Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Use in the Propulsion and Steering of Boats and Vessels.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
DETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Use in the Propulsion
and Steering of Boats and Vessels.
I, CARL FRANZ SCHULZ, Machinist, of KC Burstah 2, Hamburg, in Germany,
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 follow-
ing statement:-
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the purpose of moving boats
and vessels on water by means of paddles, plates or blades working below the
vessel. The apparatus may be worked by hand or by a motor, operating on a
frame supported in or on the vessel, and can by means of a very simple arrange-
ment be so set as to reverse the direction of the movement of the craft.
The apparatus may be of single or double action. In the first case only one
paddle or propelling device is used, in the second two, which are moved in con-
trary directions to each other. This invention is represented in the accompany-
ing drawings as applied to a boat, and arranged to be worked by hand.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are longitudinal, vertical sections of the apparatus in
different positions.
Figures 4 and 5 are plan views corresponding to Figures 1 and 3.
Figure 6 is a front view of the apparatus as applied to a boat, the latter
appearing in cross section.
Figures 7 and 8 are a front view and side view respectively of a form of con-
struction by means of which the boat can be steered.
In the following description the apparatus will be considered first as con-
sisting of one propulsion device only, connected directly with the operating frame
in the boat.
This frame A is provided laterally with trunnions & mounted in bearings a
arranged on the gunwale of the boat."
oat to bars e e extending downwards and connected with one another under
The trunnions bare connected outside the
he vessel by a cross bar f which serves as a support for the paddle plate or
lade g. By swinging the frame A the bars e.e are made to oscillate or swing
bout their pivots owing to which the paddle below the boat is moved forwards
nd backwards.
The paddle is so arranged that it becomes effective when moving in a direction
ontrary to the vessel's movement and simply feathers through the water when
oth movements are in the same direction. The paddle on entering on its back-
ard movement being set, by the pressure of the water, so as to become effective.
The paddle is provided at each end with plates h h which, according to the
rection in which the paddle is working engage or lock against studs or abut-
ents i, 2, carried on plates k, pivotted on the bars e, by which the paddle is
ld in a position to stand against the water pressure to be overcome.
ing revolvably arranged in the side bars e, they can be set, from the boat, in
The plates
e or the other position by means of rods 7. At the upper end each rod is
tuated by a crank m on a shaft o the latter revolving in bearings in a prolonga-
n of the lateral bar e, and passing through the side parts of the frames and
Price 871

page_text: provided at this end with a reversing lever p, by turning which the reversal of
the position of the plate is produced. By means of the lever p the shaft o
together with crank m can be turned through an angle of 180° for the purpose
of reversing the effective action of the paddle. The length of the crank m is
therefore determined according to the length of the travel described by the abut-
ments i, whenever the plate is reversed. By means of convenient securing
device provided on each side of the frame A, the reversing levers can be fixed
in any position required.
A double-acting apparatus is provided with a second paddle g the construction
of which corresponds exactly to that of the paddle g. The side bars del are
secured to shafts, and are longer while the distance between them is greater,
than that of the bars ee of the paddle y so as to allow the latter to act above the
former and between the side bars e¹, e. By means of toothed wheel gearing c, d,
c, d, arranged on each side of the boat, one paddle is actuated in a contrary
direction, to the other, one paddle being always effective while the other is
feathering through the water.
The extent of swing or travel of the two paddles is limited by the number of
teeth in the gearing cd: when the last tooth of the one device comes in contact
with the last tooth space of the other, the two paddles occupying their extreme
positions.
In Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings the paddles g and glare represented in
their extreme positions, the side bars e e, el el, being crossed. The paddle g is
about to begin its operative stroke while the paddle g¹ is about
to feather through the water until both paddles occupy the opposite
extreme positions. Then the paddle g¹ will be effective, while the
paddle g feathers through the water. The boat moves in the direction indicated
by the arrow y, while the direction of the stroke of the paddles g and g¹ is
indicated by the arrow .
In Fig. 3 the operative stroke of the paddles is represented as being reversed
the boat now moving in the direction indicated by the arrow y'. The swinging
of both the paddles is limited by the abutment stops of the plates k, which
are reversed as compared with the former position of the plates when the
abutments were operative, the position of the plates being controlled by the
mechanism already described.
The levers serving for the reversal of the paddle g¹ are mounted on the
inner sides of the gears in any convenient manner. The shaft o' passes through
the projection of the gear d and through the continuation of the
side bars el el. Outside the latter cranks m¹ are fixed to the shaft o¹, the cranks
being connected by means of rods with the pivotted abutment plates k.
The side bars e el of the paddle g₁ may be connected either loosely or fixedly
with the shaft . In the accompanying drawing, by way of example, they are
shown loosely connected with the shaft by means of a toothed gears which can
be disconnected by means of a lever t. In this case the paddle g simply feathers
through the water while the paddle 9 produces the moving effect. The apparatus
as described above may also be used for steering without any alteration as
regards construction, if the paddles are divided into two equal parts. If the
apparatus is then so worked that the left half of the one is effective in one
direction while the right half of the other is effective in the other direction,-
the other halves of both feathering through the water, the boat will be instantly
turned. To produce this work the plates k must be so set as to produce the work
of the paddles as indicated. This is done from the boat by means of the hand
levers and the rods in the manner described above. In this matter a
perfectly reliable and quick steering of the boat is possible, and the effective
steering, as described of a boat can be regulated according to the ratio of effect
of the two operative halves of the paddles."
If the two halves of a paddle set in opposite effective directions, are made to
work, the boat will also turn on the spot, although perhaps somewhat more

page_text: slowly. When only half of a paddle is worked while the other remains without
effect the steering power is still further reduced; it is therefore clear that with
the divided paddle apparatus as described above the steering power of a vessel
can be very accurately regulated.
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 is:-
1. A propulsion device for vessels comprising one or more paddles, plates or
blades (as g g) working below the vessel and means for setting and operating
them substantially as described.
2. A propulsion device for vessels comprising two paddles, plates or blades
pivotted in the ends of side bars (as e e e¹ e¹) and adapted to be moved in contrary
directions by a lever device arranged in the vessel, and a toothed wheel gearing
(as c), the said paddles being set by the pressure of the water itself after the
termination of every forward or backward movement so that while one of the
paddles is operatively working the other merely feathers through the water,
substantially as described.
3. In apparatus of the kind described a reversing device for the paddles con-
sisting of abutment plates (as k k) pivotted on the side paddle-carrying rods, and
provided with abutments adapted to engage with corresponding plates on the
paddles or paddle shafts, said abutment plates being capable of being adjusted
and secured in position from the vessel by means of rods and levers substantially
as described.
4. The complete apparatus for use in propelling or propelling and steering
boats and vessels substantially as described or illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 or
in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of September 1899.
BOULT, WADE, & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.