PROPELLING AND STEERING VESSELS AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR"
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM HENRY ATKINSON of 36 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "PROPELLING AND
STEERING VESSELS AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR" to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is propelling steam ships or other like vessels by a
novel arrangement of apparatus which may be thus described, I place and secure
in the vessel immediately above the keel and parallel therewith, or in any other
suitable position a line of one or more pipes, cylinders or tubes one portion of
which is provided with a piston capable of being worked as the plunger of a pump
by steam or other motive power, engines, valves are so arranged in the said pipes
or cylinders and also in the pistons their action being such that when the piston or
plunger is at work they will "suck" in the water, and afterwards cause it to be
forcibly expelled towards the stern of the vessel and so create the force for pro-
pulsion: The uniform and steady propulsion of the vessel being accomplished by
duplicating the arrangement of pumps and tubes. In order to steer the vessel by
this novel construction of apparatus I cause supplementary exit thoroughfares to
be connected with pipes which diverge from the parallel line of the pipes before
mentioned, their angle of divergence being such that when the escaping water is
forced through them out from the side of the vessel, the force of its expulsion will
divert the course of the vessel, for example, when the valves are closed so as to
prevent the water being expelled by the diverging pipes, but in a direct course the
vessel will be propelled or sail straight a-head, but when the valves are actuated so
as to divert the water for expulsion into one of the diverging pipes the vessel will
answer to the said pressure so created and be steered accordingly.
Dated this 28th day of Jonna 100%
THOMAS WRIGLEY,
36, High Holborn, W.C.,
Agent to the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Propelling and Steering Vessels and in the Means Employed
therefor.
I WILLIAM HENRY ATKINSON 30 Regent Street County of Middlesex, Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "PROPELLING AND STEERING
" and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
VESSELS, AND THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
The primary object of this Invention is propelling ships and other like vessels,
including pleasure boats by a novel arrangement of barrel, cylinder tube and
plunger apparatus situated in, on or near and parallel with the keel and below the
water line of the vessel, the mechanism of which is capable of being worked and
actuated by steam, electric, manual or other motive power and Secondly:-The
Invention has for its object combining with the propelling medium first mentioned
a means of steering the vessel. In its simplest form the principle of the Invention
may be described as follows:-A tube, pipe or barrel runs through the length of
the vessel; that is to say from the bows to the stern and is so placed that it shall
be below the level of the water in which the vessel floats, in this tube actuated by
suitable mechanism moves to and fro' a piston or plunger containing a valve which
(by such backward and forward movement) opens towards the stern of the vessel,
when it moves towards the bows and so allows the tube to fill with water (through
its open end) and closes when it moves towards the stern so as to forcibly expel
the water in a jet or stream from the stern end of the tube by which means the
vessel is propelled ahead, "backing" the vessel is effected as hereinafter described:
the steering is accomplished by turning or deviating by means of suitable
appliances the expelled stream or jet of water to the right or the left at such an
angle and in such volume as circumstances may require. In carrying my Invention
into practical effect it is capable of being modified and developed in numerous
ways without in any way departing from its general principles: For example;
Firstly two or more tubes are used for ejecting the water instead of one.
Secondly-Two tubes or pipes are used, so that by a suitable arrangement of the
valves in the discharge pipes, one pipe or tube is used to propel the vessel forward,
and the other pipe or tube to propel it backward. Thirdly-Double acting tubes
or pipes are used, in order that a constant stream or jet of water can be discharged
by the pumps, instead of an intermittent stream which would be the case when
only one discharge pipe or tube is used. Fourthly-The discharge pipes or tubes
are made to branch divide or diverge so as to throw the water either from the
stern, or the sides of the vessel at suitable angles. When two streams of water
are allowed to be freely discharged by the pumps towards the stern, the vessel is
propelled forward in a straight line, but when one of the said discharge pipes is
shut off by a cock or other suitable appliance the full force of the stream is ejected
through the other pipe or tube so as to cause the discharge to strike the water at
an angle, the action of which turns or steers the vessel to the right or left as the
case may be. Fifthly:-The diverging tubes or pipes referred to in the last clause

page_text: Trangement or propener applied thereto.
Fig. 2 represents as an example a plan view of the simplest arrangement of
plunger cylinder and pipes for direct propulsion of the vessel ahead. This view
also shews the means I employ for steering the vessel.
Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the propeller shewing the pipes so arranged that
the water can be expelled fore or aft for propelling the vessel backwards or
forwards, and also for stearing.
Fig. 4 represents in elevation a section of a cylinder, plunger, pipes and valves,
which is shewn as a modification of the arrangement previously described at
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 and is designed for propelling the vessel to which it is applied,
either in a forward or backward direction.
In these Figs. A. is the shell of the vessel and B the keel, the arrows indicate the
direction, in which the vessel is being propelled. I place and secure in the keel of
the vessel or immediately above the same and parallel therewith a line of one or
more pipes, cylinders, tubes or barrels c within which is placed the piston or
plunger d connected by the rods e with the piston rod or its equivalent of a steam
or other motive power engine. The piston or plunger d is provided with a clack
or other valve f so arranged that when the piston or plunger is making its back-
ward stroke the water will enter the tubes or cylinders c but immediately the
reverse or forward stroke is commenced, the valves f will close and as the piston or
plunger continues its stroke the water will be forcibly expelled from the tube
or tubes g g towards the stern and so create the propelling force.
A uniform and steady propulsion of the vessel would be accomplished by dupli-
cating the arrangement of pumps or tubes herein mentioned, so as to make the
action of the pumps continuous.
In Fig. 3. a modification of my improvements are shewn, in which the pipes g. g.
are so disposed that the action of the pump c will so expel the water, that the
vessel will be propelled in a forward or backward direction. According to this

page_text: arrangement the direction of the escaping water is governed by the valves h h
and h¹¹, these valves are so actuated that as one set are opened, the other set are
simultaneously closed, for example when the valves h h are open the valves ¹³
are closed. In this position of the valves the water will be expelled from the pump
barrel towards the stern through the pipes g. g, and thus propel the vessel ahead,
but when the position of the valves are reversed, the water will be expelled
through the pipe g¹ g₁ towards the bows in which case the vessel will be propelled
backwards. Secondly :--In order to steer the vessel I provide the diverging
pipes gg with valves or cocks ii so arranged and actuated that when one of the
said valves is closed, the escaping water will be ejected through the one left open
out from the side of the vessel. The force of the water according to the direction
it takes, when being expelled will divert the course of the vessel to the right or to
the left.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st The novel method of propelling ships or other vessels by forcibly expelling
water, through pipes out from the vessel by means of pumps in the manner as
herein substantially described set forth and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
2nd The means I employ for steering in connection with the aforesaid propelling
medium, in the manner as herein substantially described set forth and illustrated
in the Drawings annexed.