CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING BOATS AND OTHER VESSELS ON WATER
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
WORRELL STEVENS, of Chigwell, in the County of Essex, Schoolmaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Nineteenth day of November, in the third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Francis Worrell Stevens, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Francis Worrell Stevens, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Francis Worrell Stevens, my exe-
cutors, administrators, 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
mentioned, 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 APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING BOATS AND OTHER
VESSELS ON WATER;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said Francis Worrell Stevens, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and
to cause the same to be inrolled in Her 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 there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Francis Worrell Stevens, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention appertains to certain improvements in the arrrangement and
construction of paddle wheels for steam vessels, and its objects are to attain the
means of apportioning, adjusting, or regulating the propelling surface of the
floats or boards to the power of the engine and speed of the vessel, and also to
gain the most effectual shape or figure of propelling surface of such floats, boards,
or propelling surfaces; and my improvements chiefly apply to the floats or
boards or propelling surfaces, which I place at an angle of about 55° degrees
to the axes of the wheel, and when in a vertical position make an angle of
about 35 degrees with the keel of the vessel. And as I am aware that
many different arrangements and constructions of paddle wheels furnished with
oblique paddles or floats have heretofore been used, I shall proceed to describe
my improvements, and point out what I consider the novelty of
my Invention,
referring to the Drawings hereunto annexed the better to illustrate the same.
The first object of my improvements I attain by placing the several floats,
boards, or propeiling surfaces upon round radial arms, which will allow of the
several paddles or floats being shifted into different angles or positions to the
axis of the wheel, so as to accommodate or adjust the propelling surface offered
to the resistance of the water to the power of the engine, or the best effect
produced thereby in propelling the vessel through the water; and, when so
adjusted, I fix or secure the several floats or propelling surfaces first by
fastening the connections of the floats, boards, or propelling surfaces to the
arms, and then connecting the edges of the several paddles or floats one to the
other firmly by means of rings or rods placed either diagonally or longi-
tudinally, or both, so as to convert them into one secure and complete paddle
wheel; and the second object is attained by a peculiar shape or figure of the
float board or propelling surface, all of which will be better understood by the
following description thereof:-
My Invention consists in the arrangement and construction of what are
commonly called the floats or paddles or propelling surfaces, which may be
made or formed of iron, copper, wood, or other suitable material. The floats
or paddles are placed obliquely in the framework of the wheel, and enter the
water edgeways, and extend from the circumference to about a third or more
of the radius, and resemble the fans or sails of a windmill or a smokejack, and

page_text: the floats or boards are secured to the shaft by being placed upon radial
arms, and my improved wheels take a much greater dip in the water than the
common paddle wheel, being immersed about one half their radius or a little
more. The floats are wide near the circumference, and narrow towards the
centre, or of the form of the segment of a sector, although they may be made of
any other form or figure, and have either a flat or a curvilineal form given
them. They are shaped as segments of two concentric circles, the inner one of
which being at about one third of the distance of the radius of the greater circle.
The diameter of the wheel will depend upon the power of the engine and the
height of the shaft from the water, which in new vessels or engines would be
advantageous to bring as much lower as my improved wheel takes a greater
dip in the water. The angle at which these floats or paddles are placed will
also depend upon the size of the wheel and power of the engine, and will
generally be about 25 degrees to 35 degrees. They are so contrived that the
angle may be lessened or increased to suit the power of the engine, and then
firmly fixed, so as to possess unyielding strength and solidity. The floats, fans,
or paddles being thus arranged and secured, enter the water with little or no
resistance, like vertical oars, striking the water at a point obliquely, and on
arriving in a vertical position make an acute angle of about 35 degrees with
the keel of the vessel, and their inner edges at the same time pointing to the
stern, and on emerging therefrom cast the tail water at a corresponding angle,
or away from the side of the vessel, so that she makes her way in still water,
and thus avoids being retarded by the rapidity of the water which is usually
thrown against her sides by the common paddles. By the floats or paddles
entering edgeways or like an oar, that tremulous motion usually experienced
in steam boats fitted with ordinary paddle wheels is avoided; and my
improved paddle wheels will continue to work sinoothly even when sud-
denly plunged up to the boss by a heavy sea. All of which will be better
understood by reference to the accompanying Drawings, which I will now
proceed to describe.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Let Figure 1, G, H, F, represent the outer circle, and I, K, L, a smaller
or the inner circle, of the propelling surfaces or floats, which circles are con-
centric to each other, and the space included between them (i. e., the depth
of the floats may be divided into any number of equal parts, according to the
diameter of the wheel and the intended width of the wheel. I have taken
sixteen. Thus, D, E, B, C, will be a segment or portion of the sector A, D, E,
and D, E, B, C, will be the part of a ring or sector which will form one of
the floats, paddles, or propelling surfaces.

