IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS FOR PRO
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of 16,
Castle Street, Holborn, in the City of London, Patent Agent,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS FOR PRO-
Sealed the 27th February 1854, and dated the 19th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Edouard
Loradoux Bellford, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 19th December 1858.
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street,
Holborn, in the City of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS FOR
PROPELLING VESSELS" to be as follows:-
First, in arranging & combining the floats in such a manner that
they form a continuous series of rhomb-shaped buckets round the wheel.
The frame of the wheel may be constructed in the usual manner,. &
strengthened by oblique stays. The rings may be made of a width equal
to the depth of the floats, or one may be placed near the inner, & au-
other near the outer edges of the float. The floats are arranged with

page_text: their outer edges in lines running spirally round the wheel in opposite
directions at angles at about 75° to the axis, the crossings of the said
lines forming a number of rhomb-shaped buckets, which have no
openings except towards & from the centre of the. wheel. The inner
openings of the buckets are contracted endways for the purpose of
giving the front angle such a form as to prevent back lift in rising from
the water, which makes the said inner openings depart from the rhombic
form, inasmuch as the side angles are cut off, & the figure is made
six-sided. The number of buckets will depend upon the width of the
wheel. This wheel acts upon the water with a constant succession of
floats united to form the letter V. It is true that other wheels have
floats united to produce this form, but the peculiarity of this arrange-
ment is that while every float acts upon the water with propulsory
effects, it is at the same time effective in holding together in a solid
body the water upon which the float which immediately succeeds it
.acts; or, in other words, the peculiarity may be said to consist in a
-combination of successive series of rhomb-shaped close buckets, of
which the two front sides of the rhomb give a propulsory effect; while
the two back sides prevent the breaking up of the water upon which
they act, & the consequent loss of their effect; the said back sides
also forming the front sides or propelling parts of succeeding buckets.
The operation of this wheel is the same, whichever way it turns.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 23rd March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street, Holborn,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, 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 succes-

page_text: sors, give and grant unto me, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, Her special licence that I, the said Auguste Edouard
Loradoux Bellford, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, my execu-
tors, 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, communicated to
me by a foreigner residing abroad, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE
WHEELS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, 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 1, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, 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 (that is to say):
The nature of this Invention consists in arranging and combining the
floats in such a manner that they form a continuous series of rhomb-
shaped buckets all round the wheel. The object of this mode of
arranging and combining the floats is to prevent violent concussions
when they strike the water, and to hold the water upon which they act
in an unbroken body, and thereby to render their action more effective
than that of the floats as commonly arranged.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1, is
wheel constructed according to my Invention.
the same in a plane passing through the axis.
tion of the same, partly sectional. Fig. 4,
periphery of the wheel as it would appear when projected on a plane.
Fig. 5, represents one of the buckets as seen from the inside of the
.
a front view of a paddle
Fig. 2, is a section of
Fig. 3, is a side eleva-
shows a portion of the

page_text: wheel. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the
several Figures.
The frame of the wheel, consisting of the bosses A, A, arms B, B,
and rings C, C, may be constructed in the usual manner, and strength-
ened by oblique stays a, a. The rings C, C, may be made of a width
equal to the whole depth of the floats, or one may be placed near the
inner, and another near the outer edges of the float. The floats D, D,
are arranged with their outer edges in lines running spirally round
the wheel in opposite directions, at angles of about 75° to the axis;
the crossing of the said lines forming a number of rhomb-shaped
buckets E, E, which have no openings except towards and from the
centre of the wheel. The inner openings of the buckets are con-
tracted endwise (see Fig. 1, for the purpose of giving the front angles
such a form as to prevent back lift in rising from the water, which makes
the said inner openings depart from the rhombic form, inasmuch as the
side angles are cut off, and the figure is made six-sided, as shown in
Fig. 5. The best material for the floats is sheet iron, and the several
floats may be united together and to the arms C, C, by bolts or rivets.
The number of buckets will depend upon the width of the wheel.
The width of the wheel shown in the Drawing includes three buckets,
which I consider to be about the proper number, though it may be
varied. A number of half buckets of triangular shape will be formed
unavoidably close inside the rings, if rings are used, which may not
be absolutely necessary, as the wheel could be made of sufficient
strength by uniting the floats and arms. I do not confine myself to the
angle before stated for the floats, but have merely given that which I
at present consider best. This wheel acts upon the water with a con-
stant succession of floats united to form the letter V. It is true that
other wheels have floats united to produce this form; but the peculiarity
of this arrangement is that while every float acts upon the water with
propulsive effect, it is at the same time effective in holding together in a
solid body the water upon which the float which immediately succeeds it
acts; or, in other words, the peculiarity may be said to consist in a com-
bination of successive series of rhomb-shaped close buckets, of which

page_text: the two front sides of the rhomb give a propulsive effect; while the
two back sides prevent the breaking up of the water upon which they
net, and the consequent loss of their effect; the said back sides also
forming the front sides or propelling parts of the succeeding buckets.
The operation of this wheel is the same in whichever direction it
turns, and therefore it will propel backwards as well as forwards. It
can be made of great strength, as it is self-bracing.
I claim the mode of arranging and combining the floats so as to
form a series of buckets of rhombic or substantially similar form, as
and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-
second day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
A. E. BELLFORD. (LS.)