IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PROPELLING BOATS ON CANALS AND OTHER NARROW WATERCOURSES, AND IN THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTING SUCH SAID BOATS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Evan Evans, of Neath, in the County of
Glamorgan, Brewer and Colliery Proprietor, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PROPELLING BOATS ON CANALS AND
OTHER NARROW WATERCOURSES, AND IN THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTING SUCH
SAID BOATS."
Sealed the 6th April 1869, and dated the 9th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Evan Evans at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th October 1868.
I, EVAN EVANS, of Neath, in the County of Glamorgan, Brewer and
Colliery Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PROPELLING BOATS ON CANALS AND OTHER
NARROW WATERCOURSES, AND IN THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTING SUCH SAID BOATS,"
to be as follows:-
The novelty of this Invention consists in causing the propellers of
boats to act so as to prevent washing of the banks of canals or other
narrow watercourses. It is proposed to effect this by the following
means I form the boat in two parts as a twin boat, leaving a space of

page_text: two or three feet, more or less, between them, and I connect the two
together by a false bottom of sheet metal or other suitable material, and
between the two boats I adjust one or more propellers to be actuated by
toothed gearing set in motion by a steam engine or other prime mover;
the propeller acts upon the water that passes between the two boats and
over the false bottom thereof instead of acting upon the body of the
water in the canal as heretofore commonly practised in propelling
vessels through water, thereby preventing such a disturbance of the
water as would prejudicially affect the banks of the watercourse, and it is
this mode of propelling boats and of constructing them with a false
bottom that constitutes the novelty of this Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Evan Evans in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th April 1869.
TC
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EVAN
EVANS, of Neath, in the County of Glamorgan, Brewer and Colliery
Proprietor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Evan Evans, Her special licence that I,
the said Evan Evans, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Evan Evans, 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 THE MODE OF
PROPELLING BOATS ON CANALS AND OTHER NARROW WATERCOURSES, AND IN THE
MODE OF CONSTRUCTING SUCH SAID BOATS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Evan Evans, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the

page_text: 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 Evan Evans, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in causing the propellers of boats to act so as
to prevent washing of the banks of canals or other narrow watercourses.
It is proposed to effect this by the following means:-I form the boat
in two parts as a twin boat, leaving a space of two or three feet, more or
less, between them, and I connect the two together by a false or auxiliary
bottom of sheet metal or other suitable material, and between the two
boats I adjust one or more propellers to be actuated by toothed gearing
set in motion by a steam engine or other prime mover; the propellers
act upon the water that passes between the two boats and over the false
bottom thereof instead of acting upon the body of the water in the canal
as heretofore commonly practised in propelling vessels through water,
thereby preventing such a disturbance of the water as would prejudicially
affect the banks of the watercourse; and it is this mode of propelling
boats and of constructing them with a false bottom that constitutes the
novelty of this Invention.
And in order to explain this Invention more fully I now proceed to
describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the illustrated Sheet of Drawings
accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a boat constructed according
to my said Invention; Figure 2, a top plan view thereof; Figure 3, a
longitudinal section through the line A, B, at Figure 2; Figure 4, a
transverse section through the line C, D, atFigure 2.
The Drawing is made to a scale of one-quarter of an inch to one

page_text: At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference
to denote corresponding parts in so far as such parts appear or can be
seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
A, A, mark two boats of sheet metal or other suitable material of the
same size and shape connected together at their bottoms by other sheets
of metal or other suitable material at a, a, securely rivetted together and
to the said bottoms, so as to leave an uniform space or distance between
them of about two feet seven inches and a half, and a distance of about
nine feet from outside to outside of the two boats; when connected
together the entire length from stem to stern or from stern to stern is
about 60 feet, each end of the boat being made similar and fitted at each
end with a rudder, as commonly practised, to avoid turning round of the
boat when required to move in an opposite direction; B, B, are strong
iron uprights firmly secured to the top and bottom plates a, a, and b, b;
the plates a, a, torm the false or auxiliary bottom before referred to, and
the plates at b, b, serve to connect together and stiffen the structure and
prevent splashing up of the water from the propellers C, C; these
propellers I adjust about 20 feet asunder from centre to centre of their
respective shafts D, E; the shaft D has cranks at c, c, fixed thereon,
worked by pistons in the steam cylinders G, G, rotatory motion being
transmitted to the other propeller by bevilled wheels d keyed on the
propeller shafts and bevilled pinions e keyed on the longitudinal shafts
H, H. I, I, mark the position of the steam boilers; K, K, the paddle
boxes enclosing the paddle wheels or propellers; L, L, spaces for the
rudders which may be adjusted in any suitable manner; M, marks the
water-level line.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of
my said Invention for "Improvements in the Mode of Propelling Boats
on Canals and other Narrow Watercourses, and in the Mode of Con-
structing such said Boats," together with the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in
conclusion, that what I claim as my Invention intended to be secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is the mode set
forth and described of constructing and propelling boats on canals and
other narrow watercourses, and especially I claim the false or auxiliary
bottom a, a, for the purpose of preventing or considerably lessening

page_text: disturbance of the main body of the water in which the boat moves, as
above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Evan Evans, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
EVAN EVANS. (L.S.)