IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING PADDLE WHEELS FOR STEAMERS AND BOATS
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Yong Harald Dahlström and Vilhelm
Christian Theodor Lohmann at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 24th April 1878.
YONG HARALD DAHLSTRÖM and VILHELM CHRISTIAN THEODOR LOHMANN, both
of Copenhagen, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING PADDLE WHEELS FOR
STEAMERS AND BOATS."
1
These improved paddle wheels are constructed so that the paddles of the wheel
are moveable and kept by a ring during the turning of the wheel in a parallel
position.
The advantages of these paddle wheels in preference to the now used wheels of
Mr. Morgan are, viz.,—
First. That they require less force. A greater or smaller quantity of water is
continually introduced into the paddle box by the wheels of Mr. Morgan, according
to the paddles dipping more or less into the water. From the somewhat perpen-
dicular position they keep when in the water, they rapidly assume a rather hori-
zontal one, and for the same reason the loss of force becomes much less when the
ship is working in a high sea.
Second. They are stronger and less exposed to be broken or worn out, and they
will, when the ship is in the ice, much easier break it without being broken them-
selves, because the inferior edge of the paddles will break the ice flakes perpendicu-
larly, and the whole pressure will in consequence thereof work on the paddles going
through the axles. In Morgan's wheels the excentric rods must needs take up a
great part of the pressure.
In Figure 1 the improved paddle wheels are seen from the side, and in Figure 2
perpendicularly cut through the middle. In Figure 3 may be seen the fastening of
the paddles to the wheel.
A is the iron frame of a common paddle wheel In the paddles are fastened by the
help of cross axles B, which can turn in suitable bearings in the two rims. On the
side turning from the ship the cross axles are provided with arms of the crank C.
The pivots D on these arms connect into bearings K. on another wheel E. This

page_text: turns upon a pivot applied on the interior side of the paddle box, as much perpen-
dicularly above the axle of the wheel A as the length of the arms of the crank C
measures, taken from the middle to the middle of the axles and pivots.
The pivote of the wheel E fit in a seat or bearing G. This last-mentioned is
again bolted fast on F on the interior side of the support of the paddle wheel frame.
The holes of the bolt in the bearing G are rather oval, so that the bearing may be
placed perpendicularly but not horizontally. The paddles are made of wooden
boards, which on both sides of the cross axles B are bolted fast between the arms
H (see Figure 3).
These arms or axles are prevented by the wedges I from turning upon the cross
axles. By this mode of fastening an eventual exchange of damaged paddles may
easily be effected. One of the cross axles B may equally be exchanged if neces-
sary in case of damage, as the bearing K into which the cross axles, by the help
of the pivots, connect, can easily be screwed on or taken off.
Paddle wheels of the now present construction may easily be changed without
great expense into the one we are now speaking of, as a great part of them may
be spared by such a transformation.
It must be observed that it is not necessary that the points of turning of the
assistant wheel be perpendicularly above the points of turning of the paddle
wheel A.
It is but necessary that the arms of the crank G make the same angle with the
paddles as the line of communication between the points of turning of the wheels A
and E forms with a perpendicular line, and the length of the arms of the crank
must be equal to the distance between the pivots of turning of the two wheels.
It must further be observed that it is not necessary that the ring E turns round
a fixed pivot, as is the case in regard to the wheels of Morgan, where the excentric
must move round a fixed pivot; but a stopper is sufficient on both sides of the
points of turning of the ring, which prevents the last-mentioned frame moving in a
horizontal direction.