CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON PADDLE WHEELS
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROGERS, of Princes Court, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Tenth day of July, in the sixth year of His reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Rogers, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said John Rogers, my exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Rogers, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON PADDLE
WHEELS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said
John Rogers, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next'
und immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
Jorge annear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Rogers, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be completed, are fully described and ascertained
in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
UATITION OF THE DRAWING.
a, b, c, are three rings or framings of paddle wheels, on to which are to be
affixed the float boards by screw bolts or other means. The rings or framings
a and c are of equal diameter, in order to have the side float boards to the
same diameter or dip; the ring or framing b is of a larger diameter then
the two side side framings u and c, as is clearly shown in the Drawing. The
object of having the framing 6 of larger diameter is to give the float boards
affixed thereto a larger diameter of wheel, or deeper dip into the water, as will
be fully described hereafter. d is the main shaft proceeding from the steam
engine or other power on board the ship. or vessel. On to this shaft d are
affixed by keys or otherwise the bosses of the three framings a, b, c, the rings
a, b, c, being connected to their respective bosses by the arms or spokes e, as is
clearly shewn in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 1 being a side view of a paddle wheel
constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 being an edge view thereof;
but in this Figure only two sets of float boards are shown, one set at top, and
one set in the water, the other sets being omitted in order to avoid complexity
in the Drawing; but as each set corresponds with the other, and as all the
sets are shown in Figure 1, and in their proper places, an engineer will
readily construct a paddle wheel according to my improvements. f. f, are
floats or paddles affixed to the framing b. These float boards f,f, are curved,
in order to enter the water most effectually; but in order to prevent the
same having a prejudicial effect in leaving the water, in each of these float
boards there is an opening 9, to admit of the flow of water which would
otherwise be lifted by the float boards f as they respectively leave the water.
These float boards are partly affixed to the framing b, and strengthened by
means of the stays or rods h, as is clearly shown.
I would remark that one great feature of novelty of my Invention is having
these float boards f to dip deeper into the water than the other float boards,
hereafter described.
And in order to obtain strength of construction, I have shown and described
the framing b, to which these float boards f are affixed, as being larger than
the framings a and c; but it will be evident that this is not essentially

page_text: necessary for obtaining the deeper dip of the float boards f, as that object may
be obtained without having recourse to that particular arrangement, as it will
be evident to an engineer.
i, i, are side float boards, affixed to the framings a and c, and also to the
framing b, by screw bolts or other means. The shape of the float boards i, i, I
prefer to be curved, in the manner shown in the Drawing, though the same
may be perfectly flat, and would then resemble in some degree ordinary float
boards, the object of these float boards i, i, being to act on the water as it
escapes from the float boards f. On to the framing b are also affixed further
float boards j,j, what I call batwing paddles; their position in each set of float
boards will readily be seen by the Drawing, though only one is shewn in
Figure 1, there being one of the side paddles removed in order to show it
in that Figure; these batwing paddles being intended to offer still further
resistance to the water.
.
I would remark that the object of my Invention will, from the foregoing
description, have become evident, for it will be seen that the combination of
float boards here shown has the particular property of offering an extensive
surface when under water; yet such surface is so divided or made up of parts,
that, notwithstanding their offering so extensive a surface, the same will con-
stantly enter and leave the water most favorably for giving full effect to the
power employed.
And I would wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise forms or shapes of the float boards, nor to the materials of which the
same are constructed, as the same will necessarily have to undergo modifi-
cations in order to meet various circumstances of the construction of the ship
or vessel in which they are employed, in order to obtain the proper quantity
of surface resistance for the velocity required and the power employed.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not claim
any of the parts separately of which the paddle wheels herein described are
compounded; but I do hereby claim, as my improvements, the combining the
three descriptions of float boards or paddles f, i, j, or any two of them, in
sets, into a paddle wheel, as above described, when the same are combined and
arranged on the principle of action herein fully set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Rogers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.
JOHN (L.B.) ROGERS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Ninth day of January, in the
year of our Lord 1836, the aforesaid John Rogers came before our said Lord
the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord Une thousand
eight hundred and thirty-six.