CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RIVER BOATS AND IN THE MACHINERY ATTACHED TO THE SAME FOR PROPELLING THEM BY MANUAL POWER
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Rufus Martin Boniwell, of Richmond, in the
County of Surrey, Auctioneer and House Agent, for the In-
vention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RIVER
BOATS AND IN THE MACHINERY ATTACHED TO THE SAME FOR PROPELLING
THEM BY MANUAL POWER."
Sealed the 11th May 1869, and dated the 16th November 1868.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Rufus Martin Boniwell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 16th November 1868, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RUFUS
MARTIN BONIWELL, of Richmond, in the County of Surrey, Auctioneer
and House Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RIVER BOATS AND IN THE MACHINERY ATTACHED
TO THE SAME. FOR PROPELLING THEM BY MANUAL POWER," and have petitioned.

page_text: Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn
Declaration that I am the true and first Inventor thereof, and that the
same is not in use by any other person or persons to the best of my
knowledge and belief.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Rufus Martin Boniwell, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention relates particularily to the conformation and con-
struction of river boats to be propelled by manual power, so that the
person propelling can sit at ease with his face towards the bow and work
with his feet or hands separately, or in combination, either with treadles
and crank separately, and treadles in combination, which is applicable
to either single boats or double boats, commonly known as twin
boats, the whole being a combination of parts in construction entirely
new.
The nature of these several improvements will be better understood
by reference to the Drawings with the following description :-
Figure 1 represent a sectional view of a pair of twin boats with their
paddles, crank shaft, treadles, and elevated seat; Figure 2, an elevation,
and Figure 3, a plan of the same representing one of the forms of con-
struction and combinations.
A and B, the two boats, which are so nicely constructed in capacity
and weight that their displacements are equal. These boats are held
together by the connecting braces C, D, E. Nearly in the centre of
these boats are constructed and fastened on to the deck of each double
bearings F and G, through which revolve a crank shaft H, H, which
have two cranks constructed thereon at 180° from each other. On
each crank bearing there are two swivel links J, J, working on the
crank at each end, and at the other end on the end of the treadles K, K,
which work at the opposite end on two swivel links L, L, which links
swivels on the centre portion of the brace D. A person sitting on the
scat M places his feet in the straps N on the treadles, works up and

page_text: down alternately his feet, which operates on the crank shaft and
turns the paddle wheels O, P, each way, either for going ahead" or
astern" at pleasure. The operator guides these boats by the two
rudders Q, Q, by means of the two cords R, R¹. Thus the party can sit
with his face towards the bow of the boat and have his hands free if
necessary for fishing, shooting, or any other purpose. The boats are
supplied with sails fore" and aft" and the necessary apparatus for
hauling them in and hoisting them at pleasure.
.
CHAPTER 2.
Another arrangement of my twin boats is shewn in Figures: 4
and 5, where there are two sets of paddle wheels and two sets of
crank shafts to be operated on by two persons at the same time. This
is effected by means of one end of the treadle swivelling on the crank of
one shaft while the other end of the treadle swivels on the other crank.
shaft immediately in front of it.
A, A, the two boats connected by the cross braces B, B, and platform
C, C, on which is erected the two seats D and E for two persons to
operate on the two pairs of paddle wheels at the same time by placing
their feet in the sockets F, F, and G, G, on the two treadle boards
H and I, which are connected each end with swivel links to the cranks
J, K, L, M, each set of cranks being at an angle of 180°, so that they
work alternately with each other. The two crank shafts are supported
on bearings O, O, P, P¹, which have a sliding bearing to be adjusted
vertically so as to lift the paddle wheels up higher or lower them for a
greater or less dip in the water; at the same time the two seats..
are equally adjustable up and down to fit the difference in the length.
of the legs of the person propelling. The paddle wheels Q, R, S, T, are
cased in by a thin wheel house a, b, c, on each side to prevent the water
from wetting the platform. The whole comprising twin boats the same
as in the previous Figures 1 and 2 with this difference, of driving it:
with two pairs of paddle wheels instead of one.

page_text: single paddle wheel between the sterns of the two boats in the space
marked B and B³, and case the wheel over in the usual way, such
wheel to be hung on adjustable bearings and to have an over-neck "
bearing on each end, or on one end of the shaft, as the case may require,
and to have a drum or pulley on the periphery of which is placed pins
at equal distance to receive the links of a chain which carries from
another corresponding set of drums the power to the wheel which is
worked by the treadle as in Figure 1 and 2, so that the two chains may
communicate the motion from the crank shaft or shafts to the paddle
wheels at a distance from the operator.
Another arrangement may be effected by having a crank handle
fastened on to a separate shaft with pullies thereon communicating
motion at the same time to the paddle wheel shaft by turning with the
hands as an auxilliary power to the treadles.
:
Chapter 5. Another important improvement in boats of this kind is in
attaching paddles and treadles with crank shafts to a single boat instead
of twin boats, as described. The single boat with treadles and paddles
would not have sufficient bearing at midships to steady her, as the centre
of gravity will be so high caused by the person sitting in the position
discrebed. To obviate this difficulty I construct my paddle wheels as
shewn in Figures 6 and 7 with a close air and water-tight cylinder,
either of wood or metal. Figure 6 is an elevation shewing the cylinder a
attached to a wood rim 6; on this cylinder is attached is attached the
floats c, c, c, c, c, c; Figure 7 represent a section of the same with the
same letters of reference. It will be evident that the cylinders will give
to the single boat a buoyant power and support, increasing the bearing
at midships.
Having now described the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details as herein shewn and described, as long as the main
elements described in this Specification are adhered to; but what I
claim is,
The construction of twin boats to be driven by manual power with treadle
and cranks attached to the paddle-wheel shafts, either for single or
double paddles, or in connection and combination with auxilliary cranks
to work by hand at the same time.

page_text: And also the construction of single boats to be propelled by cylindrical
paddle wheels having floats thereon, as is fully set forth in the various
chapters of this Specification and shown in the Drawings referred to.
In witness whereof, I, the said Rufus Martin Boniwell, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witnessed by
J. J. HODGE.
RUFUS MARTIN BONIWELL. (L.S.)