IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS
Year: 1837

page_text: ELVEY'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ELVEY, of the City of Canterbury, in the County of Kent, Millwright, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-third day of December, in the first year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Elvey,
Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
John Elvey, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Elvey, my exors, adñiors, 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
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said John Elvey, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be enrolled 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
John Elvey, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing

page_text: hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to
say:-
My Invention relates to a mode of constructing and arranging the float
boards of paddle wheels, whereby the power of the engines will be more
effectively employed in propelling vessels. And in order to give the best
information in my power of the precise nature and extent of my Invention,
I will in the first place remark, that there have been various attempts to
improve the working of paddle wheels for propelling vessels and many
Patents have been taken for Inventions relating to that subject; and amongst
other contrivances for improvement of the propulsion of ships and vessels,
paddle wheels with float boards placed in an angular position across the main
axis have been recommended; and I call particular attention to this circum-
stance, because my Invention relates to a mode of constructing and applying
float boards, set or fixed in the wheel at an angle to the main shaft, one half
of each float board crossing the axis in one direction, and the other half
of each float board crossing the axis in another direction; and further to
state, that I do not claim the setting or affixing float boards of paddle wheels
at an angle, unless they be applied according to the mode which constitutes
my Invention, which I will now proceed more particularly to describe.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 an edge view of a paddle wheel
constructed according to my Invention. In each of these Figures the same
letters indicate similar parts. A, A, are the bosses of the wheels, to which the
spokes are affixed by screw bolts or otherwise; and these bosses are affixed,
by keys or otherwise, to the shaft or axis B, by which rotatory motion from
the engines is communicated to the paddle wheels. C, C, are a series of
float boards which are affixed in the wheel, as is clearly shown; and it will
also be seen that each paddle or float board, in crossing from one side to the
other, crosses the axis B in one direction to the point C', and then from the
point C' it recrosses the shaft B to the point C, all which is clearly shown,
and thus far there is no novelty in construction or arrangement of the float
boards in paddle wheels; but it will be seen that each float board is turned
up, as is shown at D, D, which constitutes the first novelty in the construction
of the float boards, the object being to give more holding property to the
float boards when in the water. At the back and at the outer ends of each
float board are affixed the plates E, E; or the float boards, when of metal,
can be bent into that form; the object of these plates being to prevent the
water being driven off so readily as is the case when the float boards are

page_text: angular (as is here described), and have not the additional aid of such plates
as E, E, for giving full effect at those times when the paddle wheels aro
backed, in order to obtain stern-way to the vessel. F, F, are valves or
doors hinged to the float boards or paddles, as is shown, and there are straps
or stops G to prevent the valves or doors F opening too far. These valves
or doors are so hung on their axes that the ends F are longer beyond their
axes (than the other portions of the doors or valves); hence, when each float-
board enters the water, the doors or valves close and act together with the
surface of the float board as one unperforated surface; but as soon as each
float board arrives nearly to the surface of the water, and a portion of the
end of the valves at F are out of the water, the valves open by the action
of the water, and allow of the water passing through the openings beforo
covered by the doors or valves; by this means the float-boards are prevented
lifting the water.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would remark, that although I have shown the
arrangement of paddle wheel as containing the three points of novelty com-
bined, it is evident that they may be used separately in paddle wheels. And
further, I would wish it to be understood, that I lay no claim to the parts, or
the combination of parts, which have before been made in constructing paddle
wheels; but what I do claim is, the mode of constructing and applying float-
boards of paddle wheels as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Elvey, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty sight