Improvements in Boats or Vessels, and relating to Means for Increasing the Speed thereof.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Aug., 1894-Accepted, 29th Sept.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boats or Vessels, and relating to Means for
Increasing the Speed thereof.
I, CHARLES ALEXANDER DE LAMBERT, COMTE DE LAMBERT, 64 Avenue de
Paris, Versailles, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its chief object to provide boats or vessels that when in
motion will skim over the surface of the water, or in other words that will displace
considerably less water when in motion than when at rest. Such boats or vessels
will experience much less resistance to their movement through the water by
reason of their elevated position as compared with ordinary boats or vessels of the
same size, and hence they will travel at a much greater speed than ordinary vessels
when propelled by the same power.
Many experiments have been heretofore made having for their object to construct
a boat that will skim over the water in the manner above indicated, but it has been
found that as the bow of such a boat advances on the water it strikes and throws
the latter downward with great violence. The water continues to descend for some
little time, thus partially removing the support from the boat, and as a consequence
that part of the boat above the depression in the water has a tendency to descend
and of course to drag the remainder of the boat with it. Now when the effect of
the impact is exhausted, the water commences its return movement and like a
pendulum rises higher than its normal position, the whole movement, viz., the
descent and the rise taking place very rapidly.
By my invention I take advantage of this circumstance in such a manner that
the boat is maintained well on the surface of the water. I do this as follows, that
is to say, I provide the boat or vessel with a number of slightly-inclined projecting
blades or planes of a width or size suited to the boat, and placed at a suitable
distance apart in a line extending from the stem towards the stern. When the
forward blade strikes the water, it produces the depression above referred to, but
when the water rises again it does so at the moment when the second blade is
passing the point of impact and exercises a lifting effect on that blade which
prevents the boat sinking in the water. The second blade also produces an impact
which produces a reaction in the manner above described on the third blade and
so on through the whole series of blades. It will be observed that the distance
between the blades must be such that the rise of the water coincides with the
advance of each plane to the position previously occupied by the preceding plane
when giving the impact, and hence it is necessary that the distance between the
blades be proportioned to the speed of the boat. This constitutes a very important
feature of my invention. Another important feature is that the blades are made
either flat or very slightly concave on their lower faces. I may make the blades
fixed, but prefer to so arrange that they can be raised and lowered to vary the
height of the boat as desired when in motion.
I also provide for varying the angle of the blades.
My invention also comprises various improvements in the boat as hereinafter
described.
In one boat constructed according to my invention, I attach the lifting blades
to longitudinal beams or girders suspended on each side the boat from arms secured
to transverse fore and aft shafts, and I provide a screw or equivalent arrangement
for turning said arms to raise and lower the blades to vary the height of the boat
when travelling, or to raise the blades completely out of the water when desired.

page_text: I also in some cases provide a similar device for simultaneously varying the angle
of all the blades, said blades in this case being pivoted to the supporting beams and
connected by suitable links to the adjusting mechanism. The engine and boiler
used in this boat are preferably such as those described in the prior British Letters
Patents No. 10359 A.D. 1889 and No. 19228 A.D. 1891.
According to another system constructed in accordance with my invention I
provide two hollow cigar-shaped floats suitably stayed and braced together but at a
considerable distance apart and each having a deep keel, a propeller, and a driving
engine. I support the generator on the staying between the two tubular floats.
In this construction I provide only one series of blades arranged between the
two tubular floats, and supported by beams and arms which can be adjusted to
regulate the height of the blades. I sometimes provide for controlling and
adjusting the blades, a pulley block or pulley blocks controlled by a winch. In
order to make the tubular floats very rigid, and at the same time very light, I build
them of sheet metal preferably of hard rolled brass and then compress air into
them to the extent of two or three atmospheres. 1 prefer also to make the keels
hollow and utilize the same as condensers. The propeller shaft passes slantingly
through the hollow float and keel from the engines which are placed preferably in
the bow of the boat.
According to a modification of this boat instead of providing each hollow or
tubular float with a separate deep keel I provide a single central deep keel on the
staying between the floats. In this case I provide only one screw propeller and
one set of engines for driving the same. The central staying also forms the
condenser and at the same time a support for the inner end of the blades which are
thus reduced in width as compared with the system above described, and form in
fact two sets of blades one on each side of the keel, extending between the keel and
the floats.
Boats constructed according to this invention will ride high on the surface of
the water. Moreover the front edges of the lifting blades will project from the
water and will imprison a large quantity of air between themselves and the water
which will result in a considerable reduction of friction. It will thus be possible
to travel at very high speeds.
