IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, ROBERT JAMES WHITE of 150 Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, London in
the County of Middlesex, Wine Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the simple method or principle of utilizing the
periphery driving power, double, treble, quadruple, and so on of all rotary machinery
by hydraulics, and in the application and adaptation of apparatus therefor, worked
by means of raising or forcing water or other fluid, by steam, air, or manual
pumps, weighted water cylinders, pressure obtained from reservoirs, high water
tanks, gas engines or engines worked by other explosive mixture. For the
propulsion of ships, yachts, boats, barges, and all vessels that float upon water,
for propelling railway locomotives, carriages, trucks, tram cars, traction or other
road engines, electric machinery, and all rotary machinery stationary or otherwise,
and which may be briefly described as follows,
For the propulsion of ships and analogous vessels,
Mounted and keyed upon a hollow shaft in the interior of the vessel on the
usual bearings, is a narrow water wheel in diameter equal, or greater, or less, than
the diameter of the hollow screw propeller, which is mounted, and keyed, upon the
stern end of the hollow shaft, at the stern of the vessel in its usual place, and
which together with the water wheel and hollow shaft, when fitted and fixed, " in
form," resemble that of a large reel upon which cotton is wound; The method or
principle of my invention is to utilize the double power that is to be obtained by
driving the periphery of the water wheel, and communicating the power to, and
driving from the periphery of the hollow screw propeller, and for the carrying out
of which it is necessary to inclose the water wheel on the shaft in the interior of
the vessel, in a narrow drum, to be stationary (and which for convenience herein-
after I term No 1 drum) with suitable orifices or inlets at intervals all round its
periphery fitted with jets or nozzles, equal numbers of which point in opposite
directions for the purpose of propelling or reversing, so that the water or other
fluid drawn from the bottom or sides of the vessel may be forced through the
orifices or nozzles in the periphery of the drum and impinge the periphery of the
water wheel with very great force and velocity, causing the wheel the shaft and
the propeller to rotate the water or other fluid passing centripetally out of the drum
through orifices or outlets into the hollow shaft after vertically rotating as it were
upon its own axis and acting like a solid fly wheel within the drum giving weight
and power, thence along the hollow shaft and out through orifices or outlets into
the hollow or tubed boss and blades of the screw propeller having orifices or outlets
in its periphery suitably arranged in each blade for propelling or reversing and
fitted with jets or nozzles at right or other angles so that the water or other fluid
passing centrifugally out of the propeller gives a reactionary rotative impulse to
the propeller and thus creates the double power.

page_text: The orifices or outlets in the hollow shaft which supply the propeller are under
the immediate control of a slide valve with suitable orifices, and which is fitted in
the stern end of the shaft and slides to and fro for the purpose of opening and
shutting the propelling and reversing orifices or outlets in the hollow or tubed
screw propeller, and being actuated by lever gear fitted at the stern of the vessel
and communicating with the engine room and under the direct control of the
Engineer.
The drum in the interior of the vessel is fitted at the centre of the side facing
her head, with a waste pipe, having its outlet at any convenient part of the vessel,
the waste pipe is fitted with a valve close to the drum, and the shaft at the other
side of the drum is also fitted with a valve, so that when one is closed the other is
opened, and visa-versa, for use when full speed is not required, or the vessel is
light, and it is not convenient to use the propeller nozzles in a river, the course of
water may be turned into the waste pipe without altering the action of the water
in the drum; All inlets at the bottom or sides of the vessel are fitted with valves
or shuts, one is also fitted in the shaft near the stern, all are under the immediate
control of the Engineer by lever gear so that the water may be easily shut out
should any of the machinery require taking to pieces.
Paddle vessels are propelled in the same manner as herein-before described,
except that the shaft passes through the drum and has the paddle wheels mounted
upon each end of the shaft projecting out of the sides of the vessel in the usual
manner, the periphery's of which obtain their reactionary impulse from the paddle
boxes, and the water in which the vessel floats.
For rotary machinery, double power is applied in the same manner as herein-
before described for a vessel with screw propeller except that the propeller takes
the form of a centrifugal or reacting wheel enclosed in a No 3 drum which is plain
silled or coged at its inner periphery most suitable for resistance and has a large
opening at the bottom so that the water may fall out of the drum into a receiver
as quickly as it enters centrifugally, and can be used over again or carried to waste,
by this means the wheel obtains freeness of action and greater power.
