A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OR MEANS OF PROPELLING, STEERING, AND MANŒUVRING STEAM SHIPS, OR OTHER SUCH VESSELS, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF PROPELLER'S PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederick Osborne, of Cape Town, South Africa,
but presently residing at Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OR MEANS OF PROPELLING,
STEERING, AND MANŒUVRING STEAM SHIPS, OR OTHER SUCH VESSELS, AND
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF PROPELLER'S
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederick Osborne
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st July 1880.
CHARLES FREDERICK OSBORNE, of Cape Town, South Africa, but presently
residing at Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain. "A NEW OR
IMPROVED MODE OR MEANS OF PROPELLING, STEERING, AND MANOEUVRING
STEAM SHIPS OR OTHER SUCH VESSELS, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
AND ARRANGEMENT OF PROPELLERS AND MACHINERY OR MOTIVE POWER
MECHANISM THEREFOR."
This Invention relates to a new or improved mode or means of propelling,
steering, and manoeuvring steam ships, or other such navigable vessels, and to the
construction of propellers or appliances employed therefor, to be actuated by motive
power machinery or mechanism designed for the purpose. The main objects of
the Invention are to provide a powerful and efficient substitute for the paddle
wheel or screw in marine propulsion, which shall be less costly in construction and
maintenance, and shall propell vessels at less cost than the screw or other propellers
hitherto in use, whilst the power of the engines being more directly applied, and
the principles of the lever being better taken advantage of, greater speed or
equivalent economy of fuel is, obtained, and that without the vibration or jarring
motion accompanying the use of the screw.
Under one modification of the present Invention, the improved propellers and
propelling appliances consist of a pair of nearly flat vanes, paddles, floats, or blades,
graduated sharply towards the advance edges, preferably made of iron or steel
plates rectangular or oblong in shape, which are fitted vertically or on edge
longitudinally at each side of the vessel at about the midship section, and at some
depth below the surface of the water, so as to lie when out of action, close to the
ships' side, or in planes parallel to the longitudinal contre line of the vessel. These

page_text: propelling blades or floats are actuated to propel the vessel forward by motive
power engines or machinery to be hereinafter described, through piston rods or
connecting rods passing through guides and stuffing boxes in the vessel's sides, and
jointed at their outer ends at or near the fore and aft ends of the floats or blades,
so that these may be free to oscillate on vertical centres, while always approximately
retaining their vertical positions. The piston rods or connecting rods are actuated
by the motive power engines, either direct or through suitable gearing, so as to have
an intermittent reciprocating motion given to them at right angles or transversely
to the direction of the ship's motion, and which is communicated to the propelling
blades alternately through the fore and aft connecting rods in the following
manner:-
The fore part of the propeller is projected outwards from the vessel by the engine
to any distance not greater than half the length of the propeller, during which
time of stroke the after end of the propeller remains stationary. At the instant, or
as nearly at the instant as practicable, of the stoppage of the first fore outward
projecting motion, the after part of the propeller is thrust away from the vessel.
during which after thrusting movement the fore portion of the propeller remains
stationary. At about the instant of the completion of the second or after thrusting
stroke, the fore part of the propeller is drawn in again, and upon reaching the end
of its inward stroke remains stationary, whilst the after end of the propeller, which
starts about instantly upon the stoppage of the inner fore stroke, is drawn in toward
the vessel, thus giving to the new propeller the new motion. The interval of rest
allowed between each of the four movements of each blade is by preference such
that the movement following in each case takes place when that preceding is
complete, or only near completion, the result of which is that the blades are never
in any position of rest, but oscillate on continuously changing vertical centres, so
that any point in the length of each blade when the ship is in motion traverses an
alternately inverted or double cycloidal or tractorial curve, somewhat like the
wriggle of an eel through water. These intermittent motions of the reciprocating
rods and resulting oscillating motion of the propelling blades cause a displacement
and backward thrust of the water, the resistance to which is the means of propelling
the vessel forward; and as the rate of propulsion or speed of the vessel will be
determined by the acting surface of the propelling blades, as well as by the power
and velocity of the engines, and stroke of the reciprocating piston rods or connecting
rods, the requisite area and shape of the propelling blades to attain a given speed
of any size of vessel can be readily calculated; but preferably it will be advantageous
to form the blades so that the ratio of the length to the depth shall be as three to
one or thereabouts.
