AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PROPELLING AND STEERING SHIDA
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Myers, of 2, Millbank Row, County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, and. Hugh Forbes, of 6, Aberdeen Place,
Maida Hill, County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF PROPELLING AND STEERING SHIDA ".
Sealed the 29th December 1863, and dated the 8th July 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Myers and Hugh
Forbes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 8th July 1863.
We, EDWARD MYERS, of 2, Millbank Row, County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, and HUGH FORBES, of 6, Aberdeen Place, Maida Hill, County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED METHOD. OF PROPELLING AND STEERING SHIPS," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in a certain apparatus placed below the water-
line, which apparatus is in connection with two paralel 'tubes running from
stem to stern in the interior of the vessel, one being on each side of the keel
thereof and also below the water line. The object of the apparatus is to draw.
in water at the fore part of the tubes under the bows, whereby an attractive'
power is gained at that end, while the water so drawn in is rapidly driven out-
through the tubes, and is expelled at the stern orifice, whereby a propelling
power is attained.
The apparatus consists in a pair of tooth drums or wheels working in a
suitable case formed for the purpose, which teeth of drums or wheel's work

page_text: into each other in a suitable manner, so that the water passes around the.
exterior of said drums or wheels, and thus is drawn from the stem orifice and
is forced out of the stern orifice of the tubes which are connected with the
apparatus. The drums or wheels are caused to rotate by steam or any other
motive power. By reversing the action of the apparatus the current of water
becomes also reversed, and the vessel is made to go stern forward. The
steering of the vessel can be performed by transverse tubes running from right
to left, connected with the two already described, which connection can, how-
ever, be at option cut off. The action of these transverse tubes for steering
enables the current drawn in at the orifice under the left bows to be driven
out at an orifice on the right flank near the stern, or that drawn in under the
right bows to be expelled at an orifice in the left flank near the stern.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Myers and Hugh Forbes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, we, EDWARD.
MYERS, of 2, Millbank Row, County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, and HUGH
FORBES, of 6, Aberdeen Place, Maida Hill, County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Edward Myers and Hugh Forbes, Her special licence that we,
the said Edward Myers and Hugh Forbes, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward Myers and Hugh
Forbes, our 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 "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF PROPELLING AND STEERING SHIPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Edward Myers and Hugh Forbes, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals,, or under
the hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and
ascertain, the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was

page_text: 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 Edward Myers, on behalf of myself
and the said Hugh Forbes, 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, that is to say :-
These improvements consist in a certain apparatus placed below the water
line, which apparatus is in connection with two parallel tubes running from
stem to stern in the interior of the vessel, one being on each side of the keel
thereof, and also below the water line. The object of the apparatus is to
draw in water at the fore part of the tubes under the bows, whereby. an
attractive power is gained at that end, while the water so drawn in is rapidly
driven through the tubes and is expelled at the stern orifice, whereby a
propelling power is attained.
The apparatus consists in a pair of tooth drums or wheels working in a case
formed for the purpose, which teeth of drums or wheels work into each other
in a suitable manner, so that the water passes around the exterior of said drums
or wheels, and thus is drawn from the stem orifice and is forced out of the
stern orifice of the tubes which 'a
'are connected with the apparatus. These
drums or wheels are caused to rotate by steam or any other motive power.
By reversing the action of the apparatus the current of water becomes also
reversed, and the vessel is made to go stern forwards. The steering of the
vessel can be performed by transverse tubes running from right to left and
left to right, connected with the two already described, which connection can,
however, be at option cut off. The action of these transversė tubes for
steering enables the current drawn in at the orifice under the left bows to be
driven out at an orifice on the right flank near the stern, or that drawn in
under the right bows to be expelled at an orifice in the left flank near the
stern.
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into practice, we will proceed to describe the Drawing here--
unto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows portions of a plan, Figure 2 portions of a side view, partly
in section, and Figure 3 shows part of a transverse section of a ship or vessel,
with apparatus suitably arranged in accordance with our Invention .for

page_text: A, A, are two metal cases or chambers placed one on each side of the keel,
in the lower part of the interior of the ship or vessel, below the water line.
Within these cases or chambers the pairs of toothed metal drums or wheels
B, B', are arranged to revolve. The axes of the drums or wheels B, B¹, pass
through stuffing boxes in the ends of the cases A, A, and are supported in
suitable bearings C, C, exterior thereof, and the axes of the upper drums or
wheels B, B, are connected together by the crank shaft H, motion being
communicated to the cranks I, J, thereon by a steam engine or other motive
power. The cases or chambers A, A, are connected to or in communication
with the tubes or pipes G, G, and F, F, running fore and aft in the interior
of the vessel below the water line and parallel to the keel. These tubes or
pipes admit the water so as to flow into the cases or chambers A, A, through
orifices D, E, situated fore and aft of the vessel below the water line. The
teeth of the drums B, B¹, are by preference of half round or semicircular
form, and work into similarly shaped hollows between the teeth, as shown in
the Drawing. This particular formation of the teeth and hollows on the drums
or wheels B, B, is of importance in producing the effective working and
practical success of this arrangement of apparatus for drawing and forcing
water for the purpose of propelling in accordance with our Invention. The
sides or ends of the drums or wheels B, B', are turned or otherwise smoothly
surfaced so as to work as close as is desirable (without producing friction) to
the ends or sides of the cases or chambers A, A, which are secured thereto by
bolts and nuts, or in any other convenient manner. The apex or top of each
tooth of the drums is arranged to rotate as close as possible to the interior
surface of the containing case or chamber A, so as to permit the drums to
revolve freely therein without producing any objectionable friction, and the
interior surfaces of the cases or chambers A are suitably formed and rendered
smooth to allow the apex or top of each tooth on the drums B, B', to rotate
as close as is desirable for practical purposes without creating objectionable
friction. The part of the tubes at K and L may be arranged so as to be
capable of contraction if desired. M, M, and N, N, represent valves which
may be closed when it is desired to exclude the water from entering the cases
or chambers A, A, containing the drums, for the purpose of examination or
repair or otherwise. The action of the previously described arrangement of
apparatus contained in the cases or chambers A, A, having communication
with the water which floats the vessel by means of the tubes or pipes G, F,
situated in the interior of the vessel, and having openings or orifices fore and
aft under the water line of the vessel, is such that when these drums are caused
to revolve they will draw the water through one orifice and expel it at the

page_text: other according to the direction in which they are caused to rotate, and with
a rapidity and force in proportion to the velocity at which they are driven or
caused to rotate. If the pairs of toothed drums or wheels B, B¹, are caused
to rotate so as to draw the water through the orifices D, D, in the fore part
of the vessel and expel it at the orifices E, E, in the after part of the vessel,
motion will be communicated to the vessel or ship which will move forward
or stem foremost; and on the contrary, if the pairs of toothed drums or wheels
are caused to revolve in the reverse direction, so as to draw the water in at
the orifices E, E, in the after part of the vessel and expel it at the orifices
D, D, in the fore part of the vessel, motion will be communicated to the
vessel or ship, by which means it will "back" or move stern foremost.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the method of
carrying the same into practice, we would have it understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the exact details herein shown and described, so long
as the peculiar character of our Invention is retained; but what we claim
is the method of propelling and steering ships substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Myers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
EDWARD MYERS. (Ls.)
84, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.