IMPROVEMENTS IN MOVING BOATS ON CANALS AND RIVERS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Liddell, of Abingdon Strect, in the
City of Westminster, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MOVING BOATS ON CANALS AND RIVERS."
Sealed the 8th September 1853, and dated the 15th July 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Liddell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th July 1853.
I, CHARLES LIDDELL, of Abingdon Street, in the City of Westminster,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOVING BOATS ON CANALS AND RIVERS" to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the application of fixed engines with
endless ropes or bands as the moving power for boats on canals and
rivers, and in an arrangement of guards for the sheaves used to sup-
port the ropes.
The system of fixed engines and endless ropes as used for working
planes on railways is well known, and my proposed application is of.
similar character.

page_text: In the application of this system of moving boats to canals the
canal may be divided into any convenient lengths, say, for example, of
three miles each. To each of such lengths an endless rope of six miles
will be required, and between every two lengths one engine will be
placed. One engine will thus be applicable for working two endless
ropes on two lengths of canal.
My Invention, in short, as regards this part, consists of the applica-
tion of fixed engines with endless ropes or bands, of whatever form or
description, and in whatever way arranged, as the power for moving
boats on canals and rivers.
Another part of my Invention consists in the application of guards
to the sheaves on the side of the canal, whereby the ropes or bands will
be prevented from being drawn off these sheaves.
Various descriptions of guards may, of course, be constructed, but
my Invention consists. in the way of applying the guard to the sheave
from one side, and that the opposite side of the rope to which the boat is
on, so that the towing line-is not impeded in its course along the canal
in passing the sheaves, whilst the endless ropes are securely kept in
their position on them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent; 2
filed by the said Charles Liddell in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 14th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, -I,
CHARLES LIDDELL, of Abingdon Street, in the City of Westminster,
Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year-of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth'
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Liddell, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Liddell, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Liddell, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no

page_text: 2
others, from. time to time and at all times thereafter. during the termi
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
MOVING BOATS ON CANALS AND RIVERS," upon the condition. (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Liddell, by an instrument. in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Charles Liddell, 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 thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:
My Invention consists in a method of employing fixed engines with
endless wire ropes or bands above water to which the tow lines are directly
attached, as the moving power for boats on canals and rivers, and in
an arrangement of guards for the sheaves used to support the ropes.
For brevity's sake the word "canal" will be used throughout this
Specification to imply rivers as well as canals properly so called. In
the adaptation of this system of fixed engines and endless wire ropes to
the moving of boats on canals the canal should be divided into
divisions of any convenient lengths, say, for example, three miles. For
each such division an endless rope of about double the length of the
division will be required. Between every two divisions one engine
may be placed. One engine may thus be made applicable for working
two endless ropes on two divisions of the canal; but a separate engine
may be used for a single division, should circumstances require it.
The purpose of my arrangement of guards for the sheaves by the
side of the canal is to prevent the ropes or bands from being drawn off
these slieaves. Various descriptions of guards may, of course, be 'con-
structed; but this part of my Invention consists in the manner of
applying the guard to the sheave from the side of the rope opposite to
that on which the boat is, so that the towing line, though directly