The propelling blades may be constructed of wood or other light and inexpensive
material when desired, and instead of using only one pair or one on each side of
the vessel, two or more pairs may be used, each behind the other along the vessel's
side, and each of the same or different dimensions, but of an acting surface or area
amounting in the aggregate to that of a single pair capable of propelling the vessel;
and the shape of the blades may be varied as desired, and made to suit the
contour of the ship's side, or the ship's section may be made suitable for the new
propellers.
In one simple arrangement of the motive power engines or machinery for
actuating these propelling blades and connecting gear or fittings four cylinders are
used, fitted as low as possible in the ship, working transversely to the longitudinal
centre line of the ship, with their piston rods prolonged and directly connected or
jointed to the fore and aft parts of the propelling blades, and these engines are
connected and controlled to act together in pairs or separately, so as to give the
desired reciprocating motions to the connecting piston rods of the propellers on each
side in unison or otherwise. The requisite rest or pause at the end of each outward
and inward stroke of the engines may be obtained by the employment of a modified
form of the cataract used with pumping engines, or by cam levers, or other suitable
arrangement.

page_text: The valves of the engines can also be controlled automatically to give the
requisite intermittent reciprocations of the pistons and connecting gear, and each
engine or cylinder is arranged to work separately from or independently of the
others, so that whilst one propeller is actuated by its engines to propel the vessel
forwards, the other propeller may be operated by its corresponding engines in the
backward direction, and thus cause the vessel to turn; or one pair of engines may
remain stationary, with their propeller either out of action or lying obliquely, to
act as a drag brake or rudder, whilst the other pair of engines and corresponding
propeller may be driven in one direction or the other to turn the vessel with a
longer sweep and any intermediate combinations of the motions of the engines
and propellers can be used as an auxilliary means of steering or manoeuvring the
vessel as required, either with or without the aid of an ordinary rudder and
steering gear.
The motive power machinery or apparatus for so actuating the propeller rods is
obviously susceptible of considerable modification in construction, whilst retaining
the means of giving the essential intermittent reciprocating movements to the
propeller rods, and obtaining the novel oscillating motion of the propellers.
Thus by a modified arrangement of the motive power engines or machinery for
actuating the propeller, one pair of cylinders only is used, arranged to give a reci-
procating motion to a pair of long connecting rods or shafts placed parallel to each
other in the longitudinal line or direction of the ship's motion, and the forward
pair of the transversely reciprocating propeller rods on each side are connected to
one longitudinal shaft by means of jointed toggle links, the aft pair of propeller
rods being similarly connected to the other longitudinal shaft. The continuous
reciprocation of the longitudinal shafts or rods oscillates or traverses the joints of
the toggle links alternately to either side of the centre line of the transverse con-
necting rods, and thereby communicates to the latter a double reciprocation for
each single to or fro motion of the former; and the requisite pause at the end
of each stroke of the propeller rods may be obtained at the time of the outward
thrust, whilst passing the dead centre of the toggle joints, and at the end of
each oscillation by giving the longitudinal shafts an intermittent reciprocating
motion.
By another arrangement of the actuating machinery for giving the desired
motions to the propeller rods and propellers, a large drum or wheel is used, driven
on a transverse horizontal axis either direct or through gearing from a motive
power engine, and this drum is formed with one or two cam grooves on its
periphery, into which pins or studs with antifriction pulleys on the inner ends of
the propeller rods are fitted. The form or course of the grooves round the periphery
of the drum is alternately straight and oblique, and such as to give the propeller
rods the requisite reciprocating motion at the proper times, and with the desired
interval of rest between each reciprocation, all as before described. Or a flat disc
rotating either on a horizontal or vertical axis, and formed with cam grooves on its
surface, might be used to obtain a similar reciprocation of the propeller rods and
motion of the propelling blades. These constructions of actuating cam or cam
groove apparatus cannot conveniently be used when the propellers are also used for
steering and manoeuvring as well as propelling the ship, but the intermittent
reciprocation of the propeller rods can be obtained by other means, such as by
cranks and connecting rods, though in every case the direct thrust of the engine
piston or connecting rods is preferred.
Either with the four cylinders or with any of the mechanism as described, it is
provided that the action of the propellers can be modified from the intermittent
motion as described, so far as is represented by the movement of piston rods when
applied to cranks set at right angles upon a rotating shaft, which will not give
more than one third of the return of stroke of one reciprocating rod during the
full stroke of the other. Instead of actuating the propellers by piston rods or
connecting rods passing through stuffing boxes in the ship's sides, the propellers
may be fitted with strong vertical bars or rods at or near the ends, passing up at or

page_text: through the side of the vessel and forming a framing above, to which the engine
piston rods or connecting rods would be jointed above the level of the water, or on
a level with the deck if desired, and thus the use of water tight stuffing boxes
would be avoided.
