IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLERS FOR SHIPS AND BOATS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Vaile, of Auckland, New Zealand, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLERS FOR SHIPS AND BOATS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Vaile at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
April 1869.
I, ROBERT VAILE, of Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLERS FOR SHIPS.
AND BOATS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to endless chain propellers, and consists in means,
herein-after described, for maintaining the floats attached to the chains in
proper positions, and for driving the chains. The chains are passed round.
two or more drums or rollers. The drums are furnished with projecting rims
or collars, having indentations to receive the chains; the drums may be placed.
either in a horizontal, vertical, or angular position. The floats are cut so as
to receive the drum collars, and attached to the chains a little above or below
the centre. The paddles work in grooved guides, and are furnished with
projecting arms and friction rollers; they are feathered, and are kept from
getting into a wrong position by the action of the water, and by their arms.
coming into contact with guides. The upper part of the propeller works in
a case, and provision is made for hoisting the whole apparatus on deck in case
of need.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Vaile in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
VAILE, of Auckland, New Zealand, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Robert Vaile, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Vaile,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Vaile, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLERS
FOR SHIPS AND BOATS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Robert Vaile, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of hands and seals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Vaile, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to endless chain propellers, and consists in means,
berein-after described, for maintaining the floats attached to the chains in
proper positions, and for driving the chains. The chains are passed round two
or more drums or rollers. The drums are furnished with projecting rims or
collars, having indentations to receive the chains; the drums may be placed
either in a horizontal, vertical, or angular position. The floats are cut so as
to receive the drum collars, and attached to the chains a little above, below
or in the centre. The floats work in grooved guides, and are furnished with
projecting arms and friction rollers; they are feathered, and are kept from
getting into a wrong position by the action of the water, and by their arms
coming in contact with guides. The upper part of the propeller works in a

page_text: case, and provision is made for hoisting the whole apparatus on deck in case
of need.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side view of my improved
propeller; Figure 2 is a transverse section. For clearness sake, drums are
not shown in the Drawings, but simply central shaft with collars G, G, G.
Figure 3 is a side view of one of the collars G with parts removed, showing'
the indentations into which the chains take; Figure 4 is a top plan, Figure 5
a bottom plan of one of the chains, and Figure 5 is a side view of a chain
with differently shaped links. Each alternate link of the chains has a
tooth a on its under side, which takes into indentations 6 formed in the collar,
(Figure 3,) while the alternate links are received in longitudinal slots c. The
floats d, d, (Figures 1 and 2) are linked to the chains by means of lugs made
in a piece with links e, e, forming part of the chain, and made with an eye for
receiving a spindle secured to the float by straps or other suitable means.
Figure 2 three collars and chains are shown, consequently each float is con-
nected to the chaius by three separate spindles. The upper parts of the
floats f, f, have portions cut away to allow of their working between the
collars, as shewn at Figure 2. Each float d is furnished with projecting arms
carrying rollers i, i, and central flanged rollers . The projections acting
on the guides E or F prevent the floats entering the water in a wrong
position.
At
A is the lower frame of the propeller, which is to be fixed in some part of
a vessel so that the floats may work below the water line; B is a casing
secured to the frame A, and enclosing the whole apparatus. I prefer to fix
two propellers, one on each side of the keel, and at about the centre of the
ship. The frame A is formed with double sides C, C, and with a groove D,
with surfaces for the rollers i, i, and k to travel on. E, E, and P, P, are
guides, one of each of which only is seen in the Drawings fixed near the fore
part of the frame A, and F, F, and Pa, Pa, are other guides fixed near the
rear end of the said frame. The frame A carries bearings for the support of
the shafts of two sets of collars G and H; the collars H are, by prefer-
ence, of less diameter, but are otherwise similar to those first mentioned.
The chains are carried round the collars G and H in the direction of the
arrows, and for the purpose of keeping the chains tight, the bearings for the
shaft of the collars H are free to slide in slots. They may be acted upon by
a jack, as shewn at Figure 6, and upon having been driven forward by it,
the space between the bearings and the solid part of the frame should be
filled with a packing, as shewn at Figure 7, when the jack may be removed.
Upon rotary motion being conimunicated to the shaft of the collar G, the

