IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING SHIPS, AND IN THE MEANS. OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Duncan Campbell Mac Ivor, of Asknish, Loch
Gair House, in the County of Argyll, North Britain, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING SHIPS, AND IN THE MEANS.
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Sealed the 25th September 1868, and dated the 4th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Duncan Campbell
Mac Ivor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th April 1868.
I, DUNCAN CAMPBELL MAC Ivon, of Asknish, Loch Gair House, in
the County of Argyll, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING SHIPS, AND IN THE
MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to.
say :-
This Invention, which relates, firstly, to the propulsion of ships and
other vessels, consists in the introduction of horizontal cylindrical water
chambers into the ship's hull, one or more in each quarter parallel
with the ship's keelson and as near the level of it as may be com-...
patible with general convenience. These chambers are open seawards:
to admit the influx of water, so far as that may be permitted to advance-
under the control of pistons or. propellers with which these cylinders
are fitted and actuated in connection with motive-power engines. As

page_text: these pistons are being drawn in by the engine the column of water
entering thereon follows in force proportioned to the depth at which
the cylinders are placed from the surface of the sea, in which case the
recoil movement of the engines are so far aided in the process of
inducting successive charges of water into the cylinders or water
chambers, from whence they are again to be expelled by each plunge
of the piston or propeller against the pressure of the external super-
incumbent water. The amount of resistance upon which the drum
propellers will have to operate may be regulated by the diameter of
the cylindrical water chambers, and the consequent volume of water
to be expelled at each plunge of the drum propeller. For the purpose
of stopping headway and backing astern the same principle, as far as
difference of position will permit, is adopted. Side propellers or wings
are revolved in cases as distinguished from cylinders. One or more
semicircular enclosures are fitted into the sides of the ship, the diameter
of each ranging with the ship's side, and the semi-diameter open for the
free ingress and egress of the wing propellers with which each is fitted.
Each wing propeller is in form a spherical triangle or quadrant, the
vertex of its right lines terminating and merging in a vertical pivot at
the semi-diameter of each case, which pivot is circulated in sockets in
the ship's side above and below, by means of which the quadrantal
propeller or wing is caused to oscillate outwards and inwards with a
radius equal to the capacity of the case; thus the spherical line of the
quadrant propeller or wing will advance from the ship's side upon an
arc of 90 degrees, at the extremity of which it will present a surface
of some 30 square feet at a right angle with the ship's course, in
which position the starboard and larboard wings operate powerfully
in stopping headway, or by the use of one only in turning the ship,
while repeated strokes of both reverse the ship's motion, and back her
astern when necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Duncan Campbell Mac Ivor in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 1st October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DUNCAN
CAMPBELL MAC IVOR, of Asknish, Loch Gair House, in the County of 3
Argyll, North Britain, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Duncan Campbell, Her special license that
I, the said Duncan Campbell, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Duncan Campbell, my executors, adminis-
trators, or 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, usc, excrcise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING
SHIPS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Duncan Campbell, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 mouths next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Duncan Campbell, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My said Invention, which relates firstly to the propulsion of ships and
other vessels, consists in the introduction of horizontal cylindrical water
chambers into tlie ship's hull, one or more in each quarter parallel with
the ship's keelson, and as near the level of it as may be compatible
with general convenience. These chambers are open seawards to admit
the influx of water so far as that may be permitted to advance under
the control of pistons or propellers with which these cylinders are fitted,
and actuated in connection with motive-power engines. As these
pistons are being drawn in by the engine the column of water entering
thereon follows in force proportioned to the depth at which the cylinders
are placed from the surface of the sea, in which case the recoil movement
of the engines are so far aided in the process of inducting successive
charges of water into the cylinders or water chambers from whence

page_text: they are again to be expelled by cach plunge of the piston or propelle
against the pressure of the external superincumbent water. The
amount of resistance upon which the drum propellers will have to
operate may be regulated by the diameter of the cylindrical water
chambers and the consequent volume of water to be expelled at eacl
plunge of the drum propeller. For the purpose of stopping headway
and backing astern the same principle as far as difference of position
will permit is adopted. Side propellers or wings are revolved in cases
as distinguished from cylinders. One or more semicircular enclosures
are fitted into or formed in the sides of the ship, the diameter of each
ranging with the ship's side, and the semi-diameter open for the freq
ingress and egress of the wing propellers with which each is fitted.
Each wing propeller is in form a spherical triangle or quadrant, the
vertex of its right lines terminating and merging into a vertical pivot at
the semi-diameter of each case, which pivot is circulated in sockets in
the ship's side above and below, by means of which the quadrantal
propeller or wing is caused to oscillate outwards and inwards with a
radius equal to the capacity of the case, thus the spherical line of the
quadrant propeller or wing will advance from the ship's side upon an
are of 90 degrees, at the extremity of which it will present a surface
at a right angle with the ship's course, in which position the starboard
and larboard wings will operate powerfully in stopping headway, or by
the use of one only in turning the ship, while repeated strokes of both
reverse the ship's motion and back her astern when necessary.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had for the sake of more complete elucidation to
the letters and figures upon the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which I
have hereunto appended, that is to say :-
-
Figure 1 represents a horizontal section through the hull of a ship on
the level of the propellers and engines; Figures 2 and 3 are also horizontal
sections taken on the same level. On all the Figures similar parts are
indicated by corresponding letters of reference. In Figure 1 the wing
propellers and drum propellers are shown in the respective positions
which they occupy when the ship is sailing under canvass without the
aid of the propellers.