A slide valve is fitted in the end of the shaft so that when the machinery is at a
standstill the valve is closed, which prevents the water escaping from No 1 drum,
which should always be full of water.
Treble power is obtained by mounting another centrifugal or reacting wheel
upon and keyed to the same hollow shaft, inclosed in a No 2 drum, and placed
between No 1 drum and No 3 drum, No 2 drum has no inlets or outlets except
by the hollow shaft, a stoppage or shut is placed in the hollow shaft so that the
water passing from No 1 drum along the shaft enters No 2 drum through the
wheel centrifugally, and which obtains its reactionary impulse from the silled or
coged inner periphery of the drum, the nozzles of the wheel are fitted at right
or other angles, the water passes out of the drum centripetally through orifices or
outlets into the hollow shaft and thence into No 3 drum and used over again or
carried to waste, No 2 drum is always kept full of water by the slide valve at end
of shaft.
Quadruple power and so on, is simply to mount another or any number of drums
and wheels upon the same hollow shaft, but with every addition it is necessary to
decrease the periphery orifices or nozzles unless it is intended to use a greater
driving power, the water power can be conveyed by tube or pipe to another, or sets
of drums and wheels, mounted in the same manner, which can be stopped or worked
independantly by altering the course of water; vessels may be propelled by any of
the above ineans if prefered.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
ROBERT JAMES WHITE 150* Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, London in the
County of Middlesex Wine Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING VESSELS and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object the simple method or principle of utilizing the
periphery driving power double treble and quadruple and so on of rotary machinery
by Hydraulics and in the application and adaptation of apparatus therefore worked
by means of raising or forcing water or other fluid by steam, air, or manual pumps
weighted water cylinders pressure obtained from reservoirs high water tanks gas
engines or engines worked by other explosive mixture. For the propulsion of
ships, yachts, boats, barges, and all vessels that float upon water electric machinery
and all rotary machinery stationary or otherwise and which may be briefly.described
as follows:
For the propulsion of ships and analogous vessels. Figure 1, drawings.
Mounted and keyed upon a hollow shaft, A, in the interior of the vessel on the
usual bearings is a narrow water wheel B, in diameter equal or greater or less
than the diameter of the hollow screw propeller C, which is mounted and keyed
upon the stern end of the shaft A at the stern of the vessel in its usual place and
which together with the water wheel and hollow shaft when fitted and fixed in
form resemble that of a large reel upon which cotton is wound. The method or
principle of my invention is to utilize the double power that is to be obtained by
driving the periphery of the water wheel B and communicating the power to and
driving from the periphery of the hollow screw propeller C and for the carrying
out of which it is necessary to enclose the water wheel B on the shaft in the
interior of the vessel in a narrow drum D, to be stationary (and which for con-
venience herinafter I term No 1 drum) with suitable orifices or inlets E, at intervals
all round its periphery fitted with jets or nozzles equal numbers of which point in
opposite directions for the purpose of propelling or reversing so that the water or
other fluid drawn from the bottom or sides of the vessel may be forced through
the orifices E or nozzles in the periphery of the drum and impinge the periphery of
the water wheel with very great force and velocity causing the wheel B, the
shaft A, and the propeller C to rotate the water or other fluid passing centripetally
out of the drum through orifices or outlets F, into the hollow shaft A after vortically
rotating as it were upon its own axis and acting like a solid fly wheel within the
drum D, giving weight and power thence along the hollow shaft A and through
orifices or outlets G, into the hollow or tubed boss and blades of the screw pro-
peller C, having orifices or outlets H, in its periphery suitably arranged in each
blade for propelling or reversing and fitted with jets or nozzles at right or other
angles so that the water or other fluid passing centrifugally out of the propeller
gives a reactionary rotative impulse to the propeller, and thus creates the double
power.
•

page_text: The orifices or outlets G in the hollow shaft which supply the propeller C are
under the immediate control of a slide valve I, with suitable orifices and which is
fitted in the stern end of the shaft A, and slides to and fro for the purpose of
opening and shutting the propelling and reversing orifices or outlets G, in the
hollow or tubed screw propeller C, and being actuacted by lever gear K, fitted at
the stern end of the vessel and communicating with the engine room and under
the direct control of the Engineer.
