IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE PROPELLERS AND IN VESSELS TO RECEIVE THE SAME
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Wimshurst, of No. 5, Attenburg Terrace,
Wandsworth Road, in the County of Surrey, Builder of the two
first screw steamers, namely, the "Archimedes," in 1838, and the
Novelty," in 1840, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE
PROPELLERS AND IN VESSELS TO RECEIVE THE SAME."
Sealed the 1st February 1870, and dated the 9th August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Wimshurst at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th August 1869.
I, HENRY WIMSHURST, of No. 5, Attenburg Terrace, Wandsworth
5 Road, in the County of Surrey, Builder of the two first screw
steamers, namely, the "Archimedes" in 1838, and the "Novelty" in
1840, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-

page_text: PROVEMENTS IN MARINE PROPELLERS AND IN VESSELS TO RECEIVE THE SAME," to
be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in marine propellers
and in vessels to receive the same, whereby sailing and steaming can
be more perfectly combined than in ordinary auxiliary propellers.
Vessels so fitted can more readily sail and steam through the water
than when the propellers are constructed and adapted to the vessel in
the ordinary manner.
I construct the blades of marine propellers in such a manner that one
or more of them are made to turn on their axis on the propeller shaft
and fold up the one against the other, and when the blades are so folded
the propeller may be raised up into a recess made in the stern of the
vessel to receive it. I also construct the after body of the vessel with
a recess, as aforesaid, for receiving the propeller, and also a trunk to
receive the propeller shaft, which is to be raised when required to a
diagonal position, the propeller being on the after end. The propeller
may then be stowed away into the recess made in the stern of the vessel.
Where the trunk is formed the sides of the vessel will not be continued
right aft, and the space left will be filled up with a door and hung, with
braces like a side rudder. This door will when shut make the side
appear the same as the other; on the lower end of the door there is
formed a cap to cover the shaft and keep it down in its place. To raise
the propeller and the after end of the propeller shaft it will be necessary
first to open the trunk door, disconnect the end of the shaft from the
machinery inboard, then heave up with the purchase, and fold up the
propeller, I then continue to heave up until the propeller is stowed away
into a recess made in the stern, I then shut the trunk door and make all
secure, and the vessel will then be ready for sailing. To lower the
propeller and shaft for steaming it will be necessary first to open the
trunk door, then lower the shaft with the purchase sufficiently to unfold
and secure the propeller blades in proper position on the shaft. I then
lower with the purchase until the shaft is down on its bearings. The
trunk door may then be shut and all made secure. The shaft which
runs through the oscillating stuffing box inboard must then be con-
nected to the shaft of the driving machinery. The propeller will then
be ready.for use.
The main rudder is fitted under the propeller shaft trunk in the

page_text: run of the vessel, so that neither sea nor shot can damage it. It may
be made in two parts having a fish-tail piece and its tiller connected to
the under side of the trunk, so that when the main rudder is moved it
will cause the fish-tail piece to move at a greater angle to the water,
thereby causing the vessel, to turn more readily.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Wimshurst in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WIMSHURST, of No. 5, Attenburg Terrace, Wandsworth Road, in the
County of Surrey, Builder of the two first screw steamers, namely, the
"Archimedes" in 1838, and the "Novelty" in 1840, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Henry Wimshurst, Her special licence that I, the said
Henry Wimshurst, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry Wimshurst, 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 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 MARINE PROPELLERS
AND IN VESSELS TO RECEIVE THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Henry Wimshurst, my executors or administrators; by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 Henry Wimshurst, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: 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 has for its object the more perfectly to combine the
faculties of sailing and steaming than is possessed by auxiliary propeller
vessels.
The marine propeller which I employ is constructed in such a manner
that one or more of the blades will admit of being turned on the pro-
peller shaft and of folding fan-like the one behind the other. When
the blades are so folded the propeller may be stowed away in a recess
made in the stern part of the vessel for its reception. Under this
recess I construct a trunk which may be on either side of the stern
post to receive the propeller shaft, which shaft is so fitted that it may
be raised up to a diagonal position when the propeller is required to
be lifted out of the water to free the vessel from dragging the propeller
through the water when under sail or to protect it from damage by the
sea. Where the trunk is formed for the shaft that side of the vessel
will stop short of the stern post, but the bottom of the vessel and the
sides of the trunk will be made as solid and water-tight as the main
body of the vessel, and the space left from the side to the stern post
will be made good with a door hung thereto with braces like that of a
side rudder. The door will when shut make both sides of the ship
appear nearly uniform.
In the accompanying Drawing the propeller shaft is shewn as kept
low, its position being as in full power steamer. It may however be
kept up to suit yachts, fishing smacks, or other vessels of shallow
draught. The propeller may be driven by mechanical means and worked
from the deck of the vessel. The foremost end of the propeller sliaft
passes through a stuffing box fitted at the foremost end of the trunk,
which stuffing box is free to rock to allow the propeller to be raised. The
details of this stuffing box will be found fully described in the Specifi-
cation of a Patent (No. 1304) granted to me in the year One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four. When a fixed stuffing box is used a
knuckle joint will be required to be made in the propeller shaft, so as
to allow the propeller shaft to be raised and to work in the trunk abaft
the stuffing box. The main rudder may be of the ordinary kind full.

