IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING BOATS OR VESSELS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Archibald Dinely Goodyar, of Osborne
Villas, Windsor, in the County of Berks, Esquire, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING
BOATS OR VESSELS."
Sealed the 30th June 1868, and dated the 1st January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Archibald
Dinely Goodyar at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 1st January 1868.
I, GEORGE ARCHIBALD DINELY GOODYAR, of Osborne Villas, Windsor,
in the County of Berks, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR
PROPELLING BOATS OR VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the method or
methods of propelling boats or vessels by manual power, whereby the
use of oars and sculls is dispensed with, and the operation of propelling
is rendered easy and capable of being performed by any person; the
chief object of the Invention is to afford to anglers for use in fishing
punts, or to boating excursionists, a ready means of propelling.
I propose by my Invention to apply paddle wheels or screw propellers,
or both combined to pleasure boats, fishing punts, or other boats or

page_text: vessels, and to actuate the same by a system of lever apparatus entirely
under the control of the operator.
Several modifications of the principle may be arranged, and firstly, in
reference to the application of paddle wheels, I set such paddles on a
shaft in suitable bearings in the sides of the boat; the shaft has a double
crank, each set at right angles to the other, the centre of the shaft
working in supporting bearings if necessary. Connecting rods are
attached to the cranks and also to two lever handles, which take their
fulcra from joints affixed to the sides of the boat or vessel a short
distance on each side of the bearings of the paddle shaft; the connecting
rods are attached to the hand levers by means of slots cut in the levers,
and by adjusting screws which enable the rods to be joined to the levers
at any distance required, so as to regulate the power and the amount of
stroke according to the capability of the person who works the boat; the
connecting rods are provided with universal joints, so as to compensate
for the varying angles which the rods assume in regard to the crank and
levers, and each rod is furnished with a socket for the insertion of a
handle, which may be removed when necessary to permit of the passage
of the crew from one part of the boat to the other. By these arrange-
ments it is only necessary that the hand levers be pulled to and fro by a
reciprocating motion, when rotary motion will be given to the cranked
paddle shaft in either direction, so that the boat or vessel will be propelled
forwards or astern with equal facility. In order to regulate and facilitate
the motion of the shaft and wheels as well as the easy action of the
levers, I place on the shaft a bevel toothed wheel acting on a horizontal
mitre wheel, both being keyed on their shafts, the mitre wheel turning a
vertical shaft set in bearings beneath the paddle shaft, and operating a
fly wheel, the proportion of teeth with regard to the two bevel wheels
being such that one revolution of the paddle shaft will cause two, three,
or more revolutions of the horizontal fly wheel, and thus steady the entire
motions of the machinery. In applying the screw propeller an extra
mitre is set on the screw shaft, so that motion is communicated to the
screw, the shaft being set in bearings towards the stern, the last bearing
being a stuffing box and water-tight; thus by the arrangement of
multiplying bevel wheels a slow motion of the lever handles and hori-
zontal shaft is converted into a rapid revolution of the screw shaft, which
is necessary to cause effective propulsion by a screw propeller. The
screw may of course be used separately from the paddles, but they may

page_text: both be employed if desirable. The paddle wheels are enclosed by
suitable boxes and covers capable of ready removal, and arrangements for
sliding the wheels on their shafts are made for the purpose of repairing
or removing them. Any form of paddles may be used, whether with
feathering motions or not. Other arrangements of actuating the levers
may be adopted, the principle of the Invention being the same; for
example, the levers may be set vertically or obliquely vertical in bearings
near the bottom of the boat on the foundation plate below the paddle
shaft or near the screw shaft, the toothed gearing being suitably arranged,
and for a fishing punt where a slow noiseless motion is required, as in a
lake or fishing water, one rod or lever handle placed vertically may be
used, set in the centre of the shaft, and only one crank being formed
thereon j the fly wheel motion described will then be sufficient to carry
the centres over even with one lever, which may actuate either a screw
propeller or paddle wheels at the side of the boat, or even one paddle
wheel at the stern.
Other modifications of the Invention may obviously be made, there
being no limit or restriction to the position or number of the levers, or to
the greater or less amount of power requisite for propelling the boat or
vessel, according to the special purpose for which such boat or vessel is
designed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Archibald Dinely Goodyar in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 1st July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ARCHIBALD DINELY GOODYAR, of Osborne Villas, Windsor, in the County
of Berks, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Archibald Dinely Goodyar, Her special licence
that I, the said George Archibald Dinely Goodyar, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Archibald
Dinely Goodyar, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any

page_text: "
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 THE METHOD OF AND MACHINERY POR PROPELLING BOATS,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Archibald
Dinely Goodyar, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Archibald Dinely Goodyar,
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 :-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the method or
methods of propelling boats or vessels by manual power, whereby the
use of oars and sculls is dispensed with and the operation of propelling
is rendered easy and capable of being performed by any person; the
chief object of the Invention is to afford to anglers for use in fishing
punts, or to boating excursionists, a ready means of propelling.
I propose by my Invention to apply paddle wheels, or screw pro-
pellers, or both combined, to pleasure boats, fishing punts, or other boats
or vessels, and to actuate the same by a system of lever apparatus
entirely under the control of the operator.
Several modifications of the principle may be arranged; and firstly,
in reference to the application of paddle wheels, I set such paddles
on a shaft in suitable bearings in the sides of the boat; the shaft
has a double crank, each set at right angles to the other, the
centre of the shaft working in supporting bearings if necessary.
Connecting rods are attached to the cranks, and also to two lever
handles which take their fulcra from joints affixed to the sides of
the boat or vessel a short distance on each side of the bearings of
the paddle shaft; the connecting rods are attached to the hand levers
by means of slots cut in the levers, and by adjusting screws, which
enable the rods to be joined to the levers at any distance required so as
to regulate the power and the amount of stroke, according to the