I prefer to place the blades so far beneath the bottom of the floats that the
greatest wave will barely touch the bottom of the float. It is also preferred to so
arrange the blades that their angle of inclination may be changed suddenly at any
time so as to adjust them to the speed at which the boat is travelling and for the
purpose of checking or stopping the boat. The blades may in some cases be used
for the purpose of steering by suitably increasing their angle of inclination on one
side and so increasing the resistance on that side which will then drag. In this
manner I can dispense with the need for a rudder.
Dated this 25th day of October 1893
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boats or Vessels, and relating to Means for
Increasing the Speed thereof.
I, CHARLES ALEXANDER DE LAMBERT, COMTE DE LAMBERT, 64 Avenue de
Paris, Versailles, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained, in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its chief object to provide boats or vessels that when in
motion will skim over the surface of the water, or in other words that will displace
considerably less water when in motion than when at rest. Such boats or vessels

page_text: will experience less resistance to their movement through the water by reason of
their elevated position as compared with ordinary boats or vessels of the same size,
and hence they will travel at a greater speed than ordinary vessels when propelled
by the same power.
Many experiments have been heretofore made having for their object to construct
a boat that will skim over the water in the manner above indicated, but it has been
found that as the bow of such a boat advances it strikes the water with great
violence and. forces it downward. The water continues to descend for some little
time and thus partially removes the support from the boat, and as a consequence
that part of the boat above the depression in the water has a tendency to descend
and of course to drag the remainder of the boat with it. Now when the effect of the
impact is exhausted, the water commences its return movement and like a pendulum
rises higher than its normal position, the whole movement, viz., the descent and the
rise taking place very rapidly.
By my invention I take advantage of this circumstance in such a manner that
the boat is maintained well on the surface of the water. I do this as follows,
that is to say, I provide the boat or vessel with a number of blades or planes of
a width or size suited to the boat, and placed at a suitable distance apart in a line
extending from the stem towards the stern. When the forward blade strikes the
water, it produces the depression above referred to, but when the water rises
again it does so at the moment when the second blade is passing the point of
impact and exercises a lifting effect on that blade which prevents the boat sinking
in the water. The second blade also produces an impact followed by a reaction
in the manner above described on the third blade and so on through the whole
series of blades. The upward impulse given to the blades succeeding the first
blade will be proportional to the downward impulse given by the first blade.
It will be observed that the distance between the blades must be such that the
rise of the water coincides with the advance of each plane to the position
previously occupied by the preceding plane when giving the impact, and hence it
is necessary that the distance between the blades be proportioned to the speed of
the boat. This constitutes a very important feature of my invention. Another
important feature is that the blades are made either flat or very slightly concave
on their lower faces. I may make the blades fixed, but I prefer to so arrange
that they can be raised and lowered to vary the height of the boat as desired when
in motion.
I also provide for varying the angle of the blades.
My invention also comprises various improvements in the boat as hereinafter
described.
invention
may
be
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figures 1 to 4 are diagrammatic views intended to illustrate the principle under-
lying my invention, while Figures 5 to 11 indicate practical applications of my
invention.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the lifting apparatus of the boat.
Figure 2 is a plån, and
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the same.
Figure 4 is plan of a double set of lifting blades placed one on each side of the
boat.
Figure 5 is a plan,
Figure 6 is a side elevation,
Figure 7 is a longitudinal, and
Figure 8 is a transverse section of a boat with central lifting blades constructed
in accordance with my invention.
Figure 9 is a plan,
Figure 10 is a side elevation, and
720
B Lant with lifting blades on each side.

page_text: Referring to Figures 1 to 4 which illustrate diagrammatically the devices that
serve to lift the vessel to the surface of the water, A, A' are two longitudinal
supports between which are placed a series of blades B, B. Said blades are pivoted
to the supports A, A'so that their angle of inclination may be adjusted as required.
In some instances it may be required to place them quite horizontally. I some-
times make the front blade as shown in Figures 1 and 2 much longer from front to
rear than the other blades to facilitate its passage over wreckage, waves and other
obstacles. The blades may be arranged to follow closely upon each other or they
may be set so that an interval exists between the rear edge of each and the forward
edge of the next blade behind it. This space will be proportioned to suit the speed
to be attained.
