IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF MARINE ENGINES, AND THE MODE OF MOUNTING PADDLE WHEEL SHAFTS
Year: 1858

page_text: 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF
MARINE ENGINES, AND THE MODE OF MOUNTING PADDLE WHEEL SHAFTS."
-A communication.
Scaled the 15th October 1858, and dated the 19th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th May 1858.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF
MARINE ENGINES, AND IN THE MODE OF MOUNTING PADDLE WHEEL SHAPTS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention, consists principally in an arrangement of mechanism for
raising and lowering the shafts of paddle wheels for the purpose of regulating
the dip of these latter into the water, and keeping it uniform notwithstanding
the varying amount of draft of the vessel, which variation is often considerable
during long voyages by reason of the consumption of the fuel and consequently
gradual lightening of the vessel.
The engine is composed of two horizontal steam cylinders perpendicular
to the axis of the paddle wheels, the shafts of which are actuated by means
of connecting rods connected at one end with the piston rod of the cylinders,

page_text: and at the other with the cranks which are set at right angles to each other
and held in that position by means of a link or bridle piece.
The steam cylinders are placed horizontally, and are not set opposite to
cach other, but are situate at equal distances either way from the centre of
the vessel.
The bearings of the propeller or paddle wheel shaft are moveable, and are
capable of moving up and down in guide grooves by means of vertical screws
passing through worm wheels which have female screws taking on to the
elevating screws. The worm wheels take into endless screws upon a cross
shaft, to which motion may be transmitted, either by hand or by power
supplied from the engine itself, or by other convenient means, but whatever
may be the method employed for driving these shafts, they will by their
rotation turn the endless screws, and consequently effect the ascent or descent
of the vertical elevating screws which will carry with them the bearings, and
consequently the crank or paddle wheel shafts. It will therefore be under-
stood that as these shafts can be raised at pleasure, the paddle wheels may
raised more or less according to the draught of the vessel, and consequently
their dip may be regulated with facility.
be
The employment of long connecting rods allows of the vertical movement of
the paddle wheel shafts, and ensures the efficient working of the engine; the
condensers are situate below the cranks. The air pumps, which are double
acting, are situate below the condensers, their pistons being worked by means
of rods hinged to the vibrating levers or connecting rods. The boilers are
eight in number, they are set in pairs underneath the engine, having a flue
between them for heating purposes. A space is left at each side for the fuel,
from which there is a communication with the heat chamber through suitable
doors.
Lastly, it will be observed that the partitions, between which the cylinders
are. mounted, have sufficient space left to admit of the passage of the boilers,
which may be detached simply by unlinking the connecting rods.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County 3
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF MARINE
ENGINES, AND IN THE MODE OF MOUNTING PADDLE WHEEL SHAFTS," being a
communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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:
I NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Improvements applicable to Certain Descriptions. of
Marine Engines, and in the Mode of Mounting Paddle Wheel Shafts," consists
principally in a novel arrangement of mechanism for raising and lowering the
shafts of paddle wheels for the purpose of regulating the dip of these latter
into the water, and keeping the dip uniform notwithstanding the varying
amount of draught of the vessel, which variation is often considerable during
long voyages by reason of the consumption of the fuel and consequently
gradual lightening of the vessel. To obviate the inconveniences arising from
this unequal dip, it has heretofore been found requisite to employ wheels of
very large diameter.
The Invention also consists in various arrangements for the purpose of
carrying out the above mentioned object.
The three Sheets of Drawings accompanying this description represent
various views of a portion of a vessel with these improvements applied thereto.