The drum in the interior of the vessel is fitted at the centre of the side facing
her head with a waste pipe L, having its outlet at any convenient part of the
vessel the waste pipe is fitted with a valve M, close to the drum and the shaft at
the other side of the drum is also fitted with a valve M, so that when one is closed
the other is opened and visa-versa for use when full speed is not required or the
vessel is light and it is not convenient to use the propeller nozzles H, in a river the
course of water may be turned into the waste pipe without altering the action of
the water in the drumn; all inlets at the bottom or sides of the vessel are fitted
with valves or shuts one is also fitted in the shaft near the stern. All are under
the immediate control of the Engineer by lever gear so that the water may be easily
shut out should any of the machinery require taking to pieces. Paddle vessels are
propelled in the same man- as herein before described except that the shaft passes
through the drum and has the paddle wheels mounted upon each end of the shaft
projecting out of the sides of the vessel in the usual manner the peripherys of which
obtain their reactionary impulse from the paddle-boxes and the water in which the
vessel floats.
For rotary machinery double power is applied in the same manner as herein
before described for a vessel with screw propeller except that the propeller takes
the form of a centrifugal or reacting wheel Ċ Figure 5 enclosed in a No 3 drum D,
Figure 5 which is plain, silled or coged at its inner periphery most suitable for
resistance and has a large opening at the bottom so that the water may fall out of
the drum into a receiver as quickly as it enters centrifugally through nozzles H,
and can be used over again or carried to waste by this means the wheel obtains
freeness of action and greater power.
A slide valve I, Figure 7, is fitted in the end of the shaft so that when the
machinery is at a standstill the valve is closed which prevents the water escaping
from No 1 drum Figure 3 which should always be full of water.
Treble power is obtained by mounting another centrifugal or reacting wheel
upon and keyed to the same hollow shaft enclosed in a No 2 drum Figure 4 and
placed between No 1 drum and No 3 drum, Figure 2 and Figure 9 No 2 drum
has no inlets or outlets except by the hollow shaft A, a stoppage or shut is placed
in the hollow shaft so that the water passing from No 1 drum along the shaft A,
enters No 2 drum through the wheel centrifugally and which obtains its reactionary
impulse from the silled or coged inner periphery of the drum the nozzles H, of the
wheel are fitted at right or other angles the water passes out of the drum centri-
petally through orifices or outlets into the hollow shaft A and thence into
No 3 drum and used over again or carried to waste, No 2 drum is always kept full
of water by the slide valve at end of shaft.
Quadruple power and so on is simply to mount another or any number of drums
and wheels upon the same hollow shaft but with every addition it is necessary to
decrease the periphery orifices or nozzles unless it is intended to use a greater
diving power the water power can be conveyed by tube or pipe to another or sets
of drums and wheels Figure 8, mounted in the same manner which can be stopped
or worked independently by altering the course of water.
Vessels may be propelled by any of the above means if prefered.
As shown in drawings.
Figure 3 and 4 as shown in in small part of figure 8 will by acting directly in
the shaft in place of the trolly be most effective and should be at least one and
a haft times the diameter of the troll

page_text: Figures 3, 4 and 5 show sections of Figures 1, 2, 8, 9, Figure 6 is a sectional
view of tubed boss and blades of propeller C, and square end of shaft A.
Figure 7 is a slide or telescope valve used at end of shaft A.
Figure 9 shows the three drums joined together but which act independantly
with or without stuffing boxes etc, as in Figure 2.
The drums can be made in the shape of Figure 10, or any other shape
prefered.
The nozzles used at the inlets of No 1 drum and at the peripheries of the
reacting wheels are like those used by the fire Brigade tapered to the end and
should be made interchangeable so that any size can be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First the combining of one or more impinging or water wheels and reacting
wheels either in the form of a propeller or in the form of wheels reacting inside a
drum mounted upon the same hollow rotating supply shaft A as shown in
figure 1, and 2 in the drawings.
Second the hollow shaft which combines rotates with and supplies the impinging
or water wheels and reacting wheels mounted upon it.
Third in joining two to any number of drums together or dividing one drum
into any number of compartments each acting (by the use of shaft and wheels)
independantly of the other and in communicating with other sets of drums and
wheels mounted as shown in Figure 8, in the drawings or any part thereof.
Dated this 20th day of February 1885