Pothe Propulsion of ships.
Year: 1899

page_text: PAPROCOMORES Pothe Propulsion of ships.
I, FRANCISCO GARCIA DIAZ, of San Sebastian, in the Kingdom of Spain, at
present residing at Klein's Hotel, Finsbury, London, Doctor of Medicine, 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:
This invention relates to a new or improved system of propulsion of ships.
The object of my invention is to obtain greater speed and smoother running
of ships, by so constructing their propelling mechanism that friction set up
between it and the water is reduced to a minimum and thus better adapting them
for the element through or upon which they travel.
Hence my invention in its full extent is the novel system of propulsion of
vessels in water as distinguished from the individual production or structure, and
therefore whether the latter be strictly speaking a ship as now known or a new
design or form of ship will depend upon the way in which the structure is finished,
according to the architect's plans which in turn will depend upon the use to
which it is to be put..
As my invention is the system rather than the individual structure or pro-
duction, I will now proceed to describe it only diagrammatically, that is to say,
as far as its essential fundamental parts are concerned, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings which are also suitably only in diagrammatic form, and
in which:
Figure 1 is a vertical transverse-section of the novel means of propulsion.
Figure 2 is a fragment shewing the detail of the endless hollow chain, shewn
in side sectional-elevation in Figure 3, and
.
Figure 3 is a side sectional-elevation of a modified form of the means of
propulsion.
Like reference letters denote different views of the same parts throughout.
My invention in its simplest fundamental form consists (see Figure 1) of a
frame a partly supported on the water by means of floats or buoys F. The said
frame supports upon a central axle e a large paddle-wheel R having suspended
near to its circumference from each face paddles P counterbalanced by means of
Price 8d1

page_text: .
the weights H on the ends of wires which are attached to the lower ends of the
feather or oscillating paddles P.
in this illustration, which is practically a diagram of a little model, the motive
power is supplied by means of elastic connections or supports m for the axle e of
the wheel . These elastic bands would of course in practice be replaced by
suitable motive power:
Line AA indicates the level of the water. By rotating the wheel R in the
backward direction, the elastic connections m are twisted or wound up and thereby
become endowed with a potential energy which on its release drives the wheel R
in the forward direction causing the apparatus to travel forward at a very good
speed and with a minimum of friction. The wheel R in this little model is
advantageously made of cork and coated with paraffin-wax or the like to prevent
capillary action between itself and the water. The essential detail of this paddle-
wheel is that is should be rigid as a whole and have an angular periphery and be
as thin and as large as is compatible with the rigidity of the material of which
it is composed; in other words it must be as large as possible, but light, thin
and inflexible and its periphéry should be tapered or bevelled off as a double-
convex lens or the like. In practice this wheel might be made of phosphor
bronze or other suitable metal or material varnished or coated with paraffin wax.
In practice, there may be one, two or more of these large paddle-wheels R and
as many pendulum or weighted paddles such as P arranged around it near to the
circumference on both sides of, the wheel, as may be considered necessary. The
floats or buoys F are provided to partially support and give stability to the whole
structure, that is, the means of propulsion and the ship or other craft that it
may carry, or in case the wheels R be made hollow the buoys may only serve to
maintain the stability or equilibrium of the structure. They may also be pro-
vided in any number but generally speaking two arranged laterally of the vessel
will be sufficient. These buoys may be either of sufficient size to totally support
the whole structure, or only just large enough for the stability of it and are
preferably suspended at the ends of stays connected to the vessel and of such
length as will keep the buoys a good distance from the vessel. It should be
noticed on reference to Figure 1, that the paddle-wheel R is not cylindrical but,
as it were, formed of the frusta of two cones placed base to base, the essential
detail being that the periphery of the wheel should be sharp or angular and it
matters not whether this sharpness be formed of plane surfaces, or of curved
surfaces such as the edge of a circular double-convex lens. The motive power
to drive the paddle-wheel or wheels may be steam generated in boilers carried
upon a frame connecting the paddle wheels, which frame is represented in funda-
mental form in Figure 1 by the spring frame a. Of course in practice this
frame will be a very substantial structure and may advantageously be built up of
girders and crossed or latticed stays, such as iron bridges are now built of, so as
to combine lightness with sufficient rigidity and strength. Upon this frame is
built the ship body. The driving of the large paddle-wheel or wheels may be
effected by any known system of transmission or gearing devices; one method
being to fix a worm-wheel on the axle of the paddle wheel and drive the said
worm-wheel by means of a worm-thread at one end of a shaft, the other end of
which receives motion from bevel gearing which in turn may be driven by a
belt from the main shaft of an engine carried.
The large paddle-wheels may advantageously be coated or painted with paraffin-
wax or any other suitable material known to repel water, so as to reduce to a
minimum the friction of the said wheels with the water.
The paddle-wheels may be placed in any position relatively one with the other;
a convenient method being to have two in alignment, one being supported in
bearings at the front and the other at the rear end of the main frame, but they
may be arranged two, three or more abreast, or in any other advantageous way
decided according to circumstances.
In Figures. 2 and 3, is shewn a modification of the foregoing arangement;

