Improvements in Means for Propelling Boats and other Vessels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Propelling Boats and other Vessels.
I, JOHN THOMAS FISHER, of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, State of Ohio,
U.S.A., Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a
boat broken out in the center to bring the same within the limits of the drawing
and showing my improved mechanism for propelling the same.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the boat on a line corresponding to .,, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the propellers or vanes shown in
connection with a fragment of the endless chain to which the same is attached.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central section of one of said vanes as it appears when
fully opened as in work.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the vane shown as closed or folded and as it
appears in the tube in which it travels.
Fig. 6 is a front elevation of one of the vanes and a cross section of the chain
and support therefor corresponding to a view looking in from the right of Fig. 4,
excepting that in this instance the entire vane is shown.
Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the said vane folded in the tube in which it travels.
Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the endless chain and showing a section
of the base or support in which it slides.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the vane hubs, showing several of the ribs
pivoted thereon, and as open.
Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of the hub showing one of the ribs as in closed
position.
The invention herein disclosed is adapted to boats or vessels of any size, and the
propelling mechanism is designed to be run by suitable power connections from a
steam engine, electric motor, or other means of applying or generating power.
The vanes or propellers are attached to an endless chain, 11, consisting of a series
of peculiarly constructed links adapted to be engaged by sprocket wheels, 12, 13,
14 and 15 arranged and operating as hereinafter described. The said links have
recesses or openings, 16, at intervals which are engaged by the teeth on the
sprocket wheels, and a power shaft 17, Fig. 2, is shown by which said wheels and
chains are actuated. The construction of the vanes is a peculiar one, and
resembles that of an ordinary umbrella in its general make up.
For this purpose
each vane has a hub, 18, secured upon a post, 19, rigid with one of the links of the
chain, and from this hub project a series of ribs, 20, corresponding to the ribs of an
unbrella, and pivotally attached to the said hub. The said ribs have shoulders, 21,
which rest against the hub when the bucket is opened and prevent further opening,
and each rib has a stay rod, 22, as in an umbrella, connected with the sliding
sleeve 23, on a fixed stem, pole, or rod, 24, socketed in the hub 18. A suitable
covering, 25, corresponding to the covering of an umbrella and made of any
suitable material is fixed upon this framework, and is made of such strength and
quality as to withstand the use to which it is applied. For small boats heavy
canvas or duck will do. It will be observed, however, that the said vane is cut
away from its bottom diagonally toward its top and that the ribs 20 are corre-
spondingly shortened from the top downward upon both sides giving the vane in
side elevation somewhat the outline of a scoop or a fan bent around. at the sides.
The rod or stem 24 it will be understood is rigid, and the sleeve 23 is free to slide
thereon to open or close the vane as may be required. As many of those vanes are
attached to the endless chain as may be found necessary, the number depending
somewhat upon the size of the vessel and other conditions. Their size likewise

page_text: will depend upon the size of the vessel, ranging from five or six inches to several
feet across the front.
The chain and vanes thus constructed and connected are placed upon the four
several sprocket wheels and upon a grooved guide-way therefor, as shown in the
several figures. Thus, in order that the circuit may be described and the vanes
brought into operative position in their order, I form a channel, 26, circular in
cross section, and flat at its bottom in which is a dove-tailed groove adapted to
receive the corresponding dove-tailed links of the chain. The links remain in the
dove-tailed channel in making the entire circuit shown, and the said circular
channel 26 extends up from the bottom of the boat a sufficient distance and across
at the top and down at the front, the four sprocket wheels being set in the four
angles of this channel so as to engage the carrying chain at each angle. Power
being applied and the chain carried forward, the vanes as they emerge from the
grooved channel 26 at the front of the vessel expand immediately upon striking
the water and speedily come into action to force the vessel forward, it being
understood of course that the vanes are carried by the driving power in the
direction opposite to the travel of the boat. They remain thus expanded and in
condition to work while they travel from one end to the other of the bottom of the
boat, and when they reach the corner of the channel in which the sprocket wheel 15
is located they strike the rounded face of the channel and are mechanically
closed. Their function of course ceases when they make the turn at the corner 15,
and as one disappears up the channel at this point another will appear at the front,
so that a regular succession of vanes and a corresponding number will at all times
he kept at work..
In order that the said vaues may not be injured by grounding of the vessel,
suitable guards, 27, which serve also as guide-ways and which conform to the
rounded shape of the vanes when opened, are fixed upon the bottom of the vessel.
The vanes are thus perfectly protected wherever they may be located in the
circuit, and by reason of the dove-tailed guide-way in which the chain travels at
the bottom of the vessel, as well as at other points in its circuit, the said chain is
prevented from sagging and is held in the proper position to take the full head of
water for which they are intended.
By these means an extraordinary amount of force for propelling a boat or vessel
may be applied at a place where the work can be most effective and where the
greatest possible service can be rendered, and I am enabled to propel a vessel with
remarkable speed and with more than ordinary ease and safety. have shown two
sets of vanes with corresponding channels for the same, but one or more sets may
be used according to the size of the vessel. For small vessels the guide rod 24 in
the vane may be dispensed with. The housing about the vanes at the bottom is
such as to afford the most ample protection and yet is open in the bottom in such
way as to give the vanes the fullest and freest access to the water. Power may be
applied to one or more of the sprocket wheel shafts and to any one that is most
convenient. In the larger vanes suitably constructed and arranged metal plate
covering can be advantageously used.
The size of the tube in which the vanes fold will depend largely on the con-
struction of the vane, and if a number of narrow blades or strips be employed
between the ribs instead of one or two, the folding will be correspondingly more
compact. Thus two are used as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and only half this space
would be needed if four instead of two strips were used between the ribs. The
same is true of the use of canvas, duck, or the like, but the views shown here serve
to illustrate the nature and operation of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The vane herein described for a propeller, flaring from its rear toward its
front and shoutoned at the front frame fan to hattam substantially as described

page_text: 2. The endless chain having rigidly attached hubs at intervals and a guide rod
parallel with said chain, in combination with folding vanes supported on said hubs
and guide rod, substantially as described.
3. The endless chain, hubs provided with supporting posts rigid with the chain
and guide rods rigid with said hubs, in combination with the vanes having ribs of
gradually increasing length from bottom to top, a sliding sleeve on said guide rod
and stays connecting the ribs of the vanes with said sleeves, substantially as
described.
4. The endless chain provided with rigidly attached hubs at intervals, in combi-
nation with vanes wholly on the outside of the chain and pivoted on said hubs, and
guide rods for said vanes fixed to said hubs, substantially as described.
5. A boat or vessel provided with propelling mechanisin consisting of an endless
chain having vanes at intervals wholly on the outside of the chain, in combination
with the boat bottom having a grooved guide-way in which the said chain is
confined and travels, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1891.
JOHN THOMAS FISHER.