Year: 1888

page_text: Two clerical errors in the original Specification having been amended by the
Patentee with the consent of the Comptroller, the printed Specification will now read
? as shown below:-
Page 1, line 12, for "fishe's," read fish's.
:
22
2, 34, "stem,"
"
stern.
A printer's error on page 3, line 26, in the word "mnrans," should be also corrected to read means.

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1888
Specification Accepted, 12th Oct., 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Apparatus for Propelling Ships or other Vessels.
I, FREDERICK HIME, of 12 Bina Gardens, South Kensington, in the County of
Middlesex, a Major-General on the retired list of the Royal Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
My invention consists in a method of propelling ships and other vessels, by means
of the undulatory motion of two rectangular, or otherwise suitably shaped metal plates,
which may be placed most conveniently in a vertical position below the water line,
one along cach side of the ship. The said plates may be either rigid or flexible, tho
former being more suitable for large, and the latter for small vessels. In order to
protect the plates from injury, the vessel may be constructed with overhanging
sides, or with projecting sponsons, as in a paddle-wheel steamer.
An undulatory movement similar to that of a fishe's tail is given to cach plate, and
thus the water is driven backwards or forwards, and the vessel propelled ahead or
astern accordingly. This fish-like movement of the plates is effected by a special
apparatus, in a manner to be presently described.
In the accompanying five sheets of drawings, which illustrate one method of
carrying my invention into practice :-
Fig. 1. is a plan of the central part of a vessel shewing a pair of rigid propelling
plates and the machinery for imparting the required undulatory or fish-like movement.
Fig. 2 is a back elevation of the port propeller plate through the line YY in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the line XX in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan diagram
shewing the relative positions of the plates at four successive stages in their motion,
when the vessel is going ahead, and Fig. 5 is a plan diagram shewing the action of
a pair of flexible propeller plates.
The same letters refer to the same parts throughout the drawings.

page_text: In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, A A¹, are the propelling plates, represented as arranged
vertically, and of particularly rigid construction.
I do not confine myself to the particular proportions of the plates in relation
to the size of the vessel, as shewn; as such proportions may be varied to suit
different requirements.
C. C, C, C3, are four steam cylinders fixed horizontally across the ship on suitable
frames or bed plates D, D. The cylinders C, C², are fixed end to end opposite the
middle of the forward end of the plates A, A', and the cylinders C¹, C³, opposite
the middle of the after end; the interval between the cylinders depending upon
the length of the plates.
The cylinders C, C, on the port side of the ship, form a pair, and work on the port
plate A, while the cylinders C2, C3, on the starboard side form another pair and work
the starboard plate A'. The piston rods E, E, E, E³, of the cylinders pass through
stuffing boxes F, F1, F2, F³, in the side of the vessel, and terminate in cross-
heads H, H', H, H. Each cross-head slides upon a pair of horizontal guide bars J, J,
attached at one end to the side of the ship and at the other to the overhanging plate K
affixed to the sponson or projection L. The plates A, A', work underneath and are
completely protected by these sponsons, or projections as shewn clearly in Figs. 3 and 4.
Each cross-head is provided with two rigid arms M, M, which project vertically
upwards and downwards respectively, and on the extremities of these arms the
propelling plates A, A', are hinged; their weight being taken by the guide bars J, J.
At the forward ends of the plates, the ends of the bars M, M, on the cross-heads H,
E12,
are simply journalled in bearings N, N, affixed to the plates, but a slight play is given
at the after end, to allow of the angling of the plates, in the following, or other
convenient manner. The bars M, M, on the cross-beads C, C³, are journalled in
bolts 0, 0, which are free to slide horizontally a short distance, in the tubular
brackets P, P, attached to the plates. Slots Q, Q, are provided in the plates through
which the guide bars J, J, pass.
The fish-like movement of each plate is effected by giving a consecutive reciprocating
movement to the pair of pistons that work it; that is to say that in going ahead (sec
the diagram Fig. 4) the fore piston takes the lead, followed by the aft piston. At the
turn of each stroke the plate slides on its after hinges, and in doing so reverses its
angle of inclination to the ship.
In this way the outer surface of the plate is presented at an angle towards the stem
at the out-stroke and the inner surface at the in-stroke of the pistons, both strokes
driving the water backwards. In going astern a contrary action takes place, that is
to say, the aft piston takes the lead and is followed by the fore piston, so that the
bearing surfaces of the plate are presented alternately at an angle towards the bow and
the water is driven forwards. The consecutive movement of the piston is produced by
giving a consecutive movement to the slide valves. This relative movement of the
pistons is effected in the following manner. R is a shaft journalled in bearings in the
engine frames under the cylinders C, C'. S, S¹, are two short rocking-shafts, journalled
in bearings on the bed plate. Arms T Tare keyed on these rocking-shafts, and the
upper ends of these arms are forked and provided with slots to receive sliding blocks
pivotted on the cross-heads U, U', on the piston-rods E, E'. Short arms V, VI, are
also keyed on the shafts S, S₁, and are coupled by the connecting rods W, W, with
the cranks a a', which are arranged at right-angles on the shaft R. The two
cylinders C, C, thus form a complete double-cylinder engine, in the usual way. The
piston, or other slide valves, in the valve-chests 61, are each driven by a pair of
eccentrics cc,
link d, and rocking-arm e, as clearly shewn in Fig. 3, but any other
suitable form of valves or valve-gear may be employed. The cylinders C2, C3, are both
connected to a shafi R, in the same manner as described for the cylinders C, C.
By means of the link motion, or other reversing gear, the plates A, A', can be
caused to drive the ship ahead or astern, as required.
In order to produce relative uniformity of motion in the propelling plates, the
shafts R, R, may be connected by a pair of spur wheels, as indicated in dotted lines

