IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING MACHINERY
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Wilding, of Chesterfield Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry
Wilding at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 3rd October 1853.
I, WILLIAM HENRY WILDING, of Chesterfield Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING MACHINERY" to be as
follows:-
The present Invention consists in improvements in propelling appa-
ratus for which former Letters Patent were granted to me on the
4th July 1849. One of these improvements consists in a new arrange-
ment of frame for the propeller, which in this modification is composed
of a bar centred on the vertical shaft, and curved at both ends, so as
to form two arms, carrying a float at each extremity. Or, instead of
employing a single bar, two or more may be used.

page_text: Another improvement consists in cutting the curved groove (in which
the friction rollers that actuate the paddles work, as described in the
Specification of my former Patent,) in the surface of a portion of a
sphere, instead of in a drum, as in the instance of the propeller described
in the former Specification. Or, instead of the half cranks being
worked by friction rollers taking into a grooved channel, as before
described, I employ half cranks in which works a pin projecting from
a slide on an ordinary elliptical chuck, a portion of the face of the slide
being cut away so as to allow the propeller shaft to pass through,
whereby a rapid and easy movement is imparted to the float from the
vertical to the horizontal position, and vice versa.
Another improvement consists in an improved mode of shipping and
unshipping my improved propelling apparatus. The propeller shaft
passes through a trunk or passage in the vessel, which passage is
prolonged up through the bed plate of the engine, where the shaft is
held securely by a plummer block, or by clips sliding in and out of the
framing of the engine at or near the top of the trunk or passage.
When it is desired to unship the propeller the clips are slid back, and
the shaft drops through the trunk into the water, when the whole
propelling apparatus may be drawn up over the side of the vessel. In
order to ship the propeller the apparatus is lowered over the side of
the vessel until the shaft comes opposite to the opening of the trunk,
when it is drawn through and fastened by the clips at the top of the
passage or trunk.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Wilding in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd April 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM HENRY WILDING, of Chesterfield Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven

page_text: teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Henry Wilding, Her special
licence that I, the said William Henry Wilding, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry
Wilding, 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 PROPELLING MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Henry Wilding, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Henry Wilding, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:
My Invention consists, first, in adapting the elliptic or elliptical
chuck to the alternate feathering of submerged blades or floats, two of
which are mounted on a shaft or rod, whereby in each revolution of the
propeller ono float is caused to pass round a portion of its revolution
edgeways, while the other float presents its surface to the water in the
most favorable position for propelling the movement from one position
to the other, taking place both easily and rapidly.
Second, in constructing feathering floats or paddles in which the
feathering is effected by means of arms or cranks working in cam-
shaped grooves or guides cut on the surface of the middle frustum or
zone of a sphere, the sides of the groove being perpendicular to or at
right angles with the surface thereof.
And, third, in shipping and unshipping, and connecting and discon-
necting, such propellers as those herein-before referred to to and from
the steam engine or other prime mover.

page_text: The manner in which the first part of my Invention is to be per-
formed is represented in Figures 1, to 6, inclusive of the Drawings
hereunto annexed. A, Figures 1, and 2, is the shaft or rod on which
the blades or floats D, D, work; the blades or floats being placed in
Such relative positions that the planes of their greatest width are at
Fight angles to each other, or nearly so. B, is the main or driving
shaft, to which the shaft or bar A, is fixed by a boss in its centre. The
floats are formed of two or more plates of metal strongly united together,
as shewn in section in Figure 8, but leaving a space between them to
receive the bar A, and they are furnished with brasses 2, one of which
is seen in Figure 3, to work on the journals 1, 1, on the shaft or rod A;
or the floats may be formed in a single casting, having a bearing through-
out their length to work on the rod A. E, E, Figures 1, and 4, are
slotted cranks or snugs fixed on or cast with the floats, and working on
pins H, H, in the slide I, of the elliptical chuck, by which the feather-
ing of the blades is effected. The slide I, works on the dovetailed piece
I³, fixed to and revolving with the main shaft B, and it also works
against the excentric Is, which is fixed within the casing J, the back of
the slide being provided with parallel guides moving in contact with
the edges of the excentric, and by this means obtaining its sliding
movement on the dovetailed piece I*, and thus feathering the blades as
the shaft B, revolves. The whole of these parts are enclosed within
the casing J, sunk in the side or other convenient part of the vessel, or
attached to the interior trunk M, of the unshipping apparatus herein-
after described, and the exterior of the casing, or a portion of it, rotates
with the propeller. The feathering arrangement is shewn separately
in Figure 5, and its construction is the same as that of the common
elliptic chuck used with the turning lathe, a portion of the slide I, being
cut away, as shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 5, to allow of the
main shaft B, passing through it without interfering with its free action
or traverse on the dovetailed piece I'. I do not, however, confine
myself to this particular arrangement of elliptical chuck movement, as
any of the ordinary forms will answer equally well. Figure 6, shews
one of the variations which may be adopted, in which the fixed and
moveable parts before described are reversed, the pins H, H, being
placed below the slide, instead of in a line with its thickness.

