IMPROVEMENTS IN OARS, PADDLES ROWLOCKS, SEATS, AND FITTINGS FOR BOATS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cox, of Gorgie Mills, in the County of
Edinburgh, Glue Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OARS,
PADDLES ROWLOCKS, SEATS, AND FITTINGS FOR BOATS."
Sealed the 22nd December 1865, and dated the 29th June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cox at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th June
1865.
I, JOHN Cox, of Gorgie Mills, in the County of Edinburgh, Glue Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OARS, PADDLES, ROWLOCKS, SEATS, AND FITTINGS FOR BOATS AND VESSELS," to be as
follows:-
Hitherto oars have been worked in various sorts of rowlocks or otherwise
over the sides of boats, but still the oar has had to be kept in proper position
with much friction and wear and tear of leather on the oar or of the oar itself.
Now this part of my Invention permits of the oar being kept in proper position
for work, and consists in making the rowlock work on two axes, or the
oar may have an axis and the rowlock an axis, that is, two axes are between
them, one allowing of vertical motion and the other of horizontal motion of
the oar; or I attain a similar result by making a parallel-sided slit in the
oar to work on a vertical pin on the side of the boat. The object to be
obtained is to keep the edges of the oar vertical, permitting of the oar being
moved horizontally and vertically and kept in proper position. Further, this
ГРайс 82.1

page_text: method of guiding an oar perinits of the rower sitting with his face to the
way he is going by making the pivot or pivots on which the oar rotates at
the extreme inner end of the oar instead of between ends. Further, this
improvement of oar or rowlock together or partly of each suits admirably
for working double-bladed paddles operating alternately on each side of a boat
like Indian paddles in a canoe. The rowlock may be placed in the centre of
the beam of the boat, and the double paddle is to be worked on it something
after the fashion of a see-saw. The paddle being nicely balanced, and with
two axes of motion, a person can work it with great ease, with the advantage
of facing the bow of the boat.
My improvement in seats of boats consists in making the seats to yield
horizontally by pushing the feet against the floor or other fixed object, so that
the body of the rower is pushed back and farther from the rowlock, thereby
allowing a longer stroke being given to the oar, the seat regaining its normal
or original position-while the person is recovering for a new stroke..
My fitting to prevent boats and vessels getting aground consists of one or
more rods, by preference of iron, suspended over or fixed to the side or end
of the vessel, and kept in a vertical position or nearly so. Suppose a rod of
iron kept in a vertical position over a ship's side, reaching to a depth, say of
60 or 100 feet, wherever the sea is of less depth than that the rod will strike
the bottom, and indicate that shoal water exists.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
December 1865.
JOHN
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
Cox, of Gorgie Mills, in the County of Edinburgh, Glue Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Cox, Her special licence that I, the said John Cox, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Cox, 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 lawfully might make, use, exercise,

page_text: and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an: Invention for IMPROVEMENTS, IN, OARS™
PADDLES, ROWLOCKS, SEATS, AND FITTINGS FOR BOATS AND VESSELS,"Jupon the:
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Cox, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 John Cox, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed;
that is to say:-
i
My improvements in oars, paddles, and rowlocks consist in-adapting the
oars or paddles to the rowlocks so that the oars or paddles are free to move
vertically and horizontally; they are thus kept in proper position for, pro-
pulsion, dipping and lifting the oar or paddle into or out of the water is ren-
dered quite easy, and the blade or blades cannot screw round edgeways to the
line of motion. I prefer to place the rowlock into a tubular socket so that it
is free to rotate horizontally while I insert an axle through the oar or paddle,
which axle is prolonged horizontally through the top part of the rowlock,
thereby allowing the oar or paddle to vibrate vertically. The axle of the oar
or paddle is placed at right angles to the propelling side thereof; the hori-
zontal motion is due to the rowlock, and the vertical motion to the axle passed
through the oar and rowlock, In propelling a boat or canoe with a double-
bladed paddle, I place the tubular socket in the central longitudinal line of
the boat at a proper and convenient distance from the bow; the socket
should reach high enough to allow free motion to the oar over the sides of the
boat.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side view of a boat with a
double-bladed paddle fitted to a rowlock free to rotate in a tubular socket, as
before explained; Figure 2 is a top view, and Figure 3 cross section of the
same; Figures 4 and 5 are views on a larger scale of the paddle, rowlock, and
socket.R is the rowlock, the lower end of which fits into the tubular
socket T. The rowlock may be formed with a shoulder S, which bearsagainst
the top of the socket, as shown, or the bottom of the rowlock may rest on the
bottom of the socket. P is the paddle; it is formed with a hole to receive

