Improvements in Means for Propelling Ships by Steam or other Power.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 19th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Propelling Ships by Steam or other
Power.
I JOHN FORDY BUSTON of 34 Denmark Street Gateshead Durham do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to produce a propeller that shall in its motion have
a direct action upon the water and thus be superior to either the screw or paddle
wheel also which shall be more simple in its construction and less cumbersome than
any heretofore in use.
I attain these objects by the use of the following means. 1 do not claim any
invention in regard to producing any new power but propose that my invention shall
be used in connexion with any known power such as that of steam or electricity.
I construct on each side of the ship or boat to be propelled a slot or way parallel
with a line drawn from stem to stern and of such length as deemed desirable.
In this slot or way I place a slide or shaft which shall be capable of a movement
in a direction to and fro of its length-Upon each of these slides I place a number
of blades or fins constructed as follows.
I take a hinge one side of which I screw firmly to the movable slide above described
and the other side of the hinge shall act as my blade or fin. This loose fin shall be
allowed to open so far as to form an angle less than a right angle with the side
screwed upon the slide. And when open thus far shall be stopped by suitable
mechanical means.
It will be seen that as the slide is moved forwards in the direction the ship is
going the fin will be closed by the action of the water, but as the slide is drawn
backward towards the stern of the ship it immediately opens up to the stop and then
offers direct resistance to the water and thus forces the boat or vessel forwards.
101 TJ 1000
JOHN FORDY BUSTON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Propelling Ships by Steam or other
Power.
I JOHN FORDY BUSTON of 34 Denmark Street Gateshead Durham 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 :-
The nature of my invention is to propel ships boats and other vessels by a direct
action on the water and is as follows.-
On each side of the vessel there is one or more grooves, recesses or indentations
running fore and aft on the skin of the ship. These grooves may be of any suitable
cross vertical section and parallel or approximately parallel with the keel or axis of
the ship and horizontal that is parallel with the general surface of the water or
approximately so. These grooves are placed at a suitable depth below the level of the
water so that the apparatus may have the greatest efficiency in propelling the ship.
Passing from within the ship at the ends of the groove or grooves there is one or
more rods of any suitable section passing through stuffing boxes and glands of any
suitable design so as to preserve this sliding joint water tight. These rods are
attached to or are parts of plates or slides within the grooves moving on guides or

page_text: sheaths--fixed to the ship and upon these plates or slides there are one or more fins,
paddles or blades-hinged on to the slides or plates which are parts of or are attached
to the driving rods. These fins are hinged so that when they are driven forward in
the direction of the forward motion of the ship they fall back on to the slides and
glide smoothly through the water. On the return stroke the motion of the blade
through the water at its commencement causes the blade or fin to hinge out till its
plane assumes any desired angle with the keel of the ship-at which point there is a
stop to prevent further movement on the hinges when the continued motion of the
fin thus extended against the water propels the ship at a speed in a measure pro-
portional to the relative number of strokes in a given time. In like manner the ship
may be propelled astern by a similar arrangement of fins &c. reversed. The forward
set or the set for the motion astern may be attached or detached from the motive
power by suitable gearing. Both forward and backward motions may however be
accomplished in one set of grooves blades or fins-by having the stop pieces for the
fins &c. moveable by an adjusting rod passing through the connecting rod and slides
or by other convenient means. The driving rods may be attached to the engine or
motive power in any suitable way and by any suitable mechanism so as to attach or
detach any of the sets of fins, slides or rods at pleasure. Or there may be separate
engines or cylinders for each set of fins if preferred. These engines may be of any
type or description as rotatory or rectilinear reciprocating that is direct acting
engines.
By the arrangement just described it will be seen that not only is there obtained
a simple and direct action on the water for propelling ships ahead but by separate
engines and sets of fins-or by reversing the fins-the backward motion can be
obtained- as also by working one set of fins with the fins on the other side inoperative
or reversed and in action-the vessel may be turned without having any way on it
and the whole engine power for the time being thus be devoted to turning the ship.
The whole of the parts may be of any approved or suitable material and of any
desirable design and the fins if preferred may be elastic or partly somewhat on the
mode or method and of the principle of carriage springs. As above described the
slides for the fins may be of any suitable angle with the vertical and suitable plug
holes may be made in the grooves or skin of the ship so as by spanners sliding
therein in case of accident the fins may be removed and fresh ones attached.
If desired the reverse action of the fins may be accomplished by the adjusting rod
having its screwed parts working into scrolls or worm wheels or plates the fins being
fixed thereon so that when the worm plates are moved half a revolution the action of
the apparatus is reversed and thus forward or backward motion can be given at
pleasure.
In the drawings to illustrate my invention Fig. 1 is a horizontal section through
one side of the vessel shewing the grooves or recesses for fins &c.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same and fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section in
which a represents the skin or plate of the ship, 6 the recess or groove in the ships
side, c the fins, & the slide to carry fins ce the hinges for fins, f the adjustable stop
pieces, the guides or sheathes for the slide d. The rods h being a continuation of
the slide d. is the gland and stuffing box, k is the driving cylinder with valves &c.
7 the piston rods from the cylinder &c. having arms m to connect if necessary with h
the connecting or driving rod, and n the rod to adjust stop pieces if required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The use of hinged fins or slides as described for propelling vessels without
adjustable stop pieces for fins substantially as described.
2nd. The use of hinged fins or slides as described with adjustable stop pieces for
fins substantially us described.

page_text: 3rd. The whole arrangement of the method of propelling vessels with or without
adjustable stop pieces substantially as described.
4th. The method of reversing the fins by worms and worm wheels.
Dated this 5th day of March 1890
J. A. G. ROSS,
Patent Agent for John Fordy Buston, the Applicant.