Photo by David Friend Productions, San Diego, California
1867 PATENT MODEL CRANK PADDLE
17-001. American, patented July 16th, 1867 by Henry Rolle of Boston, Massachusetts, patent no. 66,742. Made of sheet metal and machined brass, 11 1/2" wide x 3 3/4" deep x 7" tall. "The object of the invention is to construct in a strong and simple manner a propellor for navigable vessels, by which all back pressure or weight of the water is avoided, and thus gain the full amount of propelling power of which a water motor is susceptible. The invention consists in one or more series of vertical paddles or blades, fixed to horizontal bars, supported by cranks upon each side of the vessel, and operated by cranks, so arranged as to cause reciprocating movements of the paddles in an elliptical or oblong path...." This attractive late 19th century patent model is in very good overall condition, with its original patent office tags, missing one of the three small sheet metal paddles.
