IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF NAVIGABLE VESSELS, AND IN MEANS FOR THEIR PROPULSION IN WATER OR ON LAND
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur William Lovell Reddie, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF NAVIGABLE
VESSELS, AND IN MEANS FOR THEIR PROPULSION IN WATER OR ON LAND."
A communication from abroad by Robert McCollum Fryer, of the Cit and
State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur William Lovell
Reddie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th October
1880.
THE
ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE, of the Office for Patents, 60, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTION OF NAVIGABLE VESSELS, AND IN MEANS FOR THEIR PROPULSION
IN WATER OR ON LAND." [A communication from abroad by Robert McCollum
Fryer, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.]
A vessel constructed according to this Invention consists of a framework or hull,
preferably of iron, in which are arranged and which is supported upon the journals
or shafts of three buoyant spheres or drums, which are provided with paddles or
floats upon their outsides, and the interiors of which are divided into compart-
ments for the purpose of increasing their strength, and providing in case of accident
against the entire destruction of their buoyancy.
It is proposed to employ three of these spheres or drums to support the frame.
work or hull, this number being preferred for the reason that in rough water the
vessel is enabled to adjust itself upon the surface without strain of the framework,
and this self adjustment is the more readily permitted by the spherical form of the
floats, which enables them to turn horizontally in the water, while at the same
time the pressure is always towards their centres.
It is however obvious that any number of hollows spheres or cylinders may be
employed if desired.
The size of these buoyant spheres or drums is to be so proportioned relatively to
the weight of the entire vessel that about one sixth of their buoyant power shall

page_text: be sufficient to support the whole structure upon the water, or, in other words,
that only one sixth of the spheres or drums shall be immersed in the water when
supporting the entire weight of the vessel. The relative position of the several
spheres or drums to one another may be varied to suit the different forms of vessels
it is proposed to construct.
Each sphere or drum serving as a separate paddle wheel is capable of indepen-
dent rotation, and is provided with an independent engine or means of driving it,
so that in the absence of a rudder the vessel may be guided by the relative speed
or direction of revolution of the spheres or drums.
The spheres or drums are composed of inner and outer spherical shells of plate
iron, secured together by intermediate rings, bars, or girders, to which the plates
are rivetted.
These girders radiate from the shaft or from flanges situate near the
ends of the same, to which points any water that may accumulate between the
shells by leakage or otherwise is conducted, and may be ejected as the wheel
rotates; and the interiors of the spheres are subdivided into compartments, so that
in case of injury to the shells, and the admission of water thereto, their entire
buoyancy shall not be destroyed. The spheres are provided internally with a
series of hollow cones, arranged one within the other, with their bases joined
together in a central plane perpendicular with the axis, and the spaces between
these cones are subdivided into compartments by partitions arranged in the planes
of the axes of the drums or spheres.
The drums or spheres are also furnished externally with annular keels, which
project beyond the paddles or floats, and are grooved for the purpose of adapting
them to a railway on shore, on which railway the vessel may be propelled by using
the said annular grooved keels as railway driving wheels.
The framework or hull of the vessel, when supported on and propelled by three
spheres or drums, will consist of three water tight domes or wheel houses covering
the buoyant spheres or drums, and connected by an arch situate between the two
rear drums or wheel houses, and forming stays or bracing to the same, and extending
longitudinally forward to the forward wheel house to sustain the same, such arch
being divided into water-tight compartments, and all the said domes or wheel
houses being supported upon a hollow water tight base or framework provided
with suitable bearings for the journals of the drums or paddle wheels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur William Lovell Reddie in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th April 1881.