page_text: Let Figure 2, D, E, B, C, represent one of the said floats, fans, or paddles
detached, and which I propose to make of sheet iron or copper or wood of suffi-
cient strength for the purpose intended, which float or propeller is supported on
the arm a, b, by means of clamps c, d, which are securely held by screw bolts and
nuts. F represent one of such clamps detached, which when the screw bolts
are loosened admit of the adjustment of the float to any angle or any position
along the arm a, b.
Figure 3 represents the manner in which the radial arms are supported
when placed in the boss L on the shaft I, K. A, B, are two of such arms
supported by the iron rods C, D, and E, F, each of which is secured to the
shaft by iron rings or a small boss firmly keyed on the shaft. L is a strong
boss, having brackets or flanges on either side to give it strength.
Fig. 4 is
side view or elevation of one of my improved paddle wheels,
separate or detached from the vessel, having only eight floats.
Fig. 5 is a similar representation of the other or reverse side to Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is an edge view, and Fig. 7 a section taken vertically through the
same.
In all these Figures the outer ring or rods which connect the several
paddles or propellers together are removed, in order the better to shew the
various parts, and the floats or propelling surfaces are shewn of a greater depth
than one third the radius of the wheel.
Figure 8 shews the complete wheel when the floats or propelling surfaces
have been adjusted to the required position, and secured by rods (or rings)
passing from one to the other, and represents the left or larboard paddle
wheel; and the floats, on arriving in a vertical position, form an acute angle
with the keel, pointing to the stern of the vessel; and a, b, is the waterline or
depth of immersion of the wheel, which in this instance is about half the
radius. A is the shaft or axle of the wheel; B, the boss or nave securely
fastened to the shaft in any convenient manner; C, C, C, are radial arms
fastened on to the boss by screws or otherwise. The outer extremities of
these arms are connected together by means of the ring D, D. The paddles
or floats are secured in their proper position by rods passing from the corners
of one paddle to another; or the same may be done by means of rings con-
nected to the corners of all the paddles. E, E, E, are the several floats or
propelling surfaces fastened on to the several radial arms by screw-clamps or
other fastenings at F, F; and, by loosening these screws or fastenings, the
various floats or surfaces can be shifted to any required position along the
arms, and to any angle to the axis best suited to the engine and speed of the
vessel. G, G, are other radial armis, stays, or braces passing from the rings D
to the boss on the shaft, for the better securing the ring D to the axis, and 4

page_text: strengthening the wheels. The wheel is fixed on the ordinary shaft, which
shaft is at right angles with the wheel and the vessel.
The object of these improvements is, to avoid the usual lift of backwater
and that blow which an horizontal rectangular float strikes the water, and to
attain that smoothness in the action of the engine, whatever the sudden
immersion of the wheel may be, and to avoid tremour, to increase the speed
of the vessel, to enable a vessel to take a heavy burthen without affecting the
working of the engine or diminishing the speed of the vessel, and by the
general combination of such arrangement to effect a reduction in the width of
paddle wheels, and consequently of the paddle boxes.
Having described my improvements, and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I would in conclusion remark, that from the foregoing description
and the accompanying Drawings, it will be readily understood that by this
arrangement the wheel is enabled to take a greater dip, or work in a denser
medium, than the common paddle; and the speed of the wheel, and con-
sequently the engine, may be regulated by an alteration of the angle of the
floats, and thus alter the actual propelling surface offered to the resistance of
the water.
In conclusion I would remark, that I claim the general arrangement and
construction of the wheel, and of the floats or propellers, their form, the mode
of adjustment, and the dip of the wheel before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Worrell Stevens, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty.