IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM VESSELS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM VESSELS."-A communication from abroad
by David Fernando Masnata, of the City of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 27th July 1866, and dated the 2nd March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd March 1866.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of vessel and system of
propulsion. According to the first arrangement the vessel is in its general
form that of a double drum or cylinder, that is to say, one cylinder within
another; the inner cylinder constitutes the carrying capacity; it is sus-
pended on the shaft passing through its axis and fixed to the larger
surrounding drum. The outer drum constitutes the propeller; and it pro-
gresses in a rolling manner. The outer part, although in its outline of
Price &dl

page_text: .
drum-like form, is divided into a number of compartments, some air-
tight, and having the water excluded to afford the requisite buoyancy,
and others open at the periphery to admit water, whereby the drum takes
hold like the floats of a paddle; these compartments are formed by a
series of disc partitions arranged parallel to each other from end to end,
the several compartments between which being so disposed that the
open ones act on the water in close succession and making the propulsion
continuous. The engines and cargo being disposed in the inner cylinder
or drum below the axial shaft, that cylinder is prevented turning round
while the engines are connected by cranks with the shaft, and so rotate
the outer drum and propel the vessel. At the one end of the outer drum
the shaft projects only, whilst at the other the inner cylinder projects,
that end of the outer drum being carried by a series of friction rollers
arranged to project beyond the diameter of the inner cylinder. To this
projecting end is fixed a gallery or frame-like structure encircling the
outer drum and occupying a horizontal position. This may be said to
be the deck or open space of the ship, and from which it is steered,
rudders depending into the sear for that purpose; access is also had to
the interior of the vessel (the interior cylinder) at the projecting end
before mentioned. The gallery or frame is supported on the shaft at
the other end.
A modification of the above consists making the outer drum surface
with cavities and enclosed spaces in the form of threads of a screw
around the outside; rotation is given to it in manner as before described,
but by reason of the screw form of the vessel the drums or cylinders pro-
gress in the direction of their axes instead of at right angles thereto as
described in the former arrangement. Instead of the engines being
within the inner cylinder as described they may be disposed on the gallery
or frame and opposite to the projecting end of the inner cylinder, the
motion being communicated by cranks on the projecting end of the shaft.
According to another modification I dispense with the inner cylinder,
and constitute the gallery or surrounding frame the only available part of
the ship, and instead of one drum as before two or more are mounted on
the same frame. They are disposed with their axes parallel to each other,
and furnished with cranks at either end to receive the power of the
engines disposed in the gallery or surrounding structure.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th August 1866.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer
and Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth.
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the
said William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Clark, 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 STEAM VESSELS," a communication to me.
from abroad by David Fernando Masnata, of the City of New York,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Clark, 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 Clark, 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, reference being had to the Sheets of Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a top or plan view of this improved steam ship;
Figure 2, Sheet 1,. is a vertical cross section of the same taken through
the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 3, Sheet 1, is a vertical longitudinal section
of the same taken through the line z, z, Figure 1; Figure 4, Sheet 1, is a
vertical cross section of the same taken through, the line y, y, Figure 1;
Figure 1, Sheet 2, is a plan or top view of this improved steam ship, the

page_text: paddles being replaced by a screw; Figure 2, Sheet 2, is a vertical cross
section of the same taken through the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 3,
Sheet 2, is a vertical longitudinal section of the same taken through the
line y, y, Figure 1; Figure 4, Sheet 2, is a vertical cross section of the
same taken through the line z, z, Figure 1; Figure 1, Sheet 3, is a top or
plan view of a modification of this improved steam ship, in which the
body of the vessel is exterior to and above the supporting wheels or
drums, a part being broken away to show the form of the wheels or
drums; Figure 2, Sheet 3, is a vertical longitudinal section of the same
taken through the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 3, Sheet 3, is a vertical
section of the same taken through the line y, y, Figure 1; Figure 4,
Sheet 3, is a vertical cross section of the same taken through the line z, z,
Figure 2. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
This Invention has for its object to furnish a steam ship, by means of
which the water may be navigated at a speed equal to or greater than
the velocity of railroad trains upon land, and which shall be unsinkable.
And it consists of a steam ship constructed as herein-after more fully
described so as to eliminate in a great degree the direct resistance of
the water.
A, Sheet 1, is the driving shaft, to which motion is given by a steam
engine or engines, the cylinders of which are so arranged that their
pistons may act at right angles to each other, so as to counteract any
tendency to oscillate which the shaft might otherwise have. B, Sheet 1,
is a hollow cylinder firmly connected at one end to the shaft A by a solid
head C having holes through it for the purposes of ventilation; this head
C may be replaced by radial arms firmly connected to both the shaft A
and the cylinder B, the ventilation being obtained through the spaces
between the said arms. D, Sheet 1, are radial arms forming at their
point of intersection at the centre of the cylinder bearings in which the
shaft A revolves, and by which it is kept in its proper relative position
with respect to the cylinder B. These arms pass through openings in
the sides of the interior cylinder E, and to their ends are pivoted friction
wheels F running in a groove formed on the inner surface of the cylinder
B, or formed in a circular sail firmly attached to the interior surface of
the said cylinder. To the outer surface of the cylinder B, Sheet 1, are
attached vertical circular partitions G, and the sections thus formed are
divided into compartments by partitions H. These partitions are not
set opposite to each other so as to form a continuous line from one end
of the cylinder to the other; but the partition which separates any two

