CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PADDLE-WHEELS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
PADDLE-WHEELS."-A communication.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th April 1858.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF PADDLE-WHEELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the mounting of paddle-wheels in separate frames,
which are made adjustable so that the angle at which the paddles strike the
water may be varied at pleasure, and it further relates to the moving of the
paddles in and out of the drum in which they are contained by means of an
adjustable excentric of such a nature that by changing its position the " "dip'
of the paddles may be increased or diminished.
"
A strong frame surrounds the hollow drum, which is made of sheet metal,
and has a socket which forms the bearing for the crank shaft. In the other
side of the drum a recess is formed to receive a hollow plate, which is connected

page_text: with the paddle-wheel frame by a hollow boss that forms a fixed axle on the
outside of the frame for the drum to turn on. In the hollow plate fits a
slide which carries a rack, and into this rack gears a pinion on a short axle
that extends through the hollow boss before mentioned; motion is given to the
pinion of this axle from the other side of the frame by suitable. spur and pulley
gearing, and thus the position of the slide carrying the rack may be changed
at pleasure. A long wrist pin extending from one side of the drum to the
other is rigidly attached to this slide, and all the paddles are attached to this
wrist pin by means of eyes on their inner sides. Attached to the inner side of
number with the number of
the drum are bell-shaped seats corresponding in
paddles, and slotted arms are provided which terminate in balls that fit loosely
into the seats to receive the paddles, and form guides for them to work in. A
quadrant is rigidly attached to the inner sides of the frame, and into its teeth a
pinion gears for the purpose of inclining the frame and so changing the angle
at which the paddles will strike the water. As the drum revolves, the paddles
are alternately moved in and out through the slotted arms, the position of
their inner ends depending on the position of the wrist pin, and it will be
understood that by increasing or diminishing the distance of this wrist pin from
the centre of the drum the motion of the paddles is at the same time increased
or diminished, so that by this means the " dip" of the paddles can be
regulated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord-
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent 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.

page_text: "
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PADDLE-WHEELS,"
being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the siad 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 thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent relates
to the mounting of paddle-wheels within frames, which are made adjustable so
that the angle at which the paddles strike the water may be varied at pleasure;
and it further relates to the moving of the paddles in and out of the drum in
which they are contained by means of an adjustable excentric of such a nature
that by changing its position the "dip" of the paddles may be increased or
diminished.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which Fig. 1
represents a vertical central section of the paddle-wheel; Fig. 2 is a horizontal
section of the same, the line a, a, in Fig. 1, indicating the plane of section;
Fig. 3 is a detached elevation of the frame. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A frame A of sufficient strength surrounds the hollow drum B, which is
made of sheet metal, and has a socket a at its centre on one side, which forms
the bearing for the crank shaft C. The other side of the drum B.is provided
with an opening b, which is covered by a cap 6', and this cap forms the recep-
tacle for a hollow plate D, which is connected with the frame A by a short
round arm c, which extends through the centre of the cap b¹; for this purpose
a small flange b* is attached to the cap b', and fits nicely over the round arm c,
and forms the bearing of the drum B on the outside of the frame.
The plate D is hollowed out and so shaped that a slide E fits into the same,:
and this slide is provided with a raek d on its under side, into which there
gears a pinion e.
The alxe e¹ of this pinion extends through the arm c and.
beyond the frame A. At its outer end the alxe e¹ is provided with a pulley f,

page_text: which connects by a belt f¹ with another pulley g. The shaft g of this pulley
extends through the frame A close to one of the sides of the frame so as to
clear the drum B, and gear wheels h, h¹, serve to operate the pulleys g and f,
and to change the position of the slide E.
A wrist pin F is rigidly attached to the slide E, and extends from one side
of the drum to the other, and all the paddles G are attached to this wrist pin
by means of eyes i on their inner sides; these eyes are so arranged on
the several paddles, two being attached to each float, that the eyes of one float
embrace those of the following one, so that all the paddles can be attached to
the wrist pin.
A number of spherical seats are attached to the inner side of the drum B,
the said seats corresponding in number with the paddles, and arms H are
provided which have balls j attached to their outer ends, which balls fit
loosely into the seats j; the arms H are slotted, forming guides for the
paddles G, and the ball joints j, j, allow these guides to follow the direction
of the paddles, which direction changes every instant during the revolution of
the wheel. The sides of the drum B are strengthened by solid pieces B¹ being
interposed between them, and they are fastened together by screw bolts k.
A quadrant I is rigidly attached to the inner sides of the frame A, and a
pinion J gears into the toothed periphery of this quadrant, so that by operating
the pinion in one direction or in the other, the frame A is inclined, and the
angle at which the paddles strike the water is consequently changed.
The operation of the paddle-wheel is as follows:-Rotary motion being
communicated to the drum B, the paddles G are alternately moved. in and out
through the slots in the arms H, the position of their inner ends depending on
the position of the wrist pin F, and it will be understood that as the distance
of this wrist pin from the centre of the drum is increased or diminished,
so is the motion of the paddles at the same time changed. By this means,
therefore, the "dip" of the paddles can be accurately and easily regulated.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
the Construction of Paddle-wheels," as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
I claim,-
First, moving the paddles in and out by attaching their inner ends to an
excentric wrist pin, substantially as described.
Secondly, adjusting the "dip" of the paddles, by changing the position of
the wrist pin as described.
And, thirdly, attaching the frame to the vessel in such a manner that the

page_text: angle of its inclination may be changed, and thereby the angle at which the
paddles strike the water may be varied at pleasure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)