IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN REDUCING THE RESISTANCE CAUSED BY FRICTION IN THE PROPULSION OF SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Tangye, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and of Aviary Cottage, near Redruth, Cornwall, Engineer, and
Richard John Cunnack, of Helston, Cornwall, Merchant, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN REDUCING THE
RESISTANCE CAUSED BY FRICTION IN THE PROPULSION OF SHIPS AND
VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Tangye and Richard
John Cunnack at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd
December 1880.
$6
JAMES TANGYE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, and of Aviary
Cottage, near Redruth, Cornwall, Engineer, and RICHARD JOHN CUNNACK, of
Helston, Cornwall, Merchant. IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS,
AND IN REDUCING THE RESISTANCE CAUSED BY FRICTION IN THE PROPULSION OF
SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Our Invention has for its object the reduction of the friction between ships or
vessels in motion and the water through which they are being propelled, and
consists of the improvements herein after described in the construction of ships and
vessels, and the method of reducing the friction between the ship or vessel and the
water both in ordinary ships or vessels and in ships or vessels constructed
according to our Invention.
We will first describe our improvements in reducing the resistance to the motion
of the ship or vessel, and afterwards the improvements in ships or vessels which
facilitate the carrying into effect of our improvements in reducing resistance.
By means of pumping engines in the interior of the ship water is drawn in from
an opening or openings in the stem or other convenient part of the ship, and
forcibly ejected through two or more openings near the bow of the ship. Each of
the said openings is so constructed that its size is made capable of independent
adjustment, and so arranged as to throw the currents of water backwards, the force
with which the said currents are delivered being capable of regulation.

page_text: The openings described have such a configuration that they distribute the
currents of water in thin films over each side of the vessel in such manner that,
meeting the quiescent water against which the progressing vessel is impelled, the
particles of water in the issuing currents act as innumerable anti-friction rollers,
and so diminish the resistance caused by the "skin friction."
Under special circumstances oil or other liquid may be ejected with the water.
Our improvements in ships and vessels consist in constructing in the sides of
the ship or vessel casings connected with pipes, each casing having a lid or cover
either fixed in a partly open position or hinged thereto, so as to be capable of being
opened more or less. In the latter case the position of the lid is determined by
an eccentric or other equivalent mechanism.
In this case we inject the water from a reservoir into the space between the
casings and their lids, a supply of compressed air being maintained in the upper
part of the reservoir, the pressure of which air on the contained water expels it
forcibly through a valve on its way to the points of ejection. This valve is so
arranged as to be opened or closed by a float affixed to a convenient part of the
ship, which is by this means kept at a uniform line of flotation.
Although the method of determining a uniformn flotation may be adapted to
ships of all constructions, it is particularly convenient for ships of deep immersion.
The steering in certain cases can be effected by opening or closing the apertures
through which the currents of water are issuing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Tangye and Richard John Cunnack in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th June 1881.
JAMES TANGYE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, and of Aviary
Cottage, near Redruth, Cornwall, Engineer, and RICHARD JOHN CONNACK, of
Helston, Cornwall, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS,
AND IN REDUCING THE RESISTANCE CAUSED BY FRICTION IN THE PROPULSION OF
SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Our Invention has for its object the reduction of the friction between ships or
vessels in motion and the water through which they are being propelled, and
consists of the improvements herein after described in ships and vessels for the
purpose of effecting the reduction of the friction betweeen the ship or vessel and
the water by means of jets of water, as hereinafter explained.
Our improvements in reducing the resistance to the motion of the ship or vessel
is effected by means of pumping engines in the interior of the ship, by which
pumping engines water is drawn in from an opening or openings in the stem or
other convenient part of the ship, and forcibly ejected through two or more
openings near the bow or along the sides of the ship. Each of the said openings
is so constructed that its size made capable of independent adjustment, and so
arranged as to throw the currents of water backwards, the force with which the
said currents are delivered being capable of regulation.
The openings described have such a configuration that they distribute the
currents of water in thin films over each side of the vessel in such manner that,
meeting the resisting water through which the vessel is advancing, the particles
of water in and about the issuing currents act as innumerable antifriction rollers,
and so diminish the resistance caused by the skin friction.
