IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS.
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Adamson, of the Patent Slip, Wellington
Quay, Newcastle-on-Tyne, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS.".
Sealed the 15th September 1859, and dated the 23rd March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Adamson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd March 1859.
I, WILLIAM ADAMSON, of the Patent Slip, Wellington Quay, Newcastle-
on-Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for propelling
vessels, and is more especially applicable for propelling vessels of a light draft of
water. For this purpose I place on the under side of the vessel a flap which
turns at one of its ends on an axis parallel with the keel; this flap works
watertight within a chamber of a suitable form to permit it to make a partial
revolution on its axis. The chamber is open at its after end, and in the sides
of the chamber there are valves which alternately open and permit water to
flow into the chamber when the flap is moved away from the side in which
they are situated, and close when the flap is moved towards them; the water
being then forced out at the open end of the chamber, by which means the
vessel is propelled forwards. In place of only one flap being connected to the
axis, two flaps may be attached to the same axis, each flap working in a

page_text: separate chamber, and one chamber being on one side of the keel, and the
other chamber on the other side. Or, the flap may turn on an axis at right
angles to the keel, the valves being then placed in the bottom of the chamber,
so that as the flap is moved upwards away from the bottom of the chamber,
the valves open and the water flows into the chamber; but when the flap is
moved in the opposite direction, the valves close, and the water is forced out
at the after end of the chamber, and the vessel is thus propelled forwards.
In place of the valves being in the sides or bottom of the chamber they may
be placed in the flap itself, in which case the flap would be made to form a
moveable side or bottom to the chamber. The flap may be moved to and fro
by its being connected to the piston rod of a steam engine, or motion may be
communicated to it in any suitable manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Adamson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ADAMSON, of the Patent Slip, Wellington Quay, Newcastle-on-Tyno, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Fer
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Adamson, Her special licence that I, the said William
Adamson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Adamson, 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 APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Adamson, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Adamson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for propelling
vessels, and is more especially applicable for propelling vessels of a light draft.
of water. For this purpose I place on the under side of the vessel a flap
which turns at one of its ends on an axis parallel with the keel. This flap
works watertight within a chamber of a suitable form to permit it to make a
partial revolution on its axis; the chamber is open at its after end, and in the
sides of the chamber there are valves which alternately open and permit water
to flow into the chamber when the flap is moved away from the side in which
they are situated, and close when the flap is moved towards them, the water
being then forced out at the open end of the chamber, by which means the
vessel is propelled forwards. In place of only one flap being connected to the
axis, two flaps may be attached to the same axis, each flap working in a
separate chamber, and one chamber being on one side of the keel, and the
other chamber on the other side. Or the flap may turn on an axis at right
angles to the keel; the valves being then placed in the bottom of the chamber,
so that as the flap is moved upwards away from the bottom of the chamber
the valves open and the water flows into the chamber, but when the flap is
moved in the opposite direction the valves close, and the water is forced out at
the after end of the chamber, and the vessel is thus propelled forwards. In
place of the valves being in the sides or bottom of the chamber they may be
placed in the flap itself, in which case the flap would be made to form a
moveable side or bottom to the chamber. The flap may be moved to and
fro by its being connected to the piston rod of a steam engine, or motion may
be communicated to in any suitable manner.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side view; Figure, 2 is an end view, and Figure 3 is an
under side view of a vessel, furnished with, propelling apparatus arranged
according to my Invention. At the under side of the ship or vessel, and near
the stern theroof an inclined passage a, a is formed, this passage is divided
into two parts by the longitudinal partition b. In each of the parts of the
passage a a flap c works; it consists of a strong metal frame turning on an
axis at c, c, and having rods attached to it at c, c, .by means of which it may
have the desired motion communicated to it; these rods pass by stuffing
boxes or through trunks, as may be convenient, into the interior of the ship or
vessel, and there receive motion from a steam engine. The entire surface of
cach of the flaps is made up of valves, as is shown at Figures 4 and 5; in one
of these Figures the valves are shown open, as they would be when the flap is
descending, and in the other closed, as they would be when the flap is
ascending. It will be seen that when the flap descends the compartment in
which it works becomes full of water, and when it ascends this water is
expelled at the open end of the compartment, and thus the ship is propelled.
When the flaps are in their highest position, they approach close to the top
of the inclined passage in which they work. The two flaps come into action.
alternately, so that the propelling force is continuously applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Adamson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.