Pilot Ship Knapp Roller Boat (Canada)

5
The emergence of self-propelled ships radically changed the scope of maritime transport. Nevertheless, the development of this area has led to new challenges and challenges. Shipowners were interested in increasing speed and reducing fuel consumption. To solve these problems, a variety of ideas were offered, including unusual ones. A very remarkable version of the ship with increased speed and reduced fuel consumption at the end of the XIX century was proposed by the Canadian Frederick Augustus Nepp.

F.O. He had a law degree and worked as a lawyer in his hometown of Prescott (Ontario), but this did not prevent him from showing interest in marine engineering. Back in 1892, he thought about the issue of increasing the speed of promising ships and soon came to some conclusions. He understood that the ships of traditional design could not show high rates of speed due to the significant water resistance associated with a large wetted surface area and the need to “cut through” the waves. To eliminate such negative effects, according to Mr. Napp, it was necessary to minimize the contact of the vessel with water.



Pilot Ship Knapp Roller Boat (Canada)
Knapp Roller Boat in the dock. Photo of Torontoist.com


It is known that a log thrown into the water is only partially submerged, while some of its cross section remains above the surface. In this case, the log can freely rotate around the longitudinal axis, maintaining the same "draft". It is this principle F.O. Nepp decided to use in his original project. He planned to build a ship with a cylindrical hull, minimally immersed in water and able to rotate, providing translational motion.

The designer suggested that a vessel with a cylindrical hull of large elongation will be able to move through the water with minimal draft and, as a result, with a reduced resistance of the medium. Due to this, there appeared a theoretical possibility to increase the speed of travel and also to reduce the required power of the power plant. However, such a vessel should have been distinguished by a rather complex structure. It was necessary to use the outer body, which plays the role of displacement unit and paddle wheel. Inside it was required to place a mobile platform with places for installation of the engine and transmission, crew accommodation, passengers and cargo, etc. During the movement, the central platform had to maintain a horizontal position, while the outer body had to constantly rotate.

This design creates certain difficulties with the classification of an unusual sample. A vessel with a rotating outer hull does not fit into the existing classification, which is why it has to be attributed to a separate class. Foreign researchers often define the development of F.O. Nepa as a roller ship (“roller ship”), but in this case it turns out to be a “classmate” of the ship of the French designer Ernest Bazin, who had a completely different design and different principles of work. At the same time, however, the definition of “roller ship” fully corresponds to the basic ideas of the project and therefore has the full right to exist.


Drawing from the patent for the original scheme of the vessel


According to some information, in the mid-nineties of the 19th century, F.O. NEP, who worked on his own project of a high-speed vessel, visited France, where E. Bazin's roller-boat was tested at that time. Returning to Prescott, he finalized his project taking into account the knowledge gained and soon built a prototype model of a high-speed vessel. A small device used the original principle of movement and was completed with a power plant in the form of a clock mechanism.

Having made a working model, F.O. Nep tried to offer a project to a potential customer in the face of British shipbuilding. Layout and documentation were shown to Glasgow Shipbuilding Center specialists. Shipbuilders reviewed the submitted sample and concluded that it is of some interest. However, no one wanted to take responsibility, to move the original ideas and to finance the construction of a prototype. The enthusiastic engineer had to go home and re-practice law.

Fortunately for a promising project, F.O. Knapp met industrialist George Goodwin. This man had a solid state and showed interest in promising developments capable of increasing capital. J. Goodwin considered that with the successful implementation of the project will bring millions and glorify Canada. Given the prospects of high-speed vessels, the industrialist agreed to finance further work. To conduct the development, construction and testing of the prototype, he allocated 10 thousand Canadian dollars. In addition, the project was interested in the postal service chief, William Mullock, who also decided to become a sponsor.

Bye F.O. Nep solved financial and organizational issues, the patent offices of Canada and the United States were involved in verifying and registering his invention. So, the application to the US Patent Office was sent at the end of February 1896, and the patent was received in April 1897. By the time the document was received, the designer and his sponsors had completed the development of a full-fledged prototype and found a contracting enterprise that was to be engaged in its construction.


