Improvements in and connected with the Propelling and Steering of Boats.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Propelling and Steering
of Boats.
I, JACOB KRUSE MULLER HESSLER, of Mercantile Chambers, Mainsforth Terrace,
West Hartlepool, in the County of Durham, Steamship Owner, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the propulsion of boats, and has for its object to provide
a means and arrangement of parts whereby boats may be propelled by manual
power through the medium of pedals, and the steering accomplished in an easy and
efficient manner.
According to my invention the seat or saddle for the operator is carried upon a
suitable frame, the latter which may be of the construction usually employed for
cycles, is secured within and supported from the bottom or sides of the boat by
pillars or brackets preferably arranged so as to lessen vibration, for instance one at
or about the pedal bearings and others at the rear and front part of the frame.
The lower part of the frame may have an enlarged part for receiving the central
supporting pillar or bracket and to which the pedals and their bearings (when
arranged detachable from the frame) may be secured by bolting or otherwise
conveniently.
The power is transmitted from the pedals by sprocket wheel and chain or other
gearing to a transverse shaft having a fly wheel of suitable weight and dimensions
mounted in the rear part of the frame or boat and from thence the power is trans-
mitted by similar gearing to another transverse shaft mounted in bearings
adjacently arranged and also carrying a fly wheel of suitable dimensions to secure
further steadiness of motion where desirable, this shaft transmits the power by
bevel or other convenient gearing direct to a longitudinal shaft extending outward
at the rear of the boat and provided thereat with a propeller which with its shaft is
mounted and arranged in the well known manner with suitable thrust blocks and
bearings. The power may in some cases be transmitted direct from the first shaft
to the propeller shaft.
The operator carrying frame is provided with handlebars arranged for operation
of the boats rudder, and when these are arranged as in a cycle the steering may be
effected by extending the vertical handle-bar pillar through its supporting bearing
to the lower part of the boat where suitable cross pieces or levers may be arranged
to transmit their movement to the rudder by cords, chains, levers or otherwise
conveniently, and suitable motion limiting stops which may be part of the
supporting frame, or brackets are provided.
For the purpose of quick reversal of the direction of propulsion I may provide
friction clutches or like means arranged and adapted for convenient operation by
the person or persons propelling the boat and without necessarily stopping the fly
wheels or reversing their direction of rotation or that of the pedals.
By this combination and arrangement of parts it will be seen that the boat may
be propelled, stopped, and propelled rearwards if desired, with ease, and the weight

page_text: of the rider is not at a great height above the bottom of the boat, and the power
is transmitted with steadiness rendering the steering easy and reliable.
It is obvious that the parts may be arranged for operation by two or more persons
for which a corresponding number of pedals and arrangement of gearing will be
provided.
D
·
LOAS
PRYOR & HARVEY,
Agents.
Improvements in and connected with the Propelling and Steering
of Boats.
I, JACOB KRUSE MULLER HESSLER, of Mercantile Chambers, Mainsforth Terrace,
West Hartlepool, in the County of Durham, Steamship Owner, 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 :-
My invention relates to the propulsion of boats, and has for its object to provide
a means and arrangement of parts whereby boats may be propelled by manual
power through the medium of pedals, and the steering accomplished in an easy
and efficient manner.
I will describe my invention in reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a boat having my invention applied thereto,
Fig. 2 is a plan of same and Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively part elevation and part
plan of the reversing arrangement.
According to my invention the seat or saddle D for the operator is carried upon
a suitable frame F which is or may be of the construction usually employed for
cycles as shown and is supported from the bottom or sides of the boat B by pillars
or brackets preferably arranged so as to lessen vibration, for instance one A at or
about the pedal bearings P and others A¹ A' and A² respectively at the rear and
front part of the frame F. The lower part of the frame F has or may have an
enlarged part for receiving the central supporting pillar or bracket A., and to
which part the pedals p p and their bearings P (when arranged detachable from
the frame) are or may be secured by bolting or otherwise conveniently.
The power is transmitted from the pedals p by sprocket wheel and chain g or
other gearing to a transverse shaft S having a fly wheel W of suitable weight and
dimensions mounted in suitable bearings c c in the rear part of the frame F and
brackets A¹ and from this shaft S the power is transmitted by similar gearing gl
to another transverse shaft S¹ mounted in bearings c¹ c' adjacently arranged and
also carrying a fly wheel W₁ of suitable weight and dimensions to secure further
steadiness of motion where desirable, this shaft S¹ transmits the power by suitable
gearing such as bevel wheels g² g³ direct to a longitudinal shaft S2 extending out-
ward at the rear of the boat B as shown and provided thereat with a propeller O
which with its shaft S2 is mounted and arranged in the well known manner with
suitable thrust blocks and bearings as at c³.
The power may in some cases be transmitted direct from the first shaft S to the
propeller shaft S2 by bevel gearing or the like.
The operator carrying frame F is provided with handle-bars such as H arranged
for operation of the boat's rudder R and these are arranged as in a cycle the
connection to the rudder being effected by extending the vertical handle-bar
pillar h through its supporting bearing f2 to the lower part of the boat where cross
pieces or levers are arranged to transmit their movement to the rudder R by

page_text: cords or chains rr and lever r¹ or otherwise conveniently and a suitable motion
limiting stop is provided which is or may be the frame or support A2 as shown,
engaging the cross pieces or levers 1 1.
For the purpose of quick reversal of the direction of propulsion I provide or may
provide friction clutches or like means arranged and adapted for convenient operation
by the person or persons propelling the boat without necessarily stopping the fly
wheel or reversing their directions of rotation or that of the pedals.
I have shown such an arrangement in Fig. 3 wherein a suitable clutch T is
arranged upon the shaft S¹ between two bevel wheels g³ g loose upon the shaft S¹,
and gearing with bevel wheel g2 upon the propeller shaft S². A hand-wheel t and
rod to are arranged in convenient position and connected to and adapted to operate
the clutch T by worm gear or through gear wheels t¹ t2 and screwed spindle and
travelling nut 3 or equivalent means so as to move the clutch T into or out of gear
with either one or other of the bevel wheels g³ g thereby enabling the operator to
reverse the direction of propulsion at will or to throw the propeller out of gear with
the pedals.
I may in some cases arrange the reversing gear rod to to pass through the hollow
steering pillar h and be connected up to and operate the clutch T or the screwed
spindle by a longitudinally arranged lever or shaft.
By the combination and arrangement of parts above described it will be seen
that the boat may be propelled, stopped, and propelled rearwards if desired, with
ease. The weight of the rider is not at a great height above the bottom of the
boat, and the power is transmitted with steadiness rendering the steering easy and
reliable.
It is obvious that the parts may be arranged for operation by two or more
persons for which a corresponding number of pedals and arrangement of gearing
will be provided.
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 manually propelled boat such as described the combination with a cycle
like frame such as F of a fly wheel and shaft mounted in the rear forks of same and
driven from pedals and adapted to convey power to the propeller shaft by suitable
gearing and the bandle bars H with extended pillar having a quadrant or lever
adapted for steering purposes and with or without the combination of reversing
gear and clutches such as described.
2. The combination of various parts constituting a manually operated and steered,
propeller driven boat, all the parts of which are constructed, arranged and
adapted to operate substantantially in the manner and for the purposes herein
set forth in reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings
3. The combination of the various parts constituting a manually operated and
steered, propeller driven boat all the parts of which are constructed, arranged
and adapted for operation substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein set forth in reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the
drawings.