Im- PROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Frederick Muntz, of Umberslade Hall,
in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 29th September 1871, and dated the 28th April 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Frederick
Muntz at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 28th April 1871.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK MUNTZ, of Umberslade Hall, in the County
of Warwick, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and use
herein-after described of the parts of propelling mechanism, the said
mechanism having for its object to give motion to ships and vessels
constructed to be propelled ordinarily by the wind when the said ships
and vessels are in a calm, or to increase the speed given to the said

page_text: vessels by the wind where it is desirable that the said vessels should have
increased speed.
My Invention is especially applicable to yachts, but I do not restrict
its application to any particular kind of ship or vessel. On the deck or
at other part of the yacht is a steam boiler with furnace, and all the
necessary appliances for the generation of steam. The said boiler and
parts connected therewith may be mounted on rollers so as to make
them portable. I mount a small engine in a strong case, the said steam
engine driving a screw or other propeller external to the case case.
The steam engine is surrounded on all sides by the case, and the said
case is protected by "fenders" of rope or other material capable of
preventing injury to the case and engine by collision. The said engine
is connected with the steam boiler by means of two flexible pipes, one
conveying steam from the boiler to the engine, and the other conducting
the waste steam from the engine to the chimney of the boiler furnace.
The cylinder of the engine is protected by some non-conductor or
imperfect conductor of heat. When in case of calm or otherwise it is
wished to apply the propelling power of the engine to the yacht the
case carrying the engine-is-let-down-into-tho-water-by-the-side.of_the_
yacht, the said case being suspended from the davits. The case is con-
'nected to the keel of the yacht by lines both at 'stem and stern, through
which lines the propelling power is transmitted to the yacht. By
allowing steam to pass from the boiler on the deck of the yacht to the
engine suspended in the water, motion is communicated to the engine
and propeller and transmitted through the lines to the yacht. The
engine and propeller may be employed only on one side of the yacht, or
an engine and propeller of the kind described may be employed on each
side of the yacht. When an engine and propeller are employed on one
side only of the yacht the tendency of the propeller to deflect the course
of the yacht is readily counteracted by the steering apparatus of the
yacht.
I do not limit myself to the particular position of the engine with

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
'. filed by the said George Frederick Muntz in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
FREDERICK MUNTZ, of Umberslade Hall, in the County of Warwick,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Frederick Muntz, Her special
licence that I, the said George Frederick Muntz, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Frederick
Muntz, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time 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 PROPELLING SHIPS AND VESSELS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Frederick Muntz, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, 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 calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Frederick Muntz, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and use,
hercin-after described, of the parts of propelling mechanism, the said
mechanism having for its object to give motion to ships and vessels
(constructed to be propelled ordinarily by the wind) when the said ships
and vessels are in a calm, or to increase the speed given to the said
vessels by the wind where it is desirable that the said vessels should
have increased speed.

page_text: My said Invention consists essentially of a portable steam engine and
screw or other propeller, which said engine and propeller can be sus-
pended from and connected with a sailing vessel in such a manner that
the screw or propeller of the said. steam engine is sunk in the water to
the depth proper for its efficient working.
I construct the propelling mechanism and parts connected therewith
in the following manner :- -On the deck or in the hold, or at any other
.convenient part of the yacht or vessel, I place a steam boiler with
furnace and all the necessary appliances for the generation of steam.
As the said steam boiler and furnace and appliances connected there-
with which I employ differ in no respect from steam boilers as ordinarily
constructed I do not think a particular description of the same necessary.
The said boiler and parts connected therewith may be mounted on
rollers so as to make them portable.
When the sailing vessel with which my Invention is to be used is 1
provided with a steam boiler for use with a steam crane, or with a steam
boiler used for any other purpose, which steam boiler will yield sufficient
_steam_of_the_requisite pressure to work a small steam engine, the said
boiler may be used in place of the independent steam boiler already
referred to. I mount a small steam engine in a strong case, the said 2
steam engine driving a screw or other propeller external to the case.
The steam engine is surrounded on all sides by the case, and the said
case is protected by coverings of rope or other material such as is used
in the manufacture of "fenders" for ships. The said protecting covering
follows the general configuration of the case. The said engine is con- 2
nected with the steam boiler and furnace by means of two flexible
pipes, onc conveying steam from the boiler to the engine, and the other
conducting the waste steam from the engine to the chimney of the
boiler furnace. I prefer to make the case containing the steam engine
of the general figure of a fish, or other figure which will progress with 3
little resistance through the water. The said case must be air and water
tight. The propelling shaft passes through a water-tight stuffing box
at one or both ends of the case, the screw or propeller being fixed.at
the stern of the case. The engine is so disposed in the case that the
propelling axis always preserves a horizontal or nearly horizontal 3
position. The engine case has on its upper side or at other convenient
part a door or lid capable of being closed water-tight. This door affords
the means of obtaining access to the engine, and the said door is closed