page_text: capability of the person who works the boat; the connecting rods are
provided with universal joints so as to compensate for the varying angles
which the rods assume in regard to the crank and levers, and each rod is
furnished with a socket for the insertion of a handle which may be
removed, when necessary, to permit of the passage of the crew from one
part of the boat to the other. By these arrangements it is only necessary
that the hand levers be pulled to and fro by a reciprocating motion,
when rotary motion will be given to the cranked paddle shaft, in either
direction, so that the boat or vessel will be propelled forwards or astern
with equal facility. In order to regulate and facilitate the motion of
the shaft and wheels, as well as the easy action of the levers, I place on
the shaft a bevil toothed wheel, acting on a horizontal mitre wheel, both
being keyed on their shafts; the mitre wheel turning a vertical shaft
set in bearings beneath the paddle shaft, and operating a fly wheel; the
proportion of teeth with regard to the two bevil wheels being such that
one revolution of the paddle shaft will cause two, three, or more
revolutions of the horizontal fly wheel, and thus steady the entire
motions of the machinery. In applying the screw propeller, an extra
mitre is set on the screw shaft so that motion is communicated to the
screw, the shaft being set in bearings towards the stern, the last bearing
being a stuffing box and water-tight; thus by the arrangement of
multiplying wheels a slow motion of the lever handles and horizontal
shaft is converted into a rapid revolution of the screw shaft, which is
necessary to cause effective propulsion by a screw propeller. The screw
may of course be used separately from the paddles, but they may both be
employed if desirable. The paddle wheels are enclosed by suitable
boxes or covers capable of ready removal, and arrangements for sliding
the wheels on their shafts are made for the purpose of repairing or
removing them. Any form of paddles may be used, whether with
feathering motions or not. Other arrangements of actuating the levers
may be adopted, the principle of the Invention being the same; for
example, the levers may be set vertically or obliquely vertical in
bearings near the bottom of the boat, on the foundation plate, below the
paddle shaft, or near the screw shaft, the toothed gearing being suitably
arranged; and for a fishing punt, where a slow noiseless motion is
required, as in a lake or fishing water, one rod or lever handle placed
vertically may be used, set in the centre of the shaft, and only one
crank being formed thereon, the fly wheel motion described will then be
sufficient to carry the centres over, even with one lever, which may

page_text: actuate either a screw propeller or paddle wheels at the side of the boat,
or even one paddle wheel at the stern.
Other modifications of the Invention may obviously be made, there
being no limit or restriction to the position or number of the levers, or
to the greater or less amount of power requisite for propelling the boat
or vessel according to the special purpose for which such boat or vessel
is designed.
In order that my said Invention may be completely understood, I
annex the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a plan
view of a boat with the propelling apparatus consisting of a duplicate
horizontal lever arrangement working a two-throw crank and paddles;
or, if necessary, a screw propeller, or the two together; Fig. 2 is a
longitudinal vertical section of the same; similar letters denoting
corresponding parts.
a, shews the crank shaft set in bearings in the sides of the boat, and
b, b, are the paddle wheels, the upper portions of the paddle boxes c being
removed; d, d, shew the horizontal levers connected to the sides of the
boat by means of joints and plates secured by screws or screw bolts and
nuts; and e, e, the handles inserted in sockets in the levers so as to be
easily applied or withdrawn; f, f, are the connecting rods extending
from the levers d, d, to the cranks g, g; h is a bevil wheel keyed to the
shaft a, and gearing with the mitre wheel i, keyed on the vertical shaft j,
to which the horizontal fly wheel k is attached for the purpose before
mentioned; is the propeller shaft carrying the propeller m; this shaft
may easily be worked by an inverted mitre wheel under the wheel i,
gearing with an adjustable sliding bevil wheel on the shaft 1; thus by
moving the sliding bevil in or out of gear, the propeller may be turned
with the paddles, or left stationary while they revolve. The machinery
is, of course, enclosed in a suitable casing to protect it from the weather,
the seats are shewn at n, n, but their position may be made suitable to
circumstances. In licu of working the paddles direct from the crank
shaft, I also work them by a second motion consisting of a pinion on
the paddle wheel shaft, and a toothed wheel on the crank shaft, this
latter having a greater diameter than the pinion, will multiply the speed
of the paddle wheels as required. In such case the paddles are fixed on
short shafts passing through bearings in the sides of the boat to a second
series of bearings on standards within the boat so as to give them the
requisite steadiness. I also in some cases form the crank shaft in two

page_text: sections, and set the points of junction in a box or hollow shaft so as to
give each portion a sufficient bearing; and by the application of a clutch
motion I can disengage one half of the shaft from gear with the other
whenever I desire to work one paddle only in order to turn the boat
sharply round or to work the paddles in reverse directions at the same
time, whereby the boat would turn on its own centre. These arrange-
ments will, however, be easily understood, and are not necessary to be
shewn in the Drawings.
From the foregoing examples of my Invention, the various modifica
tions first described will easily be comprehended by any one conversant
with machinery, the principle in all cases being the same.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be carried into practical effect, I would
remark that I do not restrict myself to the precise details or configuration
of parts which I have expressed and shewn, nor to any definite pro-
portions or measurements regarding the machinery employed, as the
same may of course be varied or modified without in any degree departing
from the principles of my Invention, but what I claim and desire to be
secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent are, the
general arrangement, combination, and construction of parts, constituting
"Improvements in the Method of and Machinery for Propelling Boats,"
substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Archibald Dinely Goodyar,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
ight
Witness,
CHA. THO. PHILLIPS,
Solr.
Windsor.
G. A. D. GOODYAR. (L.S.)