IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND IN APPLYING THE SAME TO THE PROPULSION OF SHIPS OR VESSELS AND TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES,
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Margaret Barland and Thomas
O'Keefe at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 2nd March 1864.-A communication from abroad by Thomas
Barland, residing at Eau Clair, Wisconsin, in the United States of
America.
We, MARGARET BARLAND, of Mount Street, Grosvenor Square, and THOMAS
Q'KEEFE, of Brewer Street, Golden Square, both in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER, AND IN APPLYING THE SAME TO THE PROPULSION OF SHIPS
OR VESSELS AND TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," a communication to us from abroad
by Thomas Barland, resident at Eau Clair, Wisconsin, in the United States
of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved methods of obtaining motive power, and
of applying such power to the purpose of propelling ships or vessels, and to
other useful purposes. We propose to obtain power by means of sails attached
to arms from a centre similar to those of a windmill, but with the addition of
a screen or protector shielding the sails from the action of the wind, while
they would otherwise be exposed to its counteracting influence, thus exposing
only those sails which it is necessary for the wind to actuate and propel. A
series of these sails may be applied to the deck and sides of a vessel either in
a vertical, oblique, or horizontal position, and may be connected by bands,
shafting, or other gear, in such manner as to operate simultaneously
upon a propeller or paddle shaft; it will thus be evident that no matter what

page_text: the direction of the wind may be the windmill sails will rotate and propel the
vessel even against a head wind, and the more powerful the wind the greater
will be the speed acquired. A great advantage that will be gained by this
mode of propulsion is that the vessel will always sail in a vertical position
instead of heeling over to one side or the other, thus affording greater comfort
and convenience to the passengers. To suit the vessel to this new method of
propulsion we propose to adopt a much greater width of construction and
yet to acquire such increased width without an increase of resisting medium
to the rapidity of its course. This is to be accomplished by what we term a
system of "escape passages" for the displacement of the water. The lower part
of the vessel should be constructed of a series of long narrow floats, hollow or
solid, but by preference hollow. They should be very narrow in proportion to
their length, say, the length from 15 to 20 or 30 times their width. Their
bows and sterns should be formed of fine or sharp lines, and they should be
placed side by side with a space between each equal to their width. Then
they are to be braced together by tie rods, and a floor or deck from which the
superstructure springs. The central float might be made longer than the
side floats, so as to project to form a point, and all the floats might be made
of different lengths so as to form an angular or tapering bow and stern. On
the deck or top of the vessel we propose to construct from stem to stern in
the centre thereof a strong vertical latticework composed of a series of timber
or iron supports or stays, of a sufficient height to carry the windmill sails set
on a shaft or shafts at th top of the framing. These shafts turn in suitable
bearings bolted to the timber, and are connected by toothed wheels or other
gearing to the propeller or paddle shafts which are situated in the lower
part of the vessel. A windmill sail may thus be placed at each extremity
of the vessel, or if necessary a third sail may be arranged amidships, one at
each side of the vessel instead of in the central line of the deck. The total
width of the deck may be much greater than that of ordinary ships, and yet
the resistance to its passage through the water will not be in proportion
to such increase of beam, because of the spaces, water ways, or escape
passages between each of the floats.