page_text: The manner in which the second part of my Invention is earried
into effect is represented in Figure 7, of the Drawings annexed. A, is
the shaft or bar on which the floats or blades D, D, are mounted.
This shaft is attached by a boss in its centre to the main shaft B, and
has two short arms C, C, fixed to it, and its ends curved upwards so as
to form with the arms C, C, a frame to receive the floats or blades
which have their journals working in bearings at the extremities of the
bar A, and of the arms or uprights C, C. The feathering of the floats
is effected by means of cranks or curved arms E, E, fixed to them,
which carry at their extremities friction balls working in the cam
groove F, cut on the surface of the spherical zone G, which is attached
to the unshipping apparatus herein-after described at the outer end of
the main shaft B, the shaft passing through the centre of the zone.
The cranks or arms E, E, are to be so formed or curved that the axes
of the friction balls during their revolution shall always be in a right
line from the centre of the spherical zone in which the cam groove Ę
is cut, the sides of the groove being perpendicular or at right angles to
the surface of the zone. The other portions of the sphere of which the
zone F2, is the middle frustum are removed in order to reduce the
resistance. The cam groove F, must be of such a curve as to cause
the floats or blades D, D, as the shaft B, revolves to feather and
present their edges only to the water during nearly one half of their
revolution, their full surface being presented to the water and the pro-
pelling action produced during the time they are performing the other
half revolution. I do not confine myself to the peculiar form of frame
for supporting the floats or blades, as it may be made to extend to the
full length of each float. And, instead of using two floats only, the
frame may be constructed so as to carry a greater number. The main
shaft of each set of floats or paddles may be fixed at any convenient
angle and at any part of the vessel, a similar set of floats being em-
ployed at the corresponding part of the vessel on the opposite side.
The form of the floats may also be varied.
The manner in which the third part of my Invention may be per-
formed is represented in Figures 1, and 7, which shew it in two
different modifications. The same letters refer to corresponding parts

page_text: in each Figure, so far as this part of the Invention is concerned. K, is
a strong trunk or passage bolted to the vessel and to the bed or foun-
dation plate L, of the engine. M, is an interior trunk or plug which
is accurately fitted to the trunk K, at its lower end, and for a sufficient
distance throughout its length, to ensure steadiness, the contact surfaces
being made square, octagonal, or of such other form as to prevent the
turning of the interior trunk. The main shaft B, passes through the
interior trunk, and works at its lower extremity in the brasses N, fitted
therein, the brasses being capable of being tightened up by the keys
O, O, or by screws or other convenient means. The upper extremity
of the shaft B, is furnished with a collar which works upon the upper
end of the interior trunk, and also in the brasses of the plummer block
P, which is mounted in an additional frame in Figure 7, and in the
bed plate of the engine in Figure 1. At a short distance from the
upper extremity of the interior trunk is turned a groove or channel Q
and the trunk is retained in its position either by means of clips or
holding pieces R, which are bolted to the bed plate at S, as in Figure 7,
or by means of keys T, driven in through key ways cut in the bed
plate L, as in Figure 1. The interior trunk is thus firmly fixed in the
trunk K, while the propeller is shipped. When it is required to unship
the propeller, the crank U of the engine must be removed from the
end of the main shaft B, and the rope or chain V connected to the
upper end of that shaft; the clips or keys are then withdrawn, and the
interior trunk M is free to pass out of the main trunk K, carrying
with it the propeller and driving shaft, &c., which are hoisted on deck
over the ship's side by the second rope or chain W, which is attached
to the outer part of the trunk K, the rope V being gradually let out
as the propeller, &c. is drawn up. To ship the propeller these opera-
tions are reversed. When the propeller is removed the trunk is to be
plugged or stopped in any convenient manner to prevent the entrance
of water thro' it. Either of these disconnecting arrangements may be
used with the before described arrangements of propeller indifferently.
In order to prevent injury to the propellers in coming alongside a
wharf or quay I should recommend that the vessels to which they are
fitted should be furnished with guards or fenders projecting from the

page_text: sides to a sufficient distance to protect the propellers from abrasion or
shocks.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Invention,
First, the adaptation of the elliptic or elliptical chuck to the alternate
feathering of the blades or floats of submerged propellers, whereby in
each revolution of the propeller one float is caused to pass through a
portion of its revolution edgeways, while the other float presents its
surface to the water in the most favorable position for propelling, as
herein-before described:
Second, the construction of submerged feathering floats or paddles
wherein the feathering is effected by means of arms or cranks working
in cam-shaped grooves or guides cut on the surface of the middle
frustum or zone of a sphere, the sides of the grooves being perpen-
dicular to the surface thereof, as herein-before described: And,
Third, the arrangements for shipping and unshipping, or connecting
and disconnecting, submerged propellers of the description herein-before
referred to, represented in Figures 1, and 7, of the Drawings annexed,
and herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Wilding, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
W. H. WILDING. (L.S.)