IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE PROPULSION OF VESSELS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fothergill and John Henry Fothergill, both
of the City Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE PROPULSION
OF VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fothergill and
John Henry Fothergill at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 22nd December 1864.
We, JOHN FOTHERGILL and JOHN HENRY FOTHERGILL, both of the City
Road, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
THE PROPULSION OF VESSELS," to be as follows:-
Our first arrangement consists in the employment of one pair or more of
cylinders at the stern, fore part, or midships or thereabout of a vessel; each
such cylinder is open at one end towards the water, the opposite ends of
the cylinders being closed and provided with a stuffing box through which
a rod is passed; one end of each such rod is provided with a piston sliding
in the cylinder, and the other end of the rod is attached to a connecting rod
which proceeds from a crank on the main shaft or on an intermediate shaft of
a steam engine or other motive-power engine. We employ two or more such
cranks; each crank is provided with bearings and with rods and connections

page_text: for attaching the first-named piston rods to the main shaft or intermediate
shaft above-mentioned. Besides driving one or more paddle wheels, screws,
or their equivalents, the steam, hot air, or equivalent thereof, will drive or force
out the pistons in the cylinders first-mentioned, such pistons being assisted in
tbeir outward thrust by other steam, hot air, or the equivalent thereof. When
each piston has arrived at the end of the outward thrust a vacuum is formed
between the pistons and the closed ends of the cylinders by an air pump whose
piston is moved by a crank or other contrivance attached to the main or inter-
mediate shaft, above referred.to.
Our second method is a modification of our first method. Here, instead of
employing plain or compound pistons in the first cylinders, we employ trunk
pistons, the trunks in the outward thrust being thrust into the water and a
vacuum is formed at the closed end of the cylinders; the return stroke of the
piston will be assisted by the pressure of the water outside. Sometimes
instead of producing a vacuum we employ cylinders having one end open to
the water and the back end also open to the water by means of pipes which
may be so arranged that the streams of water issuing therefrom may form the
means of steering the vessel, or separate cylinders may be employed for the
like purpose. For this purpose we direct the pipes from the back or inside
end of the cylinders into the water either in the opposite direction to the
course of the vessel which would give direct propulsion to it or at an angle
more or less acute to its course, which would give a steering power in pro-
portion to the amount of power given off by the starboard or larboard piston
or pistons; and we place the cylinders for steering at an angle more or less
acute to the course of the vessel at what are called its quarters both fore and
aft to give a steering power in proportion to the amount of power given off
by the starboard and larboard pistons of their respective cylinders. We use
the two or more cylinders abaft the beam for the propulsion of the vessel as
well as for steering, and we use the cylinders afore the beam to produce a
backward or retrogressive movement as also for steering.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Fothergill and John Henry Fothergill in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
FOTHERGILL and JOHN HENRY FOTHERGILL, both of the City Road, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Fothergill and John Henry Fothergill, Her special licence that
we, the said John Fothergill and John Henry Fothergill, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Fothergill and John
Henry Fothergill, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE PROPULSION OF VESSELS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Fothergill and John
Henry Fothergill, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the band and seal of one
of us, or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar montlis
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Fothergill and John Henry
Fothergill, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
Our first arrangement consists in the employment of one pair or more of
cylinders at the stern, fore part, or midships, or thereabout, of a vessel, each
such cylinder is open at one end towards the water, the opposite ends of the
cylinders are closed and provided with a stuffing box, through which a rod is
passed, one end of each such rod is provided with a piston sliding in the
cylinder, and the other end of the rod is attached to a connecting rod, which
proceeds from a crank on the main shaft, or on an intermediate shaft of a
steam engine or other motive-power engine. We employ two or more such
crauks; each crank is provided with bearings, and with rods and connections
for attaching the first-named piston rods to the main shaft or intermediate
shaft before mentioned. Besides driving one or more paddle wheels, screws,
or their equivalents, the steam, hot air, or the equivalent thereof, will drive or
force out the pistons in the cylinders first mentioned, such pistons being
assisted in their outward thrust by other steam, hot air, or the equivalent.

