Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Mechanical Motion, applicable specially to Effecting and Controlling Navigation or Aerostation.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Mechanical Motion,
applicable specially to Effecting and Controlling Navigation or
Aerostation.
I, FRANCIS HERBERT DUFTY, of The Victorian Studio, Suva, in the Colony
of Fiji, Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for producing motion by the
contact of moving solid planes with fluids, and is specially applicable to effecting
and controlling navigation or aërostation at any level in any fluid.
When an individual walks, he sets one foot on the ground and uses that position
of the foot on the ground underneath it, and the grip or friction between the two,
as a basis permanent whilst the other foot is being forced through the motion of
advance which terminates in a position analogous to the one last mentioned.
This natural motion, essential to and characteristic of human ambulation, is
the one which my invention applies in certain ways to industrial operations and
purposes.
In carrying my invention into effect, I provide a base which may be of any type
or kind adapted to fulfil the purposes of my said invention. Essentially and
substantially, this base is a plane of suitable area, rigidity, and (if necessary)
buoyancy.
Flaps are hinged or pivotted to it, on either or both sides; and these are adapted,
in respect of their pivotal connection to their respective bases, to present their
maximum areas to the fluid as the said base is, or is likely to, or might, move or be
moved backwards, or be stopped in any tendency to move backwards by the
resistance or inertia of the fluid through or upon which the motion is being
carried on.
Suitable pivotal devices are provided for the said flaps to work on and suitable
stops also of any type against which the said flaps may or can rest or bear when
in their operative positions.
Any suitable frame for supporting or receiving or holding a said base may
be used.
There are also provided stops, or their equivalents, adapted to prevent the flaps
returning to their respective bases too closely for the fluid to open them out when
the said bases are stationary or being moved backwards. These stops may be either
projections from the flaps or shoulders or other suitable planes on the bases. If
the latter, room is provided for the flaps to work in. They may be fixed to either
the flaps or guards, or to any other convenient portion of the apparatus.
The flaps or base above mentioned mnay, either or both, according to this
invention, be pivotted or connected, respectively, to or upon, a slide or slides,
adapted by its or their linear motion in a frame slotted, or otherwise suitably
furnished, to provide for a forward motion of the flap or flaps preparatory to their
taking a fresh grip of the fluid.
My invention does not confine mne to the number of bases which I use, but when
more than one are used and all working side by side, I may use vertical plates
attached to or near the edges of the said bases.
Automatic and easy or self-releasing catches are provided for the purpose of
holding the flaps in their operative positions and releasing them therefrom.
The bases above mentioned may have provided for them suitable slides in which
they can move. These slides may be supported in any convenient way.
Any suitable agency or motor, animal, mechanical or electrical, may be provided

page_text: for the purpose of moving the bases backwards and forwards, e.g., (speaking of
mechanical agencies only) either a screw or screws, pistons single or double acting,
or, in fact, any other motor adapted to impart to the said bases the necessary to
and fro linear motion.
Longitudinal webs may be provided between the bases, said webs entering
grooves in both bases, or being in some other equivalent way connected to them.
The object of these webs is to provide planes upon which the bases right and left
thereof can be moved easily, the webs or their equivalent furnishing the surfaces
upon which the bases move.
As to the nature of the fluid above referred to, I wish it to be distinctly under-
stood that I do not restrict myself in respect thereof, but may use any which
possesses the properties necessary to my invention.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1891.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Mechanical Motion,
applicable specially to Effecting and Controlling Navigation or
Aerostation.
I, FRANCIS HERBERT DUFTY, of The Victorian Studio, Suva in the Colony of
Fiji, Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for producing motion by the
contact of moving solid planes with fluids, and is specially applicable to effecting
and controlling navigation or aerostation at any level in any fluid.
When an individual walks, he sets one foot on the ground and uses that position
of the foot on the ground underneath it, and the grip or friction between the two,
as a basis permanent whilst the other foot is being forced through the motion of
advance which terminates in a position analogous to the one last mentioned.
This natural motion, essential to and characteristic of human ambulation, is the
one which my invention applies in certain ways to industrial operations and purposes.
In carrying my invention into effect, I provide a base which may be of any type
or kind adapted to fulfil the purpose of my said invention. Essentially and
substantially, this base is a plane of suitable area, rigidity, and (if necessary)
buoyancy.
Flaps are hinged or pivotted to it, on either or both sides, and these are adapted,
in respect of their pivotal connection to their respective bases, to present their
maximum areas to the fluid as the said base is, or is likely to, or might, move or be
moved backwards, or be stopped in any tendency to move backwards by the
resistance or inertia of the Huid through or upon which the motion is being
carried on.
Suitable pivotal devices are provided for the said flaps to work on, and suitable
stops also of any type, against which the said flaps may or can rest or bear when in
their operative positions.
Any suitable frame for supporting or receiving or holding a said base may
be used.
There are also provided stops, or their equivalents, adapted to prevent the flaps
returning to their respective bases too closely for the fluid to open them out when
the said bases are stationary or being moved backwards. These stops may be either
projections from, the flaps or shoulders or, other suitable planes on the bases. If
the latter, room is provided for the flaps to work in. They may be fixed to either
the flaps or guards, or to any other convenient portion of the apparatus.
The flaps or base above mentioned may, either or both, according to this
invention, be pivotted or connected, respectively, to or upon, a slide or slides,

