AN IMPROVED MODE OF PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF PROPELLING
VESSELS." A communication from abroad by Charles M. O'Hara,
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 9th June 1868, and dated the 8th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition on
the 8th January 1868.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF PROPELLING
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a combination of a horizontal engine with
an improved propeller which is of a sector form and may comprise a
greater or less portion of a circle. This propeller is adjusted on a
horizontal axis in a trunk or chamber at the stern of a vessel, or if

page_text: preferable one propeller can be placed at each side thereof. The engine
is constructed to work with a very short stroke and its piston rod or
connecting gear is attached so near to the propeller's axis that the dis-
tance therefrom does not exceed one-fourth part of the propeller's radius.
When it is necessary that the engine should occupy the smallest space
possible, it may be made to oscillate and thereby correspond with the
movement of the propeller without the complication of guides or con-
necting gear. The engine may also be furnished with a trunk to
effect the same purpose, and in all cases where it may be necessary
the engine may be joined in direct contact with the boiler thereby
dispensing with the steam pipes ordinarily used; by adjusting two
propellers on the same axis one engine can be made to work both
of them either at the stern or at the sides of a vessel. If they should
be placed in the position last mentioned, their convex or cylindrical
surfaces should be constructed of a round or angular form, in order
to offer as little resistance as possible while passing through the water
in the direction of the vessel's motion. The propeller should be made
with such a degree of lightness that its own buoyancy will create
such a self-acting tendency when immersed, that the propeller will
return to its initial or starting point, with little or no additional aid from
steam power. This self-acting tendency can be greatly augmented
by creating a vacuum in the cylinder of the steam engine at the
termination of each driving stroke. In order however to regulate
the movement of the propeller while on the return stroke, it will be
necessary to adjust a valve or stop cock to the port or duct of the
engine to moderate or shut off the admission of steam when required.
For the purpose of balancing the propeller on its axis, and regulating
its action when the vessel is drawing a light or heavy draught of water,
a weight or adjustable counterpoise is attached to the axis or other
part of the propeller. The impinging surface of the propeller is
surrounded with a rim or flange projecting outwards and at right angles
to it, and in combination with this rim or flange are a series of plates
arranged in a horizontal position and parallel with each other, the
object of which is to prevent a too rapid displacement of the water
that opposes the propeller's action.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in- the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
of
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the
year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence,
that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others, as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 for "AN IMPROVED MODE
OF PROPELLING VESSELS," being a communication to me from abroad by
Charles M. O'Hara, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Edward Newton, 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 Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say)
This Invention consists in the combination of a horizontal engine with
:

page_text: portion of a circle. This propeller is mounted on a horizontal axis in
a trunk or chamber at the stern of a vessel, or if preferable one propeller
can be placed at each side thereof. The engine is constructed to work
with a very short stroke, and its piston rod or connecting gear is
attached so near to the propeller's axis that the distance therefrom
does not exceed one-fourth part of the propellers' radius. The engine
is placed in a horizontal position and acts in the line of the vessel's
motion, and therefore the power applied to the propeller is commu-
nicated to the vessel in the most effective manner possible. If however
it be considered more convenient the engine can be placed so that its
piston rod when taken with the line of the vessel's movement will form
an angle not exceeding forty-five degrees. But the position first men-
tioned is preferred, as the nearer the engine is placed to the line of the
vessel's motion the more effective will be the results obtained. When
it is necessary that the engine should occupy the smallest space possible
it may be made to oscillate, and thereby correspond with the movement
of the propeller without the complication of guides or connection gear.
The engine may also be furnished with a trunk to effect the same
purpose, and in all cases where it may be necessary the engine may
be joined in direct contact with the boiler, thereby dispensing with the
steam pipes ordinarily used. By adjusting two propellers on the same
axis one engine can be made to work both of them, either at the stern
or at the sides of a vessel. If they should be placed in the position
last mentioned, their convex or cylindrical surfaces should be con-
structed of a round or angular form in order to offer as little resistance
as possible while passing through the water in the direction of the
vessel's motion. The propeller should be made with such a degree of
lightness that its own buoyancy will create such a self-acting tendency
when immersed that the propeller will return to its initial or starting
point with little or no additional aid from steam power. This self-acting
tendency can be greatly augmented by creating a vacuum in the
cylinder of the steam engine at the termination of each driving stroke.
In order, however, to regulate the movement of the propeller while on
the return stroke it will be necessary to adjust a valve or stop-cock to
the port or duct of the engine in order to moderate or shut off the
admission of steam when required. For the purpose of balancing the
propeller on its axis and regulating its action when the vessel is drawing
a light or heavy draught of water, a weight or adjustable counterpoise

