IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING BOATS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN ALFRED STEPHAN of Fernville Hamilton Road in the City of Worcester
in the County of the same City Artist do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING BOATS to be as follows:
I cause the weight of the body to swing or rock on a pivot. Above the pivot
is the seat on which the body is placed when the body moves the seat moves on
the pivot or rocker the seat is connected to a shaft by an arm or connecting rod.
the arm is attached to a crank the crank shaft drives the paddles which may.
either be paddle wheels or segments of wheels the form I prefer is a straight bar
with paddles at each end in the centre of the bar a hole is made to attach it to
the driving shaft these double paddles are placed on each side of the boat at
the opposite ends of the driving shaft..
I JOHN ALFRED STEPHAN of Fernville Hamilton Road in the City of Worcester
in the County of the same City Artist do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING BOATS and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
I cause the weight of the body to swing or rock on a pivot above the pivot is
the seat on which the body is placed when the body moves the seat moves on the
pivot or rocker which is connected to a shaft by an arm or connecting rod the arm
is attached to a crank the crank shaft drives the paddles which may either be
ED 31

page_text: paddle wheels or segments of wheels the form. I. prefer is a straight bar with
paddles at each end in the centre of the bar a hole is made to attach it to the
driving shaft these double paddles are placed on each side of the boat at the opposite
ends of the driving shaft any number of such seats may be placed in the boat
according to the size of the boat the application of this rocking or swinging
seat to screw propelled boats will be readily understood without further illustration
as my Invention has for its object the imparting of a rotary motion to the crank
or crank shaft of a paddle or any other kind of boat.
The body alluded to as rocking or swinging on the pivot would be the body of
the navigator when it is intended in a boat that the body of the navigator rocking
or swinging on the oscillating or rocking seat shall be used as the weight to propel
the boat.
In the moving of inert matter the seat vessel container or platform would be
made to hold or contain the weight whether solid or liquid this weight would rock
or swing in precisely the same manner as the above which would cause the rotary
motion of the crank crank shaft and paddles or screws. The ouly difference would
be the mode of applying the power.
To cause this inert matter to rock or swing on the pivot or rocker it, would be
best applied at the stern of the boat.
Applying this power the navigator would sit in the stern of the boat pulling the
handle or lever thereby causing the oscillation of the load which would be propelled
by its own momentum the weight being placed at equal distances from the pivot.
the pivot in this case.being at the top friction runners being placed underneath the
seat vessel container or platform and mounted on a strong boat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
.
First. The combination of the seat vessel container or platform and supporting
frame mounted to rock or swing on a horizontal axis or pivot and provided with
an extension or arm with a connecting rod and crank for imparting rotary motion
to the crank or crank shaft by the rocking or swinging of the human body or
other weight upon or in the seat vessel container or platform substantially as
herein described.
.
.
Second. The means described above employed to communicate this motion to the
driving shaft c as shown in Figure 2 of the Drawings.
Third. The form of the seat d in Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings which is so
arranged that the whole weight and power of the navigator's body or other weight
is working on it, as shown in Figure 1 of the Drawings.
Fourth. The arrangements described above by which the arm e in Figures 1
and 2 of the Drawings is attached to the pivot A seat d and crank b as shown in 4
the Drawings Figures 1 and 2.
Deted this 10th day of Much 100A