Under a second modification or arrangement and construction of the propelling
appliances, actuated in a similar manner, but still obtaining a very similar motion
of the propelling blades; these blades are made flexible, and rigidly fixed each at
or near the forward end only to the connecting rods of the engines. The blades
are made preferably of steel, considerably stronger and stiffer near the joint or
forward part than at the aft end, which is tapered away and quite flexible. The
single connecting rod of each blade is actuated either by the direct thrust of a
motive power engine, or by means of any of the constructions of machinery or
niechanism herein before referred to as applicable for operating the previous
modification of propellers described, but simplified to give an outward and inward
thrust of one rod only for each propeller, and with or without a pause between
each reciprocation. The outward thrust of the fore part of each propeller through
the water is, owing to the flexibility of the blade, only followed up by the aft or
tail part after an appreciable interval, and the motion of the fore part being
regularly followed up by the aft part or tail, a sinuous wave motion of any part
of the blade results, similar to if not identical with that described in reference to
the first modification of propeller. To reverse the direction of propulsion of the
vessel when this form of propeller is used, the blade would have to be reversed,
that is to say, the blade would be turned through half a circle or revolution on the
propeller rod as a centre or axis.
It will be understood that both the improved propellers may be fitted at almost
any position either forwards or abaft the midship section in any number along
the vessel's sides or bottom, although the midship position is preferred, with a
considerable immersion of the propelling blades which has the advantage that the
propellers are not effected by heaving or rolling of the vessel, and particularly in
war ships, that they are protected from projectiles fired by an enemy. To prevent
accidents also, when in harbour it is preferred to contract the bilge or lower section
of the vessel, and make the sides almost vertical to within a line with the upper
edge of the propellers, where the vessel's section again expands to assume the
ordinary shape or form, or the propellers can be used on vessels of ordinary shape
with a guard framing projecting over and beyond it to prevent accident by contact
with wharves or vessels passing alongside. The propellers are by this means
entirely protected from accident by contact with piers or floating bodies, and being
light they may be shipped or lifted out of the water when found desirable to sail
the vessel during a favourable wind, or if the engines should break down, by
drawing them through vertical openings like long hawse holes in the ship's side.
And for this purpose the propellers would require to be jointed to their propelling
rods by eyes in the former, or vice versa, fitting over long pins in the latter, of
which they could be easily slipped to ship the blades. In the case of flat bottomed
vessels, a single propeller, horizontal or vertical, might be fitted quite underneath
the centre line of the ship, and actuated as described to obtain the propelling
effect; or one or more propellers can be placed in a channel in the middle of the
vessel, or at the stern, in the ship's longitudinal centre line, but these arrangements
will not generally be found desirable.
The extent of the lateral motion or outward and inward thrust of the propeller
rods will be generally regulated according to the power of engines and relative
speed desired, as well as by the length of the blades, but, as already stated, the
lateral thrust movement can proceed to any distance not greater than half the
length of the blades, or give them a maximum angle of 40 degrees to the vessel's
Bide.

page_text: PECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Frederick Osborne in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 31st January 1881.
CHARLES FREDERICK OSBORNE, of Cape Town, South Africa, but presently
"A NEW OR
esiding at Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
IMPROVED MODE OR MEANS OF PROPELLING, STEERING, AND MANOEUVRING
STEAM SHIPS OR OTHER SUCH VESSELS, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
PROPELLERS AND MACHINERY OR MOTIVE POWER
AND ARRANGEMENT
MECHANISM THEREFOR.”
OF
This Invention relates to a new or improved mode or means of propelling,
steering, and manoeuvring steam ships, or other such navigable vessels, and to the
construction of propellers or appliances employed therefor, to be actuated by motive
power machinery or mechanism designed for the purpose.
The main objects of the Invention are to provide a powerful and efficient
substitute for the paddle-wheel or screw in marine propulsion, which shall be less
costly in construction and maintenance, and shall propel vessels at less cost than the
screw or other propellers hitherto in use; whilst the power of the engines being
more directly applied, and the principles of the lever being better taken advantage
of, greater speed or equivalent economy of fuel is obtained, and that without the
vibration or jarring motion accompanying the use of the screw.