page_text: The Figure in Sheet I. being a longitudinal vertical section shewing the
engine, the section being taken in front of the engine; Sheet II. is a trans-
verse section taken through the paddle wheel shafts, and representing on one
side the mechanism (for shifting the said shafts), in section, and on the
other side in external elevation. The Figure in Sheet III. is a horizontal.
section of a vessel, one half of which is shewn as taken at the height of the
steam engine, one of the cylinders being in section, the other half being taken
above the boilers or coal boxes.
The engine is composed of two horizontal steam cylinders B, perpendicular
to the axis of the paddle wheels M, the shafts of which are actuated by means
of connecting rods O, connected at one end with the piston rod of the cylinders
B, and at the other with the cranks Q, which are set at right angles to each
other, and held in that position by means of a link or bridle piece R. It will
be observed that for this purpose, the steam cylinders are placed horizontally,
and are not set opposite to each other, but are situate at equal distances either
way from the centre of the vessel.
:
One part of the Invention relates more particularly to this portion of the
propelling machinery, and consists in raising and lowering the bearings J, in
which the propeller shafts N are mounted. These bearings of the propeller
or paddle wheel shafts are moveable, and are capable of being moved up and
down in guide grooves by ineans of vertical screws K that pass through worm
wheels a, which have female screws taking on to the elevating screws K. These
worm wheels turn without rising or falling, and gear into endless screws 6 upon
the shafts c, to which motion may be transmitted either by hand by means of
the levers L, or by power supplied from the engine itself, or by other con-
venient means; but whatever may be the method employed for driving these
shafts, they will by their rotation turn the endless screws b, and consequently
effect the ascent or descent of the vertical elevating screws K, which will carry
with them the bearings J, and consequently the crank or paddle wheel
shafts N.
It will therefore be understood that as these shafts can be raised at pleasure,
the paddle wheels may be raised more or less, according to the draught of the
vessel, and consequently their dip may be regulated with facility.
In order to facilitate this shifting of the paddle wheel shafts, long connecting
rods for driving them have been adopted, which will render the variation sufli
ciently inappreciable relatively to the position of the steam cylinders to prevent
its interfering with their working.
The employment of long connecting rods, at the same time that it allows of
the vertical movement of the paddle wheel shafts, ensures the efficient working
---------

page_text: of the engine, the whole arrangement of which is of great simplicity, and offers
great advantages as respects generation of steam, and the working, lubri
cating, and taking to pieces, and setting up of the engine. This arrangement
will be seen on referring to Sheet I. in which the different positions of the
crank shafts are represented in several colors..
I will now describe the general arrangement of the motive engine, which
has been modified to suit the above described apparatus for raising and
lowering the propeller shaft. The condensers are situate at A below the
cranks, and the steam escapes into them through the pipes C. The air
pumps D, which are double acting, are situate below the condensers, their
pistons being worked by means of rods E hinged to the vibrating levers or
connecting rods F. The boilers G are eight in number; they are set in pairs
underneath the engine, and have; a flue between them for heating purposes.
A space is left at each side at II for the fuel, from which space there is a
communication with the heat chamber through the doors I. Lastly, it will be
observed that the partitions P, between which the cylinders are mounted,
bave sufficient space left to admit of the passage of the boilers, which may
be detached after simply unlinking the connecting rods.
Having now described the Invention of "Improvements applicable to
certain Descriptions of Marine Engines, and in the Mode of Mounting Paddlo
Wheel Shafts," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I would observe
that what I consider to be new in the above improvements, is mounting the
propeller shafts, and with them the paddle wheels of ships or vessels in such
a manner as to render them moveable in a vertical direction, so as to admit
of regulating their "dip" at pleasure, and by means of which novel arrange-
ments the diameter of these wheels may be diminished, and consequently the
size and power of the whole engine may be reduced, as the speed may be
increased in proportion as the dimensions of the wheels are diminished.
The arrangement of the engine as above shewn and described, is also
different from ordinary marine engines, and is consequent upon the paddle
wheel shafts being made moveable.
I would however observe that as these arrangements may be somewhat
modified, I do not mean or intend to confine myself precisely to the arrange-
ment shewn.
In conclusion, I claim rendering paddle wheel shafts with the paddle wheels
moveable in a vertical direction with whatever construction of engine they
may be employed.

page_text: I also claim the accessory arrangements of the several parts of the engine,
and the bearing of the shaft, or any modifications thereof, having for their
object the so arranging the mechanism connected with the paddle wheels and
shafts, as to render these latter (for example) dependent upon the movements
of the engines (that is to say), capable of being lowered gradually and
continuously.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)