Improvements in Navigable Vessels, and in Paddle-wheels therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Navigable Vessels, and in Paddle-wheels
therefor.
We, PAUL OTTO GUSTAV KRETSCHMER, of 14, Sophienblatt Kiel, Germany,
Shipbuilding-Inspector in the German Navy, and ARTHUR ROBINSON LIDDELL,
formerly of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, but now of 5, Johannisberge, Langfuhr,
near Danzig, Germany, Naval Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to an improved construction of vessel and also to a
novel construction of paddle wheel specially designed to overcome the disadvantages
with which the application of an ordinary propelling apparatus to the saud
construction of vessel would be attended.
The immersed body of the vessel takes the form approximately of an elongated
tetrahedron but modified in such a manner that the corners are rounded off, that
the greatest breadth is at a point distant by from to of the length of the
immersed body from one of its ends, and that the greatest depth is at a point
distant by from tog of the said immersed body from its other end.
This construction of vessel is shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the accompanying
drawings.
Figs. 1 and 2 being diagrams of opposite sides and Fige. 3 and 4 corresponding
half plans of the vessel, and Fig. 5 cross sections at the number points in
Figs 1 and 2,
The sides and bottom of the vessel corresponding with the flat surfaces of
the tetrahedron may be flat or curved, the general character of the tetrahedron
being preseived.
A keel or projecting vertical plate may be fitted or not, and the frames under
water may approximate to a ☐ or U form, or may lean slightly inwards or
outwards. The part of the vessel above the water hue may have any desired form.
The advantage claimed for the tetrahedron form of the lower portion of the
vessel is that the angles formed by the stream-lines with the line of advance of the
vessel are on the average smaller, and vary less one with another, than in vessels
of ordinary forin, with the result, that that part of the resistance to propulsion
through the water, which is due to form, is materially reduced
In consequence of the exceptionally great breadth the stability of the tetrahedron
form for given displacement, given length, and given mid-ship section, is unusually
great
The paddle wheel is designed to project through and work under the bottom of
the vessel, it is constructed as we will now proceed to explain by reference to
Figs. 6 to 11 inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
1. The floats are held by three sets of rings or rime, A, B, and C (Fig. 7) of
iron or other metal arranged concentrically with the axis of the wheel. The
rings, A, form the outermost corners of the wheel and take the outermost points
of the floats, The inner rings, B and C take the other corners of the floats and
may be single, when the latter are each in one piece, or double, when the floats are
each in two or three pieces.
2. The floats are cach bent in ridge fashion, and their upper edges are set
at a certain angle a with the radius of the wheel. The leading edge of each

page_text: float, lying between the outer ring A, and the middle ing B, is set radial
to the axis of the wheel. The following ridge of the float forms the angles ẞ
and 81.
3. The magnitude of the angle, a made by the ridge-line of the float with the
circumference, depends upon the diameter of the wheel. The magnitude of the
angles, B and B formed by the two wings of the float with each other, deponds
upon the breadth of the wheel.
4 The lower and upper boundary lines of the floats do not lie on, or parallel
with, the encumference of the wheel, but rise, at an angle y or y' with the latter,
towards the respective points of the ridge on the concentric rings B and C.
5 The magnitude of the angle y or y depends on the height of the floats, and
on the mean depth of immersion of the wheel.
6. (a) For deep water the ridgeformed floats are closed at the ridge, as in
Fig 9
(b) For shallow water, the floats may be formed with an opening in place of
the ridge, the part of the ridge thus cut out, being set at a certain distance behind
the opening (relative to the direction of motion of the rim of the wheel), as shewn
in Fig. 10
The distance of this detached ridge-piece from the position it would occupy,
when in one with the wings of the float, depends upon the rate of rotation of the
wheel.
(c) For very shallow water the ridge piece may be entnely removed, the wings
of the floats remaining as in Fig. 11. The size of the opening in this case depends
upon the diameter and breadth of the wheel, and on its rate of rotation.