page_text: the modification consisting in a long, endless, hollow, flexible floating chain d
which is passed around wheels at each end, one of which f is seen, this figure
being the front end of the model. These wheels are supported in a suitable
frame represented by a which in turn is or may be wholly supported by the
floats P or by the hollow chain and floats combined. This hollow chain and
wheels replace the paddle-wheel R shewn in Figure 1, and the pendulum paddles P
are attached to this hollow chain and may hang downwards or project out from the
said chain in any direction and, like the former floats, be of shuch dimensions
as to either support the whole finished structure or only afford the necessary
stability to it.
This floating chain is composed on its underside or side which runs on the
wheels, of a wide transmission belt h, and on this are mounted a number of
hollow box-like pieces G preferably formed of thin metal plates ii for which the
belt serves both as a cover and support. The impermeability of this chain is
secured by covering the spaces that exist between each metallic part of the chain
with thin india-rubber sheet c, as in Figure 2, which shews on a larger scale
the arrangement of belt h, pulley f and chain G in vertical cross-section; r being
the flange of the wheel f, N, N¹ being the level of the water, and i, i, the numerous
angular metal plates or links of the floating chain.
At P, Figure 3, there is indicated a paddle under water, it not being considered
necessary to enter into details as to the manner in which this paddle is joined
to the chain. The wheels are or may be four in number and the chains two, so
that the plan view of the arrangement is like the form of the letter H; the place
occupied by the engine or motor being at the cross-bar of this letter.
T, T, T, indicate the openings between the free or front ends of the links com-
posing this chain, said openings being caused by the natural divergence of the
links as they pass round the wheel f. Though the details of construction do not
affect the basis of the system, it may be added that a slight inflexion or curve
of both these floating chains in a longitudinal direction renders a rudder
unnecessary. Rudders or other steering devices may however constitute part of the
construction if necessary or desired.
There may be any number of these chains placed either abreast or in align-
ment one behind the other, and it must be understood that the pendulum paddles-
which correspond in all cases to the blades of an ordinary paddle-wheel or the
paddles of an Indian canoe-hang from both edges of the said chain.
In this modification, similarly to that first described, the motive instrument may
be a steam-engine or any other engine or motor desired, and the power transmitted
to the wheels f by any ordinary or suitable means of transmission.
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 means of propulsion of a ship, consisting essentially of the combination
with any suitable motor or engine and means of transmitting its power carried
Ly the ship or other structure itself, of one or more large, thin, rigid, circular,
paddle-wheels rotatably mounted in a frame which is supported on the water by
means of floats or buoys, said paddle-wheel or wheels being sharp or angular at
the periphery and having suspended from their sides near to the circumference,
plumb-weighted oscillatory paddles or blades, substantially as and for the pur-
poses described and set forth.
2. The means of propulsion of a ship, consisting essentially of the combination
with any suitable motor or engine and means of transmitting the power carried
Ly the ship or other structure itself, of one or more endless buoyant chains com-
posed of one or more rows of hollow pockets or buckets mounted upon a broad
driving belt, which is stretched around two wheels rotatably supported some
distance apart in a frame which is supported upon the water by floats or buoys,

page_text: said chain having suspended from both its edges plumb-weighted oscillatory
paddles or blades, substantially as and for the purposes described and set forth.
Dated this 17th day of June 1899.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.