IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PADDLE • WHEELS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS THROUGH WATER
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Brown, of Saint Mary Street, in the
Borough of Portsmouth, in the County of Southampton, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PADDLE
•
WHEELS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS THROUGH
WATER."
Sealed the 24th March 1871, and dated the 30th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th September 1870.
I, WILLIAM BROWN, of Saint Mary Street, in the Borough of Ports-
mouth, in the County of Southampton, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
PADDLE WHEELS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS THROUGH
WATER," to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention consists in constructing paddle wheels as follows:
Instead of making and fixing the floats or paddle boards of paddle
wheels as heretofore commonly practised, namely, straight across the

page_text: rims of the wheel, and fixed as near as may be at right angles to the face
of the said rims, I propose to arrange and fix them to the said rims in
the form of the letter V, the broad part being outermost, in other words
I divide as it were the paddle board into two parts crosswise of its
length, and fix these two parts end to end to a central rim or rims by
their inner ends, and their outer ends I fix each to an outer rim at an
angle of about 30 degrees, more or less, the boards being either flat or curved
from end to end; by these means the floats take better hold of the water
than when they are fixed straight across the wheel as heretofore
practised; slip is avoided, and consequently greater speed of the vessel
obtained to which the improved paddles are applied, and a saving of fuel
effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BROWN, of Saint Mary Street, in the Borough of Portsmouth, in the
County of Southampton, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Brown, Her special licence
that I, the said William Brown, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Brown, 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 THE CON-
STRUCTION OF PADDLE WHEELS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE
VESSELS THROUGH WATER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Brown, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said

page_text: arms B, B', are affixed the floats G, made of sheet metal by preference.
The centre arms B supports the floats by their inner ends, and the outer
arms B, B, support the floats by their outer ends, as shewn by the
Drawing.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention for "Improvements in the Construction of Paddle Wheels
for Propelling Ships and other Navigable Vessels through Water,"
together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that what I
claim as my Invention and desire to secure by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, making and arranging the paddles or floats of
paddle wheels angular or curved in the direction of their length, instead
of straight, as heretofore practised, substantially as above described with
reference to the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Brown, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.