page_text: compartments of one section is set opposite the middle of a compartment
in the next section, as shown in Figure 1, Sheet 1. The mouth of every
alternate compartment in each and every section is closed with a casing I,
as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1. Thus perfectly air-tight com-
partments, by means of which great buoyancy is obtained, are formed in
regular and synometrical order all over the surface of the revolving
cylinder, each closed and air-tight compartment alternating with an open
one of equal capacity, which latter compartments act as paddles in
carrying the vessel forward over the water. One end of the cylinder E,
Sheet 1, terminates in a head J corresponding to the head C of the
cylinder B. Through this head J are formed openings for ventilation,
and through its centre passes the shaft A, which thus supports one end
of the said cylinder; the other end is supported by the arms D already
described, and the cylinder is kept from revolving by the engines, and
the heaviest part of the cargo being placed in the lower part of the said
cylinder, thus bringing the centre of gravity much below the axis of
revolution, which as the cylinder hangs loosely upon the shaft A keeps
the cylinder always in the same vertical position. One end of the
cylinder E projects beyond the end of the cylinder B, as seen in Figures 1
and 3, Sheet 1. Through this projecting end are formed the passage
ways for ingress to and egress from the vessel; through this projecting
end of the cylinder E are also formed the passage ways to and from the
gallery K, which said gallery passes wholly around the ship and is
supported at one end by being firmly and rigidly attached to the said pro-
jecting end of the cylinder E, and at the other end by being hung from
the shaft A, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, Sheet 1. This gallery forms a
promenade deck for the passengers, and upon it state rooms for their
accommodation may be erected if desired; and the rooms thus located
would be safe from any liability to danger from explosions, the boilers
being located in the interior of the vessel, as before described. This gal-
lery being rigidly connected to the cylinder E also acts as a guard to the
said cylinder should it from any cause have a tendency to revolve, and by
coming in contact with the surface of the water it prevents such revolu-
tion, thus furnishing a still further guard to the stability of the interior
cylinder E. This vessel moves forward by revolving upon the water,
being buoyed up by the air chambers before described, and it is guided
by two rudders L, one on each side, as shown in Figure 1, Sheet 1. These
rudders may be so arranged that they can be lowered into the water as.
and when required for changing the course of the ship, and again raised