page_text: length, a gap being cut out to allow it to pass over the shaft and the
tube which carries the shaft. But I would prefer to construct the.
rudder in that part of the vessel called the run or dead wood before
the propeller, and under the bottom part of the trunk, which rudder is
in most dense water and removed from risk of damage either from
the sea or shot. The ordinary appliances may be used for working
the rudder.
In the Drawing Fig. 1 is a stern view of a sailing ship fitted according
to my Invention, the marine propeller being on its bearings crossways
in working position or ready to be hoisted; Fig. 2 is a cross section
through the recess, with the folding marine propeller stowed away in it;
Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional elevation shewing the folding
marine propeller raised up into the recess made in the stern, and the
propeller shaft in an angular position, its lower end being placed in
the rocking or oscillating stuffing box. This view shews also the trunk
and recess doors and the main rudder; Fig. 4 is an elevation of part
of the stern and quarter with the marine propeller in its working
position; Figures 5, 6, and 7 are three sections of the oscillating
stuffing box on an enlarged scale shewing the packings to keep them
water-tight.
A is the folding marine propeller; B is the trunk door; C, the
recess as shewn in Figures 1 to 4, into which the propeller is to be.
stowed; D is the door for closing the same; E is the propeller shaft
which is to be coupled. to the driving shaft F of the engine in any
approved manner in advance of the stuffing box; G is the main rudder
under the trunk before the propeller, and forming part of the run of
the vessel; H are bulkheads forming the sides of the trunk for the
propeller shaft, and the bottom of the vessel over the trunk; I is the
stuffing box mounted on trunnions as shewn in Figures 3 to 7, and K are
pressure screws for adjusting the packing I'. To raise up the propeller
it will first be necessary to raise up the trunk door, so that the cap B
which is fixed on the door and serves to hold down. the shaft on its
bearing may be clear of the shaft. This is to be effected by a lifting
screw B' in the line of the axis of the door (see Fig. 3). The door.
is then to be swung open by the tiller inboard. The foremost end of
the propeller shaft is next to be disconnected from the machinery
inboard, and the purchase chain being passed either out of the recess

page_text: or from over the stern, so that the chain may hold on the after pro-
jecting end of the shaft or the boss of the propeller, the ends of the
chains are to be taken to the purchase on board, and the propeller is
to be raised up until it is right across the stern, I would then turn the
blades flat against the stern; but if weather permitted I would heave
up the propeller only high enough to take out the key or feather from
the aftermost blade, which being then loose may be folded up against
the other; to do this I would attach a chain to each of the blades, and
heave up until the propeller is folded up; I would then recommence
the heaving up with the purchase, stow away the propeller in the recess
made in the stern out of danger or damage by sea, I would then shut
the trunk door, lower it down over the shaft, and secure it, which will
keep the shaft and propeller securely up in its place, the ship will
then be ready for sailing. To lower the propeller when it is up and
lying, say, across the stern ready to be lowered for steaming, I first
raise up the trunk door just to clear the shaft, then open the door
with the tiller which is fitted inboard, then I lower with the purchase
until the propeller shaft is down on its bearings, but if the folded
propeller is up in the recess then I would lower with the purchase
only sufficiently to unfold the propeller and secure the loose blade to
the shaft by the insertion of the key or feather or other means as may
be, then I would continue to lower until the shaft reached its bearings,
I should then let go one end of the chain and pull up with the other
until the chains were all clear and shut to the trunk door and lower
it down on the shaft, thus making all secure. The fore end of the
propeller shaft inboard has then to be attached to the driving machinery
when the propeller will be ready for use.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "improvements
in marine propellers, and in vessels to receive the same and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would remark that I
am aware that it is not new to have the propeller raised out of the
water in an angular position on a portion of the shaft and to work in
a trunk, as one mode of effecting this has already been patented by me.
But it is new so far as I am aware to raise folding marine propellers
into a recess made in the stern of a vessel, a portion of the shaft of
such propellers being in conjunction with an oscillating stuffing box,
and that shaft being kept down on its bearings by a door which closes

page_text: a trunk and makes both sides of the vessel look nearly the same, I
therefore without limiting myself to the precise details shewn in the
Drawings claim, the folding marine propeller, the recess in the stern
of the vessel for receiving the same, and the dcor for shutting in the
trunk, constructed in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Wimshurst, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.