IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Newton Penrice, of Sheffield, Lieu-
tenant of the Royal Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PROPELLING VESSELS."
Sealed the 1st July 1858, and dated the 5th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Newton
Penrice at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th January 1853.
I, HERBERT NEWTON PENRICE, of Sheffield, Lieutenant of the Royal
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROPELLING VESSELS" to be as follows: -
This Invention consists of employing a series of propellers, each on a
bar, which is guided in its movement by guides, which at one end move
on an axis, and at the other have motion given to them by a crank, or
such like mechanism; the propeller being moved outwards and inwards
by a second crank, or such like mechanism, by which means the angle
which the bar (carrying a propeller) makes with the water line is
constantly varying.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Herbert Newton Penrice in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 5th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HERBERT NEWTON PENRICE, of Sheffield, Lieutenant in the Royal
Engineers, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight.hundred.and fifty-three, in the sixteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,, give and
grant unto me, the said Herbert Newton Penrice, Her special licence
that I, the said Herbert Newton Penrice, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Herbert Newton
Penrice, my executors,. administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from, time to time and at all times there-
after 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 VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Herbert Newton Penrice, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Herbert Newton Penrice, do
hereby declare the nature .of the said. Invention, and in. what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
ained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
The Invention consists of employing a series of propellers, each
na bar, which is guided in its movement by guides, which at one
eid move on an axis, and at the other have motion given to them by a
crank, or such like mechanism; the propeller being inoved outwards and
inwards by a second crank, or such like mechanism, by which means

page_text: the angle-which the bar (carrying a propeller) makes with the water
line is constantly varying.. And in order that my said Invention may
be most fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed
to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows a side elevation of machinery or apparatus combined
according to my Invention, and Figure 2, is a plan of the same. This
machinery or apparatus is applied to. the stern of a ship or vessel, and is
to receive motion from a steam engine or other suitable power. The
arrangement of propelling machinery shown consists of two propeller
bars a, a, but arrangements may be made for using other numbers. On
cach of the bars a, is fixed a propeller, which may consist of one or two
blades, b, b. The bars-a, a, receive motion from the cranked axis c, by
means of the cranks d, d, which give motion to the connecting rods e, e,
which are attached to the slides f, f, which are guided in their move-
ments to and fro by the guides g. 9, which guides move on axes at g', g',
where there are tubular guides, g, for supporting and guiding the bars
a, as shown. The other ends of the guides 9, are supported by the
cranks d', d'; hence they assumic varying angles from their points of
suspension at g', g¹; and the bars a, carrying the propellers continually
assume varying angles with regard to the water line of the ship or
vessel; the end of each propeller bar a, (supposing the vessel to be at
rest,) performing in a curve like that shown by dotted lines in Figure 1;
by which it will be seen that each propeller is caused to dip by degrees
more and more below the water line at the commencement of its stroke,
and also to depart from the point where it first enters the water, till it
arrives nearly to the end of its stroke, when it progressively rises out of
the water, and when out of the water it goes back to commence another
stroke, all which will readily be understood by reference to the Drawing.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention,. and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
make no claim to the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the
precise details, so long as the peculiar character of my Invention be

page_text: retained. But what I claim is the mode herein described, by combining
machinery or apparatus for propelling vessels.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert Newton Penrice, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
Witness, FRANCIS MINCHIN,
Capt & Barrack Master.
Sheffield, July 2nd, 1853.
H. N. PENRICE. (L.S.)