Under one modification of the present Invention the improved propellers and
propelling appliances consist of vanes, paddles, floats, or blades, usually graduated
sharply toward the edges, but varied in form, as hereinafter described, and being
preferably made of iron or steel plates; but they may be made of other material
which may be suitable, and generally of a rectangular or oblong shape, or of any
other suitable shape; examples of which shapes are shown in Figures 1 to 9 of the
accompanying Drawings and are hereinafter referred to, the dotted lines indicating
variations of form which may be adopted. They are fitted vertically, or on edge,
longitudinally, at each side of the vessel at or about the midship section, or abaft
the midship section, and at some depth below the surface of the water, so as to lie
when out of action near to the ship's sides, or in planes parallel to the longitudinal
centre line of the vessel.
These propelling blades are actuated to propel the vessel forward by motive-
power engines or machinery, to be hereinafter described, through piston rods or
connecting rods passing through guides and stuffing boxes in the vessel's sides,
and jointed or fastened at their outer ends at or near the fore and aft ends of the
blades or propellers, so that these are free to oscillate on vertical centres or perform
the new motion given them, while always approximately retaining their vertical
positions.
The piston or connecting rods are actuated by the motive power engines either
directly or through suitable gearing, so as to have an intermittent reciprocating
motion given to them at right angles or transversely to the direction of the ship's
keel, which motion is communicated to the propelling blades in the following
manner Figures 10 to 13 being diagrams illustrating the motions given to these
5 propeller blades. I will describe the motion of the propeller on one side of the
vessel. The fore part of the propeller or blade at 1 is projected outward from the
vessel's side by the engine to any distance not greater than half of its length to the
position, Figure 10, during the time of which stroke the after end remains
stationary. At the instant, or as nearly at the instant as may be practicable, of
0 the stoppage of the first fore outward projecting motion, the after part of the
propeller at 2 is thrust away from the vessel, during which after thrusting move-
ment the fore portion 1 remains stationary, when the propeller takes the position

page_text: Figure 11. At about the instant of the completion of the second, or after thrusting
stroke, the fore part 1 of the propeller is drawn in again, as shewn in Figure 12,
and upon reaching the end of its inward stroke, which is the point it started from,
remains stationary, whilst the after end 2 (which starts about instantly upon the
stoppage of the inward fore stroke of the part 1) is drawn in towards the vessel 5
to the position from which it started, as shown in Figure 13. The propeller on the
other side follows the movement of the blade described, and thus the new motion
is given to the propeller constituting my Invention.
The interval of rest allowed between each of the fore movements of each blade
is, by preference, such that the movement following in each case takes place when 1
that preceding is complete, or only near completion, the result of which is that the
propellers are never in any position of rest whilst propelling.
The blades can be of any relative proportions, but preferably it will be advan-
tageous to form them so that the ratio of the length to the breadth or depth shall
be between threo and eight to one, or thereabouts, and they may be constructed of
wood or other material when desired, and instead of using only one pair, or one on
each side of the vessel, two or more pairs may be used joined together or separately,
each behind the other along the vessel's side or otherwise, and each of the samo
or different dimensions; and their shape may be varied as desired and made to
suit the contour of the ship's side, or the ship's section may be made suitable for
the new propellers.
In one arrangement of the motive power engines or machinery for actuating
these propelling blades and connecting gear or fittings four cylinders are used,
fitted as low as possible in the ship, and working transversely to the longitudinal
centre line of the vessel, with their piston rods prolonged and directly jointed or
otherwise connected to the fore and aft parts of the propelling blades, and these
engines are connected and controlled to act together in pairs or separately, so as
to give the required reciprocating motions, as hereinbeforo described, to the piston
or connecting rods, attached to the propellers on each side in unison or otherwise
according to the movement to be given to the vessel.
The requisite rest or pause at the end of each outward and inward stroke of the
engines may be obtained by any suitable mechanical arrangement, such as the
employment of a modified form of the cataract used with pumping engines, or by
the form of slide valve shewn in section in Figure 17, and hereinafter described,
or by cam levers or other suitable arrangement.
