Ruthven's Hydraulic Propeller. 55 
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XY A, Ht dat Wold 
FIG. 2.—Plan of engine and propeller. 
a. Steam cylinders. 
Air pump. 
Water-tight case containing fan-wheel. 
Nozzles. 
Holes in bottom for supplying the wheel in c with water. 
Wheel for turning valves. 
HS SUP ie 
The principle of this invention is as follows :— 
The hydraulic propeller has a water-wheel zzside the 
vessel. This wheel is enclosed in a metal case, placed 
under the water-line of the vessel. The wheel is supplied 
with water from a series of small holes in the bottom of 
the vessel. The wheel-case has two bent tubes, or nozzles, 
one at each side of the vessel. The wheel revolves by the 
power of the steam-engines (which are of the ordinary 
description of marine-engines), and the water is expelled 
at each side through these nozzles. The nozzles are bent 
in such a manner that the issuing water is parallel with the 
sides of the vessel. There is a contrivance whereby the 
water from the nozzles may be directed either towards the 
stern or towards the stem. When flowing towards the 
stern the vessel will go a-head, and when directed to the 
stem the vessel will go a-stern. With the water from one 
nozzle. directed towards the stem, and from the other 
towards the stern, the vessel will go round on its own 
centre, within its own length. The nozzles, it should be 
borne in mind, are not placed uuder, but above, or rather 
om the water-line. Most people suppose that the pro- 
- aa force is obtained by fhe water being forced out of 
EF 2 
