Improvements in Rowlocks and Oars or Sculls for Boats and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897
COMPLEIE
DrECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rowlocks and Oars or Sculls for Boats and the like.
I, ARTHUR DALMER, of 7, Gartenstrasse in Kiel, Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 form of rowlocks and oars for boats and has for its
object to prevent the oarsman from having to turn round to see in front of him,
whereby the accidents due to the fact that when rowing an oarsman cannot see in front
of him are entirely prevented. Moreover these improved oars and rowlocks allow to
dispense with the services of the steersman in boats containing several persons, while
utilizing the arms of the said steersman for the propulsion of the boat, or utilizing
the room generally occupied by him for transporting purposes.
In the accompanying drawings, which show the subject matter of the invention,
Figure 1 is a view of the general arrangement of the sculls or oars and rowlocks.
Figure 2 is a detail of the construction of a part of a coupling attachment used
with my improved oars and rowlocks. The whole arrangement such as shown in
Figure 1 is fixed removably by a bolt to the gunwale of a boat Figure 3 and consists
of two toothed segments 6 and 61 which gear together and are mounted on the fixed
arms cand c¹ of a forked support, being connected at their outer ends by the
connecting rods d and d with the handles e and the stems f of the oars, so as to turn
freely thereon. When motion is imparted to the said handles e the stems f are made
to follow such motion through the gearing of the toothed wheels b and b¹. To allow
moreover the stem to turn while rowing, that is to say to allow the blade to lay flat
on the water, the inner ends of the handles e and of the stems fare provided with
spherical and ribbed segments or ends e¹ and f¹ which are connected by a suspended
piece with the similar and likewise ribbed spherical segments g,g¹ arranged opposite
the former segments. The spherical segments 9 and g₁ are furnished with an
extension passing through the sides of the forked support c, c³, aforesaid, and carrying
at their inner ends the vertical bevil wheels h, h¹. These two vertical wheels gear in
common with a third horizontal intermediate bevil wheel h³, whereby the turning
motion of the oar handle is communicated to the oar blade for the purpose of laying
the latter either flat or edgewise in the water. The construction of the spherical
segments & and g and g' and f, which are connected one with the other at each
continuous parallel or angular position, is clearly shown in Figure 2, wherein it will
be seen that the segment e¹ carries in a semi-spherical cavity an eyelet or ring i
while the segment with its prolongation carries a spring hook k engaging with
a certain amount of play in the former ring or eyelet, this hook being drawn inwardly
by the said spring and is only slightly pulled out when the blade is made to beat the
water. From this improved arrangement of cars and rowlocks it will follow that
when the oarsman sits with his face turned towards the front or stem of the boat and
seizes hold of the handles e the stems and blades of the oars will move, by the aid of
the segments b, 61, from the front to the back and will hence impart a forward impulse
to the boat. To remove the oars from the water as heretofore and to be able to dip
them again in the water after making a stroke a horizontally arranged joint movable
P
•

page_text: within a fork m parallel to the gunwale is placed over the pin a, such motion taking
place about its axis.
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 :-
First: Oars or sculls and rowlocks for boats characterized by the fact that the
handle of each oar is coupled to the stem ƒ thereof by means of two toothed
segments connected to this handle and stem respectively so as to allow the
transmission of power from such handle to such stein.
Second-The further elaboration of the oars and rowlocks above claimed whereby
between the handle and the blade of an oar or scull a turning gear is arranged, the
parallel parts of which e', g¹ g, f¹ are coupled with the handle and stem of the oar or
scull so as to allow of the transmission of power from the one to the other.
Dated this Tenth day of March, 1071.
GEORGE BARKER.
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for the Applicant.