US175405A

US175405A - Improvement in paddle-wheels

Info

Publication number: US175405A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1876-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 1893-03-28

Description

F. W. BARDWELL.

PADDLE-WHEEL.

No.175,405, Patented March 28,1876.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

FREDERIO W. BARDWELL, OF LAWRENCE, KANSAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PADDLE-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,405, dated March 28, 1876; application filed October 28, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERIG W. BARD- WELL, of Lawrence, in the county of Douglas and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Form of Wheel for Propelling Steamers, the construction of which is fully explained in the following specification and accompanying drawing:

The object sought in this invention is to avoid the loss of power, which, in the operation of the ordinary paddle-wheel of a steamer, results from, first, the sudden impact of the paddle striking the water; secondly, the lifting of the water by the paddles as they rise above the general water'level; and, thirdly, the violent agitation of the water, in causing which power is necessarily consumed.

In Figure l of the accompanying drawing the form of the wheel is shown in perspective; and in Fig. 2, a section perpendicular to the axis of the wheel at its middle point, cutting the outer surface of the wheel along the broken line i k, as seen in Fig. 1.

Upon the surface of a closed cylinder (or of a surface of revolution approaching the cylinder in form) a series of plane surfaces, called traction-faces, extend outward, like the paddles of the ordinary paddle-wheel. In Fig. l, c c n n is one of the traction-faces.

Another series of surfaces extend from the extremities of these traction-faces forward, and become tangent to the closed surface of the cylinder or other surface of revolution, as

- the case may be, thereby shielding the traction-faces from impact as they enter the water. In Fig. 1, n a 0 o is one of the tangent surfaces, extending from the extreme edge of one traction-face forward, and meeting the closed surface at the foot of the next traction-face. This tangent surface is a plane in case the closed surface is a cylinder, otherwise it must be curved according to the curvature of the closed surface.

The essential character of the construction is most easily apprehended at first by supposing the closed surface to be a cylinder; but, obviously, more efficient action of the wheel would result by making the section along the line i k deeper than that along the outer line, so that while the middle point of the edge of a traction-face, as m, extends the farthest below the water-level, the points 0 r and c of the same edge reach only a little way below.

The arrow at indicates the direction of rotation of the wheel, while the arrow 1) shows the forward motion through the water.

Operation: The moment a traction-face becomes submerged the water is pressed against it, and in the motion of the wheel this face cannot be separated from the water immediately in front, nor can that water immediately in front be drawn backward without entraining with it water still farther in front to an indefinite extent. The closed surface of the wheel tends to prevent displacement of the water, and thereby promotes the success of the action in question, so that the tractionface is retained in its place in the water more effectually than is possible for the paddle of the ordinary wheel, and the power applied to turn the wheel operates more efficiently in causing the boat to move forward.

Dzfierencea-In the ordinary paddle-wheel the power is exerted by the impact of the paddles striking the water and pushing against the water behind it, while in the tractionwheel it is a special object to avoid both impact and pushing, and, instead, draw upon the water in front.

Adoantages. Thus there is no loss of power from impact, aminimum of loss by water carried upward on the periphery of the wheel, and a minimum of loss of power expended in the agitation of water.

It is also often very desirable, in the case of canals and small rivers, to avoid the disturbance of water caused by paddles of steamboatwheels, both on account of injury to the banks, and, in the case of rivers, the annoyance to small boats.

Although the greatest advantages to be derived from the traction-wheel are expected in the case of high speed, yet, in actual experiments of using alternately the two kinds of wheels upon the same boat, making the trial as equitable as possible, the best results, even similar surface of revolution, with radial sut with low rates of speed, were gained withzthe l'aces extendingvoutward to meet tangent surtraction-wheel. faces, either plane or curved, which extend The closed surface of the wheel, making the forward, substantially as described. interior like a hollow drum, is not supposed FREDERIG W. BARDWELL. to be new; but Witnesses:

I claim as my invention DANIELAR ENGLISHQ The combination of a closed cylinder, or a GEO. E. PATRICK.