The valves of the engines can also be controlled automatically to give the
requisite intermittent reciprocating motions to the pistons and connecting gear,
and each engine or cylinder may be arranged to work separately from or inde-
pendently of the others, so that whilst one propeller is actuated by its engines to
propel the vessel forward, the other propeller may be operated by its engines in the
backward direction, and thus cause the vessel to turn; or one pair of engines may
remain stationary with their propeller either out of action or lying obliquely to act
as a drag, brake, or rudder, whilst the other pair of engines and corresponding
propeller may be driven in one direction or the other to turn the vessel with a
longer sweep, and any intermediate combination of the motions of the cugines and
propellers can be used as an auxilliary means of steering or manoeuvring the
vessel as required either with or without the aid of an ordinary rudder and steering
gear.
One mode of working the propellers when placed vertically in the sides or
quarters, is shewn in Figures 14, 15, and 16 of the accompanying Drawings. The
two cylinders A, B, have prolonged rods a, b, fitted on either side of, or passing
through their pistons, and projecting through the respective sides of the vessel, as
illustrated in plan in Figure 14, and side elevation in Figure 15. One piston thus
serves to drive the fore parts, and one (the after parts of both blades or propellers
which have a parallel motion, one making the out stroke while the other makes
the in stroke.
In this case a rocking-beam F is connected with the two piston rods a and b

page_text: on one side, which rests upon a part of the bed plate at h, a groove in which part
it traverses by means of an attached antifriction pulley g placed under and precisely
in the centre of the beam F.
The piston rods a and b are attached to the rocking beam F by means of a pin
(a and b) passing through each rod and working in a bush or sliding block f³ in
a slot at each end of the beam F. Figure 10 is a longitudinal section of this beam F
and its adjuncts separately.
The intermittent motions of the piston rods a and b applied thus to the ends of
the rocking beam F cause a continuous motion of its centre, which traversing the
groove in the part of the bed-plate h in a right line affords by the connecting rod i
the necessary movement to turn a crank. On the side of the ship opposite to that
on which the rocking beam F is placed, a revolving shaft H is mounted, which is
turned by a crank connected by the rod i with the centre of the beam F, as
shewn in Figures 14 and 15. Upon this shaft are eccentrics; for moving the
slide valves k, which are of a new description, somewhat resembling the old
pass-over valve." The said slide valve and cylinder are shewn in section and
elevation drawn to a larger scale in Figure 17, where the line 1 represents the
centre line of the shaft H; the line 2 that of the rod i, and the line 3 that of the
beam F. The slide valve k has a lap of considerable length, and has the novel
feature of a passage or bore hole passing from the face of one lap through the
solid substance of the valve to the other lap, thus allowing a passage of steam from
one side of the piston to the other as the two openings of the bore-hole pass over
the steam ports in the cylinder.
The openings and through diameter of the bore hole bear but a small proportion
to that of the steam ports, and the steam thus passes over during the interval of
their transit across the latter, and is then cut off in the cylinder at both ends by
the laps, which extent considerably on both sides of the bore-hole or pass-over
tunnel. By this arrangement a body of steam from that already expanded at one
side of the piston is passed over to the other, and having about the same pressure
acts as a cushion when it is confined by the movement of the slide valve. Thus
momentarily the steam on both sides is confined, which brings the piston to a halt
before it has traversed quite the length of the cylinder. This halt is further
facilitated by the rocking beam F, the slot in which is of such a length that by the
time the pass-over tunnel of the slide valve has completely passed the steam ports
of the cylinder, the pin upon the piston rod with its sliding block has traversed
to the end of that slot. It is obvious that the other cylinder having at the instant
of the completion of the first one's piston stroke commenced action, the beam
cannot proceed any further with the first piston rod; but as an additional safety, in
case of breakage of the beam or faulty action of the slide valve, a valve / can be placed
upon the cylinder cover at each end in a free steam passage from the valve casing,
as shewn in Figure 18, which will be opened by a projection l² on the piston rod
travelling so far as to come into contact with a pin on the rod of the valve l,
and steam will be admitted from the boiler should the beam break or the piston
proceed toward the end of the cylinder further than desired.
Both in this form with two cylinders, and also with four or more cylinder
arrangements, compound engines can be used if desired, the high and low pressure
cylinders being placed back to back (in the latter cases) so as to give one of each
to each blade, or the high pressure can be placed back to back, and the low
pressure be used either for the fore, aft, or centre positions.
From the centre of the hereinbefore described beam F rotatory motion can be
obtained, and from any part of it between the centre and either end an eccentric,
elliptical, or oval motion may be procured by rods or other gearing if found
desireable in working any portion of the engines.