page_text: may be attached to the axis or. other part of the propeller. The
impinging surface of the propeller is surrounded with a rim or flange
projecting outwards and at right angles to it, and in combination with
this rim or flange are a series of plates arranged in a horizontal posi-
tion and parallel with each other, the object of which is to prevent a
too rapid displacement. of the. water that opposes the propeller's action.
In order to back a vessel or to give a reverse action to the propeller
the latter is caused to move on its axis till the plane surface, which
was previously horizontal when the propeller. was at half-stroke, becomes
vertical, or nearly vertical. This portion of the propeller being con-
structed similarly to the impinging surface afore described, and being
similarly actuated by the engine will cause the backing of the vessel.
Perhaps, however, it would be preferable to have a separate propeller
for driving the vessel astern, in which case it would be necessary to
place such propeller. either at the stern, or any other part of the ship
that may be suitable, with its impinging surface placed in a direction
facing, or nearly facing the line of the vessel's-forward motion, and so
adjusted that when not. in operation it may be moved on its axis. till
it is lifted out of the water, thereby preventing it from obstructing the
forward movement of the vessel.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional view
of an engine and propeller applied to a vessel, the stern of which is
provided with a trunk or chamber A to receive the propeller C, as shewn
in the Figure. B is the engine with its piston D connected to the
propeller by means of a crosshead E (or by an arm or bell crank), and
connecting rod F. Thus when the piston of the engine B reciprocates
in the ordinary manner. the propeller C will be caused to oscillate.to
the extent indicated by the dotted lines in the Drawing. Fig. 2 is a
rear view of the engine and propeller, shewing the impinging surface
surrounded by a flange which forms a rectangular hollow. It is also
furnished with a series of plates a, a, a, running parallel with each other
for the purpose afore shown and described. Fig. 3 is a side sectional
view of the propeller, arranged with a weight or adjustable counterpoise.
Figures 4 and 5 show propellers with their convex surfaces constructed
of either a round or angular form. The impinging surface of the
propeller may be constructed with a hollow or indentation of hemi-
spherical form, as shewn at Fig. 6. The propeller shewn at Figures 7
and 8, is constructed in a manner to attain the greatest possible degree

page_text: of lightness and compactness of form. The greater portion of the upper.
part, as will be seen, is left open, so that the water can pass freely between
the arms B, B, B. That part of the propeller however which is contained
by the concave surface A' and its opposite side, and the plane surface A
and its opposite corresponding side, together with the impinging surfaces
F, F, is hollow and water-tight. Figures 9 and 10 are side and end
views of a propeller constructed in nearly a similar manner, except that
the hollow and water-tight portion before described is made of a round
instead of rectangular form. The propeller shewn at Fig. 6 is intended
to be applied to a vessel of either light or heavy draught and is mounted
in vertical guides, so that the propeller A, by means of either its own
buoyancy or gravity, can be elevated or lowered to suit any depth which
the vessel may draw. This object is attained by the shaft or axle of
the propeller being made to slide up and down the vertical slot or
guide B, in which it can be fastened by means of keys or other con-
trivance at the required position and altitude.
Having now described the Invention, which has been communicated
to me as aforesaid, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is,―
First. The combination of the improved propeller with a horizontal
engine acting in the line of the vessel's motion, and connected thereto
in the manner herein set forth. By this arrangement the water that
opposes the propeller's impinging surface will have power sufficient to
resist. the action of the engine, and thereby cause the latter to exert
nearly its entire force towards the propulsion of the vessel.
I claim, secondly, constructing the propeller in the manner herein
set forth, and with such a degree of lightness and buoyancy that the
propeller when immersed will be entirely divested of all inertia or
reaction when returning to its initial or starting point.
I claim, thirdly, constructing the impinging surface of the propeller
with a rectangular or other shaped chamber or hollow in combination
with horizontal plates as described.
I claim, fourthly, attaching a weight or counterpoise to the propeller
in any required position, as shown and described in reference to Fig. 3.
Lastly, I claim, adjusting the propeller at the stern of a vessel in
such a manner that it can be elevated or lowered, as shown at Fig. 6,

page_text: so as to suit any depth of water in which the impinging surface of the
propeller may be required to be immersed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)