IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND PROPELLING SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Horatio Harfield, of 2, Royal Exchange
Buildings, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTING AND PROPELLING SHIPS AND VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Horatio Harfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th July 1861.
I, WILLIAM HORATIO HARFIELD, of 2, Royal Exchange Buildings, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND PROPELLING SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing and pro-
pelling ships and vessels. For these purposes, in order to use a paddle wheel
in the centre line of a ship or vessel, and to work in a close case in water the
surface of which is at a lower level than the surface of that in which the vessel
floats, the bottom of the ship or vessel is to be built with a hollow groove or
inverted trough from end to end thereof. The sides of such inverted trough
or groove are preferred to be upright and parallel, and of a depth somewhat
less than to the water level in the paddle wheel case. This inverted trough is
constructed with suitable metal framing and plated with metal plates, in like
manner to that in which iron ships or vessels are now built. On each side of
this inverted trough or groove a keel may be formed. Intermediate of the
length of this inverted trough or groove is constructed an air and water-tight
chamber of suitable dimensions for receiving the paddle wheel. This air-tight
chamber is open at bottom and closed at top, there being, however, a man-

page_text: hole, capable of being closed air-tight at the top, in order to admit of persons
getting, when necessary, into the paddle-wheel case or chamber. This paddle-
wheel chamber or case is constructed with metal framing, and plated over in
like manner to that practised in building iron sbips or vessels. By thus con-
structing a ship or vessel with a hollow groove or inverted trough of metal
along the bottom and a chamber for the paddle wheel of metal, great strength
in the construction of a ship or vessel may be obtained. The paddle-wheel
shaft turns in bearings supported at the sides of the chamber or case, and the
shaft or axis passes through stuffing boxes into the interior of the ship or
vessel in order that the air in the chamber may not escape, and that when the
water is allowed to rise in the paddle-wheel case to a level corresponding with
the line of floatation of the ship or vessel, the water may not pass into the ship
or vessel, as in many cases the paddle shaft will be below the level of the
exterior water. The paddle wheel used has feathering floats or paddles, that
is to say, mechanism is employed to cause the floats to turn as respects the
arms of the wheel which carry them, so that as far as possible the floats in
every part-of-their-course-may-be-so-inclined_or_directed as to produce the
best effect. It is preferred that the paddle wheel shaft or axis should have a
crank at each end to admit of the steam power being applied at both ends.
When at work the air in the paddle-wheel case or chamber is to be under
compression in such manner that the water may only be permitted to rise into
the chamber or case to such an extent as is most favorable for the action of
the float boards or paddles; for which purpose-an-air-pump-is-applied, which
being worked occasionally will keep the water within the paddle-wheel case at
the desired height. Ordinarily the water is to be allowed to rise into the
paddle-wheel case or chamber somewhat higher than the depth of the inverted
trough or groove which runs in a direction fore and aft of the ship or vessel,
and near where such inverted trough or groove joins the paddle-wheel case or
chamber such trough or groove is formed to an incline forward and aft the
paddle wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Horatio Harfield in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HORATIO HARFIELD, of 2, Royal Exchange Buildings, in the City of London,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Horatio Harfield, Her special licence that I, the said William
Horatio Harfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Horatio Harfield, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND PROPELLING SHIPS AND VESSELS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Horatio Harfield, 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 William Horatio Harfield; 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 :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing and pro-
pelling ships and vessels. For these purposes, in order to use a paddle wheel
in the centre line of a ship or vessel, and to work in a close case in. water the
surface of which is at a lower level than the surface of that in which the vessel
floats, the bottom of the ship or vessel is to be built with a hollow. groove or
inverted trough from end to end thereof. The sides of such inverted trough
or groove are preferred to be upright and parallel, and of a depth somewhat
less than to the water level in the paddle-wheel case. This inverted trough is
constructed with suitable metal framing and plated with metal plates, in like
manner to that in which iron ships or vessels are now built. On each side of
this inverted trough or groove a keel may be formed. Intermediate of the
length of this inverted trough or groove is constructed an air and water-tight
chamber of suitable dimensions for receiving the paddle wheel. This air-tight
chamber is open at bottom and closed at top; there being, however, a man-
hole, capable of being closed air-tight at the top, in order to admit of persons
getting, when necessary, into the paddle-wheel case or chamber. This paddle-
wheel chamber or case is constructed with metal framing, and plated over in

