IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING, STEERING, AND VENTILATING VESSELS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Gottlieb Kopisch, of Bishopsgate Street,
Without, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
PROPELLING, STEERING, AND VENTILATING VESSELS."
Sealed the 24th April 1863, and dated the 13th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Gottlieb Kopisch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th November 1862.
I, CARL GOTTLIEB KOPISCH, of Bishopsgate Street Without, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS FOR PROPELLING, STEERING, AND VENTILATING VESSELS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain means for effecting the propulsion of
steam ships or vessels by the injection into the water on which such vessel,
float of columns or streams of heated air.
The arrangement of apparatus which I prefer to employ for heating the
air may be described as a furnace contained within and extending from end to
end of an elongated horizontal steam boiler, below which is situated an air
reservoir. This reservoir is supplied with air by a pumping engine, which I
propose shall draw the air from the hold of the ship, with which the various
cabins are brought into communication by air pipes for the purpose of
[Price 8d.]

page_text: effecting their ventilation. This pumping engine is to be worked by a steam
engine supplied with steam from the steam boiler. The air reservoir is
brought into connection with the ash-pit of the furnace by pipes, which supply
air under pressure to the fire-place. The furnace is connected at its rear end
with a chimney by two flues of different diameters, both of which are capable
of being easily closed. From the furnace also lead off air trunks, the outer
ends of which open into and below the surface of the water, for the purpose of
directing columns of air rearwards, and thereby propelling the ship forwards.
The fire-grate being charged with coal from a hopper, and closed to exclude
the passage of air, the fire-door is opened and also the larger of the flues
leading to the chimney. By this means a draft is obtained to permit of the
kindling of the fire and the getting up of steam in the boiler. This being
effected and the pumping engine set in action, the flue and fire-door are
closed, and air is admitted from the air reservoir to the furnace, the circu-
lation being now maintained by opening the smaller flue leading to the chimney,
When it is desired to start the vessel this flue is also closed, and the heated
air and gases of combustion are directed into the water through the propelling
air trunks. I also arrange air trunks and bring them into communication
with the main air trunk leading from the furnace, that hot air may be
discharged at either side of the ship for the purpose of steering it, and a
second set of propelling air trunks I provide for directing the air forwards,
and thus imparting, when desired, a backward motion to the ship.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Carl Gottlieb Kopisch in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CARL
GOTTLIEB KOPISCH, of Bishopsgate Street Without, Merchant, send greeting,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent,bearing date the Thirteenth day of November,in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Carl Gottlieb Kopisch, Her special license that I, the said Carl
Gottlieb Kopisch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Carl Gottlieb Kopisch, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and

page_text: lawfully, might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING, STEERING, AND VENTI-
LATING VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Carl Gottlieb Kopisch, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Carl Gottlieb Kopisch, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus whereby the
propulsion of steam ships or vessels may be economically effected through
the injection into the water on which such vessels flat of columns or streams
of heated air.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents my improved apparatus
in longitudinal sectional elevation, and Fig. is a plan view of the same.
The apparatus may be described as a furnace contained within and
extending from end to end of an elongated horizontal steam boiler, below
which is situated an air reservoir. This reservoir is supplied with air by a
pumping or blowing engine of any ordinaryor suitable construction, which air
I propose to draw from the hold of the ship, bringing the various cabius into
communication by air pipes for the purpose of effecting their ventilation.
This pumping engine is to be worked by a steam engine supplied with steam
from the steam boiler. The air reservoir is brought into connection with
the ash-pit of the furnace by pipes which supply air under pressure to the
fire-place. The furnace is connected at its rear end with a chimney by two
openings of different diameters, both of which are capable of being easily
closed. From the furnace also lead off air trunks, the outer ends of which
open into aud below the surface of the water. These trunks serve to con-
duct columus of air rearwards and direct them into the water, and it is by
the pressure of these columns of air upon the water that the ship is propelled
in any desired direction.
a, a, is the water space of the boiler, completely surrounding the furnace b,
which extends from end to end of the boiler, and is fitted as usual with fire.

page_text: place and ash-pit doors 61, 62. The furnace leads directly into the chimney c.
but communication is cut off therewith when required by valves 63 and 64.
The fire-place is supplied with fuel through a hopper 65, which like the doors,
is closed air-tight when the apparatus is in action. Below the furnace is
the air reservoir d, which is supplied with air from the pumping engine or
centrifugal blower through the pipe d¹, and is brought into communication
with the ash-pit by a tubular passage e near the front of the furnace, which
passage is fitted with a valve e¹ for regulating the supply of air to the furnace.
Leading off from near the rear end of the furnace 6 is a branching air trunk
f, which passes out at the stern of the vessel, its mouths being from two to
eight feet, or thereabouts, below the surface of the water. From the air
reservoir also leads out a pipe d², which communicates with two sets of
transverse pipes, g and h. The extremities of the pipes g are bent towards
the head of the vessel, and are intended to direct columns of air in that
direction when it is required to back the vessel. The pipes h are intended
to direct a column of air at pleasure to either side of the vessel for the
purpose of altering its course. The communication between these pipes and
the pipe d² is opened or cut off at pleasure by means of the one-way and
two-way cocks g¹ and h', shewn in section at Fig. 3.
In order to set this apparatus in action the fire-grate is charged with coal
from the hopper 65, which is then closed to exclude the passage of air. The
ash-pit door 62 is then opened, and also the valve 63, which brings the furnace
into communication with the chimney. By this means a draft is obtained to
permit of the kindling of the fire and the getting up of steam in the boiler.
When a sufficient pressure of steam is obtained to set the pumping engine in
action the valve and ash-pit door are closed, and air is admitted from the air
reservoir d by the valve e to the furnace, the circulation being now maintained
by opening the smaller valve 64. When it is desired to start the vessel this
valve b4 is also closed, and the heated air and gases of combustion are directed
into the water through the propelling air trunk f. For propelling vessels I
prefer that the blowing engine shall deliver from two to three thousand cubic
feet of air per hour per horse-power to the furnace, and that the delivery
mouths of the air trunk f shall have an area of from five to ten square inches
per horse-power required to drive the vessel, the proportions being modified
according to the depth of immersion of the delivery mouths and the speed of
propulsion desired. The speed of the vessel will be regulated by the supply
of air forced into the furnace, and when the vessel is stopped the valve b
must be opened. For steering the vessel a stream of air supplied from the
reservoir d by the pipe d² is directed to the right or left side of the vessel, as

page_text: required by means of the valve and pipes h, h. When it is required to back
the vessel the valve e' must be partially closed and the valve b* opened. The
compressed air will then pass out at the pipe d³ and through the valve g¹
into the pipes g, which will discharge it forward or in the direction of the
head of the vessel.
The advantages consequent on the use of my Invention are, increased
efficiency of propulsion over paddle and screw propellers, more especially in bad
weather, economy in fuel, ship's room, and a thorough ventilation of the vessel.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of improved apparatus
for propelling, steering, and ventilating vessels, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim the combination and arrangement of
apparatus above described for applying compressed air to the propulsion of
vessels.
In witness whereof, I, the said Carl Gottlieb Kopisch, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
C. G. KOPISCH. (L.S.)