page_text: floats are caused to move and assume the positions shewn at Figure 1. When
travelling along the upper part of the frame, the floats lie parallel with the
chains, the flanged rollers k resting upon rails formed to receive them, but
not shewn in the Drawing. As soon as each float reaches the point marked 1,
it commences to alter its position, and when it reaches the point marked 2,
whether it descends in the reversed position shewn at , Figure 1, or not,
then in consequence of its arins coming into contact with the curved ends of
the guides marked P or E, it assumes the position 3, and is made to retain
that position by the rollers i, i, coming in contact with the bottom of the
upper surface of the groove D, and the central flanged roller K coming in
contact with the flanged surface thereof. In this position the floats are main-
tained until they are feathered to leave the water. This feathering is effected
by the pressure of the water and the contact of the appliances attached to the
floats with the guides P as the rollers leave the groove D; the floats then
assume the position 4, and afterwards lie parallel with the chains.
Figure 8 is a section through the line a, y, of Figure 9, which is a section
through the line,, of Figure 8 of the casing and frame in which the
collars G work; the collars H work in a similar casing. In some cases,
instead of forming arins and rollers, as herein-before described, I fix on the
floats arms 1, 1, as shewn in front and end elevations at Figures 9 and 10, and
in this case I use a grooved guide, as shewn in side view at Figure 15.
Figures 11, 12, and 13, 14, are side and end views of two forms of arms
with projections m, n, o, p. In all the forms of arms or projections shewn or
described friction rollers may be used, or a surface of friction rollers may be
placed in the guides for plain arms to travel upon. In order to go "astern," it
is simply necessary to reverse the engine, thus changing the direction of
rotation of the collars G and chains, when the same positions will be assumed
by the floats passing over the collars II, and in their course from those collars
to the collars G as were assumed by them when propelling "a-head," as
herein-before described.
:
Although shewn in the Drawings, I do not confine myself to guides placed
at the ends ends of the floats, for they may be placed as and where most con-
venient, and in such numbers as may be desired; in like manner any number
of chains may be used. The floats may be made of wood or iron, or both
combined, and if found desirable, the propelling surface may be made concave.
To provide for the hoisting of the propeller, I build a water-tight compart-
ment completely round it, leaving sufficient room for a man to walk round
and unfasten the bolts securing the propeller to the ship, and carried up above
the water line, and fitted with guides to keep the propeller in proper position

page_text: while hoisting. The driving shaft is then disconnected inside the water-tight
compartment, and the hole through which it passed closed; the propeller is
then hoisted by means of screws or hoisting tackle; a cover fitting the
opening in the ship is then lowered into its place, and the water in the com-
partment allowed to run to the bilge, where it is cleared by the bilge pumps.
The compartment may be made movable or fixed; if preferred, the water-
tight compartment may be covered in at a height sufficient to allow the pro-
peller to be hoisted clear of the ship's bottom by means of screws attached to
the frame of the propeller, and passing through the top of the water-tight
compartment, the water is then cut off by means of slides level with the
bottom of the ship working in water-tight cases; the water is then allowed to
run out, and is cleared, as before described. In some cases the frame of the
propeller is made to fit the compartment like a piston; the compartment is
left uncovered at the top, and is only carried up a sufficient height to allow
the before-mentioned slides to work clear of the propeller. I am aware that
endless chain propellers have been heretofore proposed, and I therefore make
no claim thereto; but I claim,-
First, driving endless chain propellers by means of drums with a collar or
collars on shafts and chains to which the floats are attached, the collars and
chains being constructed and the attachment effected, in manner berein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, connecting floats to endless chain propellers by means of spindles
working in lugs formed in a piece with links in the endless chains, as herein-
before described.
And, third, the means of causing the floats to assume and retain their
respective positions for entering the water, for producing their greatest pro-
pelling effect in the water for feathering on leaving the water, and for
returning to again enter the water, consisting of guides and grooves, and of
appliances on the floats, all acting substantially in manner berein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Vaile, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, One thousand eight
lundual and aiut
ROBT. VAILE. (L.S.)