Improvements in Apparatus for the Propulsion of Ships or Vessels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JAMES MACNAB CLARK, Broker, of Gilsey House,
corner Broadway and Twenty-ninth Street, in the City of New York, County
and State of New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in Apparatus for the Propulsion of Ships or Vessels.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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: --
The improvement consists in the employment either independently or in addition
to other propelling devices, of cylinders or pipes arranged lengthwise of the craft or
vessel and fitted with pistons or plungers operated by suitable machinery. The
cylinders or pipes will be open at both ends. Water inay enter through its own
pressure from the ends of the cylinders or pipes which are the nearer to the stern of
the craft or vessel and it will be forcibly expelled by the outward movement of the
pistons or plungers. Any suitable engine and motive power may be employed for
producing the outward movement of the pistons or plungers.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a partly sectional side view of a vessel equipped with my
improvement.
Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a cylinder or pipe, a piston or
plunger fitted thereto and an engine for driving the same.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures.
A designates the vessel. It may be of any ordinary style and construction. As
shown it is fitted with a screw propellor, B, which may be driven in any well known
manner. C designates a cylinder or pipe arranged in the stern portion of the
vessel and extending lengthwise thereof.
is exposed to the water outside the vessel.
arranged quite low down in the vessel, so
great pressure of water. A piston or
or pipe.
Both its ends are open and the rear end
This cylinder or pipe is intended to be
that its outer end will be subject to a
plunger, D, is fitted in the cylinder
At the forward end of the cylinder or pipe, there will preferably be some stays
or abutments for preventing the piston from being moved forwardly out of the
cylinder or pipe, thereby admitting water into the hull of the vessel. As here
shown, I employ a spider for this purpose, and it is constructed so as to form a guide
for a rod extending from the piston or plunger, D. It is detachably fastened to
the cylinder and hence may be removed when necessary.
Any suitable gate or door may be used in connection with the outer end of the
cylinder or pipe for the purpose of closing it to permit of removing the piston from
the forward end of the pipe for repairs.
Preferably there will be at least two of the pipes C, with their pistons or
plungers, one on each side of the line of the keel. While they are shown as
used in addition to a screw-propellor, I may employ them as the sole means of
propulsion.
The pistons or plungers of the pipes may be driven by any suitable means;
preferably by engines arranged directly in line with them. I have shown an engine
consisting of a cylinder, E, and piston, F, arranged in line with the cylinder C
and its piston or plunger D, and have represented the piston, F, of the engine
connected directly to the piston or plunger D of the cylinder or pipe C. The
engine consisting of the cylinder E and piston F is intended as a representation
of a steam engine, operating so that its piston will be forced in one direction along
the cylinder. I have not shown any valves or other details because these are 50
well known as to require no illustration.

page_text: As the pressure of water at the outer ends of the cylinders or pipes, C, will be
very great, the water will flow into the rear ends of the cylinders or pipes and
force the pistons or plungers D, forward. The piston F, of the steam engine
cylinders, E, will also be thus forced forward. After the completion of the forward
movement of the pistons, the steam engine pistons will be forcibly moved rear-
wards and will with great force cause the expulsion of the body of water, by means
of the pistons or plungers D, from the cylinders or pipes C. Thus the forward
propulsion of the vessel will be produced or aided. Of course the inward move-
ment of the pistons or plungers may be aided by the steam engine, if the latter be
properly constructed, but not so as to draw water into the cylinders or pipes by
creating a partial vacuum.
By the term "cylinder or pipe" I mean to cover any receptacle for water,
and by the terms "piston or plunger," I desire to include all devices which can
operate with a water receptacle in such manner as to alternately permit of the
entrance of water by its natural pressure into the receptacle and afterwards
expel it.
While I have only shown and described the cylinders or pipes as arranged in the
stern portion of a vessel they may be arranged in other positions as, for instance,
along the sides.
desired proportions.
any
Of course the cylinders or pipes may be made of
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent I declare that what I claini is :-
First. The combination with a water craft or vessel, of a cylinder or pipe
arranged lengthwise thereof and so that its rear open end will be exposed to the
water outside the vessel, a piston or plunger fitted to said cylinder or pipe and
means, substantially such as described, for forcing the piston or plunger rearwardly
or outwardly, substantially as specified.
Second. The combination with a water craft or vessel, of cylinders or pipes
arranged lengthwise thereof on opposite sides of the keel line and so that their rear
open ends will be exposed to the water outside of the vessel, pistons or plungers fitted
to said cylinders or pipes and means substantially such as described, for forcing
the pistons or plungers rearwardly and outwardly, substantially as specified.
Third. The combination with a water craft or vessel, of a cylinder or pipe having
both ends open, arranged lengthwise of the vessel with its rear end exposed to the
water outside the vessel, a piston or plunger fitted to said cylinder or pipe and a
stay or abutment at the inner end of the cylinder or pipe for preventing the
movement of the piston or plunger out of the cylinder or pipe, substantially as
specified.
Dated this 6th day of April 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.