IMPROVEMENTS IN TOWING BOATS OR OTHER VESSELS ON RIVERS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOWING BOATS OR OTHER VESSELS ON RIVERS,
AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE." -A communication
from abroad by Jean François Cail, residing in Paris, in the Empire of
France.
Sealed the 7th August 1862, and dated the 13th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th February 1862.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOWING BOATS OR OTHER VESSELS ON
RIVERS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in laying an iron chain along the bed of a river to
the extent to which it is required to tow vessels, which chain is made to pass
up on board a vessel acting as a tug boat at one end of the same, whence it
passes over guide pullies to the middle of the vessel, and is there wound
several times round one or more drums, by preference fluted on the surface,
and fixed on a shaft or shafts connected by suitable gearing to a steam engine,
or to steam engines fixed in the boat. After leaving the drum or drums

page_text: before mentioned, the chain is made to pass over guide pullies along the deck
to the other end of the boat, whence it again descends to the bed of the river.
As the before-mentioned drum or drums is or are caused to revolve by the
motion of the steam engine or engines, it or they winds or wind up the chain
in front of the tug boat, and lets or let it out again behind, the boat being thus
caused to proceed in the direction in which the chain is being wound up, the
weight of its chain and its friction on the bed of the river offering sufficient
resistance to afford the requisite purchase to the boat. By simply reversing
the motion of the drum or drums the boat is made to move in one direction or
the other, and it is for this purpose provided with a rudder at either end. To
facilitate the passage of the chain along the deck of the tug boat when it
passes round a bend in the course of the river, a framework is provided at
each end of the boat, which framework is attached at one end to a fixed
centre on the deck, whilst the other end is capable of moving in a circular
direction round this centre. The framework is provided with pullies, over
which the before-mentioned chain runs when taken up or let out, and moves
round on rollers following the direction of the chain. To the end of this tug
boat are attached the boats or other vessels which it is desired to tow up or
down the river by means of ropes in the ordinary manner. By the above
described arrangement a very powerful traction is obtained, by which the
vessels may be towed along against a very strong current with considerable
speed. The chain does not cause any damage to the bed of the river, as it
simply lies upon the same without having any other motion than being raised
up from and lowered down again on to the bed. It is made of such a weight
that with even the most powerful pull upon it from the tug boat it rises very
suddenly from the bed of the river in front of the boat, and does not in any
way impede the navigation of the river. If requisite two or more chains may
be laid parallel along the bed of the river instead of only one, and the tug
boat may be provided with a corresponding number of drums.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings; Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Denton Abel, Her. special licence that I, the said
Charles Denton Abel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles Denton Abel; my 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 TOWING BOATS OR OTHER VESSELS ON RIVERS,
AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," (a communication to me from
abroad by Jean François Cail, residing in Paris, in the Empire of France,)
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Denton Abel,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,"
or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in laying an iron chain along the bed of a river to
the extent to which it is required to tow vessels, which chain is made to pass
up on board a vessel acting as a tug boat at one end of the same, whence it.
passes over guide pullies to the middle of the vessel, and is there wound
several times round one or more drums fixed on a shaft or shafts connected
by suitable gearing to a steam engine, or to steam engines fixed in the boat.
After leaving the drum or drums before mentioned, the chain is made to pass
over guide pullies along the deck to the other end of the boat, whence it again
descends to the bed of the river. As the before-mentioned drum or drums is
or are caused to revolve by the motion of the steam engine or engines, it or
they winds or wind up the chain in front of the tug boat, and lets or let it out
again behind, the boat being thus caused to proceed in the direction in which

