AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF SCULLS AND OARS AND IN MEANS OR APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR ACTUATING THEM FOR THE PROPULSION OF BOATS THE ROWER OR SCULLER FACING THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL
Year: 1883

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to James Osborn Spong of 220 High Holborn in--the
County of Middlesex Domestic Machinery Manufacturer for an Invention of
AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF SCULLS AND OARS AND IN MEANS OR
APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR ACTUATING THEM FOR THE
PROPULSION OF BOATS THE ROWER OR SCULLER FACING THE DIRECTION OF
TRAVEL
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Osborn Spong at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th November 1883.
JAMES OSBORN SPONG of 226 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex
Domestic Machinery Manufacturer AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF SCULLS AND
OARS AND IN MEANS OR APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR ACTUATING
THEM FOR THE PROPULSION OF BOATS THE ROWER OR SCULLER FACING THE
DIRECTION OF TRAVEL
The object of this invention is to construct sculls and oars and to fit appliances
therewith and to so attach the appliances to the side or gunwale of a boat as to
obtain the full sweep of the propeller, the rower or sculler facing the direction of
travel. The sculls and oars of my invention can be arranged in the direction of the
boats length without detaching the appliances or dislodging the sculls or oars from
the side or sides thereof.
For the purpose of my invention I make my. sculls or oars in two parts one part
forming the blade and a portion of the stem or shank and the other part a portion
of the stem or shank and the handle. The inner ends of these stems or shanks are.
connected to shoes, straps, or supports centred or pivotted on pins or studs which
carry toothed wheels or quadrants gearing into each other for communicating
motion to the blade portion when the handle portion is moved or vice versa. The
pins or studs are fixed in or to a plate or block which I hang on a pintle or axle
supported on or to the gunwale or affixed to the side of the boat. The hanging of
the plate or block enables the blade of the scull or oar to be raised or depressed.
and the wheel or quadrant gear facilitates the two parts of the scull or oar. to be
brought close together alongside either "fore or aft" of the plate or block as desired
by the person in the boat.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Osborn Spong in the Patent Office on the 24th May 1884.
JAMES OSBORN SPONG of 226 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Domestic Machinery Manufacturer. "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF SCULLS AND
OARS AND IN MEANS OR APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR ACTUATING 5
THEM FOR THE PROPULSION OF BOATS THE ROWER OR SCULLER FACING THE
DIRECTION OF TRAVEL."
The object of this invention is to construct sculls and oars to fit appliances
therewith and to so attach the appliances to the side or gunwale of a boat as to
obtain the full sweep of the propeller, the rower or sculler facing the direction of 1
travel.
The sculls and oars of my invention can be arranged in the direction of the
boats length with out detaching the appliances or dislodging the sculls or oars from
the side or sides thereof.
For the purpose of my invention I make my sculls or oars in two parts, one part
forming the blade and a portion of the stem or shank and the other part a portion
of the stem or shank and the handle. The inner ends of these stems or shanks are
connected to shoes, straps, or supports centred or pivotted on pins or studs which
carry toothed wheels or quadrants gearing into each other for communicating
motion to the blade portion when the handle portion is moved or vice versa. The
pins or studs are fixed in or to a plate or block which I hang on a pintle or axle
supported on or to the gunwale or affixed to the side of the boat or to the
outrigger.
The hanging of the plate. or block enables the blade of the scull or oar to be
faised or depressed and the wheel or quadrant gear facilitates the two parts of the
scull or oar to be brought close together alongside either "fore or aft" of the plate
or block as desired by the person in the boat
The manner of carrying my invention into practice is exemplified in the annexed
drawings and as will be understood by the following description of the details.
Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 a side and Figure 3 an end view looking from
the inside of a boat to the gunwale of which my apparatus is fitted as more clearly
shown by the general view Figure 4.