Postcard with a picture of the vessel and its creator. Photo of Torontoist.com


The Polson Iron Works metallurgical plant (Toronto) was chosen as the builder of the first high-speed vessel. He had a great experience in the production of large-sized metal structures, and therefore could well cope with the tasks. The laying of the vessel took place within a month after receiving the patent. Over the next few months, factory workers produced various parts and assembled them into a single structure.

An interesting fact is that the new type of trial vessel did not receive its own name. Various sources mention the name Knapp Roller Boat (“NEPP Roller Boat”), but there is reason to believe that it appeared thanks to the press, and not by the creators of the project. Anyway, the original development of a Canadian lawyer remained in stories under the simple and logical name - "Roller Boat".

Even after filing an application for a patent F.O. Nep continued to develop his ideas, with the result that the design of the prototype was noticeably different from that described in the patent. Moreover, as testing and refinement, a full-fledged ship was refined several times by installing certain devices or even changing the layout.


Roller boat during construction. Photo Ocean-media.su


According to the patent, the vessel should have a cylindrical outer hull, with its ends covered with covers in the form of truncated cones with large central openings. Three sets of plates were placed on the outer surface of such a hull, with the help of which the hull served as a paddle wheel. Inside the housing, on bearings or rollers, it was proposed to place three smaller cylindrical devices that could hold all the necessary devices and volumes. Steam engines, a central post, cargo and passenger compartments, etc. should be installed in these cases. With the help of special mechanical gears, the engine was connected to a movable outer casing. During the movement, the inner hulls had to maintain their position, while the outer one rotated around the longitudinal axis, providing movement.

The “patent” version of the project implied the use of the original steering system. From the side hatches of the outer hull a pair of axles were removed to install swinging steering devices. Each such device consisted of a frame, at the rear end of which a blade of the required area was placed. To perform the maneuver, it was necessary to submerge the corresponding blade in the water. She created resistance and helped the ship to change course.

The trial vessel has retained the required external hull design. It was a metal pipe with conical end caps. It was proposed to manufacture the case on the basis of a metal frame lined with sheets of the required dimensions. Rowing blades of small height were installed only on the central part of the hull. Several internal ring frames were distinguished by a reinforced structure and in fact were the rails along which the internal platform had to move with the necessary devices. The latter was based on a metal truss, equipped with fasteners for the necessary units and a set of rollers for interacting with the outer casing.


Interior housing. The movable platform and its rails are visible. Photo Ocean-media.su


According to some reports, in the central part of the inner platform was provided for the placement of a coal bunker. Small volumes of solid fuel storage could also be located in other parts of the vessel. Two separate steam engines were used. Each had its own firebox and boiler, issuing steam to a separate piston machine. The latter were located in the onboard parts of the platform. Due to the presence of two cars, the ship received two chimneys. Combustion products were removed from the furnace through pipes laid under the "ceiling" of the internal volume, and then went into low vertical pipes.

From the side hatches of the outer hull, small sections of the platform protruded on which larger sites were placed. These sites, which received a rigid fence, could be used to observe the sea. In addition, they served as the basis for steering devices.

The total length of the test vessel Knapp Roller Boat was 110 feet (33,5 m), diameter - 22 feet (6,7 m). The total mass of the structure reached 100 t, but the volumetric displacement was significantly lower. During normal loading, the ship was immersed in water only on 500-600 mm. Such dimensions allowed to equip the prototype with all the necessary equipment with which it could demonstrate its capabilities. However, the prototype was distinguished by small internal volumes, because of which it could not be used as a full-fledged vehicle. The following vessels of the series, the construction of which was planned to begin after successful tests of the prototype, should have differed in sufficient dimensions of cargo-passenger cabins.