page_text: Two clerical errors in the original Specification having been amended by the
Patentee with the consent of the Comptroller, the printed Specification will now read
as shown below:-
Page 1, line 12, for "fishe's," read fish's.
2.
"
22
34,
"
"stem,"
stern.
"
A printer's error on page 3, line 26, in the word "mrans," should be also corrected to read means.
Putant Other

page_text: at ff Fig. 1, thus causing all four cylinders to work in concert automatically. In
this case a friction-clutch, or other suitable coupling, as indicated at g, is provided to
throw the shafts out of gear, so that each pair of cylinders may be made to work
independently. The ship is thus rendered very easy to handle, as she may be steered
without the aid of the rudder, by causing one propeller to go faster or slower than the
other, by the admission of more or less steam to one pair of cylinders, or by stopping
one pair while by causing one propeller to go aliead and the other astern the
ship inay be turned on her own centre.
In the event of the machinery on one side breaking down, the ship may be
driven by the machinery on the other side, with the aid of the rudder to keep
her course.
Should it be desired to go under sail only, steam can be shut off slowly, leaving the
propellers parallel to the sides of the ship, in which position they will offer no practical
resistance to the passage of the vessel through the water.
In the plan diagram, shewn in Fig. 5, the plates A, A', are so constructed as to
possess a certain amount of flexibility, and the plates are preferably of greater length
when of rigid construction, the forward piston-rods are connected to the front ends of
the plates as before, but the after piston-rods are connected to the plates at about the
middle of their length, so that the after half, or thereabouts, of the plate is left free.
The resistance of the water to the motion of the plate will cause it to assume a curve
somewhat as shewn in the diagram, making the action more closely resemble the
undulatory motion of a fish, than when rigid plates are used: The diagram is intended
to represent a phase of the curve, which would be assumed by a plate of uniform
thickness throughout, but in practice the thickness of the plate may vary in a fore
and aft direction so as to produce any desired curve. In all other respects the motion
of these flexible plates and the mrans employed for producing such motion, are the
same as in the case of the rigid plates.
I wish it to be understood that in carrying out my invention in practice, I do not
confine myself to the precise details of construction shewn and described in connection
with the accompanying drawings, nor do I assign any absolute position to the propelling
plates with reference to the ship or the horizon. Thus, for example, the pistons of the
steam cylinders may operate the propelling plates through the inedium of levers or
other suitably arranged connections, instead of being attached directly thereto, as
shewn and again if it is not required to have the power of operating the plates
independently of each other for steering purposes, a single crank-shaft may be
employed placed centrally, having all four pistons connected thereto, and in this case
instead of four cylinders, two cylinders only may be used, with a piston-rod projecting
through each end.
Although I have only shewn one pair of plates in the accompanying drawings, it is
obvious that two or more pairs may be arranged at suitable distances. on the sides
of a ship if required.
In the Letters Patent granted to me for "New or Improved Means or Apparatus
for propelling Ships or other Vessels in Water" No. 12465, bearing date 16th
September 1884, a method was shewn and described for obtaining marine propulsion
by the wave-motion of a series of metal plates jointed together horizontally underneath
a vessel, and I therefore in my present invention lay no claim per se to such wave-
motion but 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 :-
1. The construction and application to marine propulsion of rectangular or otherwise
suitably shaped metal plates, either rigid or flexible, the said plates being fitted,
mounted, and worked in the water with a fish-like motion, substantially as herein
set forth.
2. The arrangement for obtaining marine propulsion by means of one or more pairs
of rigid rectangular metal plates, fitted, mounted, and worked in the water with a

page_text: fish-like motion, substantially as herein shewn and described with reference to
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The arrangement for obtaining marine propulsion by means of one or more pairs
of flexible metal plates, fitted, mounted, and worked in the water with a fish-like
motion, substantially as herein shown and described with reference to Fig. 5 of the
accompanying drawings.