704 



PATENTS. 



FIG. 1. KINO'S FOLDING- BOAT. 



steel wire for the necessary " timbers " ; the for- 

 mation of the boat, as shown in the illustration, 

 consisting of four sections of such wire lashed 

 together, overlapping one another in such fash- 

 ion as to cover almost the whole interior.surface 

 of the boat. The necessary longitudinal stiffness 

 of the boat is secured by a stout, oaken keel, 

 hinged amidships and furnished with stem and 

 stern pieces that fit into the curved ends of the 

 flexible, waterproof covering The curved stem 

 and stern pieces are set in place while the keel 

 is still bent upward in the middle at its pivotal 

 point. It is obvious that the downward press- 

 ure on the middle of the keel thrusts its ends 



FIG. 2. ELLIPTIC PROPELLER. 



outward, so that the entire flexible covering is 

 strained longitudinally as tight as possible. The 

 keel being once in position, ribs made of some- 

 what heavier steel wire and numbered to indi- 

 cate their proper position in the boat, are slipped 

 into sockets along the gunwale, and then pushed 

 along the keel until they engage notches, where 



they are permanently held. These ribs also hold 

 down the smaller wire frame-work already in 

 place, pressing it so firmly against the flexible 

 covering that it can not be moved unless the keel 

 is detached. Along the midship section of both 

 gunwales two removable strips of wood are placed, 

 and these are pressed outward by an adjustable 

 cross piece, which can be lengthened or short- 

 ened at will, thus increasing or decreasing the 

 beam of the boat according to convenience or 

 necessity. Immediately on the steel ribs before 

 mentioned are laid light floor boards, running 

 fore and aft in sections, so that the occupants 

 of the boat sit or stand without danger of step- 

 ping upon the flexible cov- 

 ering. These, too, are se- 

 curely locked in position 

 by simple devices. With 

 each boat is a light canvas 

 cover, in which all the 

 parts can be packed, and fi- 

 nally the whole is wrapped 

 up in an external case 

 formed by the floor boards. 

 The total weight of such a 

 boat, of medium size, ca- 

 pable of carrying three 

 men in smooth water, and 

 about 12| feet long, is 64 

 pounds. 



Propeller for Small 

 Boats. The ingenuity of 

 inventors has for a long 

 time been directed to de- 

 vising some kind of me- 

 chanical appliance that 

 should supersede the oars 

 and paddles. Ordinary 

 paddle wheels and screw 

 propellers, when applied to small boats and 

 driven by arm or leg power, are not nearly so 

 efficient in proportion as when driven by the 

 tireless steam engine. A recent device for this 

 purpose is known as the " feather-blade elliptic 

 propeller " (Fig. 2). It is a mechanical device 

 for operating a paddle that closely approximates 