Roller Boat shortly before the test. Photo of Torontoist.com


Major construction work ended in September 1897. However, for one reason or another, the preparation for the tests was delayed. September 17 experts first checked the operation of steam engines. Also carried out various refinements of various structural elements. Because of this, the launching was postponed several times. The next date of the descent and the beginning of the test was appointed 19 October.

Nobody made secrets from a promising project, as a result of which many Toronto residents gathered on the embankment on the appointed day in order to see the beginning of the trials. F.O. NEP with his wife and son, the owner of the metallurgical plant, William Paulson, as well as members of the press climbed aboard the experimental vessel. But due to technical problems, the launching again did not take place and was postponed for two days. October 21 ship painted in a spectacular red color, descended from the slip, divorced the pair and for the first time began an independent voyage.

Making a lot of noise, the vessel, driven by Captain Gardner Boyd, was slowly moving along the harbor of Toronto. For some reason, by the time the tests began, it was not possible to manufacture a complete, efficient steering system, due to which the prototype maneuvered solely by the will of the waves and wind. Fortunately, nature did not throw the ship ashore or send it to the nearest islands. During the first inspection, the vessel made no more than six turns of the outer hull per minute. As a result, the travel speed did not exceed several knots. However, even with such characteristics, Knapp Roller Boat could in practice show the performance of the original design.


Ship on the go. Photo of Torontoist.com


The crowd that watched the trials immediately invented the promising vessel of the nicknames Flying Scotsman and Roll Britannia - Flying Scotsman and Rolling Britain, respectively. The author of the project highly appreciated the check. He noted that at low speed of rotation of the hull the vessel showed an acceptable speed. When the case was dispersed to 60-70 revolutions per minute, in theory, it was possible to obtain the highest characteristics and an unconditional advantage over the existing ships.

Over the next few days, F.O. Nep and the Polson Iron Works plant specialists determined the range of necessary improvements and slightly upgraded the prototype. So, on the cladding, plates were installed in the length of the entire body, and large visible marks appeared on the side chimneys, which allowed distinguishing the right and left sides. October 27 modified ship again brought into the harbor for inspection. The change of propulsion has paid off - it was possible to get a significant increase in speed. The ship could easily compete with existing boats or boats and even win races with them. At the same time, the lack of a steering system and other design flaws still made themselves felt.

The relative success of testing the first prototype made it possible to continue work. For the winter of 1897-98, the prototype was sent for storage at the factory. Engineers, meanwhile, engaged in the development of a new project. According to a number of statements, it was now planned to build a “roller ship” with a hull about 75 m in length. It was noted that the use of other metals and alloys would reduce the mass of the structure to acceptable values. In addition, by this time, F.O. Nepp made plans for the further development of original ideas.


Running test Photo Strangernn.livejournal.com


The result of the project was to become a full-sized vessel suitable for transatlantic flights. The possibility of building a vessel with an external hull of length 250 m and diameter 60 m was considered. Using a sufficiently powerful propulsion unit, such a watercraft could reach speeds of at least 45-50 nodes. According to the designer, in this case, the passenger, having bought a ticket for a flight across the Atlantic, could have breakfast in Canada, and have to make the next morning meal in Britain.

According to the results of the first tests, the original project received high marks, and its great future was almost beyond doubt. The press of Canada and other countries wrote a lot about promising development and evaluated the commercial potential of the future full-sized vessel. However, soon the authors of the project and journalists began to lose their optimism. For a number of reasons, the pace of design work was reduced, and the future of the “roller ship” was a big question.

According to reports, after the end of winter in 1898, the prototype remained at the Paulson plant. A little later he was transferred to another land site. There was no noticeable progress in the project. Construction of the second prototype, characterized by increased size, did not begin. The exact reasons for this are unknown, but there are some versions. Since 1898, in the context of the Knapp Roller Boat project, the industrialist J. Goodwin is no longer mentioned. Most likely, at a certain moment he became disillusioned with the original project and refused to further finance it. Budget cuts have led to understandable consequences in the form of slowing down work and an unclear future.


