Improvements in Apparatus for Steering, Propelling, and Retarding the Motion of Boats and other Vessels
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Steering, Propelling, and Retarding
the Motion of Boats and other Vessels
I, THOMAS BRIDGES HEATHORN, of 10 Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, in the County
of Middlesex Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
This invention is based upon previous inventions for which letters Patent
No 5884,-1883 and No 10416-1887 were granted to me Its object is the improve
ment of such apparatus so as to afford greater convenience in propelling, steering and
retarding the motion of vessels either by manual, steam or other suitable power,
without materially interfering with the compactness of it
In the previous invention just referred to, the propeller serves also a ruddor, but in
the present invention there is both the propeller and an auxilliary rudder and although
connected, are capable of being used independently of each other The propeller is of
much the same form, and hung similarly to some of those described in the specification
of my Patent No 10416-1887, out the part that constituted the rudder post in that
case I now make hollow, so that the rudder post which carries the independent
rudder placed below the propeller, passes through it and projects above what is now
the propeller post The lower part of the rudder post passes through an eye fixed to
a shoe which is attached to two metal plates, one on each side of the stern post, or a
single plate may be hent so as to pass under the bottom of the keel and up each side
of the stern post, the bottom of the plate forming the shoe just mentioned
These
plates serve as guides to keep both the rudder and propeller posts in the same plane
as the keel of the vessel when the rudder and propeller have to be lifted in consequence
of shallowness of water, or other cause
Instead of tilting the rudder and propeller for the purpose of raising them, they
may be lifted vertically, or nearly so, out of the water, but in that case a somewhat
different arrangement has to be made with regard to the plates and the mode of
connecting them

page_text: In lieu of making the propeller post hollow as before described, the rudder post
may be lunged or hung on to the propeller post By this arrangement the rudder
may be operated upon so as to act independently of the propeller
Both the propeller and rudder posts are kept in proper position when in use by the
assistance of my patent spring clip which is described by me in my specification
No 3095-1887
When the boat or vessel is to be furnished with means for retarding its motion, I
cause two propellers to be fitted together so that they may be opened or made to
diverge from one another at pleasure This is effected by separate tilters or levers and
by making the propeller post of one propeller to pass up through the propeller post of
the other, and the rudder post to pass up through the latter, the two propeller posts
being made hollow, or they may be placed side by side
The propeller and rudder may in each case be used quite independently of one
another, but when connected by attaching the tillers, or steering and propelling gear
together they form very powerful steering apparatus

page_text: the Motion of Boats and other Vessels
I, THOMAS BRIDGES HEATHORN of 10 Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, 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
This invention is based upon previous inventions for which Letters Patent
No 5384-1883, and No 10416-1887 were granted to me Its object is the
improvement of such apparatus so as to afford greater convenience in propelling
steering and retarding the motion of vessels, either by manual, steam, or other
suitable power, without materially interfering with the compactness of it
"
In order that the invention may be easily understood drawings are attached hereto
of which the following is a description Fig 1 is de elevation of the stern end of
boat with double propellor and rudder Fig 2 is an end elevation showing the
propellors when it their greatest divergence, and the rudder is drawn as it appears
when thrust slightly to one side Fig 3 exhibits in plan the two propellors with
their yokes and the rods by which they are worked and the tiller of the rudder
Fig 4 is a similar plan but showing the yokes fixed to the propellors at a different
angle Fig 5 is a side elevation similar to Fig 1, but in which the propellors and
rudder may be lifted or tilted partially out of the water Fig 6 is a sectional plan
through a b Fig 5 of the arrangement whereby the propellors and rudder post are all
hinged together Fig 7 is a plan of a spring clip for which I obtained Letters
Patent No 3095 dated Feb 28 1887 and is inserted here only for convenience of
reference This Fig is a plan of the clip with the jaws closed for holding the rudder
and propellor posts in place Fig 8 is a plan of the same with the jaws open
Fig 9 is an end elevation of the chip with closed jaws embracing the propelloi post,
Fig 10 shows a modified form of clip to suit vessels having a counter Fig 11 is a
longitudinal section of a boat in which is exhibited an arrangement whereby manual
power may be exerted by the action of the feet and lugs Fig 12 is a plan of the
sud boat, and Fig 15 is a modification of Fig 1
T'he
In this invention the propellor A Figs 1 and 5 and AA Fig 2 may be used for
steciing as well as propelling, but there is also an auxilary rudder B Figs 1, 2 and 3
which though connected to it, is capable of being used independently of the propellor
The propellors are preferably of the form shown but are not limited thereto
rudder post C is hinged to the stern post D of the boat E, and the propellor post F F
are hinged to the rudder post C as shown in the drawings Figs 1 and 2
Attached
to the top of the rudder post there is a tiller G for steering with, and to the top of
each propellor post there is fixed a yoke or yokes H, H, Fig 3, or they may be fixed
as in Fig 4 These yokes have pivotted to their outer extremities rods I, I upon
pulling or thrusting which alternately the propellor or combined propellors are made
to sway to and fro, a further sculling motion being imparted to the propellor or