7. The wings of the ridge-formed floats need not be flat, but may have a certain
curvature, which in the case of the open ridge, may take an S-like form.
The position in which the floats lie vz. at an angle with the cn cumference of the
wheel, enables the water, even in the case of the closed ridge, to escape alt with
comparative ense, the action of the said floats upon the water depending more,
upon friction, and less upon impact, than in other construction of paddle-wheels
hither to proposed.
The float, on entering the water, presents at no point a surface even approximately
vertical to the line of longitudinal pressure, the latter meeting it everywhere at a
considerable augle. It attains its maximum effect after it has passed the vertical
line through the axis of the wheel, and up to its point of immersion its sternward
pressure on the water is well maintained
One two or more paddle wheels, such as described, may be employed according
to requirements.
A vessel of the form herembefore described may if desired be propelled by a
paddle wheel or by apparatus or methods other than the wheel described, such as
by a screw, sails or other propelling apparatus, or by hydraulic, electic. steam,
petroleum, benzine, or other type of motor.
Also a paddle wheel constructed as herein described can be used with forms or
constructions of vessel other than the one described, or be placed in any other
position on or with reforence to such vessel, than the one described, but tho
ietrabedion form of vessel and the skewed float paddle-wheel are most suitable to
each other, and the adoption of the exceptionally smoothly working wheel projecting
through and working under the broad sloping bottom of the tetrahedron vessel
forms a special feature of the invention.
Dated this 7th day of May 1895.

page_text: Improvements in Navigable Vessels, and in Paddle-wheels
therefor.
WC, PAUL OTTO Gustav KretsSCHMER, of 14, Sophienblatt, Kiel, Germany,
Shipbuilding-Inspector in the German Navy, and ARTHUR ROBINSON LIDDELL,
formerly of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, but now of 5, Johannisberge, Laugfuhr,
near Danzig, Germany, Naval Architect, 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 reference to an improved construction of vessel and also to a
novel construction of paddle-wheel specially designed to overcome the disadvantages
with which the application of an ordinary propelling apparatus to the said
construction of vessel would be attended.
The immersed body of the vessel takes approximately the form of an elongated
tetrahedron but modified in such a manner that the corners are rounded off, that
the greatest breadth is at a point distant by from to of the length of the
immersed body from one of its ends, and that the greatest depth is at a point
distant by fiomto of the said immersed body from its other end. This
construction of vessel is shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings filed with
our Provisional Specification;
Fig and 2 being diagrams of opposite sides and Figs. 3 and 4 corresponding
half plans of the vessel, and Fig. 5 cross sections at correspondingly numbered
points in Figs. 1 and 2.
The sides and bottom of the vessel corresponding with the flat surfaces of the
tetrahedron may be flat or curved, the general character of the tetrahedion being
preserved.
A keel or projecting vertical plate may be fitted or not and the frames under
water may approximate to a or U form, or may lean slightly inwards or
outwards. The part of the vessel above the water line may have any desired
form The advantage claimed for the teti alied ron-form of the lower portion of the
vessel, is, that the angles formed by the stream-lines with the line of advance of
the vessel are on the average smaller, and vary less one with another, than in
vessels of ordinary form, with the result that the part of the resistance to propulsion
through the water that is due to form is materially reduced. In consequence of
the exceptionally great extreme breadth, the stability of the tetrahedion-form for
a given displacement, given length, and given mud-ship section, is unusually great.
The paddle-wheel is designed to project through and work under the bottoin of
the vessel.
It is constructed as we will now proceed to explain by reference to Figs. 6 to 11
inclusive of the drawings filed with our Provisional Specification.
Fig
being a plan, Fig. 7 a side elevation, and Fig. 8 an eud elevation of the
said paddle wheel, and Fig. 9, a detail view thereof. Figs. 10 and 11 show
modified forms of floats
1. The wheel floats are held by three sets of rings or rims, A, B, and C of iron
or other metal arranged concentiically with the axis of the wheel. The rings A
form the outermost corners of the wheel and take the outermost points of the floats
The inner rings B and C take the other coiners of the floats and may be made
single, when the latter nie each in one piece, or double, when the floats are each in
two or three pieces.
