ECCENTRIC PADDLE WHEELS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Eugène Caillieux at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
June 1870.
I, EUGÈNE CAILLIEUX, of Paris, in the Empire of France, No. 158,
Rue Oberkampf, Tobacconist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "ECCENTRIC PADDLE WHEELS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION," to be as
follows:-
The principle of my improved system of propeller will be completely
set forth by the description of the wheel which I will now describe. This
wheel is composed-
1°. Of hollow cast-iron naves.
2°. Of central shafts traversing the nave.
3°. Of plates or bars forming the blades or paddles.
4°, and lastly. Of stopping pieces.
In this wheel the blades or paddles are alternately the one flat the
other edgewise, that is to say, facing differently while on the same shaft.
The paddle which enters the water begins to work when the wheel
corresponding to it has ceased to do so, and with the same solution of
continuity inasmuch that each of these paddles obtains by counterweight
and in turn a separate come-and-go motion directly the wheel is at
work.

page_text: I will now refer to the naves. If the wheel is to have four, six, or
eight paddles each nave should have six or eight sides, being therefore
according to circumstances of a quadrilateral, hexagonal, or octagonal
form, but I prefer the hexagonal or six-sided as being the most con-
venient and the most usual, and have therefore represented such a one
on the annexed Sheet of Drawing; this hollow six-sided nave is stopped
on the outer side by a solid or a perforated plate, and on the other inner
side, into which enters the horizontal shaft of the vessel, by a collar
having a square pierced with a hole to receive the key or cottar which is
to keep the nave on this horizontal shaft. In the centre of the sides or
faces of the nave and at equal distances are drilled holes corresponding
with the spot through which the central shaft of two opposite paddles is
to pass. It is requisite that the holes of the naves be placed far enough
apart to permit the evolution of the paddles without touching each
other.
Central Shafts. These shafts will be of steel and of a cylindrical form;
they should be suitably ground so as to lessen friction in the holes of the
naves; they will be pierced in each opposite direction, but quite
squarely, so that the bolts or keys which are to keep the paddles on their
common shaft may be placed in their proper position.
Paddles. These latter will be of cast iron, affecting the shape of two
branches more or less long according to the size of the wheel set upon
a circular boss or socket the other end of which should be thimble
shaped, or rounded to lessen friction on the faces of the naves.
It is on
these two branches and in the space between them that are bolted plates
or sheets of galvanized and open worked iron acting as resisting blade
to displace the water. The founder will take care to make the branch
opposite the stop point stronger than the other in order that the
equilibrated paddle may come without shock on a stop piece, each paddle
having a projection at the bottom for that purpose.
Points of Stoppage. Stop Pieces.-In order to regulate the come-and-
go motion of the blades or paddles to the right for the right wheel and
left for the left wheel, at the side of and behind the paddle are placed
stops against which the projection of the bottom of the paddle will come
naturally in the come-and-go motion.
Deviation and Summary.-To thoroughly comprehend the deviation
of these paddles it should be observed that when the wheel turns one of

page_text: these branches being heavier than the other, namely, that opposite the
stop piece and which is loaded when required with a cast-iron counter-
weight occasions a displacement of the centre of gravity and gives
them a come-and-go motion in which each semi-revolution is perfectly
regulated by the stops, the effect being that all the paddles entering
the water are flat while those issuing from it are on edge. I would
further observe that the left wheel must be constructed inversely to the
right. To set these wheels on each side of the ship upon the horizontal
shaft, which is square at each end, the corresponding paddles of the two
wheels must travel together, that is to say, be eccentric, so that the
furthest of the right wheel work in concert with the furthest of the left
wheel, and vice versa for the nearest. Backward motion is obtained by
a shifting of the stons.