IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING AND LOWERING THE SCREW PROPELLER OF SHIPS, BOATS, OR VESSELS, TO ALLOW OF SUCH VESSELS BEING EMPLOYED EITHER AS STEAMERS OR AS SAILING VESSELS, OR COMBINED."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Leslie, of Fairfield, Arbroath, in the County of
Forfar, Shipbuilder, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING AND
LOWERING THE SCREW PROPELLER OF SHIPS, BOATS, OR VESSELS, TO ALLOW
OF SUCH VESSELS BEING EMPLOYED EITHER AS STEAMERS OR AS SAILING
VESSELS, OR COMBINED."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Leslie at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st June 1881.
GEORGE LESLIE, of Fairfield, Arbroath, in the County of Forfar, Shipbuilder.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING AND LOWERING THE SCREW PROPELLER OF SHIPS,
BOATS, OR VESSELS, TO ALLOW OF SUCH VESSELS BEING EMPLOYED EITHER AS
STEAMERS OR AS SAILING VESSELS, OR COMBINED."'
"
My Invention has for its object improvements in vessels or boats, more especially
fishing boats or vessels, whereby I am enabled to use same either as sailing vessels
or with screw, so that the screw can be employed as required and casily shipped or
unshipped.
In carrying out my Invention I adopt mainly the following arrangements :-
To the after and fore stern posts of the vessel I attach iron or other metal posts
formed with dovetailed recesses, which come down as far as the driving clutch on
each post below the clutch; both posts project inwardly, and being preferably of a
V section thus make the space narrower. The screw shaft carrying the screw is
formed at its end with a clutch formed with a dovetailed recess.
The shaft is carried on a frame with a dovetail section, which takes into the
dovetailed recesses on the posts fitted to the fore and after post.
When the screw is to bo used the upper part of counter is lifted out and the
frame is put in position into the recesses on the posts and lowered, and when in
position said frame takes into the clutch on the shaft, thus securely holding the
screw in position on the shaft. The upper part of counter is then replaced. On
the frame carrying the scrow shaft is welded pieces of iron or other inctal, in which
the bushes are placed, or same form the bushes.
To convert the vessel into a sailing vessel the part of counter is again removed,
and by suitable tackle the frame with the screw is raised and in place thereof a
board cut to suitable section and of same thickness as the posts takes the place of
the screw, the top of counter being again replaced; and as the bushes are contained
within the frame carrying the screw the board takes into the V section and thus
closes the whole of the aperture between the posts.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Leslic in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st December
1881.
GEORGE LESLIE, of Fairfield, Arbroath, in the County of Forfar, Shipbuilder.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAISING AND LOWERING THE SCREW PROPELLER OF SHIPS,
BOATS, OR VESSELS, TO ALLOW OF SUCH VESSELS BEING EMPLOYED EITHER AS
STEAMERS OR AS SAILING VESSELS, OR COMBINED."
My Invention has for its object improvements in vessels, yachts, or boats, more
especially fishing vessels, whereby I am enabled to use same either as sailing
vessels or with screw, so that the screw can be employed as required and casily
shipped or unshipped.
In carrying out my Invention I adopt substantially the following arrange-
ments: To the after and fore stern posts of the vessel I attach iron or other metal
posts formed with recesses which come down as far as the driving clutch on each
post. Below the clutch both posts project inwardly, preferably in a V section,
making the space narrower. The screw shaft is formed at its end with a clutch
having a slotted recess. The propeller and shaft is carried on a frame with a
projecting section, which takes into the recesses on the posts fitted to the fore and
after post. When the screw is to be used the upper part of counter is lifted out
and the frame is put in position in the recesses in the posts and lowered until it
reaches the projections of the V section, when the projection of the shaft contained
in the frame takes into the clutch on the shaft, thus making connection and
securely holding the screw in position. The upper part of counter is then
replaced. On the frame carrying the screw shaft the bushes are placed or attached
as hereafter described. To convert the vessel into a sailing vessel the top part of
counter is again removed, the engines stopped so that the propellor is perpendicular,
the clutch sections being in line with the post sections, and by suitable tackle the
frame with the screw is raised and in place thereof a board cut to suitable section
and of same thickness as the posts takes the place of the screw, the top of counter
being again replaced.
And as the bushes are contained within the frame carrying the screw the board
takes into the V section and thus closes the whole of the aperture between the posts.
Having thus far described the nature of the said Invention, and incidentally
intimated in what manner the same is to be performed, I will now proceed, by
reference to the accompanying Drawings, to further and particularly describo
and ascertain in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice

page_text: A and B, posts attached to the storn post of the vessel, said posts being slotted,
as shown in Fig. 5, as far as the driving clutch C, below which said posts project
in a V shape towards each other, as shown in Fig. 6.
When the vessel is for sailing purposes, as in Fig. 2, the lower part of tho
counter D is inserted through the opening E (Fig. 3), the V indentation, as
shown in Fig. 6, taking into the corresponding V shape projections on the posts A
and B. The upper part E' of the counter with projections, as shown in Fig. 5, is
then lowered and takes into the grooved recesses in the said posts. To convert the
vessel into a screw the two parts D and E' are withdrawn and the scrow F with
frame G is lowered, the V shaped projections on the posts A and B preventing its
further descent. The upper part E of counter is then inserted and the vessel can
then be driven by steam. Fig. 8 shows the portion of shaft which when
connected up, as in Fig. 7, forms a frame, the end of the shaft at H being provided
with a clutch or projection at K, so that the screw shaft takes into the clutch at H.
The bushes are held in position and attached to the frame by brackets, Fig. 9,
which are keyed, as shown in Fig. 7 at L.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice, I hereby declaro that I claim the Invention of "Improvements in Raising
and Lowering the Screw Propeller of Ships, Boats, or Vessels, to allow of such
Vessels being Employed either as Steamers or as Sailing Vessels, or combined,"
substantially as herein before set forth and described and illustrated by the
accompanying Drawings, in which said Invention the following are important
points or features:-
(1.) The risk of the main propeller shaft breaking is greatly reduced.
(2.) If the propellor is broken or fouled by ropes or fishing gear it has simply to
be lifted and cleared or replaced, which can be done at sea.
(3.) When the vessel is fitted as a sailing vessel same will sail much faster and
be more easily steered.
(4.) The propellor working in a frame is much steadier, owing to the frame
covering a large surface and steadied, as heroin described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Leslie, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
Witness,
T. MORGAN,
21, Cockspur Street,
S.W.
GEORGE LESLIE. (L.S.)