US590845A - Francis e - Google Patents

Description

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(No Model.) l

F. E. MILLS.

' BOAT. l No. 590 ,845. Patented Sept." 28, 1897.

i nearrthe bow to the stern and arranged to UNITED STATES PAIIENTl I FRANCIS E. MILLS, OF IITASI'IING'IOX, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,845, dated september 2s, 1897.

Appiimiontied. Juiy 9, 1ste. serial No. 598,550. (No moiie'i.)

placed or distributed that the center of v gravity of the boat and cargo lshall be nearly over the center of the straight portion of the entirebottoin. When constructed and loaded (1.7/ f7/,out if '/l/,r/,l/ (foncer/b: 1 Le it known that I, FRANCIS E. MILLS, of Washington, iii theDistiict of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in 5 Boats, of which the following is a specifica-- tion.

The object of the invention is to construct a boat or water-eraf t of such forin thatin movi ing forward it will lift itself Ato .the surface Io and aided by the #02's inertia of that fluid will, swiftly glide oi' iicochct'upon the top of the water.

To this end it consists of a boat Whose botu toin is. astraight line extending from a point ing less buoyancy and displacing less water lower and gives the `entirebottom iloorfconsiderable inclination downward and backward, and this is essential to its proper ac 6,' tion. v A

Operation-s If while in thispositionthe boat` is movedforward by a horizontal impulse, the

.- its center'of gravity lifts the entire boat, (not rd.mo' the forni of a broad tail whosetransversc section increases it is made to mount the surlo tion occupies a horizontal plane and lies sub- 1 merged inthe water wheuat rest, but causes the boat to riseto the surface and glide oi' ricocher thereupon after the manner of a' toboggan-sled or skipping stone when in rapid 'inotion, as hereinafter fully described.

igure l is a sideview of my boat when at rest in the water. Fig. 2 is a side view when in rapid motion. Fig'.r 3 is a side v iew showing a rear-deck extension and provision forA 3o backing. Fig. 4 is a vertical-erosssection through line et 4 of Fig. and Fig.v 5 is a pering through andvdisplacing the water. I The foregoingdescription covers the most 75 essential features of the craft and all that are shown -in Figs. vl and 2, but Afor the entire safety,`convenience, and comfort of those riding inthe boat some other accessories are Phe form of the boat will be readily undeicheck to prevent any sudden rush of water 3 5 stood by reference to theaccompanyingdrawagainst the submerged tail when it is eoni- 85 ings. Its bottoni A is. broad, lflat, and. level pelled to stop while traveling downstream or in its cross-sections, and with the exception in backing; third, side fins to produce an of a sliort upward curve at the bow is longiair-cushion between tliericochetting bottomv lly straight to the vextreme rear' end. and the water in order to relieveit of any un- 40 Its sidesi B are vertical and parallel. When pleasant liol-ting or jar. i

loaded andstationary, asi'IiaFig, 1, theforward As a su pport to the` floor B2 of a rear deck portion o theboat, which sustains th'e load extending considerably above the surface of It l t necessary that these 95 eluded, covers abouttwo-thirds the entire sides be water-tight. The deck, however,

inclined bl ttoni under water, constituting a act as a buoy to prevent the rear end of the' in this manner, the rear end of the craft, havnearly'equalareas of the inclined bottom and 65 face, .as in Fig. 2, and sustained by the fuis 7o. inert/a of that H ui'd glides or ricochets over desirable, which 'I will now describe, to Wit: 8o

5o submerged tail. ,The load should'be so craft from sinking lower thandesirablewliile roo 2 sede/i5 lying' inrough water, Then in motion, the entire craft is 'on the top oi the water,` but on stopping the rear end sinks down gradually to the position shown in Fig. l. This in still water causes no incon venieuce, but should it be compelled to stop suddenly while descending a rapid stream the forcible rush ot' the running water against the inclined tail might carry it down so far as to threaten the sub- 1o mergence of the entire boat, and to guard against the possibility of any such resultI provide a 'backwater-check, (see Fig. 3,) which is simply alight pendent lapD, hinged to the rear end of the floor ot the rear deck, 1 5 long enough to reach across the boat and wide enough when hanging vertically to reachthe end of the submerged tail. This flap works automatically. lt opens outwardly when the water flows olf the tail in starting and closes 2o against the end of vthe tail when it tends to rush inward either from the flow of the current or in backing. It is not intended to entirely exclude the water, (not closing up wa- 4ter-tight,) but simply to eh eck a violent rush z5 ot a large body of running water against the inclined stern. l