page_text: when the engine is working. The two flexible pipes connecting the
.steam engine with the boiler and furnace pass through water-tight
openings in the case of the engine, and may be permanently attached
to the said case and engine. The pipe conveying steam from the boiler
to the steam chest of the engine is connected to the boiler by means
of a union or other joint, and the other pipe conveying the. exhaust
steam from the engine into the funnel of the furnace of the boiler is
.connected to the said funnel by a union joint or other connection. I
prefer to make the said two flexible pipes of vulcanized india-rubber
and canvas or cloth, but I do not restrict myself thereto, as the said
pipes may be made of any material sufficiently flexible, and capable of
resisting the heat and pressure of the steam. The cork or other covering
of the engine case is covered with smooth oiled or tarred cloth, so that
the passage of the case through the water may be obstructed as little
as possible.
I do not think it necessary to describe the steam engine I'employ, as
it has nothing special in its construction. I prefer to use the ordinary
screw propeller, but I do not limit myself thereto, as other propellers
may be employed.
'
When in case of calm or otherwise it is wished to apply the propelling
power of the engine to the yacht or vessel the case carrying the engine
is let down into the water, the said case being suspended at the required
depth from the boat davits, or from other convenient part of the yacht
'or vessel. The said case is connected to the yacht or vessel by lines
both at stem and stern, through which lines the propelling power is
transmitted to the yacht or vessel. The flexible steam and exhaust pipes
having been properly connected steam is allowed to pass from the boiler
on the yacht or vessel to the engine suspended in the water. The said
engine commences to work and drives the propeller, the advancing
motion of the propeller through the water being transmitted by means
of the lines described to the yacht or vessel, which is thereby made to
advance, or assisted in its advancing motion. The passage of steam from
the boiler. to the engine is controlled, and the engine started, regulated,
and stopped by a valve or stop-cock, as is well understood. The engine
and propeller may be employed on one side of the yacht or vessel, or
an engine and propeller of the kind described may be employed on each
side of the yacht or vessel. Although the lines at stem and stern are
ordinarily sufficient, yet lines between other parts of the steam engine

page_text: 'case and yacht or vessel may be employed, any arrangement of lines
answering the purpose which will preserve the line of motion of the
propeller parallel with the keel of the yacht or vessel. 'I do not limit
myself to the particular position of the engine with respect to the yacht
or vessel, nor to its suspension from the davits.
Having now described the nature of my invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise details herein described, as the samè
may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention, but
I claim as my Invention the construction, arrangement, and adaptation
of parts herein-before described for propelling yachts and other sailing
ships and vessels, that is to say, propelling or assisting in the propelling
of the said vessels by means of a portable steam engine and propeller
situate on one or on each side or at other convenient part of the vessel to
be propelled, the said engine being contained in an air and water tight
fish-like or other case: suspended at the required depth in the water from
the boat davits or other convenient part of the vessel to be propelled, and
connected by lines to the said vessel, steam for working the suspended
engine in the case being conveyed-thereto-from-a-steam-boiler-on-the.
deck or in other part of the vessel by a flexible pipe, and the waste steam
being conveyed from the said steam engine to the furnace of the boiler
by a second flexible pipe, the parts being constructed, arranged, and
used substantially as and for the purpose described.
!,
J
In; witness whereof, I, the said George Frederick Muntz, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of October,
in the year, of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-onc.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
GEORGE FREDERICK MUNTZ. (L.S.)