Improvements in and relating to Velocipede Boats and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Velocipede Boats and
the like.
We, EDWARD DAVIES, of 1 Harringay Villas, Green Lanes, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, and HENRIETTA MARIAN HARRIETT GOODFELLOW,
of 7 Nelson Crescent, Ramsgate, in the County of Kent, Married Woman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to velocipede boats and the like, and to improved means
for their propulsion.
According to our said invention we employ a centrifugal, rotary, reciprocating
or other suitable form of pump, which is located at or near the stern of the boat
or vessel.
This pump may be arranged to draw water, either about halfway
between the surface of the water in which the said boat or vessel is floating, and
the bottom of the boat, or at the bottom thereof, in any case however we prefer to
so arrange the suction of the said pump that no lift will be required. The pump
delivers the water at the stern of the boat at one or more outlets situated below
the water line; we generally prefer to have two outlets one situated at each side
of the rudder, the delivery pipe being forked for that purpose. The two outlets
may be governed or controlled by suitable cocks and valves, so that whilst the
forcible delivery of the water through both of them will act to propel the said
boat through the water in a straight line, the closing or partial closing of the one
or other can be utilized for steering purposes. By so arranging the pump suction
that the water will pass direct to the said pump without lift we are enabled to use
the entire force of the pump for purposes of propulsion.
.
The pump or pumps may be driven by hand, foot, steam, or other power. When
arranged to be driven by foot-power we prefer to arrange the driving mechanism
in the following manner, that is to say: We provide at or near the centre of the
boat a post or upright carrying a suitable seat or saddle for the operator, and
within a convenient distance we mount a driving pulley, chain wheel or the like, to
which rotary movement can be imparted by the feet of the said operator through
cranks and pedals. The above wheel is connected with and arranged to drive
the pump or pumps through a suitable belt or chain, or in any convenient
manner.
To enable the person driving the pump to, at the same time, manipulate the
rudder for steering purposes, we provide, at a suitable distance in front of the said
seat, a vertical rotatably-mounted spindle. The upper end of this spindle may
have attached to it a suitable handle bar or the like, and at or near its lower end
is secured a wheel or segment which latter is connected through a cord, wire, chain
or the like with the rudder. It will be seen that by rotating the said spindle in
one or the other direction through the bandle bar, the rudder may likewise be
turned through a certain angle, and the steering of the boat or vessel be thereby
effected.
It will be readily understood that the driving apparatus can be adapted for
the use of two or more operators in accordance with the size of the said boat or
vessel.
It is likewise obvious that we can employ two or other suitable number of pumps
for supplying the propelling force.

page_text: Although we have herein before more particularly described our propelling
apparatus as arranged to work with a centrifugal or rotary pump or pumps,
and we prefer to employ a pump or pumps of that type, it is obvious that a
reciprocating pump or several of them, might be used for the purpose specified.
By delivering the propelling column or columns of water at a point or points
below the water line we avoid any wash, commotion, or churning of the water in
the wake of the boat or vessel, and ensure the latter gliding smoothly along. We
also reduce all vibration to a minimum. By the employment of the means we
have indicated increased speed is obtained, and the amount of power necessary
to propel the boat or vessel is reduced as compared with propulsion by means of
paddle wheels or screws.
Dated this 26th day of June 1896.
A. F. SPOONER,
124 Chancery Lane, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Velocipede Boats and
the like.
We, EDWARD DAVIES, of 1 Harringay Villas, Green Lanes, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, and HENRIETTA MARIAN HARRIETT GOODFellow,
of 7 Nelson Crescent, Ramsgate, in the County of Kent, Married Woman, 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 :-
Our invention relates to velocipede boats and the like, and to improved means
for their propulsion.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a plan, and
Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section showing our improved velocipede
boat.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A is the boat or vessel and B is the rudder for steering the said boat.
According to our said invention we employ a centrifugal, rotary, reciprocating
or other suitable form of pump a, which is preferably located near the stern of the
boat or vessel A. The pump a may be arranged to draw water, either at the
bottom of the said boat as indicated at a', or about halfway between the surface
of the water in which the said boat or vessel is floating, and the said bottom, in
any case, however, we so arrange the suction of the. said pump that uo lift will be
required. The pump a delivers the water at the stern of the boat and preferably
through two tapering outlets b, b one situated at each side of the rudder B and
discharging below the water liue. The outlet pipes b, b may be made to deliver
the water in a sloping direction downwardly. The forked piece forming the two
tapering outlets is connected to the delivery pipe a² of the pump a through a
suitable three-way cock or valve e so that whilst the forcible delivery of the water
through both of the said outlets will act to propel the boat A in a forward direction
through the water in a straight line, the closing or partial closing of the one or
other can be utilised for steering purposes.
с
By so arranging the pump suction that the water will pass direct to the said
pump without lift we are enabled to use the entire force of the pump for purposes
of propulsion.
:. 61, 6 are two other outlets also connected with the cock or valve c and discharging
at the side, and towards the bow, of the boat or vessel A. . By manipulating the

