IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF PROPELLING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS."
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Spink, of Spaxton, near Bridgewater, in
the County of Somerset, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE METHOD OF PROPELLING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Spink at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1862.
I, DANIEL SPINK, of Spaxton, near Bridgewater, in the County of Somerset,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF PROPELLING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of certain arrangements of machinery, whereby jets.
of hot air impelled by steam are employed for propelling ships and other
vessels. The hot air so employed is supplied from the smoke box or other
suitable portion of the boiler through a pipe communicating by a lift valve or
other, suitable valve with a tube placed horizontally in the rear of the boiler
and extending to the stern of the vessel, the forward end of such tube being
carried into the steam chest. The horizontal tube, which is called the main
steam.pipe,' is divided into two compartments by a piston valve the latter being
acted upon by the external atmosphere, which passes through a bent pipe and

page_text: pressing upon the valve keeps it closed when no force is exerted on the other
side thereof, steam having been admitted from the boiler into the steam chest
by an expansion cut-off valve the same passes into the main steam pipe
through another cut-off valve forces open the piston valve dividing the same
into two chambers or compartments, and finally passes out at the stern of the
vessel. The steam being condensed by coming into contact with the external
water a vacuum is formed in the main steam pipe, the piston valve preventing
any water from passing into that portion of the main steam pipe, which lies
between the valve and the steam chest, while that portion of the main steam
pipe which is between the piston valve and the stern of the vessel is filled with
water, the same rushing in to supply the vacuum caused by the condensation
of the steam. The air pipe leading from the smoke box or other source of heat
being separated from the forward portion of the main steam pipe by a valve,
the latter is opened by the pressure of the air thereon, thus admitting hot air
into the main steam pipe where a vacuum had previously existed; steam is
then again admitted into the steam chest from the boiler by the cut-off valve,
and the steam then expanding in the steam chest, flows into the main steam
pipe, and forces the hot air before it through the piston valve, and exerts a
propelling power upon the external water. The valve communicating between
the air pipe and the main steam pipe, and also the before-mentioned piston
valve are self-acting, but the other valves employed may be either self-acting
or they may be worked by a small separate steam engine.
It may be mentioned that the use of a vacuum in the main steam pipe is
calculated to increase the draught of the furnaces, and that the hot air from
the smoke box or other source of heat coming in contact with the steam,
after it has left the boiler, has the effect of surcharging the steam, or of
imparting to it a greater degree of heat than it possessed in its normal
state
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Daniel Spink in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3
30th April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
SPINK, of Spaxton, near Bridgewater, in the County of Somerset, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two; in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Daniel Spink, Her special licence that I, the said Daniel Spink,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
3 Daniel Spink, 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD OF PROPELLING SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Daniel Spink, my executors or administrators by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly 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 Daniel Spink, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention consists of certain arrangements and combinations of
machinery, whereby jets of hot air impelled by steam are employed for
effecting the propulsion of ships and other vessels. The steam so employed
is supplied from the steam chest through a pipe communicating by means
of a throttle valve with a tube placed horizontally or in any other con-
venient position in the rear of the boiler or otherwise, and extending to the
stern of the vessel, and which I call the "main steam pipe." A pipe
called. the "hot air pipe," leads from the smoke box. or other source of
heat into the main steam pipe in the rear of the before-mentioned throttle
valve, the end of. the hot-air pipe opening into the main steam pipe being
provided with a throttle valve actuated as herein-after mentioned. The outlet
for the mixed steam and hot air, opens into the main steam pipe behind or in
the rear of the hot-air pipe, and terminates in the dead wood at the stern of
the vessel.
Having thus indicated the general nature of my arrangements, I will now
explain the manner in which the propulsive force is obtained and applied;
steam having been admitted from the boiler into the steam chest, the same
passes into the main steam pipe, through the before-mentioned throttle valve

