Iμ- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer & Patent Agent, for the Invention of "Iμ-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS."-A communication
from abroad by Mr. Paolo de Scalzi, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris,
and of Genoa, Sardinia, Engineer.
Sealed the 10th December 1861, and dated the 25th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
June 1861.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer & Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved propeller applicable to all kinds of
navigation. This propeller is composed of a series of wheels having fixed or
movable floats or pallets placed horizontally at each side of the vessel and
completely immersed in the water. These paddle wheels turn on an axis
within the sides of the vessel so that only a quarter or a third of their diameter
acts at one time on the water. The remaining part of each wheel is enclosed
in a case placed within the vessel which permits of the necessary freedom of
action of the wheel, supports that part of the wheel, and at same time

page_text: prevents it neutralizing the effect produced by the pallets or floats projecting
from the sides of the vessel, which pallets strike the water outside and propel
the vessel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 24th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer &
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Clark, 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 POR PROPELLING VESSELS," a communication from
abroad by Mr. Paolo de Scalzi, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, and
of Genoa, Sardinia, Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 William Clark, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :—
This Invention relates to a new ship propeller consisting of horizontal
wheels. The principle on which this propeller is based is as follows:-A
wheel with floats or boards immersed horizontally in the water and turning

page_text: on its axis will render necessary to rotate it a greater force than the resistance
a wheel meets at each point; the effect produced will be to agitate the water
around in the manner of a turbine and it will turn round its axis without
tendency to displace itself.
Supposing a portion of the wheel is intercepted by another body the resistance
of this portion of the wheel will diminish, the turbine action will be interrupted
by the interposition of this body, and the axis of the wheel would be displaced,
but if the wheel be mounted on a movable floating body the axis of the
wheel will advance. This effect will be verified and the more easily when
the one half or more than the half of the wheel is neutralized. It is on
this principle that I have based my arrangement of propeller. It consists
of a wheel with floats or pallets mounted at each side of a vessel; these
wheels are submerged & placed horizontally in cavities made in the side
of the vessel in such way that a third or fourth part only of their diameter
projects and is uncovered. The cases containing the paddle wheels are
placed within the planking of the ship, which should be well caulked or
constructed so as to prevent all ingress of water to the ship and at same
time to receive the axes of the above-mentioned wheels. The axes are of
course necessary for the working of the propellers, which should be disposed
at the greatest breadth of the vessel, immersed and placed below the surface
of the water under the conditions mentioned. The propellers should be
disposed somewhat nearer the bow than the stern, & although placed higher
or lower in the sides of the ship they should always be disposed as experience
may suggest & as best calculated for their action. When the wheels are at
rest the water will completely occupy & envelope the isolated cases and the
wheels, but when put in motion the floats or boards of these wheels bearing
on the columns of water which surround them will form turbines, the one
half or more of which will be neutralized by the sides of the vessel, and the
water contained in the cases will be compelled by their movement to leave
without being able again to enter until the wheels again stand still. To
render the action more certain the case receiving the wheel is itself encased
in a second casing forming a double envelope with the first, which permits
of its being repaired and changed at will. In case of stormy weather and
excessive pitching of the vessel I furnish the vessel with two strong plates
of iron which are placed above and below the propellers, which prevent the
action of the waves breaking the floats, at same time without interfering with
the working of the propellers. The wheels may receive their motion as may
be most convenient, either by steam or other motive power. I have repre-
scuted in the annexed Drawings my improved propellers.

page_text: Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal elevation of a ship furnished with these propellers;
Fig. 2 shows a plan of the same, a part being removed to show the submerged
wheel propellers; Fig. 3 shows a midship section disclosing the propeller,
showing also its case in section; Fig. 4 shows in plan and elevation an
arrangement of these propellers; Fig. 5 shows in plan and elevation a second
arrangement of this wheel propeller. In all the figures the same letters of
reference indicate the same parts seen in the different positions.
a is the vessel fitted with these propelling wheels; b, propelling wheels
placed at the sides of the vessel a, these can be replaced by those d, Fig. 5,
which are of a radius and of a construction to resist the columns of water; c,
metallic case fixed in the sides of the vessel a. It contains the greater portion
of the propelling wheel 6, and also the shaft e of the wheels; a double case not
represented will serve as an envelope to the one c, to insure the security of the
casings c and the ship.
Having described the nature of this Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the propeller characterized by
the wheels of propulsion being immersed and placed horizontally whatever
be their place & position in relation to the sides of the vessel, but always
enclosed in such way that in propelling the water is thrown towards the stern
of the vessel, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
*Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)