2. The floats are each bent in ridge-fashion, and their edges or ridge-limes I are
set at a certain angle a with the radius of the wheel. The leading edges 2 of
each float lying between the outer ng A and the middle ng B are set indially
to the axis of the wheel. The following ridge of the float causes the inner aud

page_text: outer edges of the float to form the angles ẞ and ẞ' respectively with each other,
as shown in Fig. 9.
The
3. The magnitude of the angle a made by the ridge-line of the float with the
radus drawn to its leading edge, depends upon the diameter of the wheel
magnitude of the angles and ẞ3 formed between the inner and outer edges
1spectively of the float, depends upon the breadth of the wheel.
4. The inner and outer boundary-lines of the floats do not lie on, or parallel to,
the circumference of the wheel, but extend at an angle y or y' with the latter,
towards the respective points of the ridge on the concentric rings B and C
5. The magnitude of the angle y depends on the height of the floats, and on the
mean depth of immersion of the wheel.
6 (a) For deep water, the ridge-shaped floats are closed at the ridge, as shown
in Fig. 9.
(b) For shallow water, the floats may be formed with an opening in place of
the ridge, the part of the ridge thus cut out, being set at a certain distance behind
the opening (relatively to the duection of motion of the rim of the wheel), as
shown in Fig. 10.
The distance of this detached ridge-piece from the position it would occupy,
when in one with the wings of the float, depends upon the velocity of rotation of
the wheel.
(c) For very shallow water, the dge-piece may be entirely removed, the
wings of the floats remaining as shown in Fig. 11. The size of the opening
between the wings in this case, depends upon the diameter and breadth of the
wheel, and on its velocity of 1otation.
7. The wings of the ridge-shaped floats need not be flat, but may have a
certain curvature, which in the case of the open ridge, may take an S-like form
(Bre Fig. 11).
The position in which the floats lie . at an angle with the circumference of
the wheel enables the water, even in the case of the closed dge, to escape aft
with comparative ease, the action of the said floats upon the water depending more
upon friction, and less upon impact, than other constructions of paddle wheels
hither to made or proposed.
The float, on entering the water nowhere presents a surface even approximately
perpendicular to the line of longitudinal pressure the latter meeting it everywhere
with considerable angularity. It attains its maximum effect after it has passed the
vortical line through the axis of the wheel, and up to the point at which it
leaves the water its steinward pressure on the water is well maintained. One,
two, or more paddle wheels such as described may be employed according to
requirements.
A vessel of the form hereinbefore described may, if desired, be propelled by a
paddle-wheel or by apparatus or methods other than the wheel described, such as
by a screw, sails, or other propelling apparatus, and by bydraulic, electric, steam,
petroleum, benzine or other type of motor.
Also a paddle-wheel constructed as heieu described can be used with forms or
constructions of vessel other than the one described, or be placed in any other
position on or with reference to such vessel, than the one described, but the
tetrahedron-form of vessel and the skewed-float paddle-wheel-ie. those herem
described are inost suitable to each other, and the adoption of the exceptionally
smoothly working wheel projecting through and working under the broad sloping
bottom of the tetrahedron vessel forms a special feature of the invention.
1laving now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim 18.-
1. A navigable vessel the portion of which below the water line is constructed
approximately in the form of an elongated tetrahedron substantially as hereinbefore
described with roforonas to the d……..

page_text: 2. A paddle-wheel having skew-floats constructed and arranged substantially as
described and shown.
3. The combination of a navigable vessel having its lower part, below the
water-line, of tetrahedron form, and a skewed-float paddle-wheel, substantially
as described and shown.
Dated this 27th day of December 1895.
F. WISE IIOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.