Improvements in Steam-boats.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam-boats.
I, SOREN DANIEL THORSON, of No. 37 Armour Street, Chicago, County of
Cook, State of Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:
The object of the invention is to secure a construction of the hull of a paddle-
propelled vessel so that its form will cause the least possible resistance to its
passage through the water, and to this end I construct the vessel in circular form
and make its hull in the form of a sectional sphere of uniform curvature. The
engines and boilers' are located in the center of the vessel, and the propulsion is
secured by means of paddle-wheels located in wheel-houses opening to channels
crossing the bottom of the boat.
In the accompanying drawings I show, in
Fig. 1, a plan section of boat, through its engine room;
Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same;
Fig. 3, a vertical section, on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and,
Fig. 4, a vertical section, on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.
The hull, A, of the vessel is in the form of a section of a sphere and is of
uniform curvature throughout. The vessel is provided with four paddle-
wheels, B, C, D, E, which are arranged in pairs, each pair being driven by means
of a single crank shaft, as b, d. Four engines may be used, if desired, and are
located as indicated at F, G, H, J, and are supplied with steam from boilers,
as L, M, located below the engine room.
The paddle-wheels are located in wheel-houses, 1, 2, 3, 4, opening through the
bottom of the boat, as near its central point as practicable, so that, as the vessel
rolls in rough weather, the paddle-wheels are in no danger of being exposed to the
action of the waves.
While the vessel is exactly circular in form, its bow and stern are determined
by the position of the paddle-wheels, and at the stern is located a rudder, of
ordinary construction, as indicated at O.
The deck or upper portion of the vessel may be of any desired form. I deem it
advisable to so construct the boat that the curvature of its circumference coincides
with the curvature of the hull.
As the veesel moves through the water it presents an inclined face, whereby its
speed tends to raise it, as the body of a swimmer is in a measure raised when the
feet are allowed to become considerably submerged so that the chest is inclined.
The use of padale-wheels, furthermore, has the same tendency to raise the boat in
the water, and to facilitate this action it is important that paddle-wheels of modern
type be used, in which the blades are "feathered." The construction of these
wheels is so well known that I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate it. It
will be seen, therefore, that, the greater the speed, the more the vessel will be
raised and consequently the less will be the resistance to its advance through the
water, the tendency being constantly to elevate the boat towards the point at which
it would merely skim over the surface, though of course it is not my expectation
that the boat will be raised to that extent.
Parallel channels are formed across the bottom of the boat and to them the
wheel-houses open, so that the paddles may be placed at such height within the

page_text: boat that their shafts will be above the line of draft, the paddles having direct
action upon the water to drive it backwardly, the effect being to draw the water
through these channels from the bow of the vessel and force it backwardly through
them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a vessel or ship, substantially as described, the combination with a hull in
the form of a section of a sphere and having parallel open channels across its
bottom and wheel-houses opening to such channels, of paddle-wheels located
within the wheel-houses and having their journal bearings above the water draught
line, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
2. A boat, substantially as described, having a circular hull whose bottom is of
uniform curvature in all directions and across which run a pair of parallel open
chanuels, and having wheel-houses opening to such channels and paddle-wheels
journaled within such wheel-houses and in planes parallel with the channels,
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 13th day of October 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.