I will
now proceed to describe the same.
They consist, first, in dividing each of the boats or floating vessels
into a number of water-tight compartments, so as to guard against
collisions, stranding, and other accidents of such a nature as would
impair the principal quality of the apparatus, that is, its insubmergi-
bility. These water-tight compartments will have also the advantage
of strengthening the vessel by forming coupling frames, which give to it
great stability of form.
Second. In giving more power to the water velocipede against the sea,
the wind, or the force of a current, and at the same time for the purpose
of fully satisfying diverse sporting tastes, I provide a set of oars and a
peculiar system of sails; the set of oars need not be described, as by
reason of the slight elevation of the boats above the water only the
system used with skiffs can be applied thereto. As to the position of
the oarsmen it is necessarily forward, first, because of the position of
the wheel, and second, by the reservation of the after part of the vessel
as a promenade, or for the use of the person in charge of the sails. The
set of sails is composed of two sails, which are carried by two swinging
spars placed in the centre of each of the boats in such a manner as to
permit of running either before the wind with a quarter wind or three
quarters. By their arrangement the centre of the boats will be always
free, that is to say, the direction will never be hidden as it would be
with the ordinary system of sails, by their connection by means of a
sprit sail yard the tacks need never be changed, and the person occupy-
ing the seat at the stern, who has the sheets within range, will always
be able to control them.
Figure 5 is an elevation of my apparatus adapted for preserving life,
for sporting, and other purposes; it is composed of three boats or floating

page_text: parts affording support to four operators; Figure 6 is a plan, and
Figure 7 a transverse section of the same; Figure 8 is an elevation of
my apparatus with two floating parts furnished with sails and oars,
which augment the power while facilitating the steering; Figure 9 is
a transverse section of the apparatus with the sails set. In these five
last-mentioned Figures like letters indicate the same parts.
a indicates the boats, which may be of wood, sheet metal, or other
suitable material; b is the paddle wheel; c is the seat or saddle of india-
rubber; d are the adjustable sails which may be folded; e indicates the
oars.
Another modification of my apparatus consists in the suppression of
the second paddle wheel and its case, whereby I reduce the weight of
the said apparatus and also diminish the surface exposed to the action
of the wind, while at the same time I double the motive power of the
remaining paddle wheel by arranging two operators, one behind the
other, the hindmost acting upon a chain which transmits the effect to.
the said paddle wheel.
Figure 10 is an elevation of this modification of my velocipede. a
a e the boats or buoyant portions coupled and connected, and between
which is arranged the driving paddle wheel 6 turning on the axis c, and
receiving its rotating motion by means of two cranks or pedals d keyed
upon each end of the shaft or axle c. Upon this axle are keyed two.
toothed wheels carrying small "Vaucanson" or other suitable chains.
which pass over other toothed wheels g, also furnished with crank.
handles or with a crank shaft which is put in motion by the fect. The
spring i is of a sufficient length to receive two seats or saddles ; and k,
which are bestridden by two operators, one of whom acts directly upon
the crank d and the other upon the crank shaft h. The movement of
the toothed wheel g and the effect produced by the operator at the rear
are transmitted directly to the paddle wheel by the "Vaucanson" chain.
m, m³, are bars or guides which serve as points of support and increase
the effect of the force exerted by the operators. The bar m carries a
grooved pulley n, over which is passed the rope which governs the
balanced rudder o.
In my apparatus I may employ a belt or band connected with the
bar of the rudder, and which may be readily unfastened; by this
means the force of the loins may be added to that of the feet and

page_text: In conclusion, instead of making use of a driving wheel whose floats
are fixed, I may apply to my apparatus a wheel with moveable or
"feathering" floats, that is to say, floats which enter and leave the
water vertically so as to avoid the lifting of the water occasioned by the
fixed floats.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,-
First. The locomotive apparatus or water velocipede, substantially as
herein described.
Second. The employment as a means of driving the said apparatus of
one or more paddle wheels operated by the feet.
Third. The employment of a bar which serves the three purposes of
locomotion, steering, and maintaining equilibrium.
Fourth. The employment of paddle wheels arranged between the
coupled boats which form the floating or buoyant part of the velocipede.
Fifth. The partition or division of the floating parts into water-tight
compartments for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. The arrangement in the water velocipede of a single paddle
wheel to be worked by two operators, as illustrated in Figure 10.
Seventh. The employment of a belt or back band to add the force of
the loins to that of the feet and hands.
Eighth. The application to my apparatus of a paddle wheel with
adjustable floats which enter and leave the water in a vertical position.
Ninth. The application to the said apparatus of a set of sails and a
set of oars to increase the power of the same.
In witness whereof, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.