AN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING VESSELS AND OTHER FLOATING OBJECTS BY MEANS OF HYDRAULIC RE-ACTION PRODUCED THROUGH DIRECT ACTION OF STEAM WITH OPTIONAL EXPANSION OR CONDENSATION UPON WATER
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gerard Wenzeslaus von Nawrocki, of the Firm of J. Brandt
and G. W. von Nawrocki, Civil Engineers and Patent Agents, of No. 2, Koch
Strasse, Berlin, in the German Empire, for the Invention of "AN APPARATUS
FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING VESSELS AND OTHER FLOATING OBJECTS BY
MEANS OF HYDRAULIC RE-ACTION PRODUCED THROUGH DIRECT ACTION OF
STEAM WITH OPTIONAL EXPANSION OR CONDENSATION UPON WATER." A commu-
nication by Doctor Emil Fleischer, of the City of Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt,
German Empire.
Sealed the 6th August 1878, and dated the 18th February 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gerard Wenzeslaus von
Nawrocki at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th February
1878.
GERARD WENZESLAUS VON NAWROCKI, of the Firm of J. Brandt and G. W. von
Nawrocki, Civil Engineers and Patent Agents, of No. 2, Koch Strasse, Berlin, in
the German Empire. "AN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING VESSELS
AND OTHER FLOATING OBJECTS BY MEANS OF HYDRAULIC RE-ACTION PRODUCED
THROUGH DIRECT ACTION OF STEAM WITH OPTIONAL EXPANSION OR CONDENSATION
UPON WATER." [A communication by Doctor Emil Fleischer, of the City of Dessau,
Duchy of Anhalt, German Empire].
According to the present Invention apparatus for propelling and steering vessels
and other floating bodies by the re-action of water jets is so arranged that the
steam employed for imparting motion to the said water jets instead of operating as
heretofore through the medium of mechanical devices, whereby a great proportion
of the motive power is uselessly expended, is caused to act directly upon the water,
and in such manner that its expansive action can be made available in a similar
manner as in steam engines.
The apparatus consists mainly in a closed chamber communicating at top with a
ID 437

page_text: steam supply, and at bottom with the water in which the vessel floats, firstly,
through a large opening provided with a stop valve through which the water can
enter it; secondly, through a pipe leading to the stern, and, also, if required, to the
stem of the vessel, through which the water is forced by the steam, so as, by the
reaction of the jet thus produced, to effect the propulsion of the vessel; thirdly,
when required to effect also the steering of the vessel, the chamber has two lateral
branch pipes at bottom passing out through the sides of the vessel.
Assuming the chamber to be filled with water steam is let in at top, thereby
forcing the water out through the reaction pipe so as to propel the vessel. When
the water has been expelled, the steam in the chamber is condensed either in a
separate condenser or in the chamber itself by any suitable known means, thereby
causing the water to be forced in through the inlet pipe so as to fill the chamber
again.
In the construction of the apparatus employed, by preference the chamber is
made of some height in proportion to its width, and is lined internally with a bad
conductor of heat, such as wood. It is provided at top with a slide or other valve
for regulating the admission of steam, which is actuated either by a float which in
moving up and down as the water rises and falls in the chamber moves a rod upon
which it slides, and which is connected to the slide valve, or the slide or other valve
may be actuated by any other suitable known contrivance, such as the " cataract"
employed for regulating the motion of pumping engines. In either case provision
is made for cutting off the steam at any desired point after it has partly forced out
the water so that the remainder of the work may be done by its expansion.
In the case of the rod on which the float slides this is effected by adjustable
stops on the rod. The vertical chamber stands upon and communicates at bottom
freely with a hollow base or enlarged second chamber communicating by a large
orifice provided with a stop valve with the external water, and having fixed within
it a number of tubes similar to those of an ordinary surface condenser, with the
interior of which the top of the vertical chamber communicates by a pipe provided
with a valve. This valve is actuated by a second float, which slides up and down
a rod connected by a lever to the valve, so that when the float arrives at top, on the
chamber being filled with water, it closes the exhaust valve just before the other
float opens the steam supply, while when the float arrives at bottom, on the water
being discharged from the chamber it causes the rod to open the exhaust valve.
By preference there are arranged two such chambers side by side or two sets of
chambers, so arranged that while the one chamber or set is being charged with
water the other is discharging the water with which it had previously been filled,
both chambers or sets of chambers communicating with the before-mentioned re-ac-
tion pipes, leading fore and aft, and also with the lateral pipes for steering
purposes.
Both the re-action pipes and the steering pipes are provided with valves under the
control of the steersman, so that by closing the one valve or the other the vessel
may be made to go either ahead or astern, or to port or starboard.