page_text: when no longer required. In the modification of this improved steam
ship, represented in Sheet 2, the outer cylinder B, shaft C, head D
arms E, e, friction wheels F, inner cylinder G, and gallery H, are all
constructed and arranged with respect to each other in the manner
already described with reference to Sheet 1; but the paddles and air
chambers have been replaced by hollow spiral threads, the interior of
which has been divided up into numerous air-tight compartments in the
manner herein-after described.
A, Sheet 2, are large hollow spirals or threads winding around the
cylinder B at such a curve as will give them one or one and a half revo-
lutions in advancing the length of the ship; these spirals or threads are
divided into numerous air-tight compartments by partitions so as to
render the ship unsinkable from accidental injury. The ends of the
spirals or threads A, Sheet 2, are made sharp, as shown, so as to enter
the water with very little resistance, and they are firmly attached to and
revolved with the said cylinder B. It may be observed that for attaining
the greatest speed the spirals should be made of such a size as to keep the
lowest part of the revolving cylinder B always above the water line, thus
wholly avoiding the direct resistance of the water. It may also be
observed that when this modification of the vessel is used for travelling
upon ice the spiral threads should have projecting crests or flanges
throughout their entire lengths, similar to skate runners, and the said
spirals may be heated with a system of pipes bringing steam from the
engines to guard against the adhesion of the ice to the said runners.
In the modification of this improved steam ship, represented in Sheet 3,
two drums or wheels are used, the interior cylinders are removed, and the
rooms for the accommodation of the passengers and stowage of the cargo
are erected above and upon the exterior gallery. This gallery A, Sheet 3,
is attached to and sustained by the projecting ends of the axles B, and the
bow and stern thereof are made very sharp, so as to encounter the least
possible resistance from the wind. The wheels C, Sheet 3, are placed
some distance apart for the better support of the upper structure, and in
the space D between them is placed the engine and the heaviest parts of
the cargo, so as to bring the point of gravity as low as possible: This
vessel is provided with rudders in both bow and stern, and is a double
ender, sailing with equal facility with either end forward. The wheels C
may be constructed as represented in Sheet 1, and already described, or
they may be modified as follows:-In this case the interior of the wheel is
divided into air-tight wedge-shaped compartments by the partitions E

page_text: This
and G, extending from the axle to the circumference of the wheels, as
shown in Figures 2 and 4, Sheet 3, and the paddles are formed by extend-
ing the casing or outer wall F of the compartments from the outer edge
of one of the inclined partitions E to the outer edge of the second parti-
tion therefrom, leaving the intervening partition E projecting through
the central part of the casing F, as seen in Figure 2, Sheet 3. It will be
observed that every other one of the partitions E forms a paddle, while
the others in connection with the casings F form rollers upon which the
wheels roll over the water in the same manner that terrestial wheels roll
over the land. It will also be observed that the vertical partitions G
divide the wheels into sections, and that the paddles of adjacent sections
alternate, as seen in Sheet 3 in Figure 1, and in dotted lines in Figure 2.
By this arrangement the vessel is supported above the surface of the
water and rides upon the wheels C which revolve upon the water, thus
almost entirely eliminating its direct resistance. The wheels C may be
replaced by hollow cylindrical screws running longitudinally with the
vessel, their interior being divided up into numerous air-tight compart-
ments in the manner before described, to secure the proper amount of
buoyancy and at the same time to render the ship unsinkable from
accidental injury to any particular part or parts of the screws.
modification of this improved steam ship is particularly well adapted to
be used in navigating shallow waters, as the revolution of the parts below
the water line will enable it to pass over bars and shallows that would
be impossible to vessels otherwise constructed. It may be observed that
the projecting angles of the air compartments formed by the intersection
of the casings F and partitions E, Sheet 3, may be so arranged that they
may form a spiral around the cylinders which will enable the vessel to
move forward without jar or shaking. This may be done by moving the
partitions E of each section forward, so that the planes of the partitions
E of each section m may make an angle of twenty two and a half degrees
with the planes of the partitions E of the adjacent section, instead of
making an angle of forty-five degrees with each other, as represented in
Sheet 3 of the Drawings. By attaching flanges to the circumference of
the wheels represented in Sheets 1 and 3 they may be enabled to run
upon an ordinary railway track with the same facility that they run upon
the water. By replacing these flanges with others armed with projec-
ice be greatly
upon may
tions or teeth the speed of the vessels when used
increased; these flanges may be made in sections and attached to the
partitions G by bolts or screws or in any other convenient way. The

page_text: modifications represented in Sheets 1 and 3 may also be used with advan-
tage for traversing level sections of country without its being necessary
to prepare tracks and rails for them to run upon. To steer this ship
upon ice or upon the solid ground the rudders may be replaced by others
having arms at their lower ends supporting the axles of small wheels
armed with teeth or projections all over their circumferences, by which
means the ship may be guided with the same facility upon ice or land
as upon the water.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, an
improved steam ship, in which the compartments that contain the pas-
sengers and cargo are supported above the water line either by being
located in stationary cylinders in the interior of the supporting and pro-
pelling wheels or screws, or being located above and upon galleries
attached to and supported by the projecting axles of the wheels or
screws, the whole being constructed and arranged substantially as herein
described and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)