IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1841

page_text: FINCH'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
FINCH, of Liverpool, Iron Master, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the fourth year of Her reign, did,.
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Finch, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Edward Finch, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edward Finch, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Edward Finch, shall cause a par-
ticular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Finch, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters 'marked thereon
(that is to say): _

page_text: the same parts.
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE. DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents one of the propellers suitable for my Invention, and
consists of two sectors of a circular plane, as is indicated by the red line, and
such two sectors forming a portion of the plane, are set at an angle across the
main shaft of a steam vessel, and I usually place them at an angle of about
50°, and in such manner that the propellors will be horizontal, or nearly so,
when the crank is vertical. By this means the propellors will be out of the
water when the engine is in its least powerful position, and as the piston
of the engine moves towards the middle of its stroke, one of the propellors.
will come more and more into effective action, and will be at its best position
at the time that the piston of the engine comes to the middle of its stroke,
and as the piston again comes to rest the propellors will come out of action;
and in case there be two engines employed, then in place of causing the
cranks to be set at right angles or nearly so, as now practised, I cause one
of the cranks only very slightly to have the lead of the other, and the pro
pellors will act sufficiently as a fly wheel to carry the engines over their
centres. Figure 2 is an edge view of the propellors; Figure 3 shews the
propellors on an axis indicating the position of the crank b; Figure 4 shows
a side view of a steam vessel having propellors applied according to my
Invention Figure 5 shews a transverse section of the vessel,
I would remark that although I prefer to have only one propeller, consist-
ing of two sectors of the same plane, at each side of the vessel, yet more may
be,employed, as is shewn at Figures 6 and 7; and although I prefer that the
two sectors of which each propellor is composed should both be on the same
plane, yet that is not absolutely necessary, as they may be of two planes set
or affixed on the axis or shaft in opposite directions, as is shewn at Figure 8;
and more than one of such propellors (each composed of two sectors) may be
employed at each side of the vessel, as is shewn at Figure 9.
It will readily be understood that in the revolution of the main shaft or axis
of the steam engine or engines, the propellors will successively, act in the

page_text: water, and by successive efforts propel the vessel, which will be found to be
more advantageous than when the power of the engine or engines is con-
tinuously acting, as is the case in propelling with paddle wheels or with
screws; and there is another advantage in the use of propellors according to
my Invention, that when it is desired that the vessel should sail without using
the propellors, then by causing the engine or engines to be stopped at the
end of the stroke, the crank or cranks will bo vertical and the propellors
horizontal, and consequently out of action, and at the same time above the
water; they will, therefore, in no way interfere with the progress of the
vessel.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would remark that I
do not confine myself to the particular form of the propellors a, a, as shewn, so
long as they are portions of a plane, and set or fixed on the shaft at an angle,
and in such manner as to be out of action in respect to the water when the
crank is vertical or nearly so (whether up or down), and in full force when
the piston in the steam engine is about the middle of the stroke: And I
wish it to be understood that what I claim is, the mode above described of
applying propellors portions of a plane across the main axis or shaft of a
steam vessel, and in such manner that they are horizontal or approaching
thereto when the crank or cranks are in a vertical position, and thus propelling
the vessel by succession of efforts.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Finch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
EDWARD (L.S.) FINCH.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of September, in
the year of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid Edward Finch came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and everything therein contained and specified, in form, above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-one.