A is the blade forming part of the stem B whose inner end is affixed to a socket
or shoe C mounted on a pivot pin D on which the blade can be moved in a
reciprocating circular direction. The shoe C is provided with a quadrant gear
wheel E whose teeth are in gear with a similar quadrant gear wheel F which is
also mounted on a pivot pin G to enable the handle end H of the scull to be
reciprocated in a circular direction
The gear wheel quadrant F is attached to or forms part of the socket I to which
the handle stem J is affixed. Both pivot pins D and G and the stems B and J are
supported by a plate K journalled on a bolt Ĺ of a clipping appliance shown
detached at Figure 5. This clipping device can by means of its screw pins M, M
be affixed to any part of a boats gunwale and the sculls be attached for rowing
purposes as seen by Figures 2 and 4.
The gear quadrants or wheels E F. may be under the sockets or shoes C C as at
Figure 2 or above as at Figures 6 and 7 or in lieu of quadrant gear wheels a cross
chain or crossed straps or other bands N N', as at Figure 8 can be affixed to the
inner ends of the stems B and J the bolt L permitting of the blade A being raised
out of the water when desired or lowered into the water for propulsion purposes
and the pivot pins D G allow of the stems B. J. folding rather close alongside each
other whether on or off the boat
In the examples of my Invention shown in the preceding mentioned figures or
drawings the operation of rowing is identical to that by ordinary sculls or oars, the
only difference is the rower faces the direction of travel of the boat and in

page_text: consequence he can the more readily steer clear of any apparent obstacle and keep
a straight course and also prevent fouling other boats, whereby also he can dispense
with a rudder and yoke lines which up to the present time in spite of his rowing
capabilities has been dependent on the knowledge of another person to steer the
boat while he pulled
By the above method of connecting the scull to the appliance on the side of a
boat it is necessary that the bolt L should be removed to permit of the scull being
detached but by forming forks P on the underside of the plate K as at Figure 9
to drop over on to the bolt L a simple lift will enable the scull to be disengaged.
Figures 10, 11 and 12 show the apparatus above described adapted with devices
for producing a mechanical feathering of the blade at the termination of each
pulling stroke and a return of the blade under the action of a spring to its pulling
condition for propulsion by the next stroke
The handle stem J is fixed to its socket or shoe I but the blade stem is not, this
is held by a collar Q and a cam block R so that it can turn partially round in its
socket or shoe C. The construction and shape of the cam will be understood by
the diagrams Figures 13, 14 and 15 and its action is as follows.
Just under the quadrant gear wheel E is a fixed segmental guide plate S whose
central part has a projecting block T the edges U. V. of which determine the sweep
of the blade for feathering purposes. The cam block R has a nose or projection W
which presses against the edge U of the fixed block T as the blade is moving over
its segment of travel for its return stroke and then turns sufficiently to bring the
flat part X of the cam block R on to the fixed block as at Figure 13 and then rides
on it and is kept in contact therewith by the spring Y which has been put in
tension by the turn over action of the cam the spring being attached to the stem B
and to a shield plate Z as shown at Figure 12
In this condition the cam R travels to the opposite edge V of the fixed block T
until its nose slips over the edge V the spring Y then causing the cam and blade
to turn back to put the flat face X' upon the fixed block T and then to ride thereon
back to its first position during the reverse travel of the blade A.
a is a spring plate fastened by a screw b within a recess of the pivot pin D or
part of the quadrant gear wheel E in such a manner that its free end c bears and
presses upon the cam block R which causes the nose piece W to drop on either side
of the fixed plate T by the tension put upon it by the rising action of the part d
when the cam block R is moved over in either direction
Having now described the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim
First, The appliances shown on sheet 1 of the annexed drawings connected to
sculls or oars in the manner described to enable a rower to face the direction of
travel as set forth
Secondly. The quadrant or gear on separate centres of an underplate which has
a motion or clipping device combined and arranged in the manner described and
substantially as shown on sheet 1 of the annexed drawings for the purpose set
forth.
Thirdly Combining with the gear and separate adjuncts herein before mentioned
the means or appliances described for effecting a mechanical feathering of the scull
or oar blade as referred to and shown on sheet 2 of the annexed drawings,
In witness whereof I the said James Osborn Spong have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty third day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
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