IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS FOR STEAMSHIPS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS FOR STEAMSHIPS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Charles Seymour, of La Porte, Indiana, and
Dillingham Clark Washington and Fitch Raymond, both of
Cleveland. Ohio. all in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th November 1868.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDLE WHEELS FOR STEAMSHIPS," a com-
munication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of a blade or paddle for
the propelling wheels of steam vessels, which paddle, owing to the

page_text: peculiar geometrical curves given to its sides or face will maintain a
vertical position in the water while passing through the same during
the revolution of the wheel. The said paddles, which may be constructed
of any suitable material and dimensions, are provided with trunnions,
whereby they are hung in the rim of the wheel. The paddles through
the line of their axial diameter are straight from this line outwardly,
one side or wing of the paddle curves convexly to the edge in its
transverse diameter. The greatest degree of protuberance transversely
is about midway between the axis and the edge, and longitudinally about
midway between the trunnions; from this point the blade gently falls
off nearly to a right line perpendicular to the axial line, thereby making
a spherical swelling on one side or surface of one wing with a corre-
sponding concavity on the opposite side, or the wings may be constructed
without any longitudinal curvature. Both wings of the blade are shaped
alike, but reversely in relation to each other, each being convexo-concave
from the axial line outward, but gradually merging into each other at
the said line. The side edges are also curvalineal through their entire
length. These paddles are journalled in the rim of the periphery of the
wheel, and as the wheel revolves they assume and maintain a vertical
position. The paddles enter the water in this position and while passing
through the same are not deflected from such a position by the
resistance of the water nor by the movement of the wheel in consequence
of their peculiar curvalinear character.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence

page_text: that I, the said William: Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns,, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others; from time to time and at all times thereafter. during the
5. term therein expressed,-should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PADDLE WHEELS FOR STEAMSHIPS," upon. the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators,.
by an instrument in writing. under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after. the date of the said Letters
5. Patent...
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement,. reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The object of this Invention is to construct the blades or paddles of
steamship wheels in such form as that they will when completely sub-
merged in water assume and keep a perpendicular or nearly perpen-
dicular position during or while the paddle is so submerged. Paddles or
blades of steamship wheels-when constructed and arranged in the usual
manner on radial lines or nearly so, and having a plane face on straight
lines, have never either entered the water or left it in the revolution of
the wheel without a waste of power by reason of their rigidity and the
direction that they enter and leave the water and their continued change
of position with relation to the water line while they are in contact with
the water, for as the blades first strike the water the angle is. such that
it causes great strain upon the wheel and shaft, and as the blade is raised
out of the water the angle of direction is such that it lifts much of the
water, and in doing so as much power is expended as would raise the
weight of the water at the end of the arms of the wheel. At only one
point in the revolution of sucli wheel does the blade have the best
position, and that is when the blade and arm of the wheel are vertical,
and such position is only for a moment, for as the wheel revolves the

page_text: position of the blade is changed, and then commences the loss of power,
for as soon as the blade begins to rise more or less of water is lifted by
the blades, while with the construction of the blades after my Invention
by reason of their being pivoted in the centre of their width, they can
freely turn to accommodate themselves to such position as will offer the
least resistance to their entrance into the water and as soon as sub-
merged assume and maintain the perpendicular position until the wheel
in its revolution raises the upper edge out of the water, when the blade
will directly assume the best possible position to pass up out of the water
with the least resistance which will be an incline, so that it raises no water
and consequently there is no loss of power.
One method of using this Invention is to have the convex side of the
blade, or that part that is below the axial line forward, so that the
convex curvature will be in advance of the terminus of the curve at
the lower edge of the blade, and the upper wing of the blade will have
the concave side forward, and the result will be that when completely
submerged the blade will assume the perpendicular position, and keep
such position as long as it is so submerged. The reason for the blades
taking such position is that the wheel in its revolution and carrying
the blades with it, the outer edge of the blade by being at the outer
periphery of the wheel necessarily travels a greater distance in the same
space of time than does the inner or upper edge of such blade and of
course is inpiinged against the water with greater force than is expended
upon the upper half of the blade, and in order to prevent such blades
from leaving the perpendicular position the curvature of the blade below
the axis is made to curve back, and that of the upper part of the blade
above the axis curves forward, the radius of such curvature being pro-
portional to the diameter of the wheel. Wheels of large diameter require
the curvature of the blade to be formed on a greater radius than small
wheels or wheels of less diameter.
Another method of using this same construction of blade with sub-
stantially the same effect is to reverse the blade or the direction that the
wheel may revolve, bringing the concave side of the blade forward, and
at the under side of the axis of said blade and the convex wing at the
upper side of said axis, the only difference in the two methods being that
in the latter case the blade at the under edge being concave will not
shed off or pass through the water quite so readily as if convex. The
blade will be slightly inclined from the perpendicular position until the

page_text: resistance is equal on both sides of the axis, but not enough in any case
to change the nearly perpendicular position in its effects, and may be
said to have better results by reason of the blades having a more positive
hold of the water by reason of the concavity of the lower wing of the
blade, and consequently the resistance is greater and the ship will be
moved in the water with increased velocity by the same power.
Other constructions of blades may be used as modifications of my
Invention without departing from the principle and operation as described;
as, for instance, the blade may have a longitudinal curvature in each
wing in opposite directions on each side of its axis in addition to the
so ourrature on each wing

page_text: side of its longitudinal axis and convex on the other with or without the
longitudinal curves constructed to operate in the manner and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in 5
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.),
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.),