Improvements in Machinery for Working Swing Boats by Steam.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 5th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 11th May, 1895
Improvements in Machinery for Working Swing Boats by Steam.
I WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT, of No. 75 Dartmouth Street, West Bromwich, in
the County of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
--
My invention has reference to swing boats the oscillating or vibrating motion of
which is effected by a steam engine and consists of the improvements hereinafter
described whereby the inconveniences attending the use of the mechanisin
ordinarily employed are obviated.
In the steam mechanism ordinarily employed for actuating steam boats, a vertical
steam engine is used the said vertical steam engine being situated immediately
under the shaft or axis on which the boat swings or oscillates. On one end of the
said shaft is a crank plate carrying a crank pin to which crank pin the upper end
of a connecting rod is jointed the lower end of the said connecting rod being
jointed to the top of the piston rod of the steam engine. By the action of the
steam engine and the connections described, an oscillating motion through a semi-
circle is given to the shaft or axis carrying the steam boat.
In this arrangement it is necessary to adjust the height or level of the steam
engine with extreme nicety otherwise a great strain on the mechanism is
produced.
In order to avoid the inconvenience referred to employ a horizontal steam
engine which is not geared directly to the shaft or axis on which the swing boat
turns but to a crauk or crank plate on a horizontal shaft situated in the same plane
as the axis of the steam engine and under the shaft or axis on which the boat
swings. The axis carrying the crank plate carries a chain wheel. The end of
the shaft on which the boat swings also carries a similar chain wheel and the two
chain wheels referred to are geared together in the following manner.
A length of chain passes over the chain wheel on the swing boat shaft, the
links of the said chain engaging with the teeth of the said chain wheel and a
similar length of chain passes under the chain wheel on the shaft of the crank
plate. The two lengths of chain are connected together so as to form virtually a
continuous or endless chain by means of two pairs of light parallel rods. The
ends of the lengths of chain referred to, carry cross pieces through holes in which
the ends of the pairs of rods respectively pass. The upper ends of the said pairs
of rods are fixed to the upper cross pieces and the lower ends of the said pairs of
rods have screw threads and pass through holes in the lower cross pieces. By
means of screw nuts on the said screwed lower ends of the rods the said rods are
connected to the said lower cross pieces and the virtual length of the said rods is
adjusted.
By the arrangement described the tension of the chain may be adjusted with
the greatest nicety and all strain upon the mechanism prevented.
Although I have only described a steam cylinder and chains and chain wheels
on one side of the swing boat yet I wish it to be understood that the same may be
used in duplicate, that is, on each side of the swing boat.
The valves and other details of the steam engine differ in no essential respect
from those ordinarily employed and I do not think it necessary to describe the same.
Dated this 8th day of August 1894.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Working Swing Boats by Steam.
I WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT of No. 75 Dartmouth Street, West Bromwich in
the County of Stafford Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has reference to swing boats the oscillating or vibrating motion of
which is effected by a steam engine; and consists of the improvements hereinafter
described whereby the inconveniences attending the use of the mechanism
ordinarily employed are obviated.
In the steam mechanism ordinarily employed for actuating steam boats, a vertical
steam engine is used the said vertical steam engine being situated immediately
under the shaft or axis on which the boat swings or oscillates. On one end of the
said shaft is a crank plate carrying a crank pin to which crank pin the upper end
of a connecting rod is jointed the lower end of the said connecting rod being
jointed to the top of the piston rod of the steam engine. By the action of the
steam engine and the connections described, an oscillating motion through a semi-
circle is given to the shaft or axis carrying the steam-boat.
In this arrangement it is necessary to adjust the height or level of the steam
engine with extreme nicety, otherwise a great strain on the mechanism is produced.
