Patent model of feathering wheel

[Henry]

I have a patent model of a paddle wheel. It doesn't have any cam
arangement but rather lets the paddles find their own best angle. Has
nyone sen any arrangemnt or build anything on this order? Is it
efficient ?

[Paulrjordan]

Hello Henry:

Well, it seems nobody in our group has seen these "self feathering"
blades. Do you have an image to send so I can have a closer look ?
I have often wondered if there was ever a system of "free pivoting"
blades which,as you say, would find their own best angle possibly
through gravity and a weight placed on their lower edge. I imagine it
might be along the lines of a Ferris wheel which keeps its passengers
in a horizontal position through gravity, except this would tend to
keep the blades in a vertical position. Mind you, imagining the
clattering racket they might make if fitted to a full size paddler,
but on a model there's no reason they shouldn't work. How well?
Well that's something I'd really like to find out.

Best regards

PJ
Victoria, BC Canada

[Henry]

The funny thing is that it never occured to me that paddle wheels had
a mechanism to adjust the face angle of their blades, until I started
looking at things on this groupsite.

I wonder if any of the members have looked up the U.S. patents, for
the diagrams of "Improvement" inventions on the paddlewheel at the
US Patent and Trademark Office website: www.uspto.gov

You might check the following numbers to start:
311,340 (1885)
161,004 (1870)
124,348 (1872)
150,956 (1874)

You may have to go to a library that has the "license" to see the
diagrams. This applies to all older patents.
My patent model is not among the above, because I don't have that
number with me, but I will get it and add it ASAP.

Someone who can get the diagrams, might post them to this site as
files or photos.
hnass

[Derek Warner]

Hi Henry - I can get to the www.uspto.gov <http://www.uspto.gov/> site
& log in the below referenced numbers & they come up OK
but with an Adobe icon that will not open, nor can I get any of the text
to the left of screen to function

I understand you have said "You may have to go to a library that has the
"license" to see
the diagrams" - but not sure how to get there - regards Derek in
Australia

[Randal R Largent]

Hi guys.
I have left the text below in on purpose so both of you know where I am
coming from.
I must have missed the original of this so don't know the context but
just looked up these 4 Patent numbers and had no problem at all getting
the images to come up.
Derek. You should be able to just bring them up with Adobe. That does
not require a license here in the States.
I would point out that #311340 is for "A machine for feeding letters to
stamping dies", and #161004 is for a "watercloset", that is a toilet.
Not sure what you guys down under would call it.
#124348 is for a canal boat with the paddlewheel in the bow! That's
different.
And #150956 is for a 'paddle wheeler' with 2 wheels mounted vertically on
each side of the rudder skeg!!
Some of the ideas people come up with are sure strange.
I tried to save the images to my computer but it would not do it.
Hope you can get into the Patent site and see them for yourself.
Did you click on the icon that says "images"?
Randy Largent
Still working on the car ferry 'Transport' and super lurking for the the
year or so.

[Derek Warner]

Hi Randy - yes I clicked on "images" & have a full version of Adobe 5.0
but these particular Icons refuse to open - good to hear PS Transport is
still progressing - regards Derek