page_text: an axle A, which is passed through it and through corresponding holes in the
rowlock: Instead of employing a tubular socket I sometimes use a solid pin,
and make the lower end of tho rowlock to fit over it; other modifications
may also be adopted to obtain the same result. This part of the Invention is
applicable to oars or paddles with single or double blades.
My improvement in seats for boats permits of a longer stroke being given
to the oar than is usual, and consists in making the seat movable backwards
and forwards by means of the rower's legs or feet; this may be conveniently
done by supporting the seat on a pivot or pivots or axle at the bottom of the
boat, so that a person on the seat may rock or vibrate himself easily to any
convenient distance, say from one to two feet; a stop or stops prevent the
seat vibrating beyond the proper distance. A spring of elastic india-rubber
or other material may be applied to keep or return the seat to its normal
position after the muscular strain of the rower's legs has pushed it backwards;
a longer stroke or pull of the oar is thus obtained.
Figure 6 is a cross section, and Figure 7 a longitudinal section of a boat
fitted with a movable seat, free to rock backwards and forwards upon the
pivot or axle. S is the seat and A the axle to which it is connected, and on
which it is free to rock, or the seat may be made to slide or move on wheels
or friction rollers in any convenient way.
My improved fitting for boats and vessels is for the purpose of diminishing
the risk of stranding, and consists of one or more rods of iron or other suitable
material of sufficient length and strength suspended over the ship's side or
end, and kept in a vertical position, or nearly so, when the ship is in motion,
by preference by means of a stay rod, chain, or rope attached to the ship
nearer the bow than the point fromwhich the rod is suspended and connected
to the rod at any convenient part. Sometimes I fit the rod so as to work on
a pivot or axle; the rod may hang at an incline backwards and with a back
ward curve near the lower extremity so that it may cut the water more easily
and throw off any weeds or other obstructions it may strike. The rod may
be elliptical in section, and made to cut the water with the sharper edge.
The rod is suspended in any convenient way, and is of such a length as will
reach, say 10 or 20 feet (more or less) below the keelson; it may be so long
and its point of suspension sofar above the water, that the stay rope may not
require to lie in the water. When the ship approaches shoal or shallow
water the suspended rod will first strike the ground and will cause the stay
rope to break, or it may be fitted so as to ring a bell or otherwise to give
warning of danger. If preferred, instead of being suspended over the side
or end the rod may be passed down through a hole or otherwise.

page_text: Figure 8 represents a ship with a rod R suspended over the ship's side,
and kept in proper position by a stay rope S; Figure 9 shows a rod R carried
on a pivot or axle P fixed to the ship's side.
And having now described the nature of iny said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, constructing oars, paddles, and rowlocks so that the oars or paddles
are adapted to the rowlocks, substantially in manner and for the purpose
herein-before described and represented in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Second, constructing movable seats for boats, substantially in manner and
for the purpose herein-before described and represented in Figures 6 and 7 of
the accompanying Drawings.
Third, fitting to boats and vessels one or more rods, substantially in manner
and for the purpose herein-before described and represented in Figures 8
and 9 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cox, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
JOHN COX. (L.S.)