The rotating shaft H may have a fly wheel or crank-balance weights, and there
may be two beams F, with either one or two shafts H, and either one or two
cranks on that shaft or those shafts H, or one rotating shaft may be used in the

page_text: centre between the cylinders, and the slide valves may be either circular rotating
valves or ordinary action ones moved in a right line.
The herein before described beam F can be made to rock upon a vertical axis f,
as shewn in plan and vertical section respectively in Figures 19 and 20, passing
through it, which pin. can be part of a solid sliding pieco g, which is moved
backwards and forwards in a groove in the bed-plate h, being enclosed so that
it can only have a sliding motion. This sliding picce g can be made to project
any distance beyond the beam F, and to it the connecting rod m can be fastened
in the ordinary way. The pin or pivot f must be very strong, and be part of
the slide g, or attached to it inmoveably, the beam F rocking on a shoulder få
of the said pin. Figure 21 is a vertical section of a slightly modified form of
beam and slide.
The top and bottom lids or covers of the cylinders may be of ordinary design,
or may be concave, or have a steam cavity, or may be fitted with a false bottom
after the manner shewn in Figures 22 and 23. Both Figures show the piston
at the end of the stroke at the moment the pass-over tunnel 2 in the slide
valve is over the centre of both steam ports in the cylinder. In Figure 22
is represented simply a steam dome to act as a cushion. At Figure 23 is represented
a continuation Y of the cylinder with a smaller diameter always full of boiler
steam or receiving steam from boiler upon the tappit T on the cylinder striking the
tappet X on the ring piston 2. This ring piston is loose, and slides in the
continuation of the cylinder Y and upon the piston rod. The piston of the main
cylinder only proceeds as far as is shewn in the Figure, pass-over steam being then
let in at S through the slide valve. These modifications, or similar modifications,
can be adopted to ensure safety in case of the piston running too far. The piston
may be made with a channel, as at 62, Figure 24, opposite the steam port, so that
it cannot close it even if proceeding to the top, or the same may be effected by
forming the piston as in Figure 25.
Another modification of the propeller is when the forward piston rods have the
motion ordinarily given an engine when in direct attachment to a rotatory crank,
and the forward cylinders perform this action, while the after ones perform the
intermittent action already described. Thus a slighly altered motion is given to
the propelling blades, for when the forward-piston-rod has proceeded more than half,
and preferably nearer the whole of its stroke, the after-piston-rod, which had
during this interval remained stationary, suddenly thrusts out the after end of the
propeller at a greater speed, so that it arrives at the end of the outer stroke and
becomes equal with the fore position, bringing the blades parallel with the ship's
keel, at the same instant or thereabouts, and upon the return of the fore stroke
adopting the same course, which brings both ends of the blades simultaneously to
the end of the inward stroke.
With this modification the blades can be of any of the forms described or shewn
in the Drawings, but preferably the forms with the rigid blade from fore to aft,
motive rods, and flexible tail or tail pieces.
For reversing this form of the propeller the ordinary method of altering the
time of stroke can be adopted, leaving the different motions intact, but also there
could be arranged a simple method of altering the fore cylinder stroke to an
intermittent one, and the aft to a continuous motion. This can be effected by
causing the rod working the slide valve to be a tube, down which passes a rod
which, by rotating in a screw thread, could be made to pass down or up, and close
the pass-over tunnel or open it in the slide valve, which could be so constructed as
by this movement to assume a more extended travel, and vice versa, thus converting
the cylinders into ordinary motion engines or intermittent ones at pleasure. In
this form of the propeller (which I think a very important one for special purposes)
the cylinders having crank motion could drive a rotatory shaft for the purpose of
working the slide valves, pumps, and other parts of the engine instead of using the
rocking beam F, as before described.

page_text: The propeller may also be driven by the direct thrust of an intermittent piston-
rod attached to the fore-end of the beam, while the after rod may be a continuation
of the sliding piece g in the bed-plate, on which is the pin upon which rocks the
rocking beam F. This sliding-piece g may be driven by an ordinary motion
cylinder, while the after intermittent piston-rod does not extend beyond the end of
the beam nor pass through the side of the vessel. The blade in this case would be
formed, preferably rigid, from the fore intermittent piston-rod to the ordinary
moving rod connected with sliding-piece, and thence in the backward direction
tapered and flexible. An arrangement of this kind is shewn with regard to one
side of a vessel in Figure 26. A represents a small cylinder with intermittent
motion of its piston, the rod of which is connected only with the end of the beam F
as a regulator; B represents a cylinder with an ordinary continuous motion piston,
the rod b of which passes through the side of the vessel, and is attached to the
propelling blade, having at f the pin (fixed on it) on which works the rocking
beam; D is a crosshead, also on the piston rod b, from which depend rods E, E,
working cranks on a rotating shaft G for working all the valves; C is the main
cylinder having intermittent motion corresponding with the guide cylinder A. A
precisely similar set can work the other side. This continuous action cylinder B,
and piston, and rod may be applied to the centre of the rocking beam F in all
cases.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 illustrate in side and end elevations and longitudinal sections
respectively forms of blades which may be employed when the part at A is
connected with the intermittent motion cylinder, and the part at B is the part
connected with the crank motion.