page_text: cock or valve to shut off the supply of water from the pump c to the discharge
outlets band to admit it to the outlets 6¹ the boat or vessel A can be propelled
backwards or astern.
It will be obvious that we may so arrange connections with the cock or
valve c that the same may be manipulated by the same person who is propelling
and steering the boat.
When the pump a is intended to be driven by foot-power we prefer to arrange
the driving mechanism in the following manner, that is to say :-We provide at or
near the centre of the boat two posts or uprights d, d carrying a suitable double
seat or saddle e (Figure 2) for the operator, and within a convenient distance we
rotatably mount in standards f a suitable driving shaft g carrying a driving
pulley h to which shaft and pulley rotary movement can be imparted by the feet
of the said operator through cranks i and pedals i¹. The above wheel is connected
with, and arranged to drive, the pump a through a suitable belt j which latter gears
with a smaller pulley k fixed to the pump spindle.
To enable the person driving the pump to, at the same time, manipulate the
rudder B for steering purposes, we provide at a suitable distance in front of the
seat or saddle e a vertical spindle / rotatably mounted in suitable bearings m, m.
The upper end of the spindle has attached to it a suitable steering wheel n, or a
handle bar or the like, and at or near its lower end is secured a wheel or segment o
which latter is connected through a cord, wire, or chain p or its equivalent, passing
over guide wheels or pulleys q, q, or with the rudder B.
It will be seen that by rotating the spindle in one or the other direction through
the steering wheel n the rudder B may likewise be turned through a certain angle,
and the steering of the boat or vessel A be thereby readily effected by the operator
seated upon the saddle e.
It will be readily understood that the driving apparatus can be adapted for the
use of two or more operators in accordance with the size of the said boat or vessel;
and that we can somewhat vary the details of construction, such as the method of
mounting or supporting the saddle e, or imparting rotary motion from the driving
or crank shaft g to the pump spindle. In the latter case we may sometimes
employ chain or sprocket wheels and a pitch chain, or toothed gearing, friction-
gearing or other equivalent device.
It is likewise obvious that we can employ two or other suitable number of pumps
for supplying the propelling force.
Although we have hereinbefore more particularly described our propelling
apparatus as arranged to work with a centrifugal or rotary pump or pumps, and
we prefer to employ a pump or pumps of that type, it is obvious that a reciprocating
or other suitable form of pump or several of them, might be used for the purpose
specified.
By delivering the propelling column or columns of water at a point or points
below the water line we avoid any wash, commotion, or churning of the water in
the wake of the boat or vessel, and ensure the latter gliding smoothly along. We
also reduce all vibration to a minimum. By the employment of the means we have
indicated increased speed is obtained, and the amount of power necessary to propel
the boat or vessel is reduced as compared with propulsion by means of paddle
wheels or screws.
In some instances we provide suitable means for enabling the pump or pumps
for supplying the propelling column or columns of water to be driven by hand,
steam, or other power.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The improved means for propelling and steering a boat or vessel, comprising
one or more centrifugal, rotary or other pumps having double or forked discharge
outlets at the stern and a discharge outlet at each side of the boat below the water

page_text: line, a valve or valves or other device for controlling the discharge of water from
the said outlets, and means for enabling the said pump or pumps to be driven by
foot, hand, or other power, substantially as described.
2. An improved velocipede boat constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 26th day of March 1897
A. F. SPOONER,
323, High Holborn, London, Agent for the Applicants.