Improvements in the Construction of Vessels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1898-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Vessels.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY, of 36, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by John Martin
Fehrenbach, Mechanician, of 521, 6th Street, Philadelphia, U.S.A., to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to so construct and propel ships as to overcome
in great measure the friction due to the forcing through the water of the mass
constituting the submerged portion of the hull of an ordinary ship, and this
object is attained in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is a side view of a ship constructed in accordance with this invention; and
Fig. 2 is a top or plan view and Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same.
It is well known that great power is required to force through the water the
mass constituting the immersed portion of the hull of an ordinary ship, and
attempts have been made to overcome the defect by the use of circular floats
carrying above the surface of the water the structure of the ship containing the
motive power and accommodations for passengers, crew and cargo, the ship being
provided with propelling devices of ordinary character, and the theory being
that the rotation of the floats would lessen the friction and thus facilitate the
propulsion of the vessel.
It is manifest however that the immersed portions of the floats present a body
of unvarying cross sectional area, and are practically the equivalent of the immersed
portion of an ordinary hull as they have to displace the water in advance of them
as the ship is moved forward.
In carrying out this invention buoyant supports are provided which are capable
of moving rearward as the vessel is driven forward so that instead of having
to displace the water in advance of them they simply yield to the backward pres-
sure of the water and retreat before it, acting somewhat after the manner of the
wheels of a land vehicle in their turning movement caused by contact with the
surface of the road.
In the drawing is shown a ship provided with two pairs of such buoyant and
movable supports, a representing the hull or main structure of the ship which is
provided with properly rigid supports and bearings for the shafts e which carry
the rotatable float wheels the buoyancy of the latter being such that said hull or
main structure of the ship will be supported above the surface of the water at all
times.
The structure a carries the boilers and engines for the operation of the pro-
pelling means, which is shown as a single screw propeller d located at the stern
of the ship, although there may be more than one propeller, and propellers of
any desired character located in any available position may be employed without
departing from the spirit of this invention.
Each of the supporting wheels consists of a series of floats c preferably disposed

page_text: in the form of a ring and mounted so as to be rigidly retained in their proper
position upon suitable framework b carried by the shaft e.
Each of the wheels shown in the drawing has two sets of floats arranged side
by side at a sufficient distance apart to permit of the free passage of the water
between them, each float being by preference of double convex form so that it
will enter the water easily and can be lifted therefrom without carrying up the
water with it.
Each of the floats is preferably composed of a water tight casing of metal filled
with cork or other buoyant material so that in the event of a leak in the casing
the float will not lose its buoyant property.
The floats are so proportioned in respect to the supporting structure of the
vessel and its load that the wheels will never be immersed to a greater extent
than half their diameter, and preferably to a less extent, as shown in the drawing.
When the vessel is propelled, therefore, the water acting upon the floats of the
supporting wheels tends to turn said wheels in a manner similar to the operation
of an ordinary current wheel, the only resistance to this movement being that
due to the displacement of the water while each float is being carried from the
surface of the water to a point beneath the centre of the shaft e and this being
counteracted by the buoyancy of each rising float as it travels from the point
.beneath the shaft e to a point at which it emerges from the water.
While, under ordinary circumstances, the turning of the supporting wheels may
be effected solely by the backward pressure of the water upon them as the vessel
is moved forward, rotative movement may, if desired, be imparted to the shafts e
so as to turn the supporting wheels at a speed commensurate with the speed at
which the vessel is driven.
Of course it will be understood that in carrying out this invention. the number
of supporting wheels and the number and shape of the floats in each wheel may
be varied indefinitely without departing from the spirit of the invention.
.
An outer shell or hood 7 may enclose those portions of the supporting wheels
which are above water, and each wheel, may have its frames 6 connected by bars
so as to form a screen for preventing injury to the floats c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination of a vessel structure with supports therefor, each of such
supports consisting of a rotatable series of floats, disposed so as to be submerged
in succession, and with means for propelling the vessel independently of the rota-
tion of said series of float substantially as specified.
2. The combination of a vessel structure with supports therefor each of such
pports consisting of a rotatable series of floats disposed so as to be submerged
in succession, said series of floats being so mounted upon said structure that one
or more floats of each series will be wholly submerged at all times, and means
for propelling the vessel independently of the rotation of said series of floats,
substantially as specified.
Dotal this 20th day of Juno 1808