page_text: attached to the endless wire rope, is not impeded in its course along the
canal in passing the sheaves, whilst the endless rope is securely kept in
its position on the sheaves, by which it is directly supported.
The annexed Drawings represent one form of the machinery for
carrying my Invention into effect. Other forms of machinery are
"practicable, but that here selected is well adapted to carry the Inven-
tion into effect.
Figure 1 is a plan of certain portions of a canal, shewing the
general arrangement of the machinery."
The canal is marked A', A2, A2, A3. The portions shewn are the
extremity next the engine of one division A', the two extremities of a
'second division A, A, and the extremity furthest from an engine of a
third division A. The endless wire rope of the first division is marked
B' that of the second B; that of the third B. Each of these ropes
is carried along both banks of the division to which it belongs, and
across the canal at each end of the division. C', C, are the machines
for giving motion to the ropes B', B, respectively; these two machines,
being close together, may be driven by one engine. D³, E², F, G², H²,
are pullics arranged so as to guide the rope B, in its passage into and
out of the machine, and across the canal. D', E', ', are some of the
corresponding pullies for the rope B'; F, G, some of the corresponding
pullies for the rope B³. The endless ropes must be carried across the
canal at a height sufficiently great to permit the passage of loaded
boats below them..
The sheaves, with their guards for supporting and guiding the ropes
in their course by the sides of the canal are marked I. The direction
or motion of each rope is indicated by arrows. W, is a boat going
towards the left; T", its tow line attached directly to the endless
rope B', at U'; W2, is a boat going towards the right; T, its tow line,
attached directly to the endless rope B³, at U. Any number of boats
which the traffic requires may be thus attached.
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, are Drawings on a scale five times as large
as that of Figure 1, of the machinery for communicating motion from
the engine to the endless ropes, and for guiding those ropes at the
extremities of the divisions of the canal.
Figure 2, represents towards the left a plan of the superstructure

page_text: of the machine, marked C', in Figure 1, and of the pullies D', E', H',
and towards the right a plan of the foundations of the machine
marked C², in Figure 1.
Figure 3, is a side elevation of the machine C', and pullies D', H'.
Figure 4, is a longitudinal section of the same machine and pullies,
shewing also the pullies E'.
In Figures 2, and 4, the central portion of the breadth of the canal
is omitted in order that both banks may be shewn within the limits of
the Drawing.
Figure 5, represents towards the left a front elevation, as seen from
the canal, of the machine C, and the pullies D', H'; and towards the
right a transverse section, near the straining pulley, of the machine C",
and one of the pullies D.
***Figure 6, represents towards the left a back elevation of the ma-
chine C²; and towards the right a transverse section, near the driving
pulley, of the machine C¹.
In tliese five Figures the following letters are used to designate parts
of the machinery, in addition to the letters already explained. K, is a
shaft driven by the engine, communicating motion by means of bevel
wheels to the two driving pullies L', L, which give motion respectively
to the endless ropes B', B. To keep these ropes stretched, and to
ensure a sufficient amount of adhesion between them and the driving
pullies, they are carried twice partially round their respective straining
-pullies or jack pullies M', M. Each of these straining pullies is
mounted in a frame which travels on four small wheels resting on two
rails, as shewn in Figures 2, 4, and 5, and is drawn backward from the
corresponding driving pulley by a counter weight hanging in a suitable
shaft or hole. N1, N2, represent these weights.
Figures 7, 8, and 9, are Drawings, on a scale twenty times as large
as that of Figure 1, of sheaves, guards, and guide rollers proposed for
supporting and conducting the endless ropes along the banks of the canal.
Figure 7, is a plan, Figure 8, an elevation as seen from the canal,
and Figure 9, an elevation as looked at in the direction of motion, of
the endless rope.
In these Figures A, denotes part of the canal, and B, B, part of an

page_text: "
endless rope. P, is a bearing sheave for supporting this rope, having a
broad flanch towards the land, and a convex termination towards the
canal, within which is contained one of the plummer blocks shewn by
dotted lines in Figures 7, and 8, so as to be protected from injury or
entanglement by the tow lines. The guard for keeping the endless
rope in its proper position consists of a bracket or arm R, rising 'at the
-side of the rope opposite to that on which the boat is (as formerly
stated) projecting over the rope, and supporting a guard sheave Q,
convex below, and having a broad flanch above.
"
The effect of this combination of parts is that, while the endless rope
is securely supported and kept in its position by the bearing and guard
sheaves, each tow line upon the advance of the boat passes easily
below the guard sheave, and then moves off from the bearing sheave. :
S, in Figures 7, and 8, represents a vertical guide roller at the side
of the rope further from the boat, which may be used where the bank
of the canal forms a sharp curve convex towards. the water, but is not
essential, as the requisite effect may in most cases be produced by
setting the bearing sheaves at a suitable. angle.
-
Figures 7, and 8, shew also a mode of attaching a tow line to the
endless rope. Upon the endless rope, at 30 yards apart, or any other
: convenient interval, are to be spliced or lashed a series of small loops,
. one of which is shewn at U. The tow line T, is to be hooked or tied
to this loop so as to be readily fastened and unfastened. V, represents
a cushion or fender upon the tow-line, the object of which is to faci-
litate the passage of the line below the guard sheave Q, by being
depressed on coming in contact with the broad flanch of that sheave.
The mode of directly attaching the tow lines to the endless ropes
may be varied. For example, one very efficient method is as follows:
The loops already described may be omitted, and each tow line may
be attached to the endless rope by being laid alongside of it for the
distance of about an inch, or more if required, and lashed to it with
four or five or any sufficient number of turns of a hempen cord of
about one third part of the diameter of the tow line, tied in a common
slip knot, or any other convenient knot, by untying which the tow line
can be quickly disengaged from the endless rope.

