The early inventors of propellers and their patents
This is a short summary of early propeller inventors, patents (with their dates when available), and with a few details added. The dates marked with an asterix (*) were briefly mentioned by the magazine "Scientific American" in 1853, and the full text of the article can be found below.
For a fuller discussion, see The early days of propellers – based on the 1931 writings of Commander H.F.D. Davis, U.S.N. who himself relied heavily on John Bourne's "Treatise on the Screw Propeller" who was a contemporary eyewitness and historian of engineering science.
1800 *: A person named Shorter took out a patent for propelling vessels by a screw, in 1800, which screw was adapted to the motion of the vessel by a universal joint.
1815 * : The renowned Trevethick proposed the Archimedian screw for boats UK patent 3,922 of 6 June 1815 for "High pressure steam engine; and application thereof, with or without other machinery, to useful purposes"; and UK patent 6308 on 22 September 1832 for
1815 * : J. Weddefields, of Philadelphia, in 1815;
1816 * : a Mr. Milligan secured a patent for a propeller, consisting of two vanes like those of a smoke jack placed beyond the rudder, and working with a universal joint.
1818 * : H. Wheatleys, of New York, for segments of a spiral in 1818 ;
1825 * : Jacob Perkins, of Massachusetts, after he took up his residence in England, patented a plan for propelling vessels, which consisted of two vanes working in opposite directions and placed at the side of the rudder.
1831 * : J. J. Guinands, of Baltimore, for screw.
1832 * : Prof. Bennet Woodcroft (1803 - 1879), inventor of what is termed "Woodcroft's Propeller," whose screw of an increasing pitch, as modified, is now in general use in the English navy, and on all the propellers in Britain, obtained his patent #6250, 22 March 1832 for "Construction and adaptation of a revolving spiral paddle for propelling boats and other vessels on water"; No 10,051, 13 February 1844 - patents a variable pitch propeller "Propelling Vessels", based on his earlier increasing pitch screw propeller; 1843 - makes the propeller for HMS 'Rattler': the first warship to be powered by screw propeller. No. 11,197 21 March 1846, 6 year extension of the 1832 patent; No 13,476, 30 January 1851, "Machinery for propelling vessels"; for 1847 - appointed professor of machinery at University College, London. 1852 - appointed assistant to the commissioner of patents. 1859 - elected a fellow of the Royal Society.
1834 * : J. B. Emersons, in 1834 ; this latter inventor instituted suits against those who employed the Ericsson propeller as being an infringement of his patent, but we suppose his claims were too broad also.
1835 * : J. Smiths, of Charleston, S.C, in 1835.
1836 * : Sir Francis Pettit Smith on May 31 1836 took out a patent #7,104, Title "Propeller for steam and other vessels." Text includes “for an improved propeller for steam and other vessels” (U.K.). There is no doubt that the Smith propeller in a rapidly developing shipbuilding industry, dominated in the United Kingdom.
1836 : John Ericsson on July 13 1836 took out UK patent no. 7149 Title: "Propeller, suitable for steam-navigation." Text includes “for an improved propeller applicable to steam navigation” (U.K.)
1837 * : Captain Ericsson obtained the patent for his propeller in 1837 (U.S.) (it differed from that of Perkins in being submerged and placed behind the rudder. In conjunction with his propeller Capt. Ericsson patented the hollow hull, and a mode of disengaging his propeller, when required, which has been highly spoken of, but his propeller is of such questionable utility that the one with which the Princeton was fitted, was removed by Commodore Stockton, and replaced with another of a different character, by which that war steamer was enabled to sail much faster.
1844 * : Richard F. Loper, of the city and county of Philadelphia, obtained US No. 3,459, dated 28 February 1844, for a "useful Improvement in the Construction of Rotary Inclined Propellers for Propelling Vessels." This propeller was used as a replacement for Hunter "wheels" and Ericsson propellers, somewhat unreliable and perhaps lacking efficiency, on a number of ships, e.g. the U.S. Revenue Cutters Spencer and Legare. More details of these ships can be found here.
