IMPROVEMENTS IN BOATS AND MODE OF PROPELLING THEM."
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Oliver, of Shadwell, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOATS AND
MODE OF PROPELLING THEM."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. William Oliver at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th January 1859.
I, WILLIAM OLIVER, of Shadwell, in the County of Middlesex, do bereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOATS AND IN
THE MODE OF PROPELLING THEM," to be as follows (that is to say):―
My Invention, which has reference to improvements in the construction of
boats of the ordinary description, such as pleasure boats, ships' boats, or other-
wise, with the view of enabling them to be propelled by the feet of the
operator in place of the hands, as at present, consists in employing for the
said purpose paddle wheels placed on either side of the boat, and connected
through the medium of a double-throw crank shaft, to which motion is com-
municated through the intervention of treadles, the said wheels being moved
in either direction, and one or both of the same actuated at pleasure, by the
employment of a slide-rod motion and disconnecting gear, whilst the yoke
lines are fixed in the front of the operator, who sits with his face towards the
bows.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Oliver in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
OLIVER, of Shadwell, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Oliver, Her special licence that I, the said
William Oliver, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Oliver, 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 BOATS AND IN THE MODE OF PROPELLING THEM," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Oliver, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their 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 William Oliver, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to say) :-
My Invention, which has reference to improvements in the construction of
boats of the ordinary description, such as pleasure boats, ships' boats, or other-
wise, with the view of enabling them to be propelled by the feet of the operator
in place of the hands, as at present, consists in employing for the said purpose
paddle wheels placed on either side of the boat, and connected through the
medium of a crank shaft, to which motion is communicated through the
intervention of treadles, the said wheels being moved in either direction, and
one or both of the same actuated at pleasure by the employment of a slide-rod
motion and disconnecting gear, whilst, for the convenience of steering, the yoke

page_text: lines are brought round and secured in the front of the operator, who sits with
his face towards the bows.
But in order that this my said Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I now proceed to describe it by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings; reference being had 'to the letters and figures thereon
marked (that is to say).
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of a boat of my improved
construction; Fig. 2, a top or' plan view, Fig. 3; a transverse vertical section
taken through the dotted line in Fig. 2; and Fig.4; a side elevation of a
paddle box, showing a modification of the disconnecting gear: In each Figure
the same letters of reference denote similar corresponding parts.
A, A, hull or body of the boat; B, B, paddle wheels;. C, C, paddle boxes;
D, D, splash boards; E, E, crank shaft for driving the paddle wheels through
the medium of the treadles F; F, and connecting rods G, G; H, H, bearings
in which the said crank shaft works; I, I, shifting plate or bar for changing
the centres or position of the treadles and reversing the action of the paddles;
J, J, hand lever for giving motion to the same; K, K, clutch boxes for
throwing the paddle wheels in and out of gear, for the purpose of enabling one
or both to be actuated at pleasure; L, L, levers for working the same; M, M,
cover for enclosing the working parts, and forming a stay to the paddle boxes,
as also a back to the paddle or front seat N, N, to which the shifting plate
aforesaid is attached; O, O, rudder'; P, P, yoke lines, passing from the yoke
by means of pulleys Q, Q, to the front of the operator, as shown; R, R,
thwarts; S, S, seat for the operator; T, T, bottom boards. In Fig. 4, U, U,
represent spur wheels keyed to each end of the crank shaft; V, V, corre-
sponding wheels keyed on each paddle shaft W; X, X, levers for throwing
the
spur wheels in and out of gear by means of the catch and pressure spring Y
and Y', and reacting spring Y; Z, Z, guide in which the said lever works.
In conclusion to the foregoing description, it may be here necessary to
observe that the treadles, when actuated by the feet of the operator, commu-
nicate the necessary motion through the medium of the connecting rods to the
driving crank, and thence to the paddle wheels, as in manner shown, and that
sliding the hand lever J, J, backwards or forwards changes the centres or
position of the treadles, and causes the wheels to revolve in the contrary
direction, so as to produce a back motion; and, furthermore, that throwing
the clutch boxes or spur wheels in or out of gear, as above described, enables
either or both of the paddle wheels to be actuated at pleasure, whereby the
turning of the boat is greatly facilitated.

page_text: Having now fully described the nature of. this.my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect, I would
have it clearly understood that I do not intend to confine myself to the precise
details herein-before described, as the cranks and treadles may be arranged to
suit one or more persons, or placed in any convenient manner or position in
the boat, or the same may be otherwise varied without departing from the
general principle of these my said improvements; but that which I do claim
as new and of my said Invention is, the general construction and arrangement
of the several mechanical parts in connection with the mode of propelling, in
the manner and for the purposes herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Oliver, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
WILLIAM OLIVER. (L.S.)
Witness,
F. R. DARKIN CAMPBELL,
Clerk to Messrs. Weatherdon & Co.
77, Chancery Lane.