Historical Notices of Screw Propelling.

Historical Notices of Screw Propelling.

From The Journal of the Franklin Institute: January, 1844. Pages 94-99.

(Ante) 1727. In the "Machines et Inventions approuvées par l'Academie Royal des Sciences depuis 1727, jusqu' an 1731," there is described a machine by one Duquet, for forcing a vessel up a river agaisnt the current by MEANS OF THE SCREW.

1768. In a French work by Paucton, on the "Theory of the Screw of Archimedes," the author proposes the substitute for the common oar an instrument which he calls a "pterophore," composed of the circumvolution of the thread of a screw round a cylinder.

1792. Baron Seguier states that some time before this date, there was to be seen at the Conservatoire des Arts et des Metiers of Paris, the plan of a steamboat which was to be propelled by a screw fixed in, or connected with, the rudder. Jobard's Bulletin, 1842.

1802. A propeller was successfully applied by John Shorter, to H. M. S. Doncaster, at Gibraltar, which Mr. Galloway, on the authority of Mr. Napier, states, was on the principle of the screw. Galloway's Appendix to Tredgold, p. 4.

1804. In "Memoire sur les Bateaux a Vapeur des Etats Unis d'Amerique," by Marestier, it is mentioned that a vessel had been propelled, or proposed to be propelled, by means of a "helicoidal surface," nearly as long as the vessel, enclosed in a channel running fore and aft.

1816. Mr. Robertson Buchanan in his Treatise on Propelling Vessels by Steam, says, "Experiments have been made on a kind of screw, but this I believe, after a trial on a considerable scale in America, was rejected. Some mechanics, however, still think favorably of it, and suppose that if a screw of only one revolution were used, it would be better than where a longer thread is employed." The American experiments here alluded to, are, no doubt, those spoken of by Marestier.

1818. About this time an English engineer, of the name of Brain, settled in Belgium, is said to have announced that he had discovered a new means of propelling vessels, namely, "by screwing them through the water." Jobard.

1819. October 1, a Mr. Whytock announced (Edin. Phil. Journal, vol. ii, p. 19,) that he had five or six years before made various experiments in propelling boats by means of two screws; the lines of which were obtained from the circumvolution of a thread round a cylinder. The screws would seem to have been applied one on each side of the boat; but Mr. Whytock's description is so worded as to leave this in some doubt.

Mr. Scott, of Ormiston, proposed to employ a screw working in a cylinder entirely immersed in the water. Thompson's Annals, vol. xi, p. 438.

1824. August 9; Mr. Jacob Perkins patented "certain improvements in propelling vessels," which consisted in fixing at the stern two sets of revolving oars, having their center of rotation above the water, and entering it obliquely at the same time on opposite sides of th rudder, and after each revolution leaving the water at the sides opposite to the respective entrances.

1825. Mr. Samuel Brown applied to an experimental boat a propeller on the principle of the screw, consisting of two flat blades affixed to a longitudinal shaft at an angle of 45°, and placed in the bow of the boat.

1826. Nov. 18; Mr. Bennet Woodcroft, of Manchester, patented certain "improvements in wheels and paddles for propelling boats," the nature of which improvements is thus described by Mr. Woodcroft in his specification: "I declare that my said invention consists in a spiral paddle, made of wood, metal, or any other suitable material of the following construction, by the revolution of which boats, or other vessels may be propelled on water; that is to say, a spiral worm-blade, or screw, coiled round a shaft, or cylinder, of any convenient length and diameter, in such form that the angle of inclination, which the worm makes with the axis of the cylinder, continually decreases, and the pitch, or distance, between the coils, or revolutions of the spiral, continually increases throughout the whole length of the shaft, or cylinder, upon which the spiral is formed, the effect of which construction is always as follows: The spiral paddle being made to rotate in the water, when the commencement of the spiral blade, or that part of it which forms the greatest angle with the shaft, acts upon the water, it gives to it an impetus, or motion, towards the back end of the paddle, thus creating a current in the direction of the spiral. If this current were to reach teh succeeding, or following, parts of the spiral paddle, before those parts take their action upon the water, such following parts would move in, or keep pace only with the current, and would, therefore, meet little or no resistance from the receding water, and a part, or whole, of their action would be lost, or without effect; but by previously elongating the pitch of the spiral, each successive part of the spiral begins to act before it is overtaken by the current given to the water by the action of the preceding part of the spiral, and, consequently, every part meets resistance from the water, and thereby gains a proportion of propelling power."

