IMPROVEMENTS IN AUXILIARY PROPULLSION
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bourne, of No. 1, Northumberland Terrace,
Regent's Park Road, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUXILIARY PROPULLSION"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bourne at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th March 1868.
I, JOHN BOURNE, of No. 1, Northumberland Terrace, Regent's Park
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUXILIARY PROPULSION,"
to be as follows:-
Instead of ordinary propellers, such as screws or paddles, I employ
one or more oars set vertically upon one or both sides of the ship and
moved to and from the ship with a sculling motion. The use of oars
moved in this manner is not new as the galleys of the ancients were
propelled by oars of this kind, and so far as their efficiency is concerned
they are neither better nor worse than other propellers in common use.
But for auxiliary propulsion their advantage is that they may be applied

page_text: with the minimum of derangement to the other parts of the vessel, and
when not in use they can be folded up against the sides of the ship.
The use of such oars moved by a steam engine set within the vessel has
been proposed; but such an arrangement virtually converts the vessel
into a steamer, and the special advantages of the application are lost
thereby. In my arrangement the oars are moved by an engine set on
the deck of the vessel through the medium of horizontal connecting rods
engaging cranks at one end and the oars at the other ends, the cranks
being turned by the engine, and the ends of the connecting rods pro-
truding through the bulwarks. The feathering is effected by similar
connecting rods, but it may also be effected by bending the shanks of
The engine may also be employed to hoist the cargo and to
pump the ship, and the waste steam may be condensed for drinking
purposes. The oars are suspended by swivelling eyes from the ends of
small swivelling cranes attached to the ship's sides, and when the
apparatus is not required these cranes may be shut against the ship's
sides, and the oars be lifted out of the water by ropes or chains, and be
laid against the sides horizontally above the water so as to present no
impediment to the sailing of the ship when under canvas.
the oars.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Bourne in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BOURNE, of No. 1, Northumberland Terrace, Regent's Park Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Bourne, Her special licence
that I, the said John Bourne, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Bourne, 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, and

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AUXILIARY PROPULSION," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Bourne, my executors or administrators, 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 Bourne, 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 hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is to
say) -
The object of this Invention is to provide a small propelling power
for sailing ships in calms or light winds, which power while of average
efficiency shall be capable of being readily put into or out of operation
leaving the ship in all other respects the same as if no propelling
mechanism had been applied.
Instead of ordinary propellers, such as screws or paddles, I employ
one or more oars set vertically or nearly so upon each side of the ship,
and moved to and from the ship with a sculling motion, or one or more
ores on one side only, or at the stern may be employed. The use of oars
worked in this manner is not new as the galleys of the ancients were
propelled by oars of this kind, and so far as their efficiency is concerned
they are neither better nor worse than other propellers in common use.
But for auxiliary propulsion their advantage is that they may be applied
with the minimum of derangement to the other parts of the vessel, and
when not in use they can be folded up against the sides of the ship by
the introduction of a hinge joint for this purpose. The use of such oars
moved by a steam engine set within the vessel has been proposed; but
such an arrangement virtually converts the vessel into a steamer, and
the special advantages of the application are lost thereby. In my
arrangement the oars are moved by an engine set on the deck of the
vessel which may also be used to give motion to the winches for hoisting
the cargo and pumping the ship, while the steam may be condensed

page_text: into fresh water for drinking purposes. There is thus no interference
with the holds which remain intact as in common sailing ships. The
oars are suspended from the sides and are feathered by suitable
arrangements, and they are made capable of being easily lifted out of
the water when not required.
The manner in which I carry my Invention into effect is shewn in
detail in the accompanying Sheets of Drawings.
Fig. 1, Sheet I., being a plan of the ship; Fig. 2, Sheet II., a trans-
verse section, while in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, Sheet II., some of the parts of the
apparatus are also shewn in greater detail than in the other Drawings.
The same letters refer to the same parts in all the Figures.
In Sheet I. a plan of a portion of the deck is given shewing the
boiler A to which an inverted cylinder is affixed working down to a
pinion shaft gearing with a large spur wheel carried by a shaft with two
cranks in it, from which cranks connecting rods B, B, B, B, proceed to
each side of the ship to give motion to the oars, which oars are carried
by the swivelling cranes G, G, which when not in use may be shut up
against the sides, as shewn by the dotted lines. One of the connecting
rods on each side which derives its motion from one of the cranks works
the oar to and from the side of the ship while the other connecting rod
on the same side which derives its motion from the other crank works a
short handle or tiller connected with the oar. The throw of the two
cranks is the same, but one being set a certain distance in advance of
the other, it follows that when both are in action a sculling motion is
imparted to the oar, one of the cranks impelling the oar and the other
feathering it. The engine may be made to work the winches at the
several hatchways by means of pitch chains or a steam winch with two
cylinders of the usual construction may be employed for this purpose,
and also for giving motion to the oars.
In Fig. 2, Sheet II., the position of the cranks relatively with one
another is shewn at C, C, B, B, being the connecting rods as before,
one of which is connected to the top of the oar at D, and the other to
the short feathering arm or tiller E. F is the hinge joint on which the
oar reciprocates and through a short tube or cylindrical socket, in the
centre of which the shank of the oar passes, being supported upon
the edge of the socket by a collar formed on the oar to the end that
the oar may be feathered by being partly rotated by the feathering arm
during the time in which it is reciprocated. The hinge is carried by

page_text: the crane G which may be folded against the side when the oar is not
in use. The blade of the oar is shewn at H, and a chain or rope may
be affixed at I to take the forward thrust, and also to haul the end of
the oar out of the water with when it is no longer required.
In Sheet II., Figs. 3 represents in plan and elevation the framing or
bracket for carrying the end of the engine shaft, and also the shaft
on which the cranks for moving the oars are formed. Upon the engine
shaft is keyed a pinion which gears into a large spur wheel on the crank
shaft connected with the oars. The intention of this arrangement is to
enable the engine to work at its proper speed while the oars move only
at the slow speed which is proper for the small amount of speed intended
to be imparted to the ship. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the
hinge joint F, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the crane G and a part of the
oar on an enlarged scale.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and explained the
manner in which it may be put into operation, I have only to add that
I do not claim as new the use of sculling oars set at the sides or any
other part of the ship, such being in fact a very old mode of propulsion ;
nor do I claim as new the working of such oars by an engine set within
the ship, such application having been before proposed, but which plan
involves the serious objection of occupying the hold with machinery
which is only to give an occasional benefit, and has the further defect of
offering difficulties in detaching and raising out of the water the oars
when not required for use; but I claim as new and of my Invention
the working of sculling oars, mounted as above described, and whether
on one or both sides, or at the stern of a vessel by an engine set upon
the deck in the manner and for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bourne, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Third day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JOHN BOURNE. (L.S.)