page_text: propellors from the manner in which they are hung to their respective frames J, J,
and posts F, F, and the action of each plate spring or springs K, J' being pivotted
to J at both ends By these combined actions the vessel is propelled through the
water
For the purpose of allowing the rudder and propellor or propellors being partially
lifted or tilted out of the water, through shallowness of the same, or other cause,
attach to the outer propellor post a bracket or brackets O Fig 5 which by a bolt
passing through them and the stern post, become hinged to the said stern post I also
make the propellor post or posts F, F, Fig 5 hollow, and cause the upper part of the
rudder post to pass through them The lower part of the rudder post passes through
an eye L fixed to a shoe M which is attached to two metal plates N, one on each side
of the stern post, or a single plate may be bent so as to pass under the bottom of the
keel and up each side of the stern post, the bottom of the plate forming the shoe M
Just mentioned These plates serve as guides to keep both the rudder and propellor
posts in the same pline is the keel of the vessel when the rudder and propellors have
to be lifted or tilted, which operation is performed by pulling upon the tiller G Fig. 5
In the modification shown in big 13 it will be observed there are a rod c and rope d
These when fastened in the position shown retain the propellors in place for working
but upon uncoiling the rope d and pulling it the rod c will be raised and with it the
propellors
с
When the boat or vessel is to be furnished with means for retarding its motion I
employ two propellors fitted together so that they may be opened or made to diverge
from one another at pleasure is seen in Fig 2 This is effected by several yokes or
levers, and by making the propellor post of one propellor to pass up through the
propellor post of the other, and the rudder post to pass up through the latter, the two
propellor posts being made hollow as before mentioned or the two propellor posts
made be placed side by side as shown in Fig 2
The
In the former of the two arrangements just mentioned the propellor and rudder
posts together with the shoe are held securely in the proper position by the application
of a spring clip P shown to in enlarged scale in Figs 7, 8 and 9 and as applied in
Fig 5
A full description of this chip will be found in my specification No 3095-
1887, but for the sake of convenience I may here re-describe it as follows
apparatus consists of a plate of iron Q fixed to the sides and back of the stern post D
On each side of the stern post is bolted cheek R, R, and to each of these cheeks is
pivotted a short lever S, S, at T, T, provided with clips or jaws U, U, of the form
shown, and which clip or embrace the propellor post F The levers S, S, are pivolted
also at the points V, V, to bars W, W, which are joined together by a hinge at their
other extremity ✗ To the front of the stern post D a spiral spring Y is fastened,
the other end of the same spring being connected to the link Z
In vessels built with a counter it is necessary to have the bars W bent so as to
operate upon the clip from the deck, the spring being attached at the end ✗ to the
bars, and the opposite end to some substantial fixture to the deck as shown in Fig 10
In this arrangement it is necessary to erect a bulk bend f to prevent water from
entering the general body of the vessel
The action of this part of the apparatus is very simple While the clip is at rest
the spring Y exerts its force so as to keep the jaws U closed, or closely in contact
with F but upon a drawing force being applied to X the jaws will be opened and F
become released when the propellor and rudder posts may be tilted as desired
The propellor or propellors and rudder may in each case be used independently of
one another, but when connected by attaching the tallers and yokes, or the steering
and propelling gear together, they form a very powerful steering apparatus
The manner in which manual power may be exerted is a motive power will be seen
on looking at Figs 11 and 12 It will be observed that each of the rods I is pivotted
to a short lever g which is fixed to a rocking shaft / To this rocking shaft are also
fixed the levers, the lower ends of them being hinged or pivotted to the horizontal
foot boards, provided with rests k on which the men place their feet
The opposite
end of each foot board is hinged to the hanging rods 1, the intermediate parts of each

page_text: foot board being supported by the rods m hinged to the boards and to the under side
of each thwart A man may sit in the middle of each thwart and bv a forward and
backward action of the feet cause the rods I also to move backwards and forwards,
thus giving motion to the propellors and the boat If the boat has sufficient breadth
of beam a man may operate with an oar on each side of the man in the middle of the
thwart, when by acting in concert considerable speed may be obtained
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim 18,
1 The combination of an auxiliary rudder B with the propellors A. A, or with one
propellor only, as herein described and shown on the drawings
2 The arrangement of the hinges for connecting the propellor post or posts with
the rudder post, as herein described and shown on the drawings
3 The hollow propellor posts hinged at O and furnished with a shoe M, as herein
described and shown on the drawings
4 The rudder B with its post arranged so as pass through the propellor post or
posts, as herein described and shown on the drawings
5 The combination of the spring clip P with the propellors, as herein described and
shown on the drawings
6 The apparatus shown in Figs 11 and 12 whereby manual power may be used as
herein described
Mom2 1000