1827. Tredgold, in his work on Steam Navigation, notices several of the preceding plans, and enters into a full investigation of the properties of the screw as a marine propeller.

1828. Dec. 10; Charles Cummerow, of London, merchant, patented "certain improvements in propelling vessels," which he stated were "communicated by a foreigner residing abroad." These improvements consisted in the application of a screw at the stern, placed in the dead-wood immediately before the keel.

1829, Nov 20. American Letters Patent were granted to Benjamin M. Smith, for the application of "sculling wheels, or screw propelling wheels to boats."

1831, April 27. American Letters Patent were granted to Doctor Giraud, for "a screw, or spiral lever, for the propelling of vessels."

1836, May 31. Mr. F. Petit Smith patented "an improved propeller," consisting of "a short screw, or worm." According to the description given in the specification, and the accompanying drawings of this "sort of screw," it differed in nothing from any other sort of screw; and so far, therefore, as the "propeller" was concerned, no improvement was shown. The drawing, however, represents the screw as being placed in the recess cut in the dead-wood immediately before the rudder; and on this peculiarity of position, though both Cummerow and Woodcroft had before proposed the same thing, has been founded a claim to novelty! At first, indeed, the patentee laid no stress whatever on this circumstance, for his original claim was in these words: "I claim, as my invention, the propeller herin-before described, whether arranged singly in an open space in the dead-wood, or (in duplicate) one on each side of the same, or more forward, or more aft, higher up, or lower down, completely, or partially, immersed;" but afterwards (May 28, 1839,) he entered a Memorandum of Alteration, in which he represented the placing of the propeller in the dead-wood, as being the principal feature of his invention. "Since the enrolment of my specification," he says, "I find that the dead-wood, or run of the vessel, is the only place in which the said propeller can be advantageously placed, and that a screw of one turn, or two half turns, as a propeller, will be sufficient for every purpose." And "for this reason," and in order to limit his claim accordingly, he substitutes for the words which have been just quoted, the following: "I claim as my invention the propeller described in figs. 1, 2, 3, of the drawing annexed to this memorandum of alteration, and placed singly in the centre of the dead-wood, or run of the vessel, as shown in the figures of the drawing annexed to the original specification." As represented in the drawing annexed to the original specification, the screw is of a single thread; but in the drawings which accompany the Memorandum of Alteration, it is shown as being either of a single thread, or of a double thread, or a thread of two half turns. Now certainly to alter the specification in the way donw by this memorandum, is not to limit, but greatly extend, the patentee's original right against the provision of the statute in the respect. For by the original specification no novelty whatever was claimed either as regards the form of the propeller, or the place in which it was to be fixed; while, by the Memorandum of Alteration, he claims to appropriate to himself exclusively, not only the use of the screw with the two half turns, but also the placing of it in the dead-woo.

Mr. Smith's screw has since popularly obtained the name of the Archimedes' screw; but the actual screw of Archimedes, as described by Vitruvius, consisted of a spiral fixed within a cylinder, or case, so as to revolve along with it, while the screw of Mr. Smith has no case, and is wholly open to the water. The American invention, mentioned by Marestier, and that of Scott, or Ormiston, were more like the screw of Archimedes, only that the screw in these case revolved by itself, while the cylinder enclosing them remained stationary.

1836, July. Captain Ericsson patented a propeller consisting of six blades, each of the form of a segment of a screw, attached at equal distances to a cylinder, three of which blades are extended inwards as far as the axis, so that the greater portion of the impinging surface is exterior to the cylinder at a distance from the axis.

1838. Captain George Smith took out a patent for applying two propellers, consisting of plain blades, one on each side of the dead-wood.

