IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1864

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Edward Myers and Henry
Dundas Gloag at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition and Declaration, on the 23rd January 1864, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT
KNOWN that we, EDWARD MYERS, of Millbank Row, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, and HENRY DUNDAS GLOAG, of Pall
Mall, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING
SHIPS OR VESSELS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction and
arrangement of apparatus for propelling and steering ships, and relates to
improvements in the arrangement of apparatus described in the Specifica-
tion of a Patent granted to E. Myer and H. Forbes, dated 8th July 1868.
No. 1691.
Our present improvements consist in constructing and arranging apparatus,
such as was described in the Specification before referred to, in a more
advantageous and suitable manner, whereby a more efficient result is obtained.
The apparatus consists of two toothed drums or wheels of metal, geared toge-
ther, revolving within a suitable metal case or chamber; these drums may be
of equal or unequal dimensions, and may work either horizontally or vertically

page_text: on axes which revolve in stuffing boxes or recesses in the sides or ends of the
case or chamber, such sides or ends of the chamber being fixed in position by
bolts and nuts or otherwise. The teeth on the drums are placed at an angle
to their axes, and are so formed that they shall work into each other when
the two drums are geared together with a smooth rolling motion. These
inclined teeth and the hollows or grooves between them are made (by pre-
ference) half round, and are formed by semicircles of equal radii from points
in the pitch line or circle. One, two, or more pairs of these toothed drums
or wheels contained in cases may be employed in connection with other appa-
ratus herein-after explained in accordance with our improvements for propelling
and steering ships. The propelling apparatus is, by preference, placed inside
the hull of the ship or vessel in any convenient position below the water line.
The apparatus above referred to as being in connection with the improved
rotary propelling apparatus consists of a particular arrangement of pipes or
tubes, also situated (by preference) in a convenient position in the interior
of the hull of the vessel, also below the water line. These pipes or tubes
have apparatus arranged in combination therewith fore and aft for the
purpose of contracting the waterways when required. The water which floats
the vessel flows through these pipes or tubes and enters the case containing
the revolving toothed drums before described, and is admitted into the
pipes or tubes by orifices situated fore and aft in parts of the vessel below
the water line. The toothed drums are mounted upon and caused to revolve
with their axes, which pass through stuffing boxes on the sides of the
case or chamber, and steam or other suitable motive power may be applied in
any convenient manner to one or both ends of either of the axes which pass
Motion is communi-
through either of the drums contained in the case.
cated to the vessel by means of the apparatus previously described, either
forwards or backwards, according to the direction in which the toothed drums
are caused to revolve, as the water can either be drawn in by the orifices in
the fore part, of the vessel and be expelled through those in the after part,
thereby driving the vessel forward, or the water may be drawn in at the
orifices in the after part of the vessel and be expelled by those in the fore part,
thus causing the vessel to move backwards. For the purpose of steering
the vessel the pipes or tubes are furnished with suitable valves situated in
convenient positions, so, that the influx of the water to the case or chamber
containing the toothed drums may be stopped either fore or aft on either side
of the vessel, according to the direction in which it may be moving, viz.,
forwards or backwards, and thus the vessel can be turned, the right or left, by
shutting off the influx of the water on the side to which it is required to turn

page_text: the vessel, and by means of these valves the water may be prevented from
entering the case or chamber containing the drums either by the orifices fore
or aft of the vessel, thereby aiding in stopping the vessel, whether moving
forwards or backwards, and, if necessary, to allow inspection or repair of the
drums or other parts, or for other purposes. The flow of the water into the
case or chamber containing the toothed drums may be cut off by closing
the valves in the pipes or tubes connected with the orifices fore and aft of
the vessel. One or more pairs of rotating toothed drums in separate cases or
chambers may be employed in carrying out our Invention.
And in order that our Invention may be more fully understood we proceed
to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Similar parts are marked with the same letters of reference in the different
views, the nature of each of which is written thereon.
D, D, shews the toothed drums having the teeth placed at an angle to their
axes; C, C, the case or chamber in which they revolve; B, B, are the axes
on which the drums are mounted, and to which the cranks that are driven by
the piston rods R, R, of the engines E, E, are attached; P1, P1, are the pipes
or tubes connected with the orifices O¹, 0¹, in the fore part of the vessel;
P, P, are the pipes or tubes connected with the orifices in the after part of the
vessel; V, V, represent valves in the pipes P1, P1; and V, V, the valves in
the pipes P, P.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Myers and Henry Dundas
Gloag, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third day
of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four.
0
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
EDWARD MYERS.
(L.S.)
HENRY DUNDAS GLOAG. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings, W.C.