CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS, AND OTHER FLOATING BODIES
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
LIGHT, of Royal Street, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Master Mariner
and Civil Engineer, 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 Eleventh day of August, in the seventh year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Light, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Edward Light, my exors, adññors, and assigns, and such
others as I, the said Edward Light, my exors, admors, 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 IN PROPELLING VESSELS, AND
OTHER FLOATING BODIES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Edward Light, 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 and 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 large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Light, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-

page_text: of the Tomowing statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereor
(that is to say):-
My Invention consists of a mode of constructing an endless chain with floa
boards, having the capability of permitting such float boards being removed
with facility when it is desired to sail without the aid of propelling by power
and also permitting of repairs by removal of one float board and the substitu-
tion of another with facility.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING....
Figure 1 shows an endless chain of float boards combined, according to my
Invention. Figure 2 is a plan of part of the chain. Figure 3 is a plan of the
slide on which the arms which carry the float boards are fixed. This slide fits or
slides into the dovetail guides constituting the side framing of each of the links
of the endless chain. Figure 4 shows one of the float boards separately. In
each of these Figures the same letters indicate similar parts, a, a, being the
links or parts of which the chain is composed, the construction of which will
be evident on examining the Drawing. b, b, are hinges or folding joints by
which the parts a, a, are joined one to the other, in order to produce an
endless chain. c, c, are what may be called double hinges, each of which
connects two parts a, a, together at one end, as is clearly shewn. These double
hinges c, c, are made hollow on one side, so that such hollow surface, when
resting on one of the bars of the propelling wheels hereafter described, the
endless chain of paddles or float boards will be moved and act on the water,
and propel the vessel or floating body to which my improvements are applied.
d, d, are the slides which carry the float boards or paddles, they being affixed by
means of arms or stays e, e, as is clearly shewn at Figures 1 and 4. These
slides d, d, slide into or between the slides a, a, of the links of the chain, and are
retained securely by the dovetail form of such sides a, a, and by means of screws
and bolts ff; and it will be evident that in case it be desired to remove the
float boards or paddles 9, 9, in order that they may not interfere with the
sailing of the vessel when the power is not applied, the removal of each float
board or paddle may be performed with facility, by withdrawing the screws or
bolts ff, and sliding out the slides d, d. In Figure 1 h, i, are two wheels
which may be actuated by a steam engine or other suitable means, and the
power may be applied to one or both wheels, but I prefer that the power
should be applied to both, and this is readily performed by affixing a paddle
wheel on the main shaft of the engine, and two equal cog wheels on the
shafts or axles h, i, of the wheels h, i, or by other suitable means; the axles

page_text: h, i, turning in suitable bearings. j,j, are a series of bars affixed from side to
side of the wheels h, i. These bars j, j, are for supporting the endless chain of
paddles or float boards by their fitting into the hollow surfaces formed in the
double hinges. I would remark, that I am aware that float boards placed
on an endless chain and actuated by two wheels in some respects similar to
that above described have been before used.
I do not, therefore, claim the same generally, but what I do claim is the
mode herein described, whereby the float boards may, with facility, be
removed from the endless chain, whether for repair or to be out of the way,
when it desired that the vessel or other floating body to which they are applied
may sail.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Light, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.