page_text: The first part of this Invention consists in the method of propelling
ships forward, and as I use. the drum propellers for that purpose I will
describe this part of my Invention before alluding to the wing
propellers.
At the stern of the ship horizontal cylindrical water chambers A arc
situated in tlic interior of the ship's hull parallel with the ship's
keelson K, and as near the level of it as may be compatible with general
convenience. The chambers A are open seawards as represented in
the Drawing to admit the influx of water so far as that clement may
be permitted to advance under the control of the reciprocating
pistons B, B, which are fitted in the cylinders A. The pistons B, B,
are fitted with piston rods C, working through suitable stuffing boxes'in
the inner end of the cylinders A, and may be actuated by any prime
mover capable of producing the required reciprocating motion of the
pistons or drum propellers B, B.
In Figures 2 and 3 the pistons. B, B, are shown in their alternate
working positions, that is, one of the pistons is represented as being at
the extremity of the out stroke, and the other piston as being at the
extremity of the in stroke. As these piston drum propellers are being
drawn in by the engines the column of water entering the cylinders will
follow in force proportioned to the depth at which thic cylinders 'arc
placed from the surface of the sea, in which case the recoil movement
or in stroke of the engines will so far be aided in the process of inducting
successive charges of water into the chambers, from whence the charges
are again to be expelled by cach out stroke of the piston or drum
propellers against the pressure of the external superincumbent water.
The amount of resistance against which the drum. propellers will have
to operate may be regulated by the diameter of the cylindrical water
chambers A, and the consequent volume of water to be expelled at each
plunge of the drum propellers B, B.
:
The second part of my Invention which rolates to the method of
stopping headway and backing astern as well as tuning the ship is based
on the same principle (as far as the difference of position will permit)
as the drum propellers. The side propellers or wings E designed for
this purpose are made to circulate in semicircular cases D fixed in the
side of the ship. The diameter or chord of the semicircular cases D
lics continuous with the ship's side, the after semi-diameter is left open
for the free ingress and egress of the wing propeller E, whilst the

page_text: forward semi-diameter is closed by the plate a as shown at all the
Figures. The form of the wing propeller E is a spherical triangle or
cylindrical segment, the vertex of its right lines terminating and
merging in a vertical pivot or shaft N at the semi-diameter of the case,
which pivot or shaft circulates in bearings in the ship's side above and
below the wings E, by means of which the quadrantal or segmental
propeller or wing E oscillates outwards and inwards, thus the spherical
line of the propeller or wing E advances from the line of the ship's side
through an arc of 90 degrees, that is at a right angle with the ship's
course, in which position the starboard and lardboard wings operate
powerfully in stopping headway, or by using one wing only the ship may
be turned while repeated strokes of both wings will reverse the ship's
motion and propell her astern when necessary. When the wings E are
fully retired into the chambers D the outer flat surface ranges or lies
continuous with the ship's side as shown in Figure 1, so as not to
impede her progress, and when fully advanced it is desirable that the
open end of the case should be closed so that water may not enter from
To effect this a half quadrant F is added to the rear of each
wing E to act simply as a stopper in the mouth of each case D when
the wings E are advanced. At the inner ends of the cases D and
cylinders A, ventilaters V are provided to give free ingress and egress
of air to the drum propellers and wing chambers which are also to be
provided with suitable means of drainage. If the wing propellers are
to be employed in propelling the ship an additional pair may be placed
beside those already described having a reverse action as shown in
Figure 3, and as the same movement of engine is suitable to both
either pair of wings E may be thrown in or out of gear as may be
required.
the sea.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
יד
L
1
combination
montibution the

page_text: Second. The application of chambers and reciprocating drum propellers
to the submerged stern portions of a ship for the purpose of propelling
same, substantially as herein-before described.
Third. The construction and application of wing propellers situated
in the ship's side, substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Duncan Campbell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
DUNCAN CAMPBELL. (L.s.)