CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING VESSELS
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BEATTIE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fifth day of September, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Beattie, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said John Beattie, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said John Beattie, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING VESSELS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John Beattie, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Beattie, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had

page_text: to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
My improvements in steering vessels consist in a peculiar construction
of the rudder and some of its appendages, which enables me to place the pro-
peller beyond the rudder by passing the shaft of the propeller directly through
the rudder, and through the stern post in the common line of the centre of the
vessel; and also to attach the spiral paddles or propelling vanes on the outside
beyond or astern of the rudder. The advantages which I propose to derive
from these improvements are, the capability of affording a more free and perfect
power to the rudder, relieving the stuffing boxes of the propelling shaft from
lateral strain, preventing the great noise and tremor which usually takes place
from the rotation of what are called "Screw Propellers," and, obtaining a
greater efficiency from the operations of the propeller thus placed beyond the
rudder, by relieving the propelling vanes of the resistance created from the
action of the water upon the usually constructed rudder and rudder frame of a
vessel having its propeller placed between the vessel and the rudder. This
arrangement also enables me to adapt propellers of different diameters without
limit, so that by changing them I can increase the propelling power at pleasure.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents an elevation of the rudder
and its appendages, with the propelling shaft carried through the rudder,
according to my novel construction and arrangement. A and B indicate the
rudder formed in two parts, which are connected together by being firmly
affixed to the rudder post C, C. Through the middle of the rudder post an
elongated hole is formed, shewn more evidently in the transverse view of the
central part of the rudder post in the detached Figure 2, which hole is to
allow the propelling shaft D to pass freely through whatever may be the
angular position of the rudder. A strong iron frame E, E, E, affixed vertically
to the keel at the stern of the vessel embraces and carries the rudder A, B,
which is hung upon hinges or centres, and is worked by the ordinary appa-
ratus above attached to the top of the rudder post C. The propelling shaft
D, D, connected to the working parts of the steam engine within the vessel is
to be carried straight in the line of the vessel through a stuffing box in the
fore part of the stern frame, shewn in the detached transverse view at Fig. 3,
through the divided parts of the rudder, and through and some distance
beyond a bearing in the hinder part of the stern frame, shewn in the detached
transverse view at Fig. 4. To the outer end of the propelling shaft the boss F,
carrying the vanes or paddles G, G, is to be keyed, and which being altogether on
the outside of the frame may be attached or detached with the greatest facility.
It will now be perceived that by this construction and arrangement the rudder

page_text: may be worked to any obliquity without interfering with the propelling shaft
or the propeller, and the greatest effect of the propeller obtained under all
positions of the rudder, owing to the propelling vanes being removed to a
situation beyond the rudder. and stern post, and thereby relieved from the
friction and resistance of the water which would otherwise be operating against
their efficient propelling force.
Having now described my Invention, and, the novel manner in which I
construct and arrange my machinery to effect the improvements in the steering
of vessels, I desire it to be understood that I do not intend to confine myself to
the precise forms of the parts shewn in the Drawings, but claim the exclusive
right (being the first and true Inventor) of forming the rudder, as shewn and
described, so as to allow of passing the shaft of a screw or spiral propeller
through the rudder and rudder post for the purpose of placing the rudder
before the propeller, and thereby effecting an improvement in steering vessels
propelled by spiral paddles.
In witness whereof I the coid John Beattie have hereunto set
my
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid John Beattie came before our
said Lady, the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.

page_text: In the Matter of a Patent granted to John Beattie; of Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for "Certain Improvements in
Steering Vessels," bearing date at Westminster, the Fifth day of
September, One thousand eight hundred and fifty, to which Letters
Patent a Specification was duly inrolled: Whereas by a certain Deed
of Assignment, bearing date the Sixth day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-one, for the considerations therein mentioned,
the said Letters Patent are now vested in the said John Beattie and
Frederick Chapple, of Liverpool, Merchant.
DISCLAIMER proposed to be entered by the Patentee and Assignee of the
said Letters Patent, according to the Statutes in that case made and
provided.
WHEREAS in the Specification enrolled to the said Letters Patent the
Invention was described to consist of a peculiar construction of the rudder
and some of the appendages, which enabled the Patentee to place the propeller
beyond the rudder by passing the shaft of the propeller directly through the
rudder, and through the stern post in the common line of the centre of the
vessel; and also to attach the spiral paddles or propelling vanes beyond or
astern of the rudder. And we, the said John Beattie and Frederick Chapple,
have been advised that it is doubtful whether the Specification might not in a
Court of Law be held to claim more than was new at the date of the said
Letters Patent, and be held to include an Invention for which Letters Patent
were granted to John Ericsson on the Thirteenth day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-six, where a divided rudder was used in front or forward
of two propellers which revolved in opposite directions, the outer ends of the
two axes being suspended from the stern, for which reason we wish to disclaim;
and we do hereby disclaim all parts of the said Specification which may claim
any right or title to the use of a divided rudder, and the passage of the axes of
propellers through the rudder, when the same are uncombined with a stern
framing in connection with the keel of a vessel, according to the mode
described in the Specification of the said John Beattie.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Beattie and Frederick Chapple,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
JOHN BEATTIE. (L.S.)
FREDERICK CHAPPLE. (L.S.)

page_text: To the Clerk of the Patents of England.
This is to certify that the above-named John Beattie and Frederick
Chapple have applied to me for leave to enter with you the above-written
Disclaimer of certain parts of the Specification of an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to the above-named John Beattie, under the
Great Seal of Great Britain, dated at Westminster, September 5th, 1850, and
to which a Specification was duly enrolled. And whereas, by a certain Deed
of Assignment, bearing date the 6th day of February 1851, for the consi-
derations therein mentioned, the said Letters Patent are vested in the above-
named John Beattie & Frederick Chapple; and having considered of the said
application, and no objection having been made to the same, I. hereby
grant leave to the said John Beattie & Frederick Chapple to file their said
Disclaimer pursuant to the Statute passed in the fifth & sixth years of the
reign of King William the Fourth, entituled An Act to amend the Law
touching Letters Patent for Inventions..
Lincoln's Inn, October 16th, 1851.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twentieth day of October, in the
year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid John Beattie and Frederick Chapple
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Disclaimer aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and speci-
fied, in form above written. And also the Disclaimer aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.