Prospective roller-boat for transatlantic lines. Figure Ocean-media.su


Having lost the main sponsor, F.O. Knapp tried to find a new one. The design of the vessel of unusual design was proposed to the United States military, but it was not interested in such equipment. In such a situation, the construction of the second vessel was no longer planned, and the authors of the project hoped to at least complete the development of the first vessel, as well as find application for it. In the middle of 1899, a new proposal appeared concerning the further fate of the first prototype.

The ship Knapp Roller Boat was sent to Prescott for the next upgrade. By this time, managed to find new sponsors from financial circles of Chicago. In the future, they could also pay for the construction of the second “roller”. With support, Mr. Knapp and his colleagues set off on their ship to a new place.

During the voyage of about. Ontario ship got into a storm, as a result of which the main machine crashed. The crew was able to carry out repairs on the spot, without entering any port. However, due to breakage and repair, Roller Boat missed with the vessel, which was supposed to give a lift to the coal supply. Because of this, the experimental model drifted about 27 miles and fell into the area of ​​Port Bowmanville. They managed to moor and replenish fuel. The transition to Prescott continued. However, after that, it was not without unpleasant surprises. At night, due to strong winds and high waves, the anchor broke off. Uncontrollable ship washed ashore to the west of Port Bowmanville.


Scheme of the upgraded "roller" for the transportation of coal. Figure Torontoist.com


For about a month, the unique vessel remained ashore, and only in July it was possible to return it to the water and tow it to the port of Prescott. There the vessel was again sent to the workshop for repair and modernization. Financial Opportunities Napp left much to be desired, but he still managed to develop a modernization project that allowed him to get the desired results.

First of all, it was proposed to reduce the external case. While maintaining the diameter, its length was reduced to 24 m. Two steam engines were replaced by one installed in the center of the hull. Also, many other units and units were being finalized. According to the experience of the development and testing of technology, a lawyer-engineer stopped talking about achieving uniquely high characteristics. After revision, according to his calculations, the ship could reach a speed of no more than 12-14 nodes.

Despite the agreements reached, the Chicago sponsors did not provide the promised funding. As a result, the upgrade was not carried out. F.O. Neppu had to look again for ways to make money from an existing sample. An exit was found: the “roller ship” became a ferry, designed to cruise through the r. St. Lawrence and deliver people from Prescott on the north bank to Ogdensburn (USA) on the south. However, this idea ended in failure. On the first voyage, the ferry collided with bad weather, and the crew lost orientation. The ship turned out to be thrown on the beach of the southern coast. It remained there for the next four years.


Coal barge stranded. Photo of Torontoist.com


In 1902, the designer received a patent for a roller boat for the transport of coal. The following year, the only built sample was removed from the ground and sent to Toronto for restructuring. The new project meant the transfer of the steam engine to one of the ends of the platform, and the released volumes should have been used to transport cargo. It was proposed to install large cylindrical bunkers inside the outer hull. Loading and unloading were to be carried out using a conveyor belt and a set of guides rigidly mounted on the longitudinal axis of the vessel.

For a number of reasons, the work stopped quickly enough, as a result of which the partially dismantled vessel was put on a joke. In 1907, F.O. Knapp tried to offer the Eastern Coal Company of Halifax a coal-mining vessel rebuilt into a barge. In this configuration, it was necessary to remove the engine, block the internal platform, install the covers on the side hatches and make a loading opening in the upper part of the hull. It was proposed to tow such a barge “in the old way”: one of the front ends. The customer agreed to purchase such a barge, and Polson Iron Works began to “modernize” the vessel.

During the work, the future barge once again hit the storm. She fell off the ropes, and soon the waves and the wind hit the empty hull of the vessel Turbinia, which was stationed in a port nearby. Fortunately, the “attacked” ship escaped with only a small dent and a window illuminated into the hull, which, however, did not crash.