In order to avoid the inconvenience referred to I employ a horizontal steam
engine which is not geared directly to the shaft or axis on which the swing boat
turns but to a crank or crank plate on a horizontal shaft situated in the same plane
as the axis of the steam engine and under the shaft or axis on which the boat
swings. The axis carrying the crank plate carries a chain wheel. The end of the
shaft on which the boat swings also carries a similar chain wheel and the two chain
wheels referred to are geared together in the following manner. A length of
chain passes over the chain wheel on the swing hout shaft, the links of the said
chain engaging with the teeth of the said chain wheel and a similar length of chain
passes under the chain wheel on the shaft of the crank plate. The two lengths
of chain are connected together so as to form virtually a continuous or endless
chain by means of two pairs of light parallel rods. The ends of the lengths of
chain referred to, carry cross pieces through holes in which the ends of the pairs
of rods respectively pass. The upper ends of the said pairs of rods are fixed to
the upper cross pieces and the lower ends of the said pairs of rods have screw
threads and pass through holes in the lower cross pieces." By means of screw nuts
on the said screwed lower ends of the rods, the said rods are connected to the said
lower cross pieces and the virtual length of the said rods is adjusted. By the
arrangement described, the tension of the chain may be adjusted with the greatest
nicety and all strain upon the mechanism prevented.
Although I have only described a steam cylinder and chains and chain wheels
on one side of the swing boat yet I wish it to be understood that the same may be
used in duplicate, that is on each side of the swing boat.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure represents in end elevation and Figure 2 in side elevation machinery
constructed and arranged according to my invention for working a pair of swing
boats by steam;
Figure 3 represents in side elevation the horizontal steam engine and parts of
the driving mechanism drawn to a larger scale and Figures 4 and 5 represent
portions of the same drawn to the same scale as Figure 3, the said Figures 3, 4
and 5 exhibiting the horizontal shaft driven from the steam engine the reversing
mechanism and the stopping and starting hand lever.

page_text: The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
In the drawings I have represented my improved mechanism arranged for the
working of two steam swing boats side by side, the steam engine being situated
between the said boats, but as the mechanism for working each of the said boats is
alike in construction and action I will only describe the mechanism for working one
of the said boats.
4
a is the swing boat carried by and suspended to the horizontal shaft b by the
rods c. c, the said shaft having an oscillating or vibrating motion through a semi-circle
given to it for working the said swing boat as bereinafter described. The said
horizontal shaft b turns in bearings on the tops of the uprights d, d which are
stayed to the steam engine in the manner hereinafter described; e is the horizontal
steam engine from which the swing boat is worked. Near the front of the said
engine is a horizontal shaft parallel with and under the end of the oscillating
shaft of the swing boat, and situated in the same plane as the axis of the steain
engine. The shaft carries a crank plate f² and chain wheel and an alternating
motion through a semi-circle is given to the said shaft by the connecting rod g
jointed to the crank pin f* on the crank plate 2, the said connecting rod g being
jointed to the cross head of the piston rod i, the piston of which works in the
cylinder . The reciprocating motion of the piston rod i and its piston is reversed
at the proper times so as to give an alternating motion through a semi-circle to the
crank plate shaft in the following manuer. At the side of the guide in which the
cross head of the piston rod i works, is a tappet lever m having at its ends curved
tappets m², m². This tappet lever is connected through the link n with the bent
lever p to which the slide valve rod g is connected in the manner seen in
Figure 5. The bent lever p is jointed to the connecting rod p² and the latter
to the hand worked starting and stopping lever p³. On the cross head of
the piston rod is an antifriction roller which strikes alternately, when the
engine is at work, the tappets m², m² and thereby gives motion to the tappet
lever on its centre, and the said tappet lever acting through the bent lever p
and slide valve rod 9 causes the reversal of the motion of the piston at
the proper times. That is to say, after the engine has been started by the
operation of the hand lever p³, the piston rod i makes a stroke sufficient to
move the crank plate shaft through a semi-circle. On the shaft making a semi-
circle the roller h³ on the side of the crosshead h operates one of the tappets m³
and causes the reversal of the motion of the piston in the manner before described.
On the piston rod i making its reverse motion, a reverse motion through a semi-
circle is given to the shaft and the other tappet struck by the roller 2 when the
actions described are repeated as will be understood by an examination of the
drawings.