THE
ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTION OF NAVIGABLE VESSELS, AND IN MEANS FOR THEIR PROPULSION
IN WATER OR ON LAND." A communication from abroad by Robert McCollum
Fryer, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
A vessel constructed according to this Invention consists of a framework or hull,
preferably of iron, in which are arranged and which is supported upon the journals
or shafts of three buoyant spheres or drums, which are provided with paddles or
floats upon their outsides, and the interiors of which are divided into compartments,
for the purpose of increasing their strength, and providing in case of accident
against the entire destruction of their buoyancy. It is proposed to employ three
of these spheres or drums to support the framework or hull, this number being
preferred for the reason that in rough water the vessel is enabled to adjust itself
upon the surface without strain of the framework, and this self adjustment is the
more readily permitted by the spherical form of the floats, which enables them to
turn horizontally in the water, while at the same time the pressure is always
towards their centres. It is however obvious that any number of hollow spheres
or cylinders may be employed if desired.
The size of these buoyant spheres or drums is to be so proportioned relatively to
the weight of the entire vessel that about one sixth of their buoyant power shall be
sufficient to support the whole structure upon the water, or, in other words, that
only about one sixth of the spheres or drums shall be immersed in the water when
supporting the entire weight of the vessel. The relative position of the several
spheres or drums to one another may be varied to suit the different forms of vessels
which it is proposed to construct. Each sphere or drum, serving as a separate
paddle wheel, is capable of independent rotation, and is provided with an indepen-
dent engine or means of driving it, so that in the absence of a rudder the vessel
may be guided by the relative speed or direction of the revolution of the spheres
or drums.
The spheres or drums are composed of inner and outer spherical shells of plate
iron, secured together by intermediate rings, bars, or girders, to which the plates
are rivetted. These girders radiate from the shaft or from flanges situate near the
ends of the same, to which points any water that may accumulate between the
shells by leakage or otherwise is conducted, and may be ejected as the wheel
rotates; and the interior of the spheres are subdivided into compartments, so that
in case of injury to the shells, and the admission of water thereto, their entire
buoyancy shall not be destroyed.
The spheres are provided internally with a series of hollow cones, arranged one
within the other, with their bases joined together in a central plane perpendicular
to the axis, and the spaces between these cones are subdivided into compartments
by partitions arranged in the planes of the axis of the drums or spheres.
The drums or spheres are also furnished externally with annular keels, which
project beyond the paddles or floats, and are grooved for the purpose of adapting
them to a railway on shore, on which railway the vessel may be propelled by using
the said annular grooved keels as railway driving wheels.
The framework or hull of the vessel consists, when supported on and propelled
by three spheres or drums, of three water-tight domes or wheel houses, covering
the buoyant spheres or drums, and connected by an arch situate between the two
rear drums or wheel houses, and forming stays or bracing to the same, and

page_text: extending longitudinally forward to the forward wheel house, to sustain the same,
such arch being divided into water-tight compartments, and all the said domes or
wheel-houses being supported upon a hollow water-tight base or framework
provided with suitable bearings for the journals of the drums or paddle wheels.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents an axial section of one of the
propelling drums or spheres; Fig. 2 represents the same partly in side view, and
partly in section, taken in a plane parallel with the planes of rotation; Fig. 3 is a
side elevation of the vessel complete; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 5 is a
plan view of the drums and framework by which they are united, the top of the
body being removed to shew the relative arrangement of these parts and of the
positions of the separate engines by which the propelling drums are driven; Fig. 6
represents a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line a, a, of Fig. 5, looking
towards the stern; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line y, y, looking
towards the bows, and showing the drums in elevation.
Figures 1 and 2 shew the method in which it is preferred to form the compart-
ments of the buoyant spherical drums or paddles A, and which consists in arranging
a series of cones a around the shaft of the wheel, one within the other, their bases
separated by and connected to a central division plate b arranged in the plane of
rotation. These cones are divided into compartments d, d, by flange plates c
arranged between them, and rivetted, as shewn. In order to guard against
accidents and leakage, each compartment is provided with an outlet e at its outer
end near the bearing of the shaft, through which any water that may collect
therein will be discharged as the wheel rotates.