By preference a quantity of oil or petroleum is made to float on top of the water
in the chambers, so as to prevent this from coming in direct contact with the steam.
The chambers may be made of considerable width if desired, in which case they are
by preference provided with division walls having apertures at top and bottom so
as to allow of free communication between the several compartments, and yet
prevent the water from being too much disturbed by the pitching and rolling of the
vessel.
For starting the apparatus the chambers inay be charged with water either by a
force pump or by exhausting the air by an air pump or ejector, or a blow-off cock
may be provided at top so that on admitting steam the air is forced out, and on
then allowing the steam to condense a partial vacuum is formed.
When two chambers or sets of chambers are employed they may either all be
provided with the before-described arrangement of floats or other mechanism for

page_text: regulating the inlet and exhaust valves, or only one chamber or set of chambers
may be provided with these, and the others may be controlled by having their
valves connected by levers with the same floats in such manner as to be actuated
thereby in the opposite direction to the other valves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Gerard Wenzeslaus von Nawrocki in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th August 1878.
GERARD WENZESLAUS VON NAWROCKI, of the Firm of J. Brandt and G. W. von
Nawrocki, Civil Engineers and Patent Agents, of No. 2, Koch Strasse, Berlin, in the
German Empire. "AN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING VESSELS AND
OTHER FLOATING OBJECTS BY MEANS OF HYDRAULIC RE-ACTION PRODUCED THROUGH
DIRECT ACTION OF STEAM WITH OPTIONAL EXPANSION OR CONDENSATION UPON
WATER." A communication by Doctor Emil Fleischer, of the City of Dessau, Duchy
of Anhalt, German Empire.
The use of hydraulic re-action for propelling vessels has been repeatedly tried, but
the results have always been so unfavourable that the opinion is generally enter-
tained that hydraulic re-action is not adapted for that purpose. The cause of this
is, however, that no one has as yet attempted to produce the re-acting water jet by
means of the direct pressure of steam with or without expansion and condensation
upon the water, the means heretofore employed being generally centrifugal and
other pumps actuated by steam engines. It will be at once seen that with such a
transmission of power considerable losses of power must arise, and actual cases are
known in which to produce 29 HP by the re-action jet a steam engine of no less than
211 EP was required, the greater part of the power being lost in the transmission.
This proves that the hydraulic reaction can only be employed with advantage when
it is produced without the aid of special motor engines.
The "hydromotor" forming the subject of the present Invention solves this
problem satisfactorily mainly by producing the re-action water jet by means of the
direct pressure of steam on the water forming the jet. In order, however, to enable
a minimum quantity of steam to produce a maximum effect, and at the same time
to allow the condensed steam to be used as hot feed water in the boiler again (which
is very important for sea-going steamers) it was necessary to provide an arrange-
ment by which the steam could be made to operate expansively and with condensa-
tion. Although the hydromotor can be made to act efficiently without either
expansion or condensation, yet it is evident that as in that case the steam must
escape at high pressure (whether into the air, the water, or a condenser) a much
greater quantity of steam would be required for doing the same amount of work.
In order to elucidate the principle of action of the hydromotor I will assume two
closed chambers filled with water and having outlet pipes leading in the direction
of the longitudinal axis of the ship, into which chambers steam is alternately
admitted at top. As soon as the water has been forced out of the one chamber by

page_text: the steam and the inlet valve is closed, a float, cataract, or other suitable mechanism
opens the steam outlet valve through which the steam passes to the condenser. In
consequence of the partial vacuum thus formed in the chamber, water enters it
through a suction valve, and closes by means of a float the steam escape valve,
opening at the same time the steam inlet so that the above-described action is
repeated. Each chamber, therefore, operates independently of the other one, but
they are so arranged as to operate alternately, so that while the water is being
forced out of the one it is drawn into the other, and they might be so arranged that
one and the same float effects the opening of the steam escape valve of the one
chamber and that of the steam inlet valve of the other one. It will also be evident
that three or any other number of the said chambers might be made to operate
together by so connecting their valve gearing that they are actuated either in order
or in pairs or groups, the steam and water pipes of each pair or group being con-
nected. Also several such chambers may be operated by only one set of valves and
floats contained in one of them, and acting on the steam and water pipes cominu-
nicating with all. Lastly, instead of conducting the steam from the chambers to a
separate condenser it may be condensed in the chamber itself by jets of water, by
which means, however, much steam would be lost, as also the use of the warm water
of condensation, as feed water. In like manner a considerable loss of steam would
ensue if the apparatus worked without expansion.
The steering of the ship by means of the hydromotor is effected by causing the
issue pipes of the chambers to branch off forward to the right and left, being pro-
vided with slides operated by the steersman. The water jet can thus be made to
issue in either direction, and thus effect the steering.
