IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Elder, of Glasgow, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS."
Scaled the 7th June 1859, and dated the 9th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Elder at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th December 1858.
I, JOHN ELDER, of Glasgow, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of paddle floats. Heretofore
the floats, or, as they are sometimes denominated "buckets" of paddle wheels,
whether of ordinary or reefing paddles, have ordinarily been constructed of
wood, because it has been presumed that its superior buoyancy was an
advantage, and also that wood floats were supposed to be more easily fitted
and replaced in case of accident. These wooden floats have of necessity been
made of considerable thickness, and their edges have been left square, or at
best but slightly rounded, or the arris or sharp edge has been removed by
the plane.
Now, I employ for the purpose of constructing floats according to my
Invention, plates of steel or iron or other metal, of a thickness proportioned to
the unsupported surface of the float, and to the maxinimum pressure to which
it may be subjected in passing into, through, or out of the water, but instead

page_text: of taking plates of steel or of iron, and of cutting them to the required shape
and so apply them to the wheels, I bevel the edges of these metal plates by
planeinng them or otherwise giving them a suitable angle, so that when applied
as floats they will, in entering and on leaving the water, present the minimum
of the resistance due to the thickness of such metal floats. I mount them
in any of the well-known methods, for which I do not prescribe any particular
arrangement, my Invention being as herein stated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Elder in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th June 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ELDER, of Glasgow, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her' Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December,. in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Elder, Her special licence that I, the said John Elder, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Elder, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any tinie agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PADDLE WHEELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, tlie said John
Elder, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calender months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Elder, 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
and accompanying Drawing:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of paddle floats. Ieretofore
the floats, or, as they are sometimes denominated, " buckets," of paddle wheels,
whether of ordinary or reefing paddles, have ordinarily been constructed of

page_text: wood, because it has been presumed that its superior buoyancy was an
advantage, and also that wood floats were supposed to be more easily fitted
and replaced in case of accident. These wooden floats have of necessity been
made of considerable thickness, and their edges have been left square, or at
best but slightly rounded, or the arris or sharp edge has been removed by
the plane.
Now, I employ for the purpose of constructing floats according to my
Invention, plates of steel, iron, or other metal, of a thickness proportioned to
the unsupported surface of the float, and to the maximum pressure to which it
may be subjected in passing into, through, or out of the water; but instead of
taking plates of steel or of iron, and cutting them to the required shape, and
so apply them to the wheels; I bevil the edges of these metal plates by planing
them or otherwise giving them a suitable angle, so that when applied as floats
they will in entering and on leaving the water present the minimum of the
resistance due to the thickness of such metal floats. I mount them in any of
the well-known methods, for which I do not prescribe any particular arrange-
ment, my Invention being as herein stated.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a
portion of a paddle wheel fitted with metal floats according to my Invention ;
Fig. 2 is an edge view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a steel
float plate quite flat on the face; Fig. 4 being a top view of Fig. 3; and
Fig. 5 an end view of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is an end view of a float plate, which,
instead of being flat, is curved vertically, the hollow face being presented to
the water during the rotation of the wheel for the forward motion of the
5 vessel; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal view of the top edge of a thin metal float plate
slightly curved or corrugated in its length, or in the breadth of the face of the
paddle wheel.
In practice I find that by substituting for the ordinary wooden float boards,
of 1 inch to 3 inches thick, metal plates of about one-sixth of the thickness,
having their edges bevilled, I am enabled to give an increased speed to the
ship of about four to six per cent., with only the same expenditure of power.
When I employ iron plates they may either be galvanized, or galvanized and
painted afterwards, or only painted. By the use of "puddled steel" or the
"Bessemer steel," very thin float plates are sufficient to give the necessary
strength, and at a comparatively small cost.
I do not intend to confine myself to the use of plates of steel (of whatsoever
kind or denomination under which it may be known or sold,) or of iron, as
other metal plates may be employed, although, perhaps, with less advantage in
point of speed.

page_text: Having now described my said Invention, and illustrated some of the modes
of applying the same by the several Figures in the accompanying Drawing,
what I claim as my Invention is, making and applying metal floats or buckets
for paddle wheels, as herein described..
In witness whereof, I, the said John Elder, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty nine
Witness,
FREDERIC HEBBERD ROBERTS,
18, Salisbury St., Adelphi.
JOHN ELDER. (L.S.)