In the Drawings the inner cone is not shewn as divided into compartments,
though it is clear that it may be so divided. In the absence of such compartments
the outlet or opening through which to discharge the water is to be made at or
near the plate b. The inner and outer spheres j, k, have interposed between them,
in planes parallel with the plane of rotation, heavy flanged rings n, n, to increase
the strength of the structure, and also radial guides 8, 8.
The
On their outsides the wheels or spheres are provided with paddle f, supported
at their ends by standards g and braces h attached to the outer shell or case.
standards g and braces are made of flat pieces of iron, and the former have their
flat sides in the plane of rotation, while the braces have their flat sides at right
angles thereto. The paddles are arranged between the standards and braces, and
the whole are bolted together by U-bolts passing around the standards and through
the paddles and braces, and having screw nuts on the ends. The standards and
braces are all connected by rings or bands i, i, passing around the outer edges of
the paddles, and bolted to the ends of the standards, which project beyond the
edges of the paddles a sufficient distance for that purpose.
By this means the united strength of all the standards and braces is given to the
support of each paddle in the event of its striking a resisting object. This also
allows of the ready removal of any of the paddles in case it should be desired for
any reason to take them out. This arrangement may be multiplied to any extent
necessary for properly securing the paddles.
Outside of the drums there are secured the annular keels m, m, which adapt
them to serve as driving wheels upon a railway, the said annular keels consisting
of tires with concave faces applied outside of the rings n, n. Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7,
shew these keels running upon the rails p, p, of a railway.
The body or hull of the vessel is composed of a framework with a water-tight
bottom B, which is supported upon the journals of the wheels, and watertight
domes or wheel houses C, C, C, are arranged upon this bottom, and are connected
together by an arch D subdivided into compartments, which serve as state rooms,
cabins, &c. The whole is made watertight, so that in the event of the wheels
being broken or disabled, or the vessel capsized, it will still possess sufficient
buoyancy, independently of the wheels, to prevent it from sinking. This body or
shell supports the separate engines E, E, E, for driving the wheels.
The arch by which the wheel houses are connected affords the greatest

page_text: strength in proportion to the weight of material, and for this reason that form is
to be preferred, though it is evident that the structure may be built in other
forms.
Having now set forth the nature of the said Invention of " Improvements in the
Construction of Navigable Vessels, and in Means for their Propulsion in Water or
on Land," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First. A buoyant propeller wheel of substantially spherical form, composed of
two shells, one within the other, joined together by intermediate girders or ties
radiating from the axis, the spaces so formed being provided with outlets through
the outer shell near the axis of the wheel, for the purpose of discharging any
water which may accumulate between these shells from leakage or any other
causes.
Secondly. In a buoyant propeller vessel the combination of three revolving
spheres, arranged in triangular form relatively to each other, and operated by
separate engines, said spheres being provided upon their outsides with paddles or
floats, and with central keels, as shewn, in their plane of rotation, the said keels
being grooved on their faces to follow a track, whereby the vessel is adapted to be
used either upon water or on a land railway, as set forth.
Thirdly. A buoyant paddle wheel or propeller, internally divided or subdivided
into compartments, and each compartment provided with an opening or outlet
through the side of the wheel, for the purpose of discharging, during the rotation
of the same, any water that may accumulate therein from leakage or other causes,
substantially as specified.
Fourthly. A buoyant paddle wheel. or propeller of substantially spherical form,
provided with a series of internal hollow cones, one within the other, their bases
joined together in a plane at right angles to its axis, and the spaces between said
cones subdivided by partitions arranged in the plane of their axes, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Fifthly. The combination with three buoyant paddle wheels arranged two side by
side, and the other one in front of them, of the hull or vessel body herein described,
consisting of three water tight domes or wheel houses, connected by an arch
situate between the two rear domes or wheel houses, and forming stays or supports
for the same, and extending longitudinally forward to the forward dome or wheel
house to support the same, such arch being subdivided into watertight compart-
ments, and the said domes or wheelhouses and arch being supported upon a bottom
or frame work provided with suitable bearings for the journals of the wheels, and
made watertight, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur William Lovell Reddie, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.