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FOR ten years, Arthur D. Hill, Jr., a California commercial
fisherman, has been observing and studying how the vibrating
tails of fish enable them to dart through the water at great
speeds. He also noted that birds, with their flapping wings,
were still more efficient in flight than the most modern of
airplanes with fixed wings. Puzzling out the principles
involved, Hill determined to combine the methods of bird and
fish, and he has finally developed an odd fishtail drive for
Propelling model airplanes, and boats ranging from toy craft up
to vessels thirty-five feet in length. On tiny boats having a
single rudder, Hill’s fishtail mechanism is vibrated back and
forth by means of an ordinary door-bell buzzer, powered by two
dry-cell batteries. By reversing the rudder, the flutterings
cause the craft to move backward. Dry-cell batteries also power
the vibrating wings of Hill’s model airplane, shown in the
photograph above. When suspended from the ceiling on a string,
the little ship whirls around a circular course, its wings
whirring so rapidly that they become invisible. For rowboat and
canoe use, the inventor connects his fishtail propellers to
handles, which the operator pumps up and down. This is said to
drive the boat forward three feet for every foot the power
device moves. On small toy boats and planes, such as shown in
the accompanying illustrations, the fishtail drives are made of
wood and silk, while for the larger craft airplane linen covered
with creosote is used.
Publication date: 1939-09-19
Inventor(s): HILL JR ARTHUR DEMPSEY
Applicant(s): ROLAND C HILL
Classification: - international:
A63H23/04; A63H23/00 - European: A63H23/04
This invention relates to improvements in propelling
mechanism and has particular reference to a propelling mechanism
for a toy boat.
The principal object of this mechanism is to provide means for
propelling a toy boat through the water with a minimum amount of
power with a simple mechanism, and at the same time having the
boat present the appearance common to boats.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course
of the following description.
In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this
specification and in which like numerals are employed to
designate like parts throughout the same,
Fig. 1 is a side
elevation of my boat;
Fig. 2 is a top plan
view thereof;
Fig. 3 is a modified
form of my boat;
Fig. 4 is a side
elevation of the propeller per se;
Fig. 5, 6, and 7 are
similar views showing modified forms; and
Fig. 8 is a cross
sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.
The ordinary toy boat is propelled by a clock work propeller
which is very inefficient and requires a large spring, which is
hard to wind, if the boat is to run for any length of time.
I have, therefore, devised a simple mechanism whereby a small
battery will operate an ordinary electromagnet buzzer mechanism
for a considerable period of time, the clapper of which buzzer
is extended so as to vibrate a propeller within the water.
In the accompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of
illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention,
the numeral 5 designates the hull of the boat having cabin
spaces, as shown at A and B. Within the cabin spaces I
prefer to mount my mechanism which consists of a battery 6 and
an electromagnet vibrator 7. This vibrator is connected to the
battery in the customary manner, and a switch is shown at
8. The armature or clapper 9 is extended outside of the cabin B
and bent downwardly to form a curved section 11 beneath the
water line. A member 12 serves to hold the upper end of a
flexible flap 13.
In the modified form shown in Fig. 3, I have shown the same
construction, with the exception that I provide two clappers so
that I have two propellers 15.
The result of this construction is that when the clapper
vibrates back and forth, as indicate by arrows, the flexible
portion 13 will belly first to one side and then to the
other, as illustrated in Fig. 8, thus producing a vibrating or
propulsive force. The pendulum spring action of the clapper
makes possible the use of a comparatively small amount of power
and saves energy.
[ N.B. -- Or : The
Milkovic Two-Stage Oscillator... Ed. ]
The construction of the propellers is shown in Figs, 5, 6, and 7 is substantially the same in that they consist of a supporting rod and flexible members secured thereto. The rods will have a substantially sharp leading edge and the flexible members will have a thin tapering following edge.
The modified forms shown in Figs 6 and 7 provide means for
increasing or decreasing the amount of sag in the flexible
member 13 so that the pendulum action may be governed at will.
The amount of sagginess of the flexible member 13 is regulated
by adjusting the length of the turnbuckle arm positioned above
the support member pivoted to the clapper arm 9, as shown in
Figs. 6 and 7. In Fig. 7 extra pivoted support arms are provided
to be used with larger propellers so as to provide a more
sensitive action without undue strain upon the flexible portion
of said propellers.
It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith
shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the
same and that various changes relative to the material, size,
shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without
departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the
subjoined claims. for instance, my invention can be used with
large boats as well as small and can be adapted for use with
airplanes and gliders, using a substantially similar type of
propeller, although obviously designed to meet aerodynamic
requirements...