Improvements in or relating to Elevating-ferry-steamers or other Steam Vessels, and in Apparatus connected therewith.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 13th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Elevating-ferry-steamers or other
Steam Vessels, and in Apparatus connected therewith.
I, ANDREW BROWN, of London Works, Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew,
Scotland, Engineer and Shipbuilder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
This invention has mainly for its object certain improvements in elevating-ferry-
steamers, or other steam vessels, by which, Firstly, vehicles horses or passengers can
be embarked or disembarked to and from the vessel while facing at place of embarka-
tion, at either side of a tidal river, or other place, and with or against the current, in
such a manner as will assist in, if not entirely dispense with, the necessity of mooring
the vessel, and Secondly, the said improvements will facilitate the propulsion
and navigation of such vessels in harbours and other places where strong currents
exist.
The invention is carried into effect by providing, in addition to other modes of
propulsion, one or more thwartship propellors at the end or ends of the vessel, to
sustain it against the current, or tide; such thwartship propellors may be driven by,
the main or auxiliary engines and they may be placed directly thwartship or at other
suitable angle.
T IL: 1511 11h 1900
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, S.W., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Elevating-ferry-steamers or other
Steam Vessels, and in Apparatus connected therewith.
I, ANDREW BROWN, of London Works, Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew,.
Scotland, Engineer and Shipbuilder, 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 has mainly for its object certain improvements in elevating ferry-
steamers, or other steam vessels, by which; Firstly,-vehicles, horses, or passengers,
can be embarked or disembarked on or from the vessel, while she is facing at the
place of embarkation, at either side of a tidal river, or other place, and with or against
the current, in such a manner as will assist in avoiding, if not entirely dispensing with
the necessity of mooring the vessel; and Secondly-the said improvements will
facilitate the propulsion, steering and general navigation of such vessels in harbours,
rivers and other places where strong tides or currents exist.
The invention is carried into effect by providing, in addition to the other modes of
propulsion, one or more thwartship propellers at or near the end or ends of the vessel,
such thwartship propellers may be placed directly thwartship, or at any other desirable
angle and may be driven by the main or auxiliary engines. As an alternative method
the thwartship propellers may be dispensed with, the ordinary propellers being so
arranged as to serve the purpose of these thwartship propellers, in addition to their
use for fore and aft propulsion.
In the accompanying three sheets of drawings,
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal elevation and Fig. 2, a plan of a steam ferry-boat propelled
by four screws, shewing the application of my invention thereto.

page_text: Fig. 3, is a longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 4, a plan of a steam ferry-boat pro-
pelled by four screws, with my invention applied thereto, in a modified manner to
that shewn in the previous figures.
Fig. 5, is a longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 6 a plan of a steam ferry-boat, pro-
pelled by two screws, shewing a further modification of the application of my
invention.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A, A, are the propeller shafts B, B, the engines,
C, C, the boilers, and D, D, D, D1), the propellers. As shewn in the plan, the main
portions A, A, of the propeller shafts, are arranged parallel to each other, but at the
points F, F, F, F, in the shafts, universal, or other suitable forms of swivel
joints are provided, so that by means of any suitable mechanism, (not shewn in
the drawings.) the remaining portion of shaft carrying the propeller may be swung
outwards at an angle, as represented by the dotted lines F, E. When the vessel is
steaming ahead or astern, in water where the navigation is easy, the propellers are
placed in the position D, but in working in crowded water or when strong currents
exist, or in holding the vessel at a place of embarkation, where there is a tide or
current, the propellers are moved outwards, when they will produce a direct turning
or thwartship effect and enable the vessel to be revolved in her own length, or other-
wise manoeuvred, or held in any required position with great facility and power. The
propellers may be placed at any angle intermediate between the points D and E, and
it is manifest that their steering effect will be increased as the angle of divergence is
increased. The engines are necessarily arranged to be quickly reversed, when
required, and each propeller can be instantly connected to, or disconnected from the
engines by any suitable means. The main shafts A, A, although shewn parallel to
each other, may be at a slight angle, if more convenient.
In the modified arrangement shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, A, A, are the propeller
shafts, B, B, the engines, C, C, the boilers and D, D, D, D, the propellers. In this
case the shafts and propellers, as shewn in the plan, are placed at a permanent angle
to each other, so that they are always available for straight steaming or manoeuvring,
without any alteration, but as the angle of divergence is necessarily slight, the steering
effect, which can be obtained, is not so powerful as in the previous instance.
In the further modification, shewn in Figs. 5 and 6, only two fore and aft
propellers D, D, are shewn, and A is the engine driving them. Two independent
thwartship propellers E, E, are shewn driven by the engines B, B. In this case the
propellers E, E, are in the most favorable position for producing a steering or
turning effect upon the vessel, and although only a single fore and aft propeller are
shewn, the arrangement can, if desired, be equally well applied to a vessel with twin
propellers at one or both ends.
Although have only shewn and described three modes of applying my invention,
I do not necessarily confine myself thereto, as further modifications may be effected
without departing from its essential features.
The invention although more particularly intended for use with steam ferry-boats,
is also applicable to other steam vessels, where rapidity and ease in manoeuvring and
handling is of the first importance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A steam ferry-boat, or other steam vessel, provided with twin propellers D, D, at
one or both ends, the said propellers, with a portion of their shafts, being capable of
an angular movement, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
shewn with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 cf the accompanying drawings.
2. A steam ferry-boat, or other steam vessel, provided with twin propellers at both
ends, and having the shafts of the said propellers arranged diagonally, substantially as
and for the purposes herein described and shewn, with reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of
the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. In a steam ferry-boat, or other steam vessel, having single or twin propellers at
both ends for fore and aft propulsion, the combination with the said propellers of
thwartship propellers, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
shewn, with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of November 1890.
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S.W., Agent for the Applicant.