•
In Figures 5 to 11 I have shown a practical mode of applying the lifting
blades to the boat. C, C Figures 5 to 8 are two hollow cigar-shaped floats
stayed and braced together at a suitable distance apart and each having a
deep and narrow keel C', a propeller D, and a driving engine E. F is the
steam generator which is supported on the deck between and above the two
tubular floats.
The blades B are placed between the tubular floats, and are supported by
beams G which are suspended on swinging arms H; the latter can be adjusted to
regulate the height of the blades. For this purpose I provide in some instances
a pulley block or pulley blocks K, K controlled by a winch L and connected
with an arm H' secured on the spindle or shaft of one of the arms H. It will be
obvious that by raising and lowering the arm H¹ the blades will be raised or
lowered. prefer to make the keels hollow and utilize the same as condensers. The
propeller shaft M passes slantingly through the hollow float and keel from the
engines which are placed preferably in the bow of the boat.
Instead of providing each hollow or tubular float with a separate deep keel
I sometimes provide a single central deep keel on the staying between the floats. In
this case I provide only one screw propeller and one set of engines for driving the
same. The central staying also forms the condenser and at the same time a
support for the inner end of the blades which are thus reduced in width as
compared with the system above described, and form in fact two sets of blades one
on each side of the keel, extending between the keel and the floats. In this case
both the keel and the lower sections of the floats serve as pivots for the blades.
This single keel can also be used as a condeuser.
In the modification shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11 I attach the lifting blades B
to longitudinal beams or girders G suspended on each side to an ordinary shaped
boat from arms H secured to transverse fore and aft shafts N. I provide any
suitable mechanism for turning said arms to raise and lower the blades to vary the
height of the boat when travelling, or to raise the blades completely out of the
water when desired. I also in some cases provide means for simultaneously varying
the angle of all the blades, which in this case are pivoted to the supporting beams
and are connected by suitable links to the adjusting mechanism.
Such a device is shown in Figures 9 and 10. The blades are in this case pivoted
to the bars G near their forward ends at b and are suspended at their rear ends by
short links b¹ from a short crank Figure 9 fixed on a spindle b. The spindles
are connected together by short cranks & Figure 10 and a connecting rod . On
one of the said spindles is fixed an arm & carrying a nut 6 in which works a screw
threaded spindle 67. Said spindle is supported by a fixed part of the framing and
is furnished with a handle 68 by which it can be rotated to raise and lower the
rear ends of the blades and thereby simultaneously adjust the inclination of the
blades.
With my improved boats two arrangements are possible viz., firstly, the blades
may be out of the water when the boat is put in motion. In this case, when
sufficient speed has been attained, the blades are lowered and brought into contact
with the water and are thus made to lift the floats or boat above the surface of the
water. This disposition is illustrated in Figures 5 to 11. Secondly, the blades

page_text: may be submerged when the boat is put in.motion. In this case by the effect of the
iuclined blades acting on the water the vessel is brought to the surface as in the
preceding case. In Figure 1 X X' shows the waterline when the boat is at rest
and Y Y shows approximately the position of the waterline when the boat is in
motion.
Any system of motor or propeller may be used and either paddles or screws may
be employed.
The blades may as before stated be made with flat or with slightly concave faces,
and be so arranged that their forward edges project above the surface of the water
when the boat is in motion. In this position they will serve to gather or confine a
quantity of air between their faces and the water. Such air will escape under the
rear edges of the blades and in its passage across the faces of the blades will
diminish skin friction and so increase the upward impulse and the speed.
I prefer to place the blades so far beneath the bottom of the floats that the crest
of the greatest wave will barely touch the bottom of the floats. It is also
preferred to so arrange the blades that their angles of inclination may be changed
suddenly at any time for the purpose of checking or stopping the boat. The
blades may in some cases be used where there are two sets of them for the purpose
of steering by suitably increasing their angle of inclination on one side and so
increasing the resistance on that side which will then drag. In this manner I can
dispense with the need for a rudder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A boat furnished with a series of blades placed one behind the other or two or
more such series, the inclination of the blades and the distance apart thereof being
adjustable or not, said blades operating to raise the boat when in motion above the
level of the water, substantially as described.
2. In such a boat so providing that the blades of each series can be raised
out of and lowered into the water, substantially as described for the purpose
specified.
3. The aforesaid blades constructed with flat or slightly concave faces, and so
combined with the boat that their forward edges may project above the surface of
the water when the boat is travelling, substantially as, and for the purpose,
specified.
4. A boat constructed substantially as described with reference to Figures 5 to 8,.
or to Figures 9 to 11 and operating as, and for the purpose, specified.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.