The oscillating motion through a semi-circle is transmitted from the crank
plate shaft f, driven from the horizontal steain engine by the mechanism described,
to the shaft carrying the swing boat in the following manner. On the end of the
shaft 6 of the swing boat and above and in line with the chain wheel on the
crank plate shaft f, is a similar chain wheel & the two chain wheels and 2 being
geared together by the following adjustable gear; r is a length of chain passing
under the chain wheel f³ on the shaft, a large link of the length of chain
engaging with the long stud or tooth 75 (see Figure 3) on the chain wheel; is
a second length of chain passing over and engaging with the chain wheel &² on the
swing boat shaft b, a large link of the length of chain engaging with a long stud or
tooth on the said chain wheel b³. The two lengths of chain r and are connected
together so as to form virtually a continuous or endless chain by means of the two
pairs of light parallel rods s, s, best seen in Figure 2. The ends of the top length
of chain carry the cross pieces or blocks, through holes in which the square
top ends of the rods s, s are passed and are fixed therein by cotters; and the ends
of the lower length of chain carry nearly similar cross pieces or blocks,
through holes in which the screwed ends of the rods s, a pass the said
зов

page_text: screwed ends being secured to and adjusted in the said cross pieces by
the screw nuts t, t above and below the said cross pieces. By means of the said
rods s, s the tension of the endless chain or connection r, s, s may be adjusted on
the chain wheels and with the greatest nicety and all strain upon the mechanism
prevented.
By thus gearing together the two chain wheels and the alternating motion
through a semi-circle communicated from the steam engine to the crank plate shaft f
is transmitted to the swing boat shaft and the required oscillating motion thereby
given to the said swing boat for working the same.
Instead of gearing the two lengths of chain and » of the endless chain or
connection to the chain wheels 3 and 6 by one long tooth on each chain wheel,
several teeth on each chain wheel may be made to engage with several of the links
of the length of chain but I have found the arrangement represented to answer
well in practice.
The parts for working the swing boat may be used in duplicate, that is, a steam
engine and the working mechanism may be arranged on each side of the swing boat
instead of on one side only as represented in the drawings.
In order to increase the rigidity of the swing boat shaft b, the uprights d, d,
nearest the engine, have between them, a tubular metal stay connected at bottom
to the frame of the steam engine and at top to the junction of the two uprights
supporting the shaft b. The stay u, which is adjustable, is indicated in dotted lines
in Figures 1 and 2 and the lower part of the said stay is shown drawn to a larger
scale in Figure 4. The said tubular stay has at its bottom the screwed rod u² fixed
by a cross cotter and the said screwed rod is connected to the frame of the steam
engine by means of the lock nuts u³, u³. By means of the said lock nuts the
tension of the stay u may be adjusted. As the endless chain or connection »,,
8, s is adjusted a corresponding adjustment is effected in the tubular stay so as to
equalise the tension on the shaft and chain wheels ƒ³, 1³.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention of "Improvements in machinery for working swing boats by
""
steam :-
First. The combination with the oscillating or vibrating shaft to which the swing
boat is suspended and from which it is worked of a horizontal shaft geared to and
receiving an alternating motion through a semi-circle from a horizontal steam
engine, the alternating motion through a semi-circle of the horizontal shaft on the
steam engine being transmitted to the swing boat shaft by means of chain wheels
on the said horizontal and swing boat shafts geared together by an adjustable
endless chain or connection, the several parts being combined and working
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Secondly. The combination with the machinery referred to in the first claim, of
the tappet lever and parts connected with it for automatically reversing at the
proper times the motion of the horizontal engine so as to give to the shaft driven
directly by the said engine an alternating motion through a semi-circle
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Thirdly. The combination with the machinery referred to in the first claim of
the adjustable tubular stay for connecting the swing boat shaft supports to the
frame of the horizontal steam engine substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the Second day of Anvil 1905
WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT.