IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS AND VESSELS PROPELLED BY SCREW OR SUCH LIKE PROPELLER
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Scott Russell, of Great George Street
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS AND VESSELS PROPELLED BY
SCREW OR SUCH LIKE PROPELLER."
Sealed the 23rd March 1853, and dated the 28th January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Scott
Russell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 28th January 1853.
I, JOHN SCOTT RUSSELL, of Great George Street, Westminster, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING SHIPS AND VESSELS PRO-
PELLED BY SCREW OR SUCH LIKE PROPELLER" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of constructing ships or vessels at the stern
in such manner that the rudder works in that part ordinarily
called the dead wood, and the rudder is below the propeller shaft.
The screw or other propeller works beyond or aft the rudder,
and the after part of the propeller shaft, when desired, is made
capable of assuming an angular position in respect to the other part

page_text: of the shaft, in order that the propeller may be raised out of the
water, and for such purposes the stern post and the dead wood are
made double or open, to admit of the raising the after part of the
propeller shaft
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John Scott Russell in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN SCOTT RUSSELL, of Great George Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Scott Russell,
Her special licence that I, the said John Scott Russell, ny
executors, adininistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Scott Russell, 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 CON-
STRUCTING SHIPS AND VESSELS PROPELLED BY SCREW OR SUCH LIKE
PROPELLER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Scott Russell, by an instrument in writing under
iny hand and seal, 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.
• NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Scott Russell, do

page_text: :
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is. to be performed, to be particularly described
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof: (that is
to say):
This. Invention consists of constructing ships. or vessel's at
the stern in such manner that the rudder works in that part
ordinarily called the "dead wood," and the rudder is below the pro-
peller shaft. The screw or other propeller works beyond or aft.the
rudder, and the after part of the propeller, shaft, when desired, is
made capable of assuming an angular position in respect to the other
part of the shaft, in order that the propeller may be raised out of
the water, and for such purposes the stern post and the "dead
wood" are made double or open, to admit of the raising the after
part of the propeller. shaft. And in order that iny said Invention
may be more fully understood, and readily carried into effect, I will
proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shews so much of a vertical section, of the stern of a
slip or vessel as will, together with the other Figures, enable me to
describe the first part of my Invention; Figure 2, is a horizontal
section; Figure 3, is a transverse section of the stern; a, is the
propeller shaft; b, is the propeller; and c, is the rudder, which
is below the propeller shaft, and the axis of the rudder is made with
an opening for the passage of the propeller shaft. The arrangement.
of the parts shown are those which I prefer, but the details may be
varied. Figure 4, shows a vertical section; Figure 5, a horizontal
section; and Figurés 6, and 7, show two transverse sections of the
stern of a ship or vessel, by which, aided by the following description,
the nature of the second part of my Invention will be readily
understood. The after part of the propeller shaft a, is made capable.
of being raised, and of assuming an angular position in regard to the
other part of the shaft. For this purpose a folding joint or connection
is used at a', and the parts usually called the dead wood and the
stern post are made double, and the outer bearing e, of the

page_text: propeller shaft is to be formed in a suitable manner for being raised
in curved guides, so that it may be raised by slings f, or by other
convenient means; 9, is a screw, which passes through the fixed
nut h, at the top of the slings f, so that by turning the screw
the bearing e, will be raised or lowered. The arrangements for the
rudder are similar to those described in respect to Figures 1, 2,
and 3.
'I would remark that I am aware that it is not new to have
the propeller on a portion of the propeller shaft, which is capable
of assuming an angle to the other part of that shaft, but when that
arrangement has heretofore been resorted to it has not been
combined with the construction and arrangement of the dead wood
and stern posts shewn in Drawing.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that
what I claim is, the combination of the parts shewn and described
whereby the rudder is caused to work below the propeller shaft;
and I also claim the combination and arrangement of parts whereby
the after end of the propeller shaft is caused, when desired,
to assume an angular position in regard to the other part thereof,
and to move between a double arrangement of dead wood and stern
post.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Scott Russell, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.
Witness,
JAMES G. JONES.
J. SCOTT RUSSELL. (L.s.)