page_text: adapted by its or their linear motion in a frame slotted, or otherwise suitably
furnished, to provide for a forward motion of the flap or flaps preparatory to their
taking a fresh grip of the fluid.
My invention does not confine me to the number of bases which I use, but when
more than one are used and all working side by side, I may use vertical plates
attached to or near the edges of the said bases.
Automatic and easy or self-releasing catches are provided for the purpose of
holding the flaps in their operative positions and releasing them therefrom.
The bases above mentioned may have provided for them suitable slides in which
they can move. These slides may be supported in any convenient way.
Any suitable agency or motor, animal mechanical, or electrical, may be provided
for the purpose of moving the flaps backwards and forwards, e.g., (speaking of
mechanical agencies only) either a screw or screws, pistons single or double acting,
or, in fact, any other motor adapted to impart to the said flaps the necessary to and
fro motion.
Longitudinal webs may be provided between the bases, said webs entering
grooves in both bases, or being in some other equivalent way connected to them.
The object of these webs is to provide planes upon which the bases, right and left
thereof, can be moved easily, the webs or their equivalent furnishing the surfaces
upon which the bases move.
As to the nature of the fluid above referred to, I wish it to be distinctly under-
stood that I do not restrict myself in respect thereof, but may use any which
possesses the properties necessary to my invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the general principle of my invention
and some of the methods of applying it to boats or floats. These drawings are
only intended as illustrations of the general nature of the invention, and not as
defining or limiting either the devices shewn or the particular use illustrated.
The floating bodies illustrated in the figures are either boats or rafts and the
fluid in which they are floating, and through which my invention is adapted to
drive them, water. But the fact that the fluid is water is only the reason why the
floating body is illustrated as a boat or a raft.
If the fluid were air, the floating body would be an aeroplane or an acrostat.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating the application of my invention to a boat.
Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line Y-Z of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating the application of my invention to a raft.
Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line W-X of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating the application of a modification of my
invention to a boat.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is the boat; and a, any convenient or suitable
external substructure or addendum provided for the purpose of facilitating the
fixation of the distinctive devices or operative members of my invention to the boat.
This substructure is very nearly, or may be quite, as long as the boat.
'
is a shaft which extends for the full length of the substructure. It is supported
in suitable bearings c, c, c. d, d², d², d³, d, and d are screws cut at regular intervals
along the shaft, and e, e, are sleeves with which the screws respectively engage.
Any sleeve and its screw are of the opposite hand to that of the sleeve and screw
next to it. f,', ƒ³, ƒ³, ƒ^, ƒ³ are grips. Each one is pivotted at, in front of
the respective screw, to or in suitable extensions of the substructure a, and is connected
to the respective sleeve e by a link h. i, i, are stops. They are provided for the
purpose of limiting the motion of the sleeves e in one direction (i.e., towards the stern),
and complementary stops j, j, are provided to limit the motion of the sleeves in the
opposite one.
The grips are set alternately, half of them being at work at once and during the
time that the others are being moved into operative position.
The shaft receives an alternating rotary motion from the boat through any
convenient type of driving mechanism, such motion being continuous in either
direction for as long as is necessary to travel the sleeves e from one end of their

page_text: respective screws to the other. The mechanism shewn consists of a hand wheel k,
two pairs of mitre wheels and m, and the necessary shafts and bearings; but any
other mechanism adapted to impart an alternating rotary motion to the shaft may
be used.
The first, third, and fifth grips, ff, are shewn at the commencement of their
stroke; while the second, fourth, and sixth, 1, 3, 3, are at the end of theirs, and
about to be pushed forward, i.e., into operative position for it is the backward
motions of the grips which constitute their operative strokes. The motion of the
shaft to the left will therefore pull the first, third, and fifth grips, backwards
and up towards the substructure a as far as the stops i will permit of, and at the
same time push all the other grips f³, forward.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, n is a flat float or raft-like structure. 01, 02, 0³, and
o are longitudinal depending dividing webs. They extend the full length of the
float and define the inverted troughs p, p, in which the two sets of grips work..
,
pare the two sets of grips, one in each trough. All the grips are inde-
pendently pivotted as near the top of their respective troughs as is convenient.
The pivots, p, p, are continued outwards through the respective external webs o', 0³,
where they are cranked upwards, and respectively again pivotted to coupling
rods The coupling rods are respectively connected by connecting rods
to nuts actuated respectively by screws, adapted to be revolved in fixed
bearings upon the float. The two screws 7, 4, are of different hands, and are rotated
together in the same direction. Consequently the grips of either set occupy, at
any given moment, positions exactly the opposite of those occupied by the grips of
the other set. are the two respective sets of stops.
I may use any suitable
motor for actuating the screws 77, 78.
The operative action and effect of the grips last described is exactly analogous
to that already described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.
bar t.
Referring to Fig. 5, s, s are the grips pendant from and pivotted to a duplex
This bar is single at cach end. It receives a reciprocating linear motion
from a suitable motor in the boat through a cross head u. 1, t, are the rod-guides ;
and, studs upon which it rides.
The tops of the grips are shaped so as to fit up against, and move upon, as well
as to be moved by, the corresponding contours,,, of the ends of extensions of
the substructure or addendum a.
The full lines of the grips, cross head, and rod, shew the position of the parts
after the last operative stroke. As the rod is pulled outwards, the grips are swung
backwards by the water in front, and as it (the rod) is pushed inwards, i.e., towards
the stern, the tops of the grips engage with the contours v, v, whereby they are
forced through their operative stroke into the vertical position illustrated. Causing
them to contact with the opposite contours c², e, will have the effect of making the
boat go astern.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is―
1. The herein before described improvements consisting in the combination of a
base, flaps or grips hinged or pivotted to it and adapted to be moved backwards
and forwards in the fluid in, through, or upon which, it is desired to propel the said
base, as set forth.
2. The hereinbefore described improvements consisting generally in the com-
bination of any of the elements specified or illustrated for the purposes, or any of
them, set forth.
Dated this 6th day of November 1891.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.