IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE POWER OF STEAM FOR THE PROPULSION OF BOATS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES:
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
.
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
UTILIZING THE POWER OF STEAM FOR THE PROPULSION OF BOATS, AND FOR OTHER
LIKE PURPOSES:"-A communication from abroad by John Rourk, of
Kingston, Canada.
Sealed the 21st April 1874, and dated the 1st November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st November 1873.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR UTILIZING THE POWER OF STEAM FOR THE PROPULSION OF BOATS AND FOR
OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," a communication, to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to utilize the steam carried into the

page_text: boats or on locomotives, by applying it through suitable pipes to the
propulsion of the locomotives or the propulsion or steering of the boats,
as herein-after described.
It is well known that the steam of the exhaust pipe has a pressure of
fifteen pounds to the square inch, and my object is to utilize this 5
pressure in propelling locomotives and propelling and steering boats, or
aiding the propulsion and steering by employing the steam in direct
contact with the air or water, and the said Invention consists in the
arrangement of suitable pipes connected with the exhaust pipe, and
carried along the smoke stack of a locomotive, or carried to the stern and 1
bow of the boat to discharge their contents either above or under the
water, the resistance offered by either to the escape of the steam being
sufficient to propel the locomotive or propel or steer the boat.
3
The steam may be conveyed in such pipes for the purpose hercin
specified, either from the exhaust pipe and the boiler before it has acted 1
in the cylinder and reached the exhaust pipe, when there is an
excess of steam therein or solely from the boiler, if from any cause the
engine is not used. By this arrangement the boat may continue to be
propelled by means of my apparatus in case of an accident to the
engine.
The said Invention is applied to a steam boat in the following
manner:- -The boiler is provided with a steam drum; the cylinder of the
engine has a valve box and an exhaust pipe; another pipe is attached
to the exhaust by a coupling, or the exhaust pipe itself is extended to
the stern and bow of the boat; or it may be connected to the steam
drum by a throttle valve, so that the steam may be directed fore and aft
at will. If there is no engine on the boat the steam is thus taken from
the boiler direct, and if there is an engine on board the aforesaid steam
pipe may be connected to both the exhaust pipe and the steam drum,
and provided with suitable valves so that it may be used from either,
and the engineer may utilize any excess of steam in the boiler.
From the boiler or exhaust pipe the aforesaid steam pipe is carried to
the stern or the bow of the boat, or both, either at the bottom thereof
when the discharge is to be under water or under the deck, when it is to be
above the water line; it may be extended beyond the boat in a straight
line at the stern or bow, or may be bifurcated or branched at a short
distance from the stern for the purpose of steering, the connecting point

page_text: being provided with a suitable valve to allow the steam to be directed
through either of the branches or the continuation of the main pipe.
This bifurcation may also be adopted for the bow for the purpose of
steering, the steam being discharged on one side at the stern and on the
opposite side at the bow, thus causing the boat to turn within its own
length as on a pivot.
The steam pipe may be single or in duplicate to discharge the steam
in the air or in the water, or both, at will, or it may be branched and used
either way by means of the valves at the junction of the branches. The
same arrangement may be applied to both ends of the boat. The valves
are under the control of the engineer in the engine room, by the ordinary
rods or other mechanical contrivance.
Air when used for the working of engines may be employed in the
same manner as steam for the purposes of my Invention.
In adapting my Invention to the propulsion of a locomotive, I provide
the same with valves through which the steam passes into and through
the exhaust pipe, and impinges on the air, thereby increasing the
velocity. An clbow is provided which may be reversed to assist in the
backward motion in combination with the usual appliances for that
purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
|trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,

page_text: 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 vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE POWER OF
STEAM FOR THE PROPULSION OF BOATS AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by John Rourk, of Kingston, Canada, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accompanying
Drawing, forming a part of this Specification:-
The object of this Invention is to utilize the steam carried into the
exhaust pipe of the cylinder of an engine, either in passenger or canal
boats or in locomotives, by applying it through suitable pipes to the
propulsion of the locomotives or the propulsion or steering of the boats,
as herein-after described.
It is well known that the steam of the exhaust pipe has a pressure of
fifteen pounds to the square inch, and my object is to utilize this
pressure in propelling locomotives, and propelling and steering boats or
aiding the propulsion or steering by employing the steam in direct
contact with the air or water, and the said Invention consists in the
arrangement of suitable pipes connected with the exhaust pipe, and
carried along the smoke stack of a locomotive or carried to the stern and
bow of the boat, to discharge their contents either above or under the
water, the resistance offered by either to the escape of the steam being
sufficient to propel the locomotive or propel or steer the boat.
The steam may be conveyed in such pipes for the purpose herein
specified either from the exhaust pipe and the boiler, before it has acted

page_text: steam therein or solely from the boiler, if from any cause the engine is
not used. By this arrangement the boat may continue to be propelled
by means of my apparatus in case of an accident to the engine whereby
its working is prevented.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a plan of a boat embodying
my Invention, and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of part of a locomotive fitted to the
said Invention.
A is a boat carrying a boiler B which is provided with a steam drum
D; C represents the cylinder of the engine having a valve box x and an
exhaust pipe E; P is a pipe attached to the exhaust E by coupling, or
the exhaust pipe itself is extended to the stern of the boat on the one
end, and to the bow on the other. Or it may be connected to the steam
drum D by a throttle valve t, so that the steam may be directed fore and
aft at will. If there is no engine on the boat the steam is thus taken
from the boiler direct, and if there is an engine on board, the aforesaid
steam pipe P may be connected to both the exhaust pipe and the steam
drum, and provided with suitable valves so that it may be used from
either, and also to enable the engineer to utilize any excess of steam in
the boiler.
From the boiler or exhaust pipe the pipe P is carried to the stern or
the bow of the boat, or both, either at the bottom thereof when the dis-
charge is to be under water, or under the deck when it is to be over the
water line W; it may be carried out of the boat in a straight line at
the stern or bow, or it may be bifurcated or branched off at a short
distance from the stern, as shown in Figure 1 for the purpose of steering,
the connecting point being provided with a suitable valve to allow the
steam to be directed into either of the branches or the continuation of
the main pipe. The same bifurcation may also be adopted for the bow
for the purpose of steering, the steam being discharged on one side at
the stern and on the opposite side at the bow, thus causing the boat to
turn within its own length as on a pivot.
The pipe P may be single or in duplicate so as to discharge the steam
in the air or in the water, or both, at will, or it may be branched, as
shown Figure 2, and used either way by means of the valves V at the
junction of the branches. The same arrangement may be applied to

page_text: Third. The adaptation of the said Invention to the propulsion of
locomotives or land vehicles, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
faux
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)