Improvements in Lifeboats to be Propelled by Hydraulic Mechanism Actuated by Steam Power.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lifeboats to be Propelled by Hydraulic Mechanism
Actuated by Steam Power.
I, JOSEPH FLETCHER GREEN, of Blackwall in the County of Middlesex, a member
of the Firm of Richard & Henry Green, Shipbuilders of Blackwall Yard, London, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a lifeboat to be propelled by hydraulic mechanism
actuated 'by steam power.
The lifeboat is constructed substantially of steel, subdivided into 17 watertight
compartments. The steam for actuating the hydraulic mechanism is generated in a
Thornycroft's Tubulous Boiler working at a pressure of 100 lbs. fitted with a furnace
for burning coal, coke or wood, and this boiler is placed in one of two separate
watertight compartments in which a continual supply of air is kept up by means of a
cowl ventilator containing a fan worked by steam.
In the 2nd compartment immediately abaft this is placed a compound condensing
engine which works a horizontal centrifugal pump. This pump receives water from
below the bottom of the boat, through a projecting scoop shaped inlet, and ejects it
through the sides and in this consists the motive power.
The inlet is in the form of a scoop projecting below the bottom of the boat and
conveys the water without shock to the pump at a velocity nearly equal to the speed
of the boat through the water. The cross sections of the hull in the neighbourhood
of the inlet are so arranged that the immersed section abaft the inlet is larger
than the section in front of it by an amount equal to the area of the orifice.
The water is delivered by the pump through two discharge pipes one on each side
of its periphery. At a short distance from the pump each of these discharge pipes
branches into, two, one of which leads forward, the other aft, at the point where they
divide there are valves which can be actuated from the deck and which directs
the water into either of the branches at will, according as it is desired to drive the
vessel ahead or astern, or turn her round for steering.
The nozzles on the go-astern discharge pipes are above the water line, but the
go-ahead nozzles discharge below water.
These 'below water nozzles are partly built into the side of the boat which is
recessed to receive them, and the sectional area of the hull abaft the nozzle is less
than the sectional area forward of them by an amount equal to the area of the
nozzles.
•
The coal is placed in wing compartments on either side of the boiler room.
The vessel is steered with a Hickman's rudder which works in a slide and can
never be damaged or unshipped in case of the boat striking a rock, and the rudder
can be shipped or unshipped in 'the heaviest sea from the centre of the vessel.
The passengers are carried on a sunk deck aft, kept dry by means of automatic
non-return relieving valves.
Dated this 16th day of February 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lifeboats to be Propelled by Hydraulic Mechanism
Actuated by Steam Power.
I, JOSEPH FLETCHER GREEN, of Blackwall, in the County of Middlesex, a member
of the firm of Richard & Henry Green, Shipbuilders, of Blackwall Yard, London, 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 object a lifeboat to be propelled by hydraulic mechanism
actuated by steam power.
A life boat constructed in accordance with my Invention is represented by the
annexed drawings.
Figure 1 is an elevation, Figure 2 is a plan and Figure 3 is a midship section.
The life boat is constructed of steel or other suitable material subdivided into
watertight compartments. The steam for actuating the hydraulic mechanism is
generated in a Thornycroft's patent Tubulous boiler working at a pressure of 150 lbs.
per square inch, fitted with a furnace for burning coal, coke or wood. It will be
readily seen that any suitable boiler may be employed. The boiler is placed in one
of the separate midship watertight compartments A in which a continual pressure
of air is kept up by means of a fan DI placed on the after boiler room bulkhead D
and worked by a separate steam engine and drawing the air through the engine
room from a mushroom ventilator E placed in the casing over the engines. This fan
is not however essential for the working of the engines which can be driven also at a
natural draught.
In the compartment B immediately abaft the boiler room is placed a compound
surface condensing engine F F which works a horizontal centrifugal pump G G fixed
in the bottom of the boat. Although a particular type of engine is used, any
suitable engine can be employed for driving the pump. This pump receives water
from below the bottom of the boat through a projecting scoop shaped inlet G¹ and
ejects it through the sides of the vessel and in this consists the motive power.
The pump inlet G₁ is in the form of a scoop projecting below the bottom of the
boat and conveys the water without shock to the pump G G at a velocity nearly
equal to the speed of the boat through the water. The cross sections of the hull in
the neighbourhood of the inlet G¹ are so arranged that the immersed section of the
hull abaft the inlet is larger in area than the sections in front of it by an amount
equal to the area of the orifice or inlet G¹.
The water is delivered by the pump G through the discharge pipes one on each
side of its periphery. At a short distance from the periphery of the pump each of
these branches is divided into two at H one pair of which I, I lead aft and the other
pair K, K forward. These sub-branches give go ahead or asteru motion to the boat
as is required. At the point where the sub-branches I, I K, K divide there are
valves H, H which can be actuated from the deck and which direct the water into
either of the branches at will according as it is desired to drive the vessel ahead or
astern or turn her round or for steering.
The nozzles K, K on the go astern discharge pipes K, K are above the water
line W, W but the go-ahead nozzles I, I discharge below water. These below water
nozzles I, I are partly built into the side of the boat which is recessed to receive
them and the sectional area of the hull abaft the nozzles I, I is less than the sectional
area forward of them by an amount equal to the area of the nozzles.
boiler room.
The coal is placed in watertight wing compartments L, L on either side of the
The passengers are carried in a sunk deck aft C kept dry by means of
automatic non-return relieving valves, V, V, V, V.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A lifeboat constructed as described and propelled by means of a centrifugal

page_text: pump having an inlet in the form of a scoop arranged as described and with outlets
formed in the hull in the manner described.
2. A life boat propelled by means of centrifugal pump having the inlet in the form
of a scoop arranged as described.
3. A life boat propelled by the reaction of jets of water.
Datal thin 14th dove of Novas 192n
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.