The accompanying Drawing shews at Fig. 1 a plan of the hydromotor, at Fig. 2
a longitudinal section, and at Fig. 3 a cross section.
The arrangement of the apparatus in the ship will be more particularly under-
stood from Fig. 3. The chambers I. and II. consist each of a base U and cylinder C,
which are connected without a partition. In the base are the openings for all the
Buction and delivery pipes for the water, it also serves to condense the steam after
issuing from the chambers I. and II., for which purpose the small pipes a are pro-
vided, through which the steam passes, as in ordinary surface condensers.
As already observed, the condensation might be effected in separate condensers,
or in the chambers themselves; in the latter case a rose jet might be introduced
through a pipe leading from the other chamber, and placed at the lowest water
level of the chamber, so that as soon as the water has sunk to that level n water
spray will be thrown up into the chamber, so as to condense the steam. In this
arrangement the steam escape valve with its float may of course be dispensed with.
The longitudinal section shews the position of the water pipes. A', A², are the
main pipes, that is, the re-action pipes leading to the stern for propelling forward,
A' communicating with the chamber I, and A' with the chamber II. B', B2, are the
counter pipes for propelling backwards, B¹ communicating with the chamber I., and
B2 with II.; they extend to the bow of the ship. S1, S2, are the lateral branches for
the steering pipes, which extend through the sides of the ship, and are provided
with valves by opening the one or the other of which, so as to allow a water jet to
issue, the ship is steered to port or starboard. These steering pipes may be applied
to either all or only one of the chambers. The mode of operating will be readily
seen from Fig. 3.
The stean enters the chamber filled with water through the slide d, which is
opened or closed by the float K¹. According as the water rises or falls the float
strikes either against the upper stop o, as shewn in the Drawing, and thus moves
the lever, opening the slide d, or it strikes against the stop z and thereby closes the
slide. The stop z is adjustable on the guide rod, and thereby permits the steam to
be used more or less expansively. The expansion of the steam will of course be so
regulated that its pressure will effect the expulsion of the water from the chamber
to the lowest level.
A second float K² effects the opening and closing of the escape valve v, according

page_text: as the water is at the highest or the lowest level. If is open the steam issues into
the condenser below, which is connected with an air pump or other exhausting
apparatus. A partial vacuum being thus produced in the chamber, the water again
enters it through the suction valves F1, F2, such influx of water being regulated by
the screw spindles f. The chamber being filled with water the float K2 in striking
against the upper stop closes v, and immediately afterwards K₁ opens the steain
slide d, and the operation is repeated.
For the sake of clearness the float mechanism is shewn in its simplest construction,
but it is evident that in place of the lever arrangement the floats may be made
directly to actuate small slides by which steam is admitted to a small cylinder, the
piston of which moves the main slide, thus obtaining a kind of precision valve gear.
Also, the valves may be actuated by the well known cataract mechanism, but
whichever apparatus is employed it must be so arranged as to allow the steam to
be expanded and condensed.
If in starting the apparatus the chambers are full of air the opening of vis
effected from the outside. For the sake of clearness this arrangement is not shown
on the Drawing.
As soon as, with the assistance of the air pump, the water level has been raised
so as to move the lever, v is closed, and the apparatus begins to operate.
It is advantageous to provide on the cover of the chamber a blow-off cock, below
which is a valve seating inwards. On starting the apparatus this cock is opened,
so that on admitting steam into the chamber the air is driven out through the said
cock, and on then shutting off steam that contained in the chamber will gradually
condense and cause the water to rise therein to fill the vacuum formed.
By leaving the said escape cock open while the engine is at work the escape of
steam through it will shew the duration of the period during which the steam expe's
the water.
.
In order to insure that the exhaust valve shall be opened as soon as the steam
pressure ceases, even if the water has not desconded to its lowest level, a small
vertical cylinder may be provided on the cover of the chamber, the piston of which
is connected to the exhaust valve, so that when vacuum is formed in the chamber
the atmospheric air in depressing the piston causes this to open the exhaust valve,
which then remains open until it is closed by the rising of the float, which at the
same time pushes the small piston upwards again. The contrivance is, however,
not essentially necessary, and is therefore not shewn on the Drawing.
The lateral steering pipes are opened and closed by throttle valves, as shewn at
Fig. 3, while the propelling pipes fore and aft are governed by slides, as shewn at
H, Fig. 2. The whole of the said valves and slides are worked from the steerage
by means of levers, so that the engineer only has to regulate the action of the
engine by a main steam valve. Various arrangements may be employed for regu-
lating each apparatus separately, thus the levers of two chambers may be so con-
nected by a third lover that as soon as pressure exists in one chamber it prevents
the admission of steam into the other chamber by holding the lever thereof.
preferably, this may be effected by providing a small steam cylinder on the chamber
whose piston is connected with the steam slide of the other chamber, so as to keep
it closed so long as the steam acts in the first chamber.
