IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING SHIPS, BOATS, AND OTHER VESSELS PROPELLED BY PADDLE WHEELS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Porecky at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th November 1880.
ALEXANDER PORECKY, of No. 3, Leconfield Road, Stoke Newington, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanician. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEERING SHIPS, BOATS,
AND OTHER VESSELS PROPELLED BY PADDLE WHEELS."
This Invention consists in effecting the steerage of ships, boats, and other vessels,
propelled by paddle wheels, by means of semicylindrical boxes or troughs,, each
encasing the half of a paddle wheel and actuated by a separate shaft fitted with
proper gear working in corresponding gear attached to each box or trough at the
side next the ship to turn them round the paddle wheels as herein described.
The semicylindrical boxes or troughs are each so constructed and of such size as
to encase the half of a paddle wheel and leave a little space clear on each side and
around it, and provided with suitable bearings at the middle of the diametrical line
to fit on they shaft or axle of the paddle wheels in a manner that they shall have
the same axis as the paddle wheels as a centre; and that by placing washers on
the shaft or axle between the sides of the box and the paddle wheel the movements
of the paddle wheels and boxes or troughs will be independent of and unimpeded
by each other. To the side of each of these troughs which faces the vessel a plane
semicircular side of like diameter is joined, thus completing the circle of that side
of each trough. Around the centre of each circular side or disc a cogged wheel of
sufficient strength, and of about one fourth of the diameter of the disc, is fixed and
fits to another toothed wheel fixed on the end of a shaft resting in bearing
supported by convenient means above the deck of the vessel, each shaft extending
across the vessel to about midships where both are worked by means of a separate
crank or rudder wheel fitted to each of them, and are within the reach of one and
the same person.
It will now be seen that if both the boxes or troughs have their openings turned
downwards the effect of the paddle wheels in the progress of the vessel will not
be influenced; on the other hand; if the troughs be turned with the closed parts
downwards the effect of the paddle wheels will be null.
Again, if one of the boxes or troughs is turned with its opening downwards and
the other with the closed part downwards, the former will cause the vessel to

page_text: turn round the latter as its centre; also if one of them has the closed part turned
partially down in the water and the other the whole of the open part downwards,
the vessel will move eliptically, and it will also be evident that all other different
changes in the positions of the boxes or troughs relative to each other will produce
their varied results on the direction or course of the vessel.
Another advantage of this Invention is that in a rough sea; if the vessel lurch
over on one side the trough at that side will become closed by the water, and 80,
by the air being confined inside, it will serve as a buoy and thus prevent the vessel
being capsized.
Finally, it will be noticed that for ships, boats, or other vessels, propelled by
means of paddle wheels by steam or any other motive power, the use of a rudder
may be dispensed with.