Sources:
On the 24th of last Janury, Mr. Raymond, editor of the “New York Times,” delivered a lecture on the “Hot Air Engine,” and in the course of his remarks he stated that Capt. Eriesson was the inventor of the propeller, and told a curious story about his first propeller boat, and a Commission of the British Admiralty. Mr. Raymond obtained his extraordinary information from a lecture delivered before the Boston Lyceum in Dec. 1843, by John O. Sargent. In the “N. Y. Times,” of the 24th of Feb. last, the statement is repeated with the following endorsement :— “ Now no English Government steamer of any kind is furnished with any other propulsive mechanism,” (Ericsson’s propeller). We assert that Ericsson is not the inventor of propellers for steamships, and that his propeller is not in use in England at all. The first inventor of the screw propeller in America, was Col. John Stevens, of Hoboken, the father of Robert L. Stevens, of this city. A person named Shorter took out a patent for propelling vessels by a screw, in 1800, which screw was adapted to the motion of the vessel by a universal joint. The renowned Trevethick proposed the Archimedian screw for boats in 1815, and in 1816 Mr. Milligan secured a patent for a propeller, consisting of two vanes like those of a smoke jack placed beyond the rudder, and working with a universal joint.
In 1825 Jacob Perkins, of Massachusetts, after he took up his residence in England, patented a plan for propelling vessels, which consisted of two vanes working in opposite directions and placed at the side of the rudder. Woodcroft, whose screw of an increasing pitch, as modified, is now in general use in the English navy, and on all the propellers in Britain, obtained his patent in 1832, and Smith for his modification of the Archimedian propeller obtained his patent in 1836. Captain Ericsson obtained the patent for his propeller in 1837; it differed from that of Perkin’s in being submerged and placed behind the rudder. In conjunction with his propeller Capt. Ericsson patented the hollow hull, and a mode of disengaging his propeller, when required, which has been highly spoken of, but his propeller is of such questionable utility that the one with which the Princeton was fitted, was removed by Commodore Stockton, and replaced with another of a different character, by which that war steamer was enabled to sail much faster. This is stated in the excellent work of Chief Engineer Stuart, on our “Naval Steamers.” Every one of the Atlantic propeller ships, the only really well tried and successful ships of the kind, with which we are acquainted, are fitted with section screw blades of an increasino pitch. and not the Ericeson propeller.
Various patents were taken out in the United States, prior to Capt. Ericsson’s invention, such as J. Weddefield’s, of Philadelphia, in 1815: H. Wheatley’s, of New York, for segments of a spiral in 1818; J. J. Guinand’s, of Baltimore, for screw, in 1831, and J. Smith’s, of Charleston, S. C., in 1835, and J. B. Emerson’s, in 1834; this latter inventcr instituted suits against those who employed the Ericsson propeller as being an infringement of his but we suppose his claims were too broad also. The great danger of lecturers, like biographers, is to make heroes of their subjects, and this (let charity say unwittingly) often at the expense of truth. It does no injustice to state what an inventor has done, and to praise its real worth, but when the claims of one inventor are taken from him and given to another, truth, honor, and honesty cry out against the evil. We-could say a great deal more on this subject, but we forbear to do so at present.
Events of the week (Scientific American, 19 March 1853
Propelling Devices — The Queen of the South, a large steamship belonging to the “General Screw Steam Company” (England), broke the fan of her screw on one of her recent voyages, and Mr. Field, of the firm of Maudsley & Field, of London — able engineers — who was consulted respecting the new screw, put in one witha decreasing width of fan or blade, and an increase ot four feet pitch. The new screw was reduced 1600 lbs., and yet the ship ran with the same speed making ten revolutions less per minute. With the new screw she made 10 ½ miles per hour, with the old one only 9 knots.
Feathering Paddle Wheels - The steamship Parana, (which was to have been the Arabia, but was sold to the West India Mail Co,, after the Amazon was burned), was fitted with “Morgan’s Feathering Paddle Wheels,” and it was supposed that she would surpass all the steamships in the world in point of speed; she made two very fast passages, but the “London Artizan” states that the feathering wheels have been taken out of her, and the old common kind put in, and that she goes much better. Two other steamships, the Orinoco and Madalena, which were fitted with feathering wheels also, are about to be altered in the same way.