Apparatus for Concentrating the Power of a Sculler so as to Give Additional Force in Pulling the Scull through the Water.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 15th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 16th Dec., 1887
Apparatus for Concentrating the Power of a Sculler so as to Give
Additional Force in Pulling the Scull through the Water.
THOMAS PATON WOOD, Railway Clerk, Wood's Buildings, Walker Gate, near
Newcastle-on-Tyne do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A belt, about three inches wide, which runs around the body and over the sacrum
of the sculler with a small pulley or block attached to it near to each hip-joint.
Around each pulley runs a suitable cord one end of which is attached to the stretcher
(which is made to slide) and the other end to the handle or loom of the scull. One
end of a strap, about 14 ft. long, is attached to a band, about 3 in. in width, which
runs around the right thigh of the sculler and the other end (of the strap) is attached
to a similar band which runs around the left thigh of the sculler: This strap is
connected to the boat behind the sculler in such a manner that if the boat capsized
the sculler would be free, and prevents the sculler from slipping off the seat during
the stroke. The belt running around the body and the bands running around the
thighs can be fixed inside of a pair of ordinary rowing trousers.
Dated this Second day of March 1887.
THOMAS PATON WOOD.

page_text: Apparatus for Concentrating the Power of a Sculler so as to Give
Additional Force in Pulling the Scull through the Water.
THOMAS PATON WOOD, Wood's Buildings, Walker Gate, near Newcastle-on-Tyne
(Clerk) do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
In ordinary sculling or rowing with a sliding-seat the push of the legs is
communicated to the handles of the sculls or oars by the back and arms.
The object
of my invention is to transmit the muscular power exerted by the legs to the handles
of the sculls or oars by means of cords or other suitable material for the purpose and
therefore allow the back and arins to exert a force in addition to the pushing power of
the legs in pulling each scull or oar through the water.
This apparatus can be applied to boats with or without outriggers.
Instead of a belt as mentioned in my provisional specification I use a piece of
metal (B. C. & D) and only a part of the belt (A) which makes my apparatus more
workable.
Referring to figures 1 and 2 in the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a view of my apparatus as it appears on the left side of the man; the other
side being the same.
Fig. 2. is a plan.
B. C & D are made of metal of hollow, tubular, or any other section, preferably in
one piece but C can be made adjustable as to length and B adjustable as to width
between F and F.
A and G are pieces of broad webbing or other suitable material for the purpose.
A is about one foot in length.
G encircles the left thigh of the man and is fastened by suitable straps and buckles.
A separate and similar band to G which I shall herein-after refer to as G' runs around
the right thigh of the man and is similarly fastened.
When the sculler is seated on the fixed seat E (the dotted lines show the outline of
man's body) with his legs drawn up and his feet on the movable stretcher N which is
hinged at a to a suitable slide or carriage N₁ and his sacrum placed against the
piece A with the straps or bands A¹ and A² attached which are fixed to a suitably
shaped, half-circle preferred, piece B (with grooved wheels F and F attached) which
is mounted on the piece C (Fig. 1) which is attached to the piece D which is held in
a groove D' formed in the middle of the fixed seat E in the direction of the length of
the boat, the force of his kick or push is transmitted to the handles of the sculls or
oars by the single suitable cord or rope P which runs from one scull handle to the
other scull handle over the wheels F and F and behind the stretcher N through the
holes N2 and N³ in it. The sculler is prevented from slipping off the seat E during
the stroke by the adjustable strap or cord H (Fig. 1) the ends of which are respectively
attached to the bands G and G₁ and the middle of which strap (H) is thrown over

page_text: two pegs M and M which are fixed about 10 inches apart on a metal or wooden
cross-piece L which is supported by the metal or wooden angle-piece K which is
securely fixed behind the man on the fixed seat E.
During the stroke the piece D moves in the groove D' (which is lined with metal)
from two to four inches through the action of the sculler.
R is a spring which keeps the piece A from hanging down towards the seat E;
being fixed to A and B.
The cross-piece L can be made to work on a pivot supported by and attached to the
piece K.
Instead of the wheels F and F being attached to the ends of the armis of the half-
circle B they can be mounted on an upright (similar to C Fig. 1) placed between the
thighs and attached to the aft end of the piece D as shewn in Fig. 3. The cord P
will then operate between the legs and can be fixed to the extreme ends of the handles
of the sculls or oars.
The parts of my apparatus shewn in Fig. 4 can be used with a sliding-seat and a
fixed stretcher when two cords T and T¹ are used, each cord connecting an arm of the
half-circle B to the scull or oar handle. The cords T and T' instead of being attached
to the ends of B can be fixed to an upright, similar to C. Fig. 1, attached to the aft
end of the piece D.
In order that the cord P, or the cords T and T, may not interfere with the
feathering of the scull or oar I use a cord or strap or any other suitable material of
the required length b, Fig. 1, the ends of which are respectively fixed, above and
below, the scull handle (when the blade is in a perpendicular position) and which
passes through a spring-hook which is fastened to the ends of the cords P, T and T.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
(1) A cord or other suitable material P connecting the stretcher N and the handles
or shanks of the sculls or oars.
(2) The piece or pieces B. C & D with or without upright (similar to C Fig. 1)
attached to aft end of D.
(3) The grooved wheels F and F attached to ends of B or to upright (similar to C
Fig. 1) at aft end of D (Fig. 3).
(4) The back-piece A with straps or bands A¹ and A² attached.
(5) A fixed seat E with groove D' in it.
(6) A sliding seat E (Fig. 4) with groove D¹ in it.
(7) A movable stretcher N hinged to slide on carriage N¹ with holes N2 and
N³ in it.
(8) The cords or other suitable material T and T (Fig. 4) connecting B to the
handles or shanks of the sculls or oars.
(9) The bands G and G¹ (Fig. 1) connected by the strap or band H.
(10) The pegs M and M.
(11) The cross-piece L which works on pivot supported by and attached to angle
piece K.
(12) The method herein before described of connecting the cords P, T, and T¹ to
the sculls or oars so as not to interfere with the feathering of the same.
(13) The apparatus herein before described and represented in the drawings
annexed when it, or any part of it, is used to assist in the propulsion of boats.
Dated this 14th day of November 1887.