IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING BOATS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING BOATS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN. -A communication from abroad by Christopher C. Brand,
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th August 1872.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING BOATS AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication to me from abroad by Christopher
C. Brand, of Norwich, in the State of Connecticut, United States of
America, to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to an arrangement of apparatus in propelling
boats, and consists of an articulated paddle frame carried by a cam or

page_text: eccentric which when rotated imparts an up and down and back and
forth movement to said frame in combination with mechanism for
maintaining horizontal or substantially so that portion of the frame to
which the paddles are attached, and for increasing the throw or back and
forth movement of the same so that the paddles during the rotation of
the frame carrying eccentric may be caused to move in substantially
an elliptic path, and at the same time to preserve at all times their
verticality.
A series of three paddle carrying frames are combined together, cach
operated by its own mechanism, and so arranged as to act successively
on the water in order to insure continuity of action of the propelling
paddles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 10th February 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Joun
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my exccutors, administrators, or 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 BOATS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,”
a communication to me from abroad by Christopher C. Brand, of
Norwich, in the State of Connecticut, United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson,
"

page_text: by an instrument in writing under myhand and scal, 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 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to an arrangement of apparatus for pro-
pelling boats, and consists of an articulated paddle frame carried by a
cam or eccentric which, when rotated, imparts an up and down and
back and forth movement to said frame, in combination with mechanism
substantially such as hercin-after described for maintaining horizontal
or substantially so that portion of the frame to which the paddles aro
attached, and for increasing the throw or back and forth movement of
the same, so that the paddles during the rotation of the frame carrying
eccentric may be caused to move in substantially an elliptic path, and
also to preserve at all times their verticality.
A series of three paddle carrying frames are combined together, cach
operated by its own mechanism, and so arranged as to act successively
on the water in order to insure continuity of action of the propelling
paddles.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a
model of a series of paddle carrying frames and their actuating
mechanism, arranged and operating in accordance with this Invention;
Figure 2 is a like view of said frames with a modified arrangement of
the mechanism for increasing the throw and maintaining the verticality
of the paddles; Figure 3 is a like view of a portion of the apparatus in
Figure 2 taken from the opposite side of the apparatus, and representing
more clearly the mechanism for increasing the throw and maintaining
the verticality of the paddles.
The frame which carries the paddles consists of two upright bars a, a,
lower horizontal bar & hinged or jointed at the points b' to the lower
ends of bars a, and an upper horizontal bar c hinged in like manner at

page_text: the points c¹ to the upper ends of the bars a. This upper bar, however,
is only used to give more stability to the frame, and it may be dispensed
with if desired. The lower bar 6 has firmly attached to it by proper
means the paddles d, which may be of any suitable shape and con-
“struction. The paddle frame is carried by an eccentric disc e mounted
and fixed on a shaft f, an annular central frame g arranged within the
area of the paddle carrying frame serving to connect the latter with
the eccentric by encircling the eccentric and having its two side ears or
extensions g¹ pivoted at a¹ to the side bars a of the paddle frame. The
shaft fis supported in suitable bearings, and when rotated will, through
the medium of the eccentric and its encircling strap frame, cause the
paddle frame to move up and down and to and fro. In order to preserve
the horizontal position of the paddle bar b, one of the arms g' of the
annular strap g is extended and fastened to a like arm h' of a second strap h,
the counterpart of strap encircling an eccentric i, the counterpart of
eccentric e mounted on a rotary shaft j parallel to and in the same
horizontal plane with shaft f. The two eccentrics are arranged in similar
positions on their respective shafts, and by reason of the above described
arrangement the two points a¹ are preserved in a horizontal plane during
the movements of the eccentrics, thus maintaining at all times the
horizontalism of the bar b and the consequent verticality of the paddles d.
If the paddles were actuated only by the eccentrics they would move in
a circular path, and would have but a comparatively limited throw. In
order to make their movement elliptical for the purpose of giving them
a greater sweep through the water a link or rod k is used, pivoted at one
end to one of the side bars a, and at the other to some stationary part
of the vessel or boat in which the propeller is placed, the arrangement
of this rod being substantially such as shown in the Drawing, Figure 1,
and its effect is to increase very considerably the horizontal sweep of
the paddles, the inclination of the side bars a during the rotation of
the eccentric being constantly changed, thus producing a vibratory back
and forth movement of the frame in addition to the movement obtained
from the eccentric.
In practice several of these paddle carrying frames are put together
as shown in Figure 1, using the same shafts for the eccentrics of each
frame, each set of eccentrics being placed in a different position on the
shaft from the set adicinine so that the one from may he shout to w

page_text: fall one after the other for the purpose of insuring continuity of action
of the paddles on the water. The two shafts and j are connected by
cranks and a rod m so as to move together.
In Figures 2 and 3 is shown a modified arrangement of the mechanism
for maintaining the verticality of the paddles and giving them a greater
sweep. In this arrangement the paddle carrying frames and the
eccentrics and annular straps within the same are similar to like lettered
parts in Figure 1. In lieu however of the rods and the second shaft j
with eccentrics i and encircling straps h connected with the parts as
shown in Figure 1, I dispense with the second shaft j, and by the side
of each eccentric e I fix on the shaft a second eccentric ≫ connected
by a strapp and connecting rod p', with a bell crank or angle lever o
vibrating upon a pivot attached to some stationary part of the boat.
The rod p is jointed to the end of the upright arm of the angle lever,
and the longer horizontal arm of said lever is jointed to one of the side
bars or uprights a of the paddle carrying frame. The angle lever in
this instance serves both to increase the throw or sweep of the paddles
and to maintain at all times the points a', a', in substantially a horizontal
plane, thus insuring the verticality of the paddles. The eccentric »
and bell crank lever o are proportioned substantially as shown, and the
said eccentric n is fixed on the shaft so as to occupy, in relation to the
larger eccentric e, the position indicated in Figure 3. The proportions
of these parts and the length of the connecting rod may be varied. The
arrangement shown indicates with sufficient clearness the manner in
which they operate together. The angle lever controlled in its movement
by the eccentric n causes the paddle frame to vibrate back and forth on
the pivots a¹, a¹, so as to increase the horizontal sweep of the paddles,
and the rise and fall of its longer arm is so timed with relation to the
movement of the eccentric e that the points a¹, a', are always kept in
substantially a horizontal plane.
A series of paddle frames cach with its own actuating mechanism are
shown placed together in a manner similar to that already described with
relation to Figure 1.
In order to give more or less dip and throw to the paddles as desired,
the uprights a', a', may, as shown in Figure 1, be provided with a series
of holes a; into any of the corresponding holes of each set of uprights
the pivots a', a', may be adjusted.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
6
First. The combination of an articulated paddle frame and a rotary
eccentric arranged between the sides of and carrying the same, sub-
stantially as described, with a second eccentric, and one or more links,
rods, or levers operating together with said paddle frame and paddle
frame eccentric, substantially in the manner set forth, so that the paddles 1
while describing an elliptic course shall be kept at all times in a vertical
position.
Secondly. I do not claim broadly a series of paddles arranged to enter.
the water one after the other, but I claim a propelling apparatus con-
sisting of two or more paddle carrying frames each arranged and operated 1
as specified in the preceding clause, having their movements so timed as
to act successively or one after the other on the water for the purpose of
insuring continuity of action of the paddles.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and scal, this Eighth day of 2
February One thousand cight hundred and seventy-three.
++
YAHYA