IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS AND BOATS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS AND BOATS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Charles Arnaud and Joseph Labriola, of
Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 25th July 1862, and dated the 14th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th February 1862.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS AND BOATS,"
a communication from abroad by Charles Arnaud and Joseph Labriola, of
Paris, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of propeller for ships and
vessels, and to the mode of working and applying the same; and consists in
the employment of two shafts or strong rods sliding longitudinally to and fro

page_text: in suitable bearings placed near the bottom of a ship or vessel, and inside the
same; such shafts or rods being parallel with each other and with the kelson,
one being placed on each side thereof, and the ends of the two passing out
through stuffing boxes at the stern, situate respectively on each side of the
dead wood. Near the outer extremities of each of these shafts or rods is
fitted a pair of hinged blades or wings carried on a block secured to the pro-
peller shaft, and so arranged as to be capable of expanding when pushed
forward by the resistance of the water, and of closing again by the same
resistance when drawn back, both propellers being either wholly or partially
submerged. In combination with each propeller are two moveable stops or
cross arms made capable of adjustment longitudinally upon the propeller
shaft by suitable coupling rods passing into the interior of the ship; the
object of such arm's or stops being to form a support for the wings to bear
against when opened out or expanded. The object of having two of such
stops or arms placed one in front and the other in the rear of each propeller
is to enable the propellers to act in either direction, and so propel the ship
either ahead" or astern as required. For this purpose it is simply
requisite to bring one or the other of the arms close against the wings, and to
move the opposite one away therefrom, so as to allow the wings to expand
either at the forward stroke (when the stops or arms are in a position close
up behind them) or to expand at the back stroke (when the opposite stops or
arms are brought close up to the wings). The two propellers are moved to
and fro alternately, so that a constant propelling action is maintained. In
order to admit of the raising of the propellers when not required to be in
action, the after length of each propeller shaft is made detachable from the
other part, and is carried in a hinged frame, which, after the shafts have been
slid out of their stuffing boxes by means of a rack and pinion movement,
admit of their being elevated above the water by means of chains and tackle,
or other convenient contrivance. The longitudinal to-and-fro motions of the
propeller shafts are derived from cranks on the main engine shaft set opposite
'each other; such cranks imparting motion to long connecting rods attached to
guide blocks working in suitable guides, and coupled to the propeller shafts.
હું
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN HENRY
JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and 166,
Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, -send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of:
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special licence that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR. PROPELLING SHIPS AND BOATS," a
communication to me from abroad by Charles Arnaud and Joseph Labriola,
of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of propeller for ships and
vessels, and to the mode of working and applying the same; and consists in
the employment of two shafts or strong rods sliding longitudinally to and fro
in suitable bearings placed near the bottom of the ship or vessel, and inside
the same; such shafts or rods being parallel with each other and with the

page_text: kelson, one being placed on each side thereof, and the ends of the two passing
out through stuffing boxes at the stern, situate respectively on each side of
the dead wood; near the outer extremities of cach of these shafts or rods is
fitted a pair of hinged blades or wings carried on a block secured to the pro-
peller shaft, and so arranged as to be capable of expanding when pushed
forward by the resistence of the water, and of closing again by the same
resistance when drawn back, both propellers being either wholly or partially
submerged. In combination with each propeller are two moveable stops or
cross arms made capable of adjustment longitudinally upon the propeller shaft
by suitable coupling rods passing into the interior of the ship; the object of
such arms or stops being to form a support for the wings to bear against
when opened out or expanded. The object of having two of such stops or
arms placed one in front and the other in the rear of each propeller, is to
enable the propellers to act in either direction, and so propel the ship either
"ahead" or "astern" as required. For this purpose it is simply requisite to
bring one or the other of the arms close against the wings, and to move the
opposite one away therefrom, so as to allow the wings to expand either at the
forward stroke (when the stops or arms are in a position close up behind
them) or to expand at the back stroke (when the opposite stops or arms are
brought close up to the wings). The two propellers are moved to and fro
alternately, so that a constant propelling action is maintained. In order to
admit of the raising of the propellers when not required to be in action, the
after length of each propeller shaft is made detachable from the other part,
and is carried in a hinged frame, which, after the shafts have been slid out of
their stuffing boxes by means of a rack and pinion movement, admit of their
being elevated above the water by means of chains and tackle, or other con-
venient contrivance. The longitudinal to-and-fro motions of the propeller
shafts are derived from cranks on the main engine shaft set opposite each
other, such cranks imparting motion to long connecting rods attached to
guide blocks working in suitable guides, and coupled to the propeller shafts..
The above description will be the more readily understood by reference
being made to the annexed Drawings, of which Fig. 1 represents a plan of the
improved propeller; Fig. 2 an elevation of the same; Fig. 3 an end view of
the propeller, and Fig. 4 a section of the propeller shaft showing the grooves
on each side. The to-and-fro movement is communicated by the connecting
rods d, d, e, e', of the cranks b and c on the main engine shaft a to the shafts
ff the connecting rods are attached to guide blocks working in the
guides G, and coupled to the shafts f, f. The shafts f. f', are united to the