In smooth water the boat will have a slight rising and falling or gently undulating motion which will not be unpleasant; but should the 3o surface be a little rough it might sometimes come down so hard upon the water as to cause a disagreeable jolt or jar, and to relieve it of this I attach to each side of the boat, extending its whole length, (see Fig. 4,) a rigid strip ,5 b of thin metal, its lower-edge reaching down vertically into the water a few inches below the bottom. vI call these side ins. They are fastened firmly to the outer sides of the boat with screws. The object of these iins 4o is to prevent the air being forced ou*U sidewiseA from under the bottom'as the inclined door descends upon the water in ricochetting, thus furnishing 1t practically with an air-cushion.

The same result, to some extent at least, can

be securedby dispensing with these side tins and snbstituti n g elastic cushions for the seats of the passengers.

The entire bottom of lthe craft, including the submerged tail, is made rigid' by lapering longitudinal ribs ci., firmly fastened to its upper side, the under side being left smooth. Relative dimensions-As the craft is not intended to displace the water in running, but the water is expected to displace and sus- 5 tain the boat, the 'highest results in speed will be attained by placing the greater-dimension of the bottom transversely to the line of .motion for the following reason: When in motion the loaded plane is con- 6o stantly encountering and bearing down upon anew section of water that lies entirely quiescent and whose inertia resists the tendency of the superincumbent weight to dash it suddenly downward out of its quiescent position. It may be moved gradually,` but not instantaneously. It requires time as well as presvglide over that area 4l' claim, and desire to secure sure to displace' the body of water underneath, and (as we do not wish to displace it) the less time the area of the plane occupies in passing over anequal area of the water the less tendency there will be to displace it and the more perfectly its fois inertia will be utilized. For examplehould the dimensions of the bottom be eight by Jfour feet (giving an area of thirtytwo square feet) if we place the longer dimension transverse to the line of motion it will of water in one-half of the time and have only half the tendency to sink that-it would if the narrow end had been placed forward. rThis principle is seen illustrated in sailing birds, relatively narrow in the direction of flight and long transversely.l I-lence,whenever the nature of the service required of this cra-lit permits of it l make the dimension of the bottom in the direction of the line of motion eonsiderably less than its transverse dimension, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 5.

rhe boat is to be guided by arudder, placed either at the bow or stern, and is to be driven by any suitable power, and whenever desired it may be supplied with a thin centerboard and sails and driven by the wind.

Though this -form of craft is peculiarly adapted for light and swift traveling, by giving it the proper dimensions and rigidity it may be employed for heavyvcargoes and driven by power. It is designed mainly vfor use on inland waters. There are many thousand miles of rivers on this continent and all over the world now utterly unnavigable by reason of their shallowness, which could be made attractive and busy thoroughfares of travel and commerce by the employment of these boats.

Having thus described my invention, what by Letters Patent, is

portion made buoyant andthe rear portion made as a submergeable tail arranged to bear iatwise upon the water, the said rear and front portions being rigidly connected together with a continuous bottom line, substantially as and for the purpose described.

. 2. A boat or water-craft having at the lower part of its rear end a tail substantially horizontal in cross-section, and having an overhanging rear deck. with side pieces extending to the rear end of the tail and provided with a hinged door or iiap forming a backwater'- check, substantially as and `for the purpose described.

3. A boat or water-craft having a fiat bottom provided at its rear end with a tail substantially horizontal in cross-section, and provided also with downwardly -projecting vertical blades or fins along the edges of its bottom, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4:. A boat or water-craft having a iiat bottom extended beyond the stern in the form their wings being l. A boat or water-craft having its front IOO

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