page_text: thereof. When each piston has arrived at the end of the outward thrust a
vacuum is formed between the pistons and the closed ends of the cylinders by
means of an air pump, the piston of which is moved by a crank or by other
contrivance attached to the main or the intermediate shaft above referred to.
Our second method or arrangement is a modification of our first method or
arrangement, but here instead of employing either plain or compound pistons
in the first cylinders, we employ trunk pistons, the trunks in the outward
thrust being thrust into the water, a vacuum being formed at the closed end
of the cylinders the return stroke of the pistons will be assisted by the
pressure of the water outside. Sometimes instead of producing a vacuum we
employ cylinders having one end open to the water, and the back end also
open to the water by means of pipes, which may be so arranged that the
streams of water issuing therefrom may form the means of steering the vessel;
or separate cylinders may be employed for the purpose. For this purpose we
direct the pipes from the back or inside end of the cylinders into the water
either in the opposite direction to the course of the vessel which would give
direct propulsion to it, or at an angle more or less acute to its course, which
would give a steering power in proportion to the amount of power given off by
the starboard or larboard piston or pistons. And we also place the cylinders
for steering at an angle more or less acute to the course of the vessel at what
are called its quarters, both fore and aft, thereby giving a steering power in
proportion to the amount of power given off by the starboard and larboard
pistons of their respective cylinder or cylinders.
We sometimes use the two or more cylinders abaft the beam for the pro-
pulsion of the vessel, as well as for steering her, and we use the cylinders
afore the beam to produce a backward or retrogressive movement, as. also for
steering.
Having thus set forth the nature of our Invention, we proceed with
reference to the Drawings, to describe more fully the manner of performing
the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents apparatus. constructed according to our first arrange-
ment, in which one pair or more of cylinders are placed at the stern, forepart,
or midships, or thereabouts of a vessel. In the Drawing only one pair of
cylinders is shewn in the position they would occupy when placed in the stern
of a vessel; the shape of the vessel's stern may be square, as shown by the
black lines, or round as shewn by the dotted lines, but the Invention may be
applied to vessels having any other shaped stern. A is the vessel; B, B, are

page_text: the two cylinders; each such cylinder is open for its whole interior diameter at
one end towards the water at B', B¹; the opposite ends of the cylinders are
closed by a lid C, provided with a stuffing box D, through which is passed a
rod E, one end of which is provided with a piston F sliding in the cylinder,
and its other end is secured in a cross head G, which slides upon two rods H,
secured at one end to the lid C, and at the opposite end to blocks K, bolted to
a plate secured to the vessel, or the blocks may be bolted to a beam or to the
vessel. The cylinders B being bolted to the stern of the vessel may be
supported by one or more beams I; or if the vessel is an iron one, flanges
would occupy the place of the beams if requisite. Each cross head G is
attached by a pin and strap L to a connecting rod M, connected with a crank
pin N, secured in a crank O on the ends of a shaft P, supported by and
revolving in two or more plumber blocks R. The distance the plumber
blocks are set apart from each other will depend upon the greater or less
distance the cylinders B are set apart the shaft P between the plumber blocks
forms one or more cranks S, S, attached to one or more connecting rods T,
which has its opposite end hinged or otherwise secured to the outer end of a
piston rod of a steam or other motive-power engine. Motion being com-
municated to the apparatus by the motive-power engine employed, when one
piston F has arrived at the end of the outward thrust, the other piston F will
be at the end of the cylinder B, next the cover C, the pistons being alternately
reversed at every revolution of the crank shaft P%; the engine which com-
municates motion to the pistons F may also drive one or more paddle wheels,
screws, or their equivalents. Each piston F may be assisted in its outward
thrust by steam, hot air, or its equivalent, admitted between the pistons and
the lids of the cylinders by pipes, which it is not necessary to shew in the
Drawing, as their position would depend upon the situation of the generators
of such steam, or hot air, or its equivalent in the vessel. When each piston
has arrived at the end of the outward thrust, a vacuum is formed between the
pistons, and the closed ends of the cylinders, by means of an air pump whose
piston is moved by a crank or by other contrivance attached to the main or to
the intermediate shaft above referred to.
Our second method is a modification of our first method, but here instead
of employing plain or compound pistons in the first cylinders we employ trunk
pistons, the trunks in the outward thrust being thrust into the water. When
a vacuum is formed at the closed end of the cylinders, the return stroke of the
pistons will be assisted by the pressure of the water outside. Instead of
producing a vacuum we employ cylinders having one end open to the water,
and the back end also open to the water by means of pipes, which may be so

page_text: arranged that the streams of water issuing therefrom may form the means of
steering the vessel, or separate cylinders may be employed for the purpose.
For this purpose we direct the pipes from the back or inside end of the
cylinders into the water either in the opposite direction to the course of the
vessel which would give direct propulsion to it, or by placing them at an angle
more or less acute to the course of the vessel, which: would give a steering
power in proportion to the amount of power given off by the starboard or
larboard piston or pistons, and we place the cylinders for steering at an angle
more or less acute with the course of the vessel at what are called the quarters,
both fore and aft, thereby giving a steering power in proportion to the amount
of power given off by the starboard and larboard pistons of their respective
cylinder or cylinders.
We also purpose to use the two or more cylinders abaft the beam for the
propulsion of the vessel, as well as for steering her, and we use the cylinders
afore the beam for producing a backward or retrogressive movement, as well
also as for steering.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, we declare that we claim arranging and
combining machinery or apparatus in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Fothergill, on behalf of
myself and the said John Fothergill, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
JOHN HENRY FOTHERGILL. (L.S.)