page_text: the chain is being wound up, the weight of the chain and its friction on the
bed of the river offering sufficient resistance to afford the requisite purchase
to the boat. By simply reversing the motion of the drum or drums the boat
is made to move in one direction or the other, and it is for this purpose pro-
vided with a rudder at either end. To facilitate the passage of the chain
along the deck of the tug boat when it passes round a bend in the course of
the river, a framework is provided at each end of the boat, which framework
is attached at one end to a fixed centre on the deck, whilst the other end is
capable of moving in a circular direction round the centre; the framework is
provided with pullies, over which the before-mentioned chain runs when taken
up or let out, and it moves round on rollers following the direction of the
chain. To the end of this tug boat are attached the boats or other vessels
which it is desired to tow up or down the river means of ropes in the
ordinary manner. By the above-described arrangement a very powerful
traction is obtained, by which the vessels may be towed along against a very 1
strong current with considerable speed. The chain does not cause any
damage to the bed of the river, as it simply lies upon the same without
having any other motion than that of being raised up from and lowered down
again on to the bed of the river. The chain is made of such a weight that
with even the most powerful pull upon it from the tug boat it rises very a
suddenly from the bed of the river in front of the boat, and does not in any.
way impede the navigation of the river. If requisite two or more chains may
be laid parallel along the bed of the river instead of only one; and the tug
boat may be provided with a corresponding number of drums.
On the accompanying Drawing is shewn the arrangement of the tug boat s
employed for this improved system of towing vessels, as also the manner in
which it propels itself by means of the submerged chain.
Figure 1 shews a longitudinal section of the boat, and Figure 2 shews a
plan of the same.
A is the hull of the boat, which may be of wood or iron; its form is the s
same at either end, so as to enable it to travel readily in either direction
without being turned round, and for this purpose it is provided with a rudder
9, 9, at either end; B, B, is the submerged chain lying on the bed of the
river, by means of which the boat A propels itself and the vessels attached to
it. The chain may have any suitable form, and its size will depend upon the
load which it is required to draw along by the same; a, a, are the cylinders
of a steam engine of any suitable description fixed in the boat A for working
the drums b, b, round which the chain B passes. Although two of these

page_text: drums are shewn on the Drawing to produce a considerable amount of friction
in cases where considerable traction is required, yet in some cases only one
drum is requisite; c, c, c, c', c', c', are pulleys or rollers fixed at either end
upon the deck of the vessel, serving to carry the chain B on its passage along
the vessel to the drums b, b¹; d, d', are moveable frames, one end of each of
which works on a a pivot h, h', fixed to the deck of the boat, whilst the other end
is supported on rollers i, 1, 2, 3, and is capable of moving round the centre h, h',
so as to be capable of adjusting themselves to the position in which the chain B
rises out of or passes into the water. These frames are further provided with
guide pullies j, k, j, k, over which the chain B passes, and vertical guide pullies
1, 1, 1, 1, are fixed at the end of the frames d, d', between which the chain B
is caused to pass on its way to or from the drums 6, 6¹; e, e¹, are boilers of
any suitable description for working the engines; f is the chimney or funnel
of the boilers; m, m, is the gearing through which the motion of the engine
is communicated to the drums b, b', and which may be with advantage so
arranged in any known manner that the speed of transmission can be changed
from quick to slow, or vice versa, according to the duty which the tug boat
has to perform. The position of the chain B, as shewn on the Drawing,
indicates that the boat is travelling in the direction of the arrow; as the boat
moves along the chain rises up from the bed of the river, passes over the guide
pulleys j, k, c, and round the drums b, b, whence it passes over the guide
pullies c, j, k, down on to the bed of the river again, the boats or vessels which
the boat A is to tow along being in this case attached to this end of the vessel.
The length of chain which is raised up from the bed of the river in front of
the boat depends upon the force of traction and the size or weight of the
chain. Other details of the boat are of ordinary construction, and require no
further description.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I wish it to be understood that I do not claim generally the propulsion of
vessels on water by means of a submerged chain, nor do I claim the general
construction of the tug boat, as herein-before described; but what I claim is,―
Firstly, towing boats or other vessels on rivers by means of a tug boat,
which propels itself and the boats attached to it by means of a chain placed
along the bed of the river, which chain is caused to pass over the deck and
round one or more revolving drums on the tug boat, substantially as herein-
before described.
Secondly, the particular self-adjusting arrangement for guiding the sub-

page_text: merged towing chain from the bed of the river to the revolving drums, and
thence again on to the bed of the river, substantially as herein-before described
with reference to the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL. (L.S.)