Improved Vessel for Running in Water and on Ice, and Methods of Propelling and Steering the same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1897 -Accepted, 24th July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Vessel for Running in Water and on Ice, and Methods of
Propelling and Steering the same.
1, CARL EVALD TORNER of 32 Kungsgatan, Stockholm, Sweden, Master Mechanic,
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to vessels and methods of propelling and steering the same
and the object of the invention is to provide a vessel that is suitable to run and be
propelled either in water, or on ice, or in water mixed with ice.
It is well known that vessels, as hitherto constructed and propelled, are very
much handicapped when they meet with ice, and that if they are not able to break
the ice, they are compelled to stop or return. Even if they succeed in breaking
the ice they often meet with accidents to their propelling and steering apparatus,
which has to move or revolve in and amongst the pieces of ice floating in the water
which cause the breaking or disabling of the propelling and steering apparatus.
On account of the resistance offered by the floating ice the speed of the vessel is at
the best very slow.
The object of this invention is to provide a vessel which may run with equal ease
in water mixed with ice, on the ice itself, or in water free from ice, and will not
be liable to have its propelling and steering apparatus broken or disabled on
account of the presence of ice.
The invention consists, broadly speaking, in providing a vessel with one or mor
unners and in arranging the weight or displacement in such a way that the front
part of the runners is generally above water. Instead of propelling and steering
the vessel by means of propellers or wheels and rudders acting or moving in the
water, the vessel is provided with a number of suitable propellers or wheels
revolving in the air. The steering is accomplished by means of the same
propellers or wheels being driven at different speeds or in different directions, or
both on the two sides of the boat.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows the side view of such a vessel:
Fig. 2 shows a plan and Fig. 3 shows an end view thereof.
On both sides of the deck are arranged a series of propellers or wheels a which
may either be driven by the same machinery by means of suitable gearing, such
as belting or preferably, be independently driven each by its own motor, for
instance, a rotary steam-engine or electric motor placed on the same axle as the
wheel or propeller. The said propellers or wheels revolve in the air and react on
the atmosphere so as to cause the vessel to move forward or backward according to
the direction in which the propellers revolve. The vessel may be steered by
making the propellers or wheels on opposite sides of the vessel revolve at different
speeds or in different directions or both. The vessel is provided with one or more
runners or skids bon each side of the bottom. The runners are curved upwards
at their fore end and extend nearly the whole longth of the vessel, which is so
proportioned and loaded that the runners are normally out of the water at their
fore end. For this purpose such heavy parts as the steam-generators and engines
are preferably located aft as indicated by the smoke-stacks d being shown at that
part in the drawing. The bottom of the vessel may be smooth, but 1 prefer to

page_text: have it corrugated in order to cut the floating ice to small pieces as well as to glide
more easily over it. It is preferable to have the bottom of the vessel flat or nearly
so, though it is not necessary if the runners are high enough.
It is obvious that a boat arranged in the manner described may be driven in
the water and when it meets with broken ice it will not be liable to have its
propelling or steering apparatus broken, since the same need not come in contact
with the ice. When the ice is strong enough to bear the weight of the vessel
without breaking, the vessel will be able to run onto and on the surface of the ice
and can be propelled on the same with more facility than in water since the ice
generally offers much less resistance. The boat is thus able to move in any climate
and at all seasons.
Such a vessel will be particularly useful for carrying the mails etc. in
winter-time between such places as are then inaccessible to regularly built vessels.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of August 1896.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agents,
Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents for the Applican
Improved Vessel for Running in Water and on Ice, and Methods of
Propelling and Steering the same.
I, CARL EVALD TÖRNER, of 32 Kungsgatan, Stockholm, Sweden, Engineer, 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 following
statement :-
This invention relates to vessels and methods of steering the same and the object
of the invention is to provide a vessel that is suitable to run and be propelled either
in water, or on ice, or in water mixed with ice.
It is well known that vessels, as hitherto constructed and propelled, are very
much handicapped when they meet with ice, and that if they are not able to break
the ice, they are compelled to stop or return. Even if they succeed in breaking
the ice they often meet with accidents to their steering apparatus, which has to
nove or revalve in and amongst the pieces of ice floating in the water which cause
the breaking or disabling of the steering apparatus. On account of the resistance
offered by the floating ice the speed of the vessel is at the best very slow.
The object of this invention is to provide a vessel which may run with equal ease
in water mixed with ice, on the ice itself, or in water free from ice, and will not
be liable to have its propelling and steering apparatus broken or disabled on
account of the presence of ice.
The invention consists, broadly speaking, in providing a vessel with one or more
runners and in arranging the weight or displacement in such a way that the front
part of the runners is generally above water. Instead of propelling and steering
the vessel by means of propellers or wheels and rudders acting or moving in the
water, the vessel is provided with a number of suitable propellers or wheels
revolving in the air in the well known way. The steering is accomplished by
means of the same propellers or wheels being driven at different speeds or in
different directions, or both, on the two sides of the boat.
In the drawing left with the Provisional Specification, Figure 1 shows the side
view of such a vessel; Fig. 2 shows a plan-view and Fig. 3 shows an end view
thereof.

page_text: On both sides of the deck are arranged a series of propellers or wheels a which
may either be caused to be driven by the same machinery by means of suitable
gearing, such as belting or, preferably, be independently driven each by its own
motor, for instance, a rotary steam-engine or electric motor placed on the same
axle as the wheel or propeller. When the said propellers or wheels revolve in the
air they react on the atmosphere in the well known manner so as to cause the vessel
to move forward or backward according to the direction in which the propellers
revolve. The vessel may be steered by making the propellers or wheels on
opposite sides of the vessel revolve at different speeds or in different directions or
both. The vessel is provided with one or more runners or skids bon each side of
the bottom. The runners are curved upwards at their fore end and extend nearly
the whole length of the vessel, which is so proportioned and loaded that the runners
are normally out of the water at their fore end. For this purpose such heavy parts
as the steam-gonerators and engines are preferably located aft as indicated by the
smoke-stacks & being shown at that part in the drawing. The bottom of the vessel
may be smooth, but I prefer to have it corrugated in order to cut the floating ice
to small pieces as well as to glide more easily over it. It is preferable to have the
bottom of the vessel flat or nearly so, though this is not necessary if the runners
ore high enough.
It is obvious that a boat arranged in the manner described may be driven in the
water and, when it meets with broken ice, will not be liable to have its propelling
or steering apparatus broken, since the same need not come in contact with the
ice. When the ice is strong enough to bear the weight of the vessel without
reaking, the vessel will be able to run unto and on the surface of the ice and can
l propelled on the same with more facility than in water since the ice generally
offers much less resistance. The boat is thus able to move in any climate and at
oll seasons.
Such a vessel will be particularly useful for carrying the mails etc. in
winter-time between such places as are then inaccessible to regularly built vessels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination with a vessel of one or more air-propellers or wheels on each
side and one or more runners on each side of the bottom, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
2. The method of steering a vessel which consists in making air propellers or
wheels revolve at different speeds or in different directions or both, substantially
23 and for the purpose set forth.
D1110111 TIONY
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents for the Applicant.