IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING, GUIDING, OR MANEUVORING SHIPS OR BOATS
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry John Hall, Alexander
Dalgety, and Edward Ledger at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 9th January 1855.
We, HENRY JOHN HALL, of Charlton, in the County of Kent, Commander
in the Royal Navy, and ALEXANDER DALGETY and EDWARD LEDGER, both of
Deptford, in the County of Kent, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING, GUIDING,
OR MANEUVORING SHIPS OR BOATS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the employment of certain apparatus fitted into the
bows and stern of a boat or ship, for the purpose of guiding or manoeuvoring
such boat or ship with or without the aid of a rudder, and whilst the ship is
either with or without headway.
The improvements consist in the employment and application of four jets
of water or air for guiding or manoeuvoring ships and boats, such jets being
obtained from a rotatory pump or other suitable forcing apparatus or blower
situated in the interior of the boat or ship; this pump, forcing apparatus, or
blower being in connection with four pipes, two of which open at the side of
the bows and two at the stern; thus there will be an aperture at each side
of the bows and the stern, such apertures being so disposed that the jets will
be thrown out at about a right angle from the ship's side. The opposite ends
of these four pipes open into a small reservoir, and in this reservoir or above it

page_text: is fitted a rotatory pump or other suitable powerful forcing or blowing appa-
A fifth pipe, which is straight, is situated between the four pipes
herein-before referred to, and this last pipe runs directly through the ship or
boat from stem to stern; and this pipe is also connected with the rotatory
pump or other forcing or blowing apparatus, herein-before referred to, and is
fitted with a suitable cock or valve, for, directing the current of water or air
either fore or aft, according as the vessel may be required to move astern or
ahead. The other four pipes are each fitted with a valve or stop-cock, under
the controul of an attendant, so that by opening or closing certain cocks the
ship may be turned round in her own length, moved ahead or astern, or moved
sideways, broadside on, as the case may be. Another mode of effecting the
guiding or maneuvoring of ships or boats consists in placing a paddle wheel
or one or more blades or floats at the bows or stern or both at bow & stern
of the ship or boat, such paddle wheels or floats working or rotating in a
direction at right angles to the kelson. It will thus be obvious, that by rotating
or actuating these wheels, blades, or floats in contrary directions, the bows
and stern will be brought round accordingly; or if they are both rotated in the
same direction, the ship may be moved broadside on, as herein-before described.
The pumps or other forcing or blowing apparatus, in the first-described arrange-
ment, and the paddle wheels, blades or floats, in the last arrangement, may be
worked either by hand (with the aid of suitable gearing), or by steam or other
power, as found most convenient.