A great variety of forms of the propellers can be designed to combine the rigid
and flexible qualities of the blade, which should be made in one piece, graduated
towards the edges, as seen in Figure 8. The tails should be bifurcated or be
triform, as speed is increased in proportion to amount of surface cut away, and it
is preferred that the flexibility be graduated from scarcely perceptible forward to
absolute aft over the whole area.
I have purposely omitted mention of pumps, condensers, and the like, as they
may be essentially the same as in ordinary engines.
There may also be three or six cylinders, and three sets of rods attached to and
giving motion to one or more blades on each side. In this case the centre cylinder
could give permanent continuous motion, and the fore and aft ones permanent
intermittent notions, or any such like combination.
The centre rods could have attached propeller blades on either side, or using
one blade only having the capacity to revolve on its rod, as an axis could give facility
for the opposite end to be attached to either the fore or after piston rods. This could
be effected by automatic, spring, or clasp joints, which could be made to fasten or
unfasten at sea in order to reverse the motion and drive a ship astern, and it would
be also of use in other modifications of the propeller constituting this Invention,
which it is not necessary here to enumerate.
By another arrangement a series of drums or a large drum or wheel is used
driven on a transverse horizontal axis either direct or through gearing from a
motive power engine, and this drum is formed with one or more cam grooves on
its periphery, into which pins or studs with antifriction pulleys on the propeller
rods are fitted. The form or course of the grooves round the periphery of the drum
is alternately straight and oblique, and such as to give the propeller rods the
requisite motions at the proper times, and with the desired intervals of rest, all as
before described, or the drum may be surrounded by a projecting ridge, on either
side of which large pulleys may be attached to the propeller rods. Or a flat disc
rotating either on a horizontal or vertical axis, and formed with cam grooves or
ridges on its surface, might be used to give a similar reciprocation of the propeller
rods and motion of the blades. Cranks and connecting gear also could be used,
but in every case the direct thrust of the engine piston-rods, prolonged or connected,
is preferred.

page_text: Either with two, four, or more cylinders, or with any of the mechanism men-
tioned, it is provided that the action of the propellers can be modified from the
intermittent motion as described, so far as is represented by the movement of one,
any, or all the pistons or blades when applied in a direct line to cranks set at right
angles upon a rotating shaft.
Instead of actuating the propellers by piston rods or connecting rods passing
through stuffing boxes in the ship's sides, the propellers may be fitted with strong
vertical bars or rods at or near the ends passing up, at, or near, or through the side
of the vessel, and forming a framing above to which the engine piston rods or
connecting rods would be joined above the level of the water, and thus the use of
water-tight stuffing boxes would be avoided.
Under another modification or arrangement and construction of the propelling
appliances actuated in a similar manner and obtaining a very similar motion of the
propelling blades, the blades are mado flexible, and rigidly fixed, each, at or near
their forward ends only to the piston or connecting rods of the engines. The blades
are made preferably of steel, considerably stronger and stiffer near the joint or
forward part than at the aft unattached end, which is tapered away and quite
flexible. The single connecting rod of each blade is actuated either by the direct
thrust of a motive power engine or by means of any of the constructions of
machinery or mechanism hereinbefore described as applicable for operating the
other modifications in form and movement of propellers, but simplified to give an
outward and inward thrust of one rod only for each propeller, and with or without
a pause between each reciprocation. The outward thrust of the fore part of each
propeller through the water is (owing to the flexibility of the blade) only followed
up by the aft or tail part after an appreciable interval, and the motion of the fore
part being regularly followed up by the aft part or tail a sinuous wave motion of
any part of the blade results, similar to if not identical with that described in
reference to the first modification of propeller.
