CERTAIN NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS: IN MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING VESSELS THROUGH THE WATER
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
LEAR, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, of the State of Massachusetts,
of the United States of America, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of April, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Peter Lear, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Peter Lear, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Peter Lear, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree,with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my. Invention: of "CERTAIN NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS: IN
MACHINERY FOR PROPELLING VESSELS THROUGH THE WATER;". in. which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Peter Lear, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's.
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in, part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: Peter Lear, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a top view or plan of the hull of a vessel in which my
improved propelling apparatus is arranged, as will be herein-after described.
Figure 2 is a view of the same turned bottom upwards, or the bottom of the
hull, in order to exhibit the position and appearance of the propellers with
respect to each other and the bottom of the ship. Figure 3 is a longitudinal
vertical and central section of the vessel and propellers, and Figure 4 is a
transverse vertical section taken through one of the propellers. Figure 5 is
herein-after described.
My propelling apparatus is calculated to be arranged in the bottom or hold
of a vessel. It consists of a circular horizontal plate or frame A applied to
a vertical shaft B, and having a series of apertures formed through it, each of
which receives within it, and has hinged to one of its sides, floats or paddle
boards C, see Figure 2, where two of the frames A, with their apparatus, to
be hereafter explained, are denoted as adapted to a vessel. Each of these
frames contains ten single flap paddle boards C, C, C, &c., or any other
suitable number of the same, each of which (paddle boards) has an arm E
raised or projecting perpendicularly from its rear or upper side, as more par-
ticularly seen in side view in Figure 5, the same being a representation of one
of the floats and the cam by which the said floats are turned upon their hinges
from a horizontal to a perpendicular position. A roller or friction wheel F is
arranged so as to traverse or turn upon journals in the top of the arm E, the
said friction roller as the wheel of floats is turned round coming in contact
with an inclined plane or cam G, projecting downwards from another circular
horizontal plate or wheel H, arranged somewhat above and parallel to the
plate or frame A. The frame or plate H may be attached to the vessel's
bottom, or to a vertical hollow shaft I, through which the shaft B of the frame
of paddles passes, as seen in Figure 4. The shaft I traverses and is supported
in a hollow cylinder or head K, rising vertically from a cylindrical water-tight
case or box L, surrounding the propelling apparatus, and extending upwards
from the vessel's bottom, and being open at its lower end, as seen in the
'Drawings: A gear wheel M is fixed on the top of the hollow shaft I, and

page_text: extends over and rests upon the top of the cylinder K, thus supporting the
frame or plate H in its position. A screw N, adapted to the teeth of the gear
wheel M, serves to turn the gear and plate H, so as to bring the inclined plane
or cam G into any position horizontally. A circular head or plate O is
attached to the shaft B, the said plate resting upon the shaft I, and thereby
sustaining the shaft B thereupon. A series of friction rollers or spheres P, P,
may be introduced between the surfaces of the gear wheel M and head O, as
denoted in Figure 4. The power by which the propeller is operated is applied
to the shaft B, which being put in rapid revolution brings the rollers F, F, &c.
of the paddle arms E, E, &c. successively in contact with the inclined plane
or cam G, thereby throwing the paddles one after another outwards, or turning
each of them (whose roller may happen to be travelling up or over the inclined
plane) on its hinges.. The instant the roller leaves the incline plane the
pressure or resistance of the water (in consequence of the motion of the wheel)
closes the paddle, or raises and shuts it into the aperture or space, formed in
the plate A to receive it. Consequently the number of floats or paddles in
action upon the water at once depends upon the length of the inclined plane,
such paddles, whose rollers are not in contact therewith, being closed or shut
into their apertures, or raised into a horizontal position, by the pressure or
resistance of the water. If two propellers are arranged upon the bottom of
the vessel, the one in front of the other, and in the line or direction of the keel
or thereabouts, as represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the paddles of the one may
be depressed on the side of the centre keel, while those of the other may
operate in a similar manner on the opposite side thereof. This will.create
uniformity of action, and cause the vessel to advance or recede according to
the direction in which the floats impinge against the water, by changing the
position of the inclined plane G by means, adapted to the purpose, that is to
say, by turning the plate H around so as to bring the plane into the requisite
position. The paddles may be caused so to act upon the water as to propel
the vessel sideways, or in a direction at right angles to the central keel. She
may also be moved quartering or towards any point of compass desired,
according as I change the position of the inclined planes of her propellers.
With equal facility she may be caused to revolve within a circle, and in fact
she may be moved in any direction with great ease and dispatch, a desideratum
for vessels of war possessed by no other propelling apparatus known. For the
manoeuvering of a war steamer, both in, attack and defence, these propellers
will be found to be admirably adapted, as with them she, may, readily be put
into any desirable position.
.
Having thus set forth my Invention, I claim the combination of the flaps

page_text: or. paddles, (hinged to the wheel as described,) with the arms E, E,. &c.
attached to the inner sides of the flaps or paddles, and the inclined plane or
cam of sufficient length to keep the flaps open during that portion of their
circuit in which they act upon the water to propel the vessel; the whole being
constructed and arranged substantially as herein-before set forth.
I also claim the above-described manner of arranging two sets of propellers
upon a vessel, or with respect to the keel thereof; videlicet, the placing the
one in advance of the other and in a line or range with the keel, or in the
direction of the keel, instead of the usual method of placing one on each side
of the keel and directly opposite to each other; the aforesaid arrangement
effecting various important advantages in sailing and operating a vessel.
I also claim arranging the frame or plate (H) of the inclined plane G so that
it may be moveable or be made to turn on its axis horizontally, or, in other
words, I claim changing the horizontal position of the inclined plane or cam;
the same being for the purpose of throwing different paddles of the series into
action, and thereby imparting to the vessel or steam ship a lateral quartering
or other desirable movement,.as.set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Lear, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of June, in the year of our Lord One-thousand
eight hundred and forty-four.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the oath of Samuel Carpmael the
Specification aforesaid was enrolled word for word as above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.