page_text: and thence through the outlet pipe through valves of india-rubber or other
suitable elastic material or materials, and finally passes out at the stern of the
vessel. The steam being condensed by coming into contact with the external
water, a vacuum is formed in the outlet pipe and the main steam pipe. The
throttle valve at the mouth of the hot-air pipe is then opened by means of a
small independent engine, which moves the cams herein-after mentioned, and
thence the valves to admit the hot air into the main steam pipe, where a
vacuum had previously existed. Steam is then again admitted into the steam
chest from the boiler by the agency of the before-mentioned independent
engine, and the steam then expanding in the steam chest, flows into the main
steam pipe, and forcing the hot air before it out of the large pipe at the stern
of the vessel exerts a propelling force.
It
1
may be mentioned that the existence of. a vacuum in the main steam pipe
is calculated' to increase the draught of the furnaces, and that the hot air from
the smoke box' or other source of heat coming in contact with the steam
after it has left the boiler has the effect of surcharging the steam, or of
imparting to it a greater decree of heat than it possessed in its normal
state.
I will now proceed to explain the annexed Drawings, by reference to which
the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which it is to be performed
will be more clearly understood.
"
On Sheet I. of the annexed Drawings is shewn a sectional view of the
arrangement of the tubes herein-before mentioned. A is the boiler; B, the
fire-box; C, the steam pipe; D, the hot-air pipe; E, E, the main steam pipe
in which the hot air is impelled by the steam; F being the before-mentioned
elastic valves, opening outwards, and G the throttle valve by which the water
is admitted and driven out.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet II., of the annexed Drawings shew the arrange-
ment by which the valves are actuated; a small independent. steam engine
being employed for that purpose as before-mentioned. In Figure 1, A is the
steam pipe; a, being a throttle valve, regulated by hand, and by which the
steam can be at will entirely shut off from the steam chest, and a¹, being a
throttle valve actuated by the piston, worked by the separate engine. B is the
piston rod with its cam 6 operating upon the roller b, and by means of the
connecting rod 61, regulating the motion of the throttle valve a'. The height
of the roller b' is equal to the projection on the cam. Figure: 2 represents
the like arrangement for actuating the throttle valve at the mouth of the hot-
air pipe, but it will be observed that the cam is of a different form to that
used for regulating the motion of the steam throttle valve. The movement

page_text: of the lever is equal to the distance from A to B, and while the cam moves
through a space equal to the distance between A¹, and A", there is no
movement given to the roller C until it is acted upon by the projecting part
of the cam marked D. Figure 3 is a plan of the arrangement for working the
steam and hot-air throttle valves; Figures 4 and 5 represent a side-view of the
valves opening outwards which are placed at the end of the main steam pipe,
as before-mentioned, the valves being shewn closed in Figure 4 and open in
Figure 5. In Figures 6 and 7 the plan of the last-mentioned valves is
represented, Figure 6 shewing the india-rubber or other elastic material at a,
and at b, the valve guard; in Figure 7 the valve gratings are shewn with the
valves removed. Figure 8 is a plan of the stern of a vessel to which these
arrangements have been adapted, shewing the pipes A, A, formed in the dead
wood with throttle valves at a, a, and c, and the elastic valves opening outwards
at b, the several valves being shewn in the position they would assume in going
astern, for which purpose the throttle valve c is closed by hand or by means of
any suitable contrivance; Figure 9 is a plan with the same letters of reference,
shewing the position of the valves when the vessel is going ahead.
In Sheet III. of the annexed Drawings Figure 1 is the separate and
independent engine for working the hot-air and steam valves as before-men-
tioned. This engine has two connecting rods, one which is fastened to the
crank of the engine, and the other, which is a longer one, fastened to the lever
to work the cams. By this arrangement while the crank of the engine makes
one complete revolution, the lever for working the cam being longer, the long
connecting rod which works the lever only gives a motion of about a quarter
of a circle to the cams. Figure 2, is a plan of the last-mentioned engine,
and its gearing.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which it is to be performed, I wish it to be
distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details and
arrangements which I have described or referred to, as variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of my said
Invention, and moreover that what I consider as novel and original and there-
fore claim as my Invention are,-
Firstly, the application of hot-air impelled by steam so as to form a jet for
propelling ships and other vessels as herein-before mentioned.
Secondly, the application of a vacuum in the main steam pipe as a means of
greatly increasing the draught of the furnaces.
Thirdly, surcharging such steam or imparting to it a greater amount of heat
than it possessed on leaving the boiler.

page_text: And, fourthly, the arrangement and combination of machinery and appa-
ratus herein-before mentioned and described, or any mere modifications or
equivalents thereof, for effecting the several purposes herein-before mentioned
and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Spink, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
DANIEL SPINK. (L.S.)