1839, Nov. 25. Mr. John Hunt took out a patent for combining a stern propeller and rudder in one; the blades of the propeller were to be of any suitable form.

1839, Nov. 26. Mr. George Rennie patented his conoidal propellor, which differs from all others before proposed in this, that the lines of the screw are obtained from the circumvolution of a thread round a cone instead of a cylinder, whereby the diameter of the screw, rearward of the leading part, is progressively diminished, and in proportion thereto the amount of prejudicial resistance.

1839, Jan. 22. Mr. J. C. Haddan patented the "forming and using of screws with openings, or spaces, in the central portions of the threads," whereby "the velocity of the impinging, or propelling surface, is rendered more equal, and a passage afforded for the water through the centre."

1840, May 28. Mr. George Blaxland patented the use of "one or more inclined planes," (not segments of a screw, but plain blades,) to be fixed at right angles to a revolving, horizontal shaft, placed in the after part of the keel, forwards of the rudder-post, which inclined planes (are to) work in the water below the water line, in an opening formed in the dead-wood of the vessel," &c.

1830, June 13. Captain Carpenter patented the use of two propellers of a trapezoidal form, to be placed in the stern quarters of the vessel.

1843, Jan. 19. Mr. Thomas Sunderland patented a stern propeller, having blades attached, not immediately to the shaft, but to the ends of a cross-bar affixed to it, and of such a curved form that every point of the outer edge is equi-distant from a straight line drawn through the center of the shaft.

A writer in a succeeding number adds the following: --

Captain Ericsson's propeller, as patented in this country July 13, 1836, consists of two wheels of wrought iron, formed by a series of spiral plates rivetted to narrow cylinders of the same material, which are connected by radiating spiral arms to the centre. These wheels are attached to shafts, (the one to which the inner wheel is fixed being hollow,) passing through the stern of the vessel, and revolving in opposite directions, each series of plates being so placed on the cylinders." So far from the Appendix to Byrne's observations "on the best means of propelling ships." Upon referring to the specification of the patent, I am able to add, that the number of blades is upon each cylinder eight--that the cylinder is supported by three spiral arms--that a narrow cylinder surrounds the spiral blades--that the two (which are claimed as one propeller) revolve at different speeds by means of cogged-wheels, and that they are placed abaft the rudder, (which is cut in two) and supported by a bearing from the false stern, which takes the shaft between the two wheels. The claims ar to the whole arrangement of the propeller, as described.

Woodcroft's patent is, I think, dated March 22, 1832, and not November 18, 1826.

Blaxland's patent should follow Carpenter's, being dated November 28th.

In your quotation from Mr. Blaxland's specification, you have omitted the words "propellers," and "inclined planes"--a choice of names being offered by Mr. Blaxland for his blades; and you have added in their place, "not segments of a screw, but plain blades." Upon reading the specification through--the only way, permit me to remark, such a document can be correctly understood--you will see that "in order to determine the angles at which the inclined plane, or planes, is, or are, to be fixed," &c. Mr. B. supplies a diagram, pointing out with singular precision, and in a manner worthy of notice, his mode of ascertaining these angles, which produce a blade whose inner circumference passes over the same distance as its outer does; and this could not possibly be the case were the blades flat. Again, Mr. B. says, "I rivet the inclined planes, which I prefer divided into three or more parts," &c. And here you must understand he is speaking of divided "inclined planes, or propellers;" and then, having fully described the nature of his blade, he secures to himself the right of applying it in an undivided, as well as in a divided state; for with reference to fig. 1, of the specification drawing, he says "the propeller is here shown with an undivided inclined plane," and in fig. 8, shows "an end view of the propeller used in fig. 1." Mr. Blaxland's "inclined plane, or propeller" may, therefore, be described as a short radiating blade, with its angle increasing from its periphery to its inner circumference, according to the rule laid down, whether the blade be divided into strips, or not, set upon an arm, and at a distance from its boss; and to those who would know full particulars of its powers, it should be mentioned that it has beaten one propeller in France; two in one, and one in another of Her Majesty's steamers--two in the Jane, and twelve in Mr. Beale's steam pinnace.

Lond. Mech. Mag.

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