page_text: like manner to that practised in building iron ships or vessels. By thus con-
structing a ship or vessel with a hollow groove or inverted trough of metal
along the bottom and a chamber for the paddle wheel of metal, great strength
in the construction of a ship or vessel may be obtained. The paddle-wheel
shaft turns in bearings supported at the sides of the chamber or case, and the
shaft or axis passes through stuffing boxes into the interior of the ship or
vessel in order that the air in the chamber may not escape, and that when the
water is allowed to rise in the paddle-wheel case a level corresponding with
the line of floatation of the ship or vessel, the water may not pass into the ship
or vessel, as in many cases the paddle shaft will be below the level of the
exterior water. The paddle wheel used has feathering floats or paddles, that
is to say, mechanism is employed to cause the floats to turn as respects the
arms of the wheel which carry them, so that as far as possible the floats in
every part of their course may be so inclined or directed as to produce the
best effect. It is preferred that the paddle-wheel shaft-or-axis-should--have-a-
crank at each end to admit of the steam power being applied at both ends.
When at work the air in the paddle-wheel case or chamber is to be under
compression in such manner that the water may only be permitted to rise into
the chamber or case to such an extent as is most favorable for the action of
the float boards or paddles; for which purpose an air-pump is applied, which
being worked occasionally will keep the water within the paddle-wheel case at
the desired height. Ordinarily the water is to be allowed to rise into the
paddle-wheel case or chamber somewhat higher than the depth of the inverted
trough or groove which runs in a direction fore and aft of the ship or vessel,
and near where such inverted trough or groove joins the paddle-wheel case or
chamber such trough or groove is formed to an incline forward and aft the
paddle wheel.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view of a ship or vessel constructed according to my
Invention; Figures 2 and 3 are end views; and Figure 4 is an under side view
of the same; Figure 5 shews, on a much larger scale, a portion of a longi-
tudinal section taken at the central line of the ship; and Figure 6 shews, on
the same scale, a transverse section taken through the bearings of the paddle
shaft. a, a, is the inverted trough or groove; this trough or groove, it will be
seen, is formed in the bottom of the ship or vessel, not by means of keels

page_text: applied to the bottom, as has before been proposed, but which is undesirable,
as it greatly increases the draught of the vessel. The trough or groove passes
from end to end of the vessel, commencing at the bow, and as it passes towards
the midships continually increasing in depth, the draught of the vessel also
increasing as the depth of the trough or groove increases, the bottom a¹ of the
trough or groove being straight from end to end, except that at a³, a², it runs
upwards into the case b of the paddle wheel. This is done in order that the
water disturbed by the paddle wheel may pass freely away into the trough,
and not strike against the case of the wheel. This is an important feature of
my arrangement, as, if this provision were not made, the speed of the vessel
would be much reduced. The paddle wheel, which is marked c, is made with
feathering paddles on what is known as Morgan's principle. This is done
because the wheel, being made smaller in.diameter than is usual as compared
with the size of the floats, it would, if the floats were not made to feather,
throw up the water behind it to a considerable extent, and in this arrange-
ment it is desirable that the wheel should disturb the water as little as possible.
The paddle wheel is fixed on an axis d, and has cranks at each end, on to
which the connecting rods of steam cylinders drive. The wheel case bis made
air-tight, and where the paddle shaft passes through it, stuffing boxes c¹, c¹, are
fitted. There is also at the top of the paddle case a manhole at c³, which
closes air-tight when the paddle is at work, but at other times may be removed
to obtain access to the wheel. In connection with the paddle case there is a
pressure gauge to indicate the pressure of the air, and consequently the level
of the water within the case, or other modes of ascertaining the level of the
water may be resorted to. There is also an air-pump in connection with the
case, by means of which air can be forced into it to keep the water at the level
required, viz., so as to come a few inches over the top of the float when in its
lowest position. In order that when the ship or vessel rolls the air may not
escape from the paddle case, the trough is not made horizontal at the bottom,
as seen in transverse section, but is inclined at a³, a³, towards the two sides.
This formation will allow of the ship or vessel inclining considerably before
any escape of air will take place. The whole vessel is, as is shewn, made of
iron, as is also the paddle case. This material is employed, as wood would not
be suitable; there would be extreme difficulty in constructing a ship of the
form shewn in this material, neither could the paddle case be kept tight.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details described, neither do I claim generally the employment of
a paddle wheel mounted in the centre of the ship, and working in an air-tight

page_text: case; but what I claim is the method herein described of carrying this principle
into effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Horatio Harfield, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
W. H. HARFIELD. (L.S.)