AN IMPROVEMENT IN PROPULSION
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Slate, of Woodside Iron Works,
near Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PROPULSION."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Slate
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th December 1852.
I, ARCHIBALD SLATE, of Woodside Iron Works, near Dudley, in
the County of Worcester, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PROPULSION" to
be as follows: -
.I place in a boat a steam engine, or other source of power, and 1
fix along the edge of the water a rod or rail of wood, or iron, which
may be plain or toothed. This rail I connect with the power in
the boat by a swivel frame. The swivel frame moves about a
centre pivot placed before the longitudinal centre of the boat, and
balanced by suitable apparatus. This frame carries a shaft con-
nected and driven at one end by the power in the boat, and having

page_text: at the other end rollers, or nipping wheels, made to nip, bite, or
work, on or in the side rail; and the shaft being driven round by
the steam engine, or other power on the boat, the wheels will travel
along the rail, and, as the wheels travel on, the boat will be pro-
pelled. By means of a tow line attached to such wheels, any boat or
other vessel may be drawn along. Then the boat carrying the
steam engine, or other source of power, is pushed on by the reaction
from the side rail sustaining the travelling wheels or rollers. The
rotation of the shaft in the swivelling frame causes the forward
motion of the travelling wheels or rollers, and the traffic is drawn
by a tow rope from such travelling wheels.
A chain, or rod, passing from the boat may give the requisite
nipping of the wheels on the rails, as in ordinary cases.
power
Arrangements are made by which the relative position of the rail
and boat may alter without disturbing the transmission of the
from the boat to the wheels or the rail, and with facilities for being
withdrawn within the compass of the boat, when necessary, on
passing other boats, branches or locks.
The swivelling frame is so constructed, that when the boat is not
moving, it can be with case stowed in the boat; but when the boat
is required for the purpose of traction, the frame is projected over
its side, and the wheels on its end are caused to bite, grip, or work
on or in the rail, while at the same time they are caused to revolve
by the steam engine, or other source of power in the boat; and to
the end of the frame above the wheels which bite the rail the tow
rope is fixed; and to this tow rope may be attached as many boats
as the engine or other power will draw; and the swivelling frame is
so placed in the boat, as that its action shall not interfere with the
steering of the boat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Archibald Slate in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ARCHIBALD SLATE, of Woodside Iron Works, near Dudley, in the
County of Worcester, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain and
Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Sixteenth day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Archibald Slate, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege,
and authority that I, the said Archibald Slate, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Archibald
Slate, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdoin
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PROPULSION." In which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Archibald Slate,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in
Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Archibald Slate, do hereby declare that the nature of my
Invention, and the manner of performing the same, are fully

page_text: described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and
the Figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):
I place in a boat a steam engine, or other source of power, as
shewn in Figure 1, and I fix along the edge of the water or rod or
rail of wood or iron, as also shewn in Figure 1, which may be plain
or toothed. This rail I connect with the power in the boat by a
swivel fraine a. The swivel frame moves about a centre pivot b,
placed before the longitudinal centre of the boat, and suitably
balanced. This frame carries a shaft c, connected and driven at
one end by the power in the boat, and having at the other end
rollers, or nipping wheels, D, D, shown in the enlarged scale, Figures
2 and 3, made to nip, bite, or work on or in the side rail; and
the shaft C, being driven round by the steam engine or other
power in the boat, the wheels will travel along the rail; and as the
wheels travel on, the boat will be propelled by means of a tow line,
e, e, attached to the frame. Upon such wheels any boat, or other
vessel, may be drawn along. Then the boat, carrying the steam
engine, or other source of power, is pushed on by the reaction from
the side rail sustaining the travelling wheels or rollers; the rotation
of the shaft in the swivelling frame causes the forward motion of
the travelling wheels or rollers, and the boat is drawn by a tow
rope from such travelling wheels. A chain, or rod, f, f, passing from
the boat, may give the requisite nipping of the wheels on the rails,
as by means of the compressing lever 7. By means of the frame
swivelling in the centre, the relative position of the rail and boat
may alter without disturbing the transmission of the power from
the boat to the wheels or the rails; and it may be withdrawn
within the compass of the boat when necessary, on passing other
boats, branches, or locks; and again projected over the side of the
boat when required for the purpose of traction.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I

page_text: claim, as an improvement in propulsion, the application and adapta-
tion of the arrangements above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Slate, have
hereunto set iny hand and seal, this Ninth day of June,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
ARCHIBALD (L.S.) SLATE.
Taken and acknowledged by the
said Archibald Slate, at No 30,
Waterloo Street, Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, the Ninth
day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-three,
Before me,
WM. JNO. BEALE,
A Master Extraordinary in Chancery.