Or,
Lastly. All the float mechanisms may be omitted, and each chainber be provided
with a precision apparatus of known construction, such as a cataract, which will
effect the opening and closing of the several valves and slides at definite intervals
of time. But even such apparatus may be dispensed with, and the timing of the
action of the chambers be left entirely under the control of the engineer, if proper
vacuum and pressure gauges are provided.
The apparatus may also be made to work with sufficient regularity without any
regulating contrivance, and in some cases only one chamber need be employed,
operating intermittently.
In order to utilise the vacuum as much as possible, and allow a considerable
expansion, it is advantageous to place the apparatus from 6 to 9 feet above the

page_text: water level so that the hydromotor will be best placed on deck, but can be arranged
in any other convenient locality. For men-of-war it may be arranged on deck and
be lowered into the hold when preparing for action.
In order to avoid loss of steam by condensation against the sides of the chambers
as much as possible, these may be lined with wood or other bad conductor of heat,
or with a less beneficial effect they may be provided with an external covering of
such material.
The floats may be of a flat disc like form instead of spherical, so as to cover
almost the entire surface of the water, and thus prevent the immediate contact of
the steam with the water, and the surface of the latter may be covered with a
layer of oil or petroleum, which always remains in the chamber, and which besides
serving to prevent absorption of heat from the steam by the water and by the size
of the chamber, which are thus coated with oil, also serves to lessen the motion of
the water produced by that of the ship.
It may here be noted that from experiments made it has been found that oil
conducts heat downwards to the same degree as water, but as oil only possesses
about one-third the capacity for heat as water it is evident that it will, under the
same conditions, only take up about one-third the amount of heat that water will
take up. Consequently oil or petroleum will prevent the condensation of the steam
as above stated. Its use may, however, be omitted where great economy of steam
is not required.
The chambers may be of any desired form and width, but when the latter exceeds
three feet it is advisable to provide partitions in the chamber so as to form compart-
ments, which all communicate with each other, but which prevent undue motion of
the water by the rolling or pitching of the ship. Floating bodies may also be
placed on the water for the same purpose.
In order to attain the highest possible co-efficient of outflow for the water jets (in
particular for the main re-action pipe) it is desirable to make the outlets of the pipe
converge at an angle of about 13°, and to make them as straight and short as
possible. The outlets or mouths of the pipes are best arranged somewhat under the
water level in order to prevent the entrance of the air; they may also for this
purpose be provided with flap valves closing inwards. The suction pipes are of
course provided with valves closing outwards.
Direct steam pressure for propelling water has been used in the "Montejus" and
"Pulsometer" apparatus, but in both of these the steam acts without expansion. They
have never been applied to produce re-action jets for propelling ships, and could not
bo economically applied to that purpose on account of the great expenditure of
steam.
An apparatus such as the above described hydromotor, in which the steam acts
both by direct pressure and expansively, has never before been applied to marine
propulsion.
In conclusion, some of the numerous advantages of the hydromotor, as compared
with other motor engines, may be here enumerated,-
1. Considerably less cost of construction.
2. Absence of moving parts subject to wear and producing noise, such as steam
engines, shafts, paddle wheels, screw propellers, and rudder.
3. Much easier manoeuvering, as the steering can be effected without either
forward or backward motion of the ship being necessary for the purpose.
4. Greater security at sea both as regards the decreased chances of the apparatus
getting out of order, as also owing to the unfailable power of steering.
5. Easy attainment of great speed, as this is taken with greatest advantage at
about one-half of the velocity of the outflow of the jets, which may amount to
upwards of 90 feet per second.
6. The consumption of coal is no greater than that of the best constructed engines,
provided the apparatus be not too small and the speed too slow. It is a charac-
teristic feature of these machines that such consumption does not, as heretofore,
increase with the cube, but merely with the square of the outflow orifices.

page_text: 7. The apparatus is also applicable for perfectly flat bottomed ships, as it is
immaterial whether the water jet issues above or below the water level.
8. With several apparatus it is easy to effect repairs of any one of them without
interrupting the course of the ship.
9. The weight of the apparatus, including the water, is much less than that of any
engine of equal power, and gives, therefore, more carrying power to the ship.
10. The cost of insurance would be less both on account of the less cost of the
engine and on account of the greater safety at sea.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my correspondent, I claim, the
use of apparatus wherein the propulsion and steering of ships and other floating
bodies by the re-action of jets is effected by the direct action of steam upon the
water, such steam being employed expansively and condensed substantially as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gerard Wenzeslaus von Nawrocki, have here-
unto set ny hand and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.