A NEW SYSTEM OF CON- OF SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Agostino Palmiéri and Jean Baptiste Ferrari, of
39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, and of 4, South
Street, Finsbury, London, for the Invention of "A NEW SYSTEM OF CON-
OF SHIPS OR VESSELS."-A communication from Monsieur
Sealed the 1st February 1856, and dated the 5th September 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Agostino Palmiéri and
Jean Baptiste Ferrari at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petitiou, on the 5th September 1855.
We, AGOSTINO PALMIERI and JEAN BAPTISTE FERRARI, of 39, Rue de
l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, & of 4, South Street, Finsbury,
London, do hereby declare the nature of our Invention of "A NEW SYSTEM
OF CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS" to be as follows, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to a new method of propelling vessels on water,
which method consists in placing an ordinary hulk upon a suitable frame, to
which is attached in the direction of the keel a series of six or more hollow
air-tight cylinders, composed of wood or metal, the axes of which work in
suitable bearings. These cylinders are furnished, if necessary, with floats or
paddles upon their circumference, actuated by suitable machinery. The
cylinder placed at the stern of the vessel answers the purpose of a helm,
being constructed so as to turn in any direction. Each cylinder is provided

page_text: with a pulley, upon which a rope or chain is wound, connected with the prime
mover, steam or any other motive power being applicable. Wheels attached
to the cylinders gearing with each other may be substituted for ropes or chains.
Small cylinders, similar to those described, may be made to rotate between
the large ones on the same plane. The sides of the cylinders are cased round
with wood or other material to protect them, & to offer less resistance to the
water when in motion. Thus the cylinders support as well as propel the vessel,
which differs from those of ordinary construction, in having no keel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Agostino Palmieri and Jean Baptiste Ferrari in the Great
. Seal Patent Office on the 5th March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, AGOSTINO
PALMIERI and JEAN BAPTISTE FERRARI, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in
the Empire of France, and of 4, South Street, Finsbury," London; send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Agostino Palmieri and Jean Baptiste Ferrari, Her special license,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said Agostino Palmieri
and Jean Baptiste Ferrari, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Agostino Palmieri and Jean Baptiste Ferrari, our exe-
cutors, 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 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 "A NEW SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS;"
communicated to us from Monsieur J. B. Paganinni, of Turin, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we; the said Agostino Palmieri and Jean Baptiste
Ferrari; by an instrument in writing under our hands and: seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be. per-
formed, 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.

page_text: . NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Agostino Palmieri and Jean Baptiste
Ferrari, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say:-
The Invention consists in propelling boats or other vessels by means of
hollow cylinders, furnished with paddles on their circumference, the axes of
which cylinders work in suitable. bearings. The cylinders are also provided
with pulleys, cranks, or toothed wheels, which are put in motion by means of
steam or other motive power.
Figure 1 in the Sheet of Drawings represents a front view of the cylinders
and the supporting frame. This frame A, which supports the hulk, is com-
posed of wood of suitable dimensions. The lower frame B is fixed to the
upper by cast-iron supports C, and is further strengthened and secured by
iron tie rods c¹. To the lower frame are attached one or more plummer
blocks or bearings D, in which work the axes of the cylinders E¹, E", E¹¹, E,
E. These cylinders, which support as well as propel the vessel, are composed
of wood or metal, on the circumference of which are placed paddles F. Each
cylinder has fixed on its axis a pulley G, G, G", G, GI, GY, round which the
rope or chain H passes, by which motion is given to the cylinders. Between
the cylinders, and on the top of the other frame are placed another series of
pulleys I, I, I, I, II, IV, for receiving the endless chain or cord H, which is
made to pass from the upper pulley I, thence under the pulley G₁, and in like
manner around the other pulleys in the direction of the arrows. From I the
cord passes to the main pulley J, provided with a crank J. From this pulley
it passes to the smaller pulley K, from whence it returns to the pulley I, thus
forming an endless chain or rope. From the lower groove of the main pulley J
another endless cord passes to the pulley J", to the shaft of which is fixed a
toothed rack. J. From this pulley it passes to two smaller pulleys L, M,
thence round the pulley G, fixed to the axis of cylinder E. Small cylinders
M, represented by dotted lines, may be placed between those already described,'
to which they are similar in construction.
:
Figure 2 represents a plan of the upper frame, shewing the mechanism
employed to give motion to the cords. The main pulley J, supported by a'
suitable framing, is furnished with a crank, as before stated, which is con-
nected by a rod N to piston rod O of the steam cylinder P, another being
placed on the frame at right angles to the other, by which means motion.
is given to the vessel. In lieu of steam any other suitable power may be

page_text: employed. The pulley K works in a bearing provided with a slot, which, in
connection with a spiral spring K attached to the thumb screw K", allows the
tightness of the cord to be adjusted. The cylinder E placed at the bow of
the vessel answers the purpose of a helm, being capable of turning in any
direction. It is made to act in the following manner:-The axis Q of this
cylinder works in bearings made in brackets R, attached to a frame S, Figure 7.
In the middle of the frame is a cross piece T, to which is firmly secured the
shaft U, Figures 1, 7, and 8: To each corner of the frame is fixed the anti-
friction rollers V, rotating on curved iron plates W. A segmental rack J" is
attached to the axis U, which gears with the small pinion V¹, worked by a
crank W and rod W', suitably fixed to the framework X. The rack, cord, and
pulley arrangement are shewn in detail in Figure 8. In steering, therefore,
the direction is determined by the movement of the crank.
Figure 3 shews a plan of the frame and cylinders, the upper frame being
removed. One end only of the cylinders is represented as having pulleys, but
both ends may be furnished with them if necessary. The frame Y, composed
of wood, is braced together with iron rods Z.
Figure 4 represents the hull, which is placed on the frame A, Figure 1.
It is formed with decks and other arrangements, similar to those of the ordinary
construction.
By this shaft motion is
Figure 5 shews a perspective view of an arrangement by which the cylinders
may be worked by cranks. The end of the connecting rod c, fixed to the
piston rod d of the cylinder e on the frame e', is attached to the wrought-iron
lever f, fast to the main shaft g, by which motion is given to the lever g, con-
necting rod h, cranks i, and links j. To the end of the lever g is fixed a
link piece k, in which the long lever takes into. The latter lever is attached
to a long shaft m, working in suitable bearings m¹.
conveyed to the cylinder n, to the crank on the shaft of which connecting
rods o, o', are attached. The rod o¹ has a short piece p fixed to the upper
end, which takes into a long link q, working loose in brackets 7, 1, so that
when the lever is depressed, the rod o has a corresponding motion which
turns the crank. Another piston and cylinder 8, represented in dotted lines,
is connected to the rod h, so as to work at right angles to the other.
Figure 6 shews another modification of our arrangement for propelling, in
which wheels are employed instead of cranks or chains. t, t, represents the
cylinders; 2, u, wheels gearing with each other; v, connecting rod. In like
manner the other cylinders are put in motion. w, crank. The arrows shew
the direction of the movement.
Figure 9 represents a detail view of the cylinder, in section, and the manner

page_text: of its construction. The cylinder is composed of a wooden or iron casing X,
made stouter where the rods y pass through. These flat iron rods are fixed to
bosses z, fastened to the main shaft 1, as shewn more clearly in Figure 10,
being a section of an end view. Each rod passes through the outer casing of
the cylinder, where it is made fast to the paddles 2. Diagonal brace rods 3,
Figure 9, are also fixed to the bosses on the axis to strengthen the structure.
A boss 4 is also placed at each end of the cylinder.
Figure 11 is a plan of a portion of the outer frame with its iron bracing.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of a method of working the paddles by
means of a cam 5; the paddles work on pivots 6. At one end of each paddle
is a short lever 7, provided at the end with antifriction pulleys 8. As they
come in contact with the edge of the cam 5, they are made to act in the
water at right angles to its plane when at the bottom of the cylinder, and
immediately assume a different angle in passing out..
The Figures 13 and 14 are an elevation and plan of an antifriction bearing,
so that as the shaft 9 rotates it shall have the least possible friction. For this
purpose we place four pulleys 10, 11, 12, 13, working on short studs 14, fixed
to the interior of the iron casing 15, so that they may work freely. The shaft
9 passes between and works upon them.
Having now described the nature of the Invention communicated to us,
and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, we would have
it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein laid
down; but what we claim is, the method of propelling vessels in water by
means of hollow cylinders furnished with paddles which are worked by steam
or other power, 'as herein-before described, and represented in the annexed
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Agostino Palmieri and Jean Baptiste
Ferrari, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six.
Witness,
BIANCHI ANTONIO.
AGOSTINO PALMIERI.
(L.8.)
.
JEAN BAPTISTE FERRARI. (LS.)