page_text: shafts g, g', by means of the coupling box h, so that they have the same
movements to and fro. The shafts g, g', in their to-and-fro movement impart
a like motion to the sockets or blocks of the cross arms i, i, which form
a support for the half circular wings k, k¹. Similar cross armis j, j', aro
adjusted on the shafts g, g', at a proper distance from the cross arms i, i, to
which they are bound, so as always to be at the same distance from each
other. On each side and for the entire length of the shafts g, g', two grooves
are made, as shown, Fig. 4, for the purpose of maintaining the position of
the cross arms, and receiving two round or half-round rods of iron. The rods
bind or hold together the two cross arms i and j. Should it be desirable for
greater strength three or four rods could be employed. When the connecting
rod d communicates a forward stroke to the shaft g, the wings k, k¹, open
from the resistance offered to them by the water, and rest against the cross
arms i; the pressure from the water is proportional to the circular surface of
the wings, thus the boat receives an onward motion each time the connecting
rod takes the position shown, Fig. 2; and as the connecting rods d, e, are
arranged so as to move to and fro alternately, a constant propelling motion is
maintained. As has been above stated the propellers can act in either
direction, and so propel the ship either "ahead" or "astern;" in order to
reverse the movement, or back the ship, it is only necessary to move the
rods in the grooves s of the shafts g, g¹, from right to left, raising first the stopp,
then passing the pins m, m', in the slides n, n¹, and moving the handle o
partly round; the handle piece p is then laid down at the back of the small box
where it fits in and so unites and connects the shafts g and f in their new
position, that they move together. Both the shafts 9, 9', are treated in the
same manner, and the result of this movement is the advancing from right
to left of the sockets i, '; the end sockets f, f, then rest against the piece s
which bears the wings k, k; the wings are thus obliged to open in a contrary
direction to that shown on the Drawing, and the water acting against them a
backward movement is imparted to the vessel. The arrangement for with-
drawing the blades or wings from the water when they are not required for
use is as follows:-The shafts g, 9', are in two parts, connected by the box or
muffle t, t; the after length of the propeller shaft is carried in the supports A
of the hinged frame Z, which, when the shafts have been slid out from the
stuffing boxes u, u', by the movement from right to left of the rack x and
pinion o, can be raised by chains attached at D on the supports A, and
passing round the binges B, B'. It is important to observe that prior to
withdrawing the after shafts from their boxes or muffles t, t', and stuffing
boxes u, u, the shafts must have completed their back stroke.
9,

page_text: Having thus described my Invention, what I claim and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is, the improvement in machinery or apparatus for propelling
ships and boats, together with the machinery for raising the propellers when
not required, (as herein-before described and shown in the annexed Drawings,)
at the same time I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise form, material, or dimension of the several parts of the machinery
herein-before indicated, as they may be varied to suit the vessel to which they
are to be applied, without departing from the principle of the Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S..)