Under special circumstances oil or other liquid may be ejected with the water.
In applying our improvements to ships and vessels, we construct in the sides of
the ship or vessel casings connected with pipes, each casing having a lid or cover
either fixed in a partly open position or hinged thereto, so as to be capable
of being opened more or less. In the latter case the position of the lid is determined
by an eccentric or other equivalent mechanism.
We will now describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner
in which our Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a ship or vessel containing our improvements,
and Figure 2 represents a plan of the same. The other Figures represent on a
larger scale the details of our Invention. a, a, are pipes in connection with pumps,
by which pumps water is drawn in from an opening or openings at any convenient
part of the vessel, and is forced along the said pipes a, a; b, b, are stop valves
which can be opened and closed at pleasure, and by means of which the water in
the pipes a, a, can be permitted to enter the casings c, c, and the quantity so
entering regulated, or the water altogether cut off. One of these casings and the
appliances connected therewith is represented in elevation in Figure 3, and in
section in Figures 4 and 5, Figure 4 being a vertical section taken on the line C, D,
Figure 3, and-Figure 5 being a horizontal section taken on the line A, B, Figure 3.
The open mouths of the casings c, c, are fixed in the side of the vessel in any
convenient number and position. The open mouth of each casing c is provided
with a lid or cover e.
The lids or covers e, e, turn upon joints or axes f, f, the details of one of which
are shown in Figure 6. The lids or covers e, e, may be held down watertight
upon the open mouths of the casings c, c, and thereby made to close the same, or

page_text: they may be opened at their rear sides to a greater or less angle, and fixed in the
required position by the mechanism represented in Figures 3, 4, and 5. The said
mechanism is constructed as follows:-g is a shaft carrying on one end an
eccentric h; i is a connecting rod, one end k of which is furnished with a clip and
is situated upon the eccentric h.
The other end of the rod is jointed to the inside of the cover e by the snugs e¹
and the joint pin m. The outer end of the axis g carries an arm or lever n having
in it a slot p. The slot p of the arm or lever n traverses the top of the upright g,
and after the position of the lever n has been adjusted the said lever can be fixed
by tightening the screw r which passes through the slot p. By means of the
mechanism described the several lids or covers e can be independently fixed in
their closed positions or opened to the required extent.
When the lids or covers e, e, are opened as represented in Figure 5, and the stop
valves at b are opened, water from the pipe a passes out from the casings c, c, as
represented in Figure 1, and indicated by the arrows in Figure 5. The manner in
which the curved back part of the covers or lids e is made to fit watertight upon
the open mouth of the casing by means of recesses and india rubber or other
packing will be understood by an examination of Figures 3, 4, and 5.
When the lids or covers e, e, are fixed in a slightly raised position, as represented
in Figure 5, a thin film or sheet of water is delivered at the rear of the cover on
the side of the vessel, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 5, and also indicated
in Figure 1, and diminishes the resistance between the advancing vessel and the
resisting water through which the vessel is moving.
The pipes a, a, are supplied with water either by pumping engines inside the
ship or vessel, or by turbines or screws outside the ship or vessel.
Although we have represented in the accompanying Drawings the lids or
covers e, e, as made capable of adjustment in their raised positions, or of being shut
down so as to close the casings, yet the said lids or covers may be permanently
fixed in their raised or open position.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our
Invention of " Improvements in Ships and other Vessels, and in Reducing the
Resistance caused by Friction in the Propulsion of Ships and Vessels," the con-
struction and arrangements of the parts of ships and vessels and appliances
connected therewith, hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, for ejecting films of water from the interior of the ship or vessel along
the sides and bottoms of the ships or vessels, and the application of the said ejected
films of water along the sides and bottoms of ships and vessels when in motion, for
the purpose of reducing the resistance caused by the skin friction, substantially as
herein described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Tangye, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-one.
Witness,
EDWIN DAVEY,
Redruth.
JAMES TANGYE. (L.S.)