page_text: INOCHON of making use of the machinery above described is as
follows:-
By means of the engines and driving pullies the endless wire ropes!
áre to be kept in continuous motion throughout the canal at a speed of
two miles an hour, or such other speed as is best suited: for the traffic.
On one bank the ropes will move in one direction, on the other bank
in the opposite direction.
.:
.. The person in charge of a boat which is to be forwarded in either
direction will attach the tow line of the boat to the endless rope of that
bank on which the motion is in' the required direction. The boat being
properly steered will then be dragged to the end of the division of the
canal. The person in charge will, shortly before arriving at the end of
each division, detach the tow line, and as the boat proceeds slowly by
its existing momentum he will carry forward the end of the line, and
attach it to the endless rope of the next division of the canal, and so on,
until the boat arrives at its destination. It will in general be con-
venient to have the terminations of divisions at locks, or chains of locks,
but this is not essential.. By attaching and detaching, tightening and
slackening, the tow line, the endless ropes may be made to drag the boat
into and out of locks, as a horse or any other source of motive power
would do. Should two boats meet at a bridge or aqueduct where the
breadth of the canal is sufficient for one 'only, the person in charge of
one of the boats must detach his- tow line at a sufficient distance from
the narrow passage and wait till the other has passed, as is now
practised in horse-towing, and regulations will be required to determine
which boat is to have the priority of passage.
Although one arrangement of parts only is here described in detail,
it is evident that various other arrangements are practicable for the
carrying out of my Invention. For example, the endless ropes may be
made to cross the canal by passing under it instead of over it; or each
endless rope, instead of going from the driving machine on one bank
and returning on the other, may be made to go and return on the same
bank, the boats on the side nearest the ropes passing under the tow
lines of those on the other side; or, further, the endless ropes may go
and return on a dyke, bank, framework, or line of posts in the centre

page_text: of the canal, dividing it into two channels, with occasional passages
between them, or they may be carried above water along the sides or
roof of a tunnel.
The bearing and guard sheaves may also be varied in form and
position without departing from the general features of this part of my
Invention. To exemplify this, Figures 10, 11, and 12, are Drawings
on the same scale with Figures 7, 8, and 9, of a form and arrangement
different from that already described; Figure 10,being a plan, Figure 11,
an elevation, as viewed from the canal, and Figure 12, an elevation, as
looked at in a direction opposite to that of the motion of the endless
rope. In these Figures B, B, represent the endless rope, and P, a
bearing sleave, having a groove and two flanches for the guidance of
the rope, while the guard consists of an arm R, rising as before at the
side of the rope opposite to that on which the boat is, supporting a
guard sheave Q, with a groove and two flanches placed above the rope,
and at a distance behind the bearing sheave sufficient to allow an easy
passage for the tow lines.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim::
First, the method of moving boats on rivers and canals by means of
fixed engines and endless wire ropes working above water, to which
ropes the tow lines of the boats are directly attached and fastened,
in the manner herein-before described:
And; second, the general arrangement and adaptation of sheaves and
guards working in the manner and for the purposes hercin-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Liddell, have hereunto
set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
CHARLES LIDDELL. (L.S.)