IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS AND IN THE MEANS OF PROPELLING THE SAME.
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF VESSELS AND IN THE MEANS OF PROPELLING THE SAME. -A communi-
cation from abroad by Jean Lucien Arman, of Bordeaux, in the
Empire of France.
"
Sealed the 23rd August 1870, and dated the 13th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 13th May 1870.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF VESSELS AND IN THE MEANS OF PROPELLING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing vessels with circular bottoms.
and with four propellers arranged round the vessel at right angles to
each other. Two of the propellers are mounted at the two ends of a
'

page_text: shaft extending across the vessel, and the two other propellers are
mounted on another shaft also extending across the vessel but at right
angles to the first shaft. This construction of vessel and arrangement
of propellers is intended more particularly to be employed as a ferry
boat or vessel for crossing rivers in which there is a very strong or
rapid current. Two of the propellers are employed for stemming the
current, and the other two for propelling the vessel across in a straight
course. A rudder is adapted to the vessel for steering in the ordinary
manner.
Vessels of the above construction are peculiarly adapted for carrying :
railway trains, the carriages of which may be run on board over a
moveable platform which is capable of being raised higher or lower
on an inclined plane to suit the varying height of the water, and the
carriages or trains may be hauled up from the boat or vessel by means
of a fixed hauling apparatus.
This construction of vessel may also be used as a vessel of war for
the defence of harbours or forts on the shores of rivers, lakes, or seas,
and may be protected by armour or provided with a turret.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 12th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 2
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence,
that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, 3
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, 3

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS AND IN THE MEANS OF PROPELLING THE SAME,"
being a communication to me from abroad by Jean Lucien Arman, of
Bordeaux, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 Edward Newton, 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 Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say)-
The system of construction and propulsion which forms the object of
the present Invention consists in the peculiar arrangement or con-
struction of ships or vessels, and in the application to purposes of
navigation of a boat or kind of vessel with a circular keel, which may
be put in motion or propelled by four propellors arranged symmetrically
near the extremities of two diameters at right angles to each other.
The object of this arrangement is to admit of causing the vessel to be
moved in the direction which it is desired to follow,
whatever may be
the force of the opposing currents; this object moreover being attained
without interfering with the ordinary traffic or the passage of other
vessels. For instance, in order to cross a river (the stream of which is
very rapid, and which may sometimes be crowded with vessels) it is
often difficult (not to say impossible) to operate (at least without great
loss of time) with the various appliances now in use. This is not the
case with the improved system of vessels with circular keels and four
propellors.
In operating with the improved vessels it will be necessary (in order
to cross the stream or current) to actuate those two of the propellors
which should happen to be on shafts parallel to the line of the stream, so
as to stem the current while the other two propellors will act at right angles
to the stream. These two latter will cause the vessel to move forward in

page_text: the required direction, while the rudders will guide it in its course. In this
manner in case of need passages of several miles across may be made
in a short time, an operation which in seaports or harbours or at the
mouths of great rivers may be of most important service for the con-
veyance of goods and passengers. Such a system of constructing and
propelling vessels may, if carried out upon a suitable scale, be applied
for the conveyance of carriages, trucks, waggons, or even of the whole
of a railway train. For longer and more important passages (such as
crossing the English Channel, for example,) the system offers the
important advantage to travellers of preventing the pitching, tossing,
and rolling motion which is always experienced in vessels of the
ordinary construction. If the system be applied to vessels of war with
an iron clad turret upon the deck for projecting guns placed at right
angles, it will be of great service, as it will admit of manoeuvring with
great facility like a platform pivotted on a centre and without displacing
or traversing the guns. This facility of evolution is due to the principle
of quadruple propulsion. It will be evident from the preceding remarks
that this improved system is susceptible of receiving various useful
applications which I intend to claim. It will be easy to understand
that the principle of propulsion applied to a circular boat will admit of:
various modifications as to form and construction, or to the proportion
of the different parts.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 represents a vertical section
taken through the centre of the vessel in a line parallel with one of the
driving or propellor shafts; Fig. 2 is a plan view, shewing the deck of
the vessel; Fig. 3 is another section taken at right angles to that shewn
at Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section made at the level of the pro-
pellor shafts.
The four propellors H, H,¨H², H³, are actuated in pairs by the two
engines M, M², so that they may be driven at different speeds as may be a
required. The engines, which are represented as of the horizontal kind,
may be arranged in any other manner, that is to say, either vertically,
diagonally, or otherwise. Upon the same floor or level are arranged one
or more boilers G, around which are placed coal bunkers. The propellors
may be easily arranged in consequence of the circular form of the keel. {
The rudders Gare placed in a line with the shaft of the propellors
which are used for moving the vessel forward or backward. When the
vessel is used for the conveyance of railway trucks or carriages, for

page_text: example, the stowage or arrangement of these latter upon the deck A
may be managed in two ways, as shewn in the plan view, Fig. 2, that
is, in parallel lines or in radiating lines placed on a turntable. This
second arrangement avoids the necessity of moving the vessel at all
while loading or unloading. The communication between the deck of
the vessel and the wharf is effected by means of a sort of pontoon
carriage D, mounted on wheels running on rails in order that it may be
raised or lowered according to the height of the tide or the rising of the
water in rivers, and so that it may always be level with the deck of the
vessel. This embarking platform or pontoon may be moved up or down
by any convenient arrangement of capstan or hydraulic apparatus d.
While descending the inclined plane connected with the pontoon the
trucks or waggons will be held back by a simple capstan break, and for
drawing them up the incline a steam winch placed in the vessel or
otherwise will carry forward the waggons to any desired point. Pas-
sengers cabins may be arranged on the deck, care being taken that
sufficient
space and
passage room be retained. All these arrangements
may of course be varied according to the nature of the service for which
the circular keel vessel may be employed. The internal arrangements
for passengers and crew, and for stowage of merchandize may be easily
made.
In case of employing such a vessel as a ship of war it will possess the
great advantage over ordinary vessels of extreme facility and rapidity of
evolution owing to its quadruple propulsion arrangement.
If this vessel with a circular keel should be employed as a floating
bridge for crossing a large river or an arm of the sea the motion of
going and returning will be effected simply by changing the direction
of motion of the propellors, and without the necessity of veering or
turning round the vessel. Two of the propellors (those marked H, for
example) are employed for propelling the vessel forward, while the other
two H', which turn more or less slowly, are used for resisting the force
of the current with the help of the rudders. The employment of such a
vessel for navigating up and down streams or rivers will give rise to
no inconvenience as it will be able to extricate itself from all risk of
collision owing to the facility with which it can be propelled in any
direction.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated

page_text: claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,
constructing vessels, as herein set forth, with circular keels and four
propellors, the screws or other propellors being placed at the ends of the
two diameters arranged at right angles to each other, the quadruple
propelling arrangement having for its object to admit of the vessel being
navigated in any direction without drifting or making leeway.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.