IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE PROPULSION AND STEERING OF NAVIGABLE VESSELS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Barber, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS
FOR THE PROPULSION AND STEERING OF NAVIGABLE VESSELS."
Sealed the 12th April 1870, and dated the 15th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Barber at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th October 1869.
I, SAMUEL BARBER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OF
AND APPARATUS FOR THE PROPULSION AND STEERING OF NAVIGABLE VESSELS,"
to be as follows (that is to say)
This Invention consists of an improved vibrating pendant lever
propeller for navigable vessels so constructed and applied that it may be
actuated by manual labour or other source of power, and which propeller
may be used to alter the course of the vessel, and may be readily taken
inboard and put into position for operation with great facility, and
requires no alteration in the configuration of the vessel.

page_text: To construct a propeller according to this Invention take an iron or
other metal rod, which it is preferred should be tapered from one end to
the other, and be larger in section from front to back than sideway, being
feather-edged on the fore part. On the upper and thicker end is
jointed thereto an horizontal connecting rod, and at a given distance
therefrom form, by welding or otherwise, a hook, ball and socket, or other
suitable joint bearing for working upon a transverse rod extending across
and a little aft the back of the stern of the vessel, then to the tapering
vibrating lever at or near the point of emersion weld on a transverse
horizontal bar, with a light oblique stay on each side, inclined upwards
for giving support to the transverse bar, the ends of which are rounded
off to receive, say, a couple of eye bolts at each end for attaching a
broad flat plate of metal thereto by nuts on the reverse side of the plate,
which is capable of turning from an horizontal to a vertical position
when the head of the vertical lever is pushed backwards through power
applied to the connecting rod jointed to the head thereof, and which
floats on the return stroke immediately assume a vertical position and
acting against the water propelling the vessel forward; below this
vibrating pendant propeller. float, there are one, two, or more like cross
bars also fitted with the feathering floats, but which it is preferred
should be reduced in size as they are further emersed. One or more
of the sets of vibrating propellers may be used. When two are used
the vessel's course may be altered by working the port or starboard
propeller as desired, or when only one is used and worked by hand the
vessel can be worked or brought round by moving the propeller lever
on the supporting rail on which it oscillates. When it is desirable to
back the vessel, this can be accomplished by mearly reversing the face
of the propeller. In some cases it is preferred to attach the inner end
of the connecting rod on the head of the propeller lever to a vertical
lever having its fulcrum on the deck of the vessel or below it, by which
arrangement the length of stroke of the propeller may be regulated and
the working power conveniently applied thereto. In some cases it may
be found of advantage to form the face of the propeller floats slightly
concave

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Barber in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, SAMUEL
BARBER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, and numbered
3007, in the thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Barber, Ier
special licence that I, the said Samuel Barber, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Barber, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PROPULSION AND STEERING OF NAVIGABLE VESSELS," to be as follows (that is
to say)
:-
This my said Invention consists of an improved vibrating pendent
lever propeller for navigable vessels so constructed and applied that it
may be actuated by manual labour or other source of power, and which
propeller can be used to alter the course of the vessel, and is readily taken
inboard and put into position for operation with great facility, and
requires no alteration in the configuration of the vessel.
To construct a propeller according to this my said Invention I take an
iron or other metal rod, which I prefer should be tapered from one end to
the other, and should be larger in section from front to back than
latterally, being feather-edged on the fore part. On the upper and thicker
end I joint thereto an horizontal connecting rod, and at a given distanco
therefrom I form, by welding or otherwise, a hook, ball and socket, or
other suitable joint bearing for working upon a transverse rod extending
across and a little aft the back of the stern of the vessel, then to the
tapering vibrating lever at or near the point of immersion weld on a
transverse horizontal bar, with a light oblique stay on each side, inclined
upwards for giving support to the transverse bar, the ends of which are
rounded off to receive, say, a couple of eye bolts at each end for attaching

page_text: a broad flat plate of metal thereto by nuts on the reverse side of the
plate, which is capable of turning from an horizontal to a vertical
position when the head of the vertical lever is pushed backwards
through power applied to a connecting rod jointed to the head thercof,
and which floats on the return stroke immediately assume a vertical
position, and acting against the water propels the vessel forward;
below this vibrating pendant propeller float, there are one, two, or more
like cross bars, also fitted with the feathering floats, but which I prefer
should be reduced in size as they are further immersed. One or more of
the sets of vibrating propellers may be used. When two are used the
vessel's course may be altered by working the port or starboard propeller
as desired, or when only one is used and worked by hand the vessel can
be worked or brought round by moving the propeller lever on the
supporting rail on which it oscillates. When it is desirable to back tho
vessel, this can be accomplished by merely reversing the face of the
propeller. In some cases it is preferred to attach the inner end of the
connecting rod on the head of the propeller lever to a vertical lever
having its fulcrum on the deck of the vessel or below it, by which
arrangement the length of stroke of the propeller may be regulated, and
the working power conveniently applied thereto. The plates forming
the propeller floats may be so jointed to the vibrating rod that they may
open and close like unto a book, and in some cases it may be found of
advantage to form the face of the propeller floats slightly concave on the
back or propelling face. In some cases I apply one or more of my
improved vibrating propellers on cach side of the vessel as will be fully
explained herein-after in reference to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
which form part of this Specification, reference being had to the letters
and figures marked thereon, which are used to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the pendulous vibrating
propellers seen suspended on a loose pulley working on a transverse
horizontal fixed rod (or axis which is seen in section), and Figure 2 is a
back or after view of the same when looking toward the bow of the
vessel. Figure 3 is a top view or plan of one of the transverse arms
fixed to the pendulous rod (C) and which carries the vibrating floats or
propeller blades.
A, the fixed rod or axis, on which is mounted B, a loose sheave or
pulloy, on which is suspended C, pendulous lever, to which is rigidly
attached D, transverse arms, which by E, strap hinges are joined F, the

page_text: propeller floats; G, stays for giving rigidity to the cross bars D, to which
the vibrating floats are jointed.
In the modification shown in the Drawings the cross bars to which
the vibrating floats are jointed are shown attached to the pendulous
lever rod by collar pieces, in place of being welded thereto, so that the
floats may be adjusted to suit the immersion of the vessel to which the
apparatus is applied.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I lay no
claim to the several parts of the apparatus when taken separately, or do
I confine myself to the relative detail proportions or dimensions of the
several parts of the apparatus, as it will be readily seen that they may be
considerably varied without departing from the Invention; but what I
claim is, the general arrangement and combination of the several parts
of the apparatus constructed and operated substantially in the manner
and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Barber, have hereunto set
my hand and affixed my seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
SAMUEL (L.s.) BARBER.