To reverse the direction of propulsion of the vessel when this form of propeller
is used the blade would have to be reversed by turning it through half a circle or
revolution on the propeller rod as a centre or axis.
All the propellers, or any combination of them in one, may be fitted at any
position forward or abaft the midship section in any number along the vessel's sides
or bottom, vertically or horizontally, or one may be in the deadwood, although the
midship position is preferred for vessels intended to manoeuvre.
A new model of vessel can be built to suit, contracting the bilge or lower section
of the vessel, and making the sides almost vertical to within a line with the upper
edge of the propellers, where the vessel's section again expands to assumo the
ordinary shape or form, or the propellers can be used on vessels of ordinary
construction and shape with a guard framing projecting over them.
The propellers may be shipped or lifted out of the water by drawing them
through openings like long hauseholes in the ship's sides or bottom, and for this
purpose the propellers would require to be jointed to their propelling rods by eyes
in the former, or vice versa, fitting over long pins in the latter, off which they
could be easily slipped to ship the blades.
The piston rods passing through the vessel's side can be packed with a collar
of leather similar to that used in the hydraulic press, or with any other suitable
packing.
The hereinbefore described propellers can be used in combination with the screw
propeller either as auxilliaries or otherwise, and would be found of great service to
ships of war already constructed, enabling them to manoeuvre with rapidity, and
forming little or no obstruction at other times by being laid flat against the sides,
which could be slightly indented to receive them.
The following are the chief advantages of the hercinbefore described propellers,
viz. —
1. There is no rotatory motion in the propellers, and the thumping or vibrating
motion of a screw is avoided.

page_text: 2. There is no screw shaft, or large piece of machinery like it, taking up much
space, and if injured being fatal to the ship. On the contrary, all or nearly all the
parts of the new propeller may be carried in duplicate on board, and shipped or
fitted at sea if accident should happen to any of the original parts.
3. The hereinbefore described propellers can by their engines be drawn in to
the ship's side, and when there will afford little or no obstruction to sailing.
4. The said propellers can be placed in almost any position along the ship, thus
affording, among other advantages, facilities for turning and manoeuvering the
vessel with much greater ease than can be done with the screw.
5. Vessels furnished with the said propeller can be driven astern nearly as fast
as forward, which is not the case with vessels propelled by a screw.
6. Vessels furnished with the said propellers can steer nearly as well going
astern as forward, which is not the case with vessels propelled by a screw.
7. Vessels furnished with the said propellers can, to a certain extent, steer with
the propellers and without a rudder, which is not the case with vessels propelled by
a single screw.
8. The said propellers work in "solid" water, which has not the same facility
for rising into the air aft as has the screw.
9. The pitching of the vessels does not affect the said propellers so detrimentally
as it does the screw.
10. The rolling of the vessels does not affect the said propellers so detrimentally
as it does paddle wheels.
11. The said propellers are better protected from projectiles than either screw or
paddle wheels.
12. The direct action of steam is used upon the said propellers without so much
intermediate gear as with most other propellers, thus less friction is caused.
13. Owing to the difference in the use of leverage between the motive power
and the propellers to all other modes of propulsion, a more economical mode of
gaining the effects of that power is acquired in the said propellers than with any
other propeller, that is, the same speed is attained with less consumption
of fuel.
I propose to call my improved propeller the "Ichthyos propeller."
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I wish
it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular forms of the
propeller blades shewn in the accompanying Drawings, nor to the means described
for actuating them. I have described and shewn the best means with which I am
acquainted for this purpose, but any other suitable means for giving the requisite
motions to the propeller blades may be adopted. What I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The means for propelling, steering, and manoeuvering steam ships and
other vessels, consisting of propeller blades, which are alternately thrust from and
drawn towards the vessel, essentially as and for giving the propelling or other
movements herein before described with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
whether the said means be used in combination with a screw propeller or other
ordinary means of propulsion, or not.
Second. The combination with the said propeller blades of means for giving the
herein before described motions thereto, essentially as herein before described with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The combination, with the said blades and the means for actuating them,
of a rocking beam (F), essentially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figures 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, and 26 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. The combination with the said blades, and the means for actuating
them, of the arrangement and construction of valve, essentially as hereinbefore

page_text: described and illustrated in Figures 17 and 18 of the accompanying Drawings, for
admitting steam to the cylinders of the engines to operate the said propeller
blades at the proper times to give the requisite motions to the said blades.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Frederick Osborne, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
CHARLES FREDERICK OSBORNE. (L.S.)