The remains of the vessel for several years before their destruction. Photo Strangernn.livejournal.com


Despite the minor damage, the owners of the vessel Turbinia went to court with a claim to F.O. Neppu and W. Paulson. Following the consideration of the claim, the owners of the unfinished barge had to compensate for the repair of the damaged vessel, valued at 241 US dollar, and also pay a fine of 250 dollars. In addition, an additional solution soon appeared: since the defendants did not pay the fine and compensation, the barge-roller hull should have been sold to a third party in order to pay off the debt. The design withdrawn was offered to the National Lead Works and Antipiksky Metal Company, but they did not agree to purchase a pile of metal for the required 600 dollars.

Other utilities buyers were also not interested in the seized hull, and therefore for many years he remained on the coast near Toronto. Under the influence of negative factors, the body gradually collapsed. In 1914, a newly built vessel collided with it, with clear consequences. The unused hull of the Knapp Roller Boat remained in its place until 1933. According to reports, the remains of the prototype were buried during the construction of a new railway viaduct. More recently, it was found that individual elements of the hull can still be found under this structure.

Despite a number of failures and the lack of significant success, Frederick Augustus Napp continued the development of his original ideas. Until the early twenties, he regularly presented new projects based on already known ideas. For example, in 1922 he told the press about plans to build a whole fleet "Scooters", as well as developments in the field of electric ground transportation. However, these ideas did not reach practical implementation, and the main source of income of the inventor, as before, was not the construction of vehicles, but lawyer services.


Broken body from a different angle. Photo Strangernn.livejournal.com


At the heart of the unusual project F.O. NEP lay the original idea of ​​increasing the speed of the vessel due to a sharp decrease in the wetted surface and the use of an unusual propulsion unit. As conceived by the inventor, such technical solutions made it possible to obtain high driving performance and, as a result, significant advantages over traditional design vessels. However, already during the first tests it was found that the proposed project has a lot of problems, some of which simply exclude the use of equipment in real transport.

One of the main problems of the project was the insufficient power of the power plant. Steam machines did not provide the required speed of rotation of the outer shell, which in practice did not exceed the speed of 5-7 nodes. The increase in speed at that time was not possible due to the absence of power plants with the required characteristics. Moreover, the use of a sufficiently powerful engine should have led to new problems associated with balancing the movable internal platform inside the rotating body.

There were some problems with the layout. For example, it was not possible to resolve the issue of optimal placement of the central post, which is able to provide the required overview in all conditions. Placing the wheelhouse on the side platform did not give the necessary driving comfort, while installing controls inside the hull either deprived the crew of any view or required placing circular glazing on the rotating unit.


One of the latest shots of the former "roller". Photo of Torontoist.com


The impossibility of acceleration to acceptable speeds deteriorated unacceptably low seaworthiness. Even with a little agitation, water could get into the hull through the side hatches, and a cylindrical body, by definition, could not show high germination on the wave. Finally, a large hull was distinguished by a large sail, which is why wind or waves of sufficient strength could simply stop the ship, preventing it from moving forward. Some of these problems could be solved by restructuring the whole structure and using a powerful engine, but F.O. NEP simply had no opportunity to carry out the required modernization.

The original draft of a Canadian lawyer made it possible to check in practice the non-standard look of a promising high-speed vessel and draw all the necessary conclusions. It was found that the proposed design has no real prospects. As a result, the Knapp Roller Boat type vessel turned out to be the only representative of its unusual class. In the future, the similar architecture of marine equipment in new projects was not used due to the absence of any prospects. And yet the project F.O. Nepa decided one of the tasks: he was able to attract the attention of the whole world to Canadian shipbuilding. You can even say that this was the most visible result of all the work.


Based on:
http://torontoist.com/
http://maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/
http://ocean-media.su/
http://torontoist.com/
http://blogto.com/
http://strangernn.livejournal.com/
https://google.com/patents/US580789
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5 comments
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  1. +6
    28 July 2017 08: 02
    Interesting. Thanks to the author. hi
  2. +7
    28 July 2017 09: 07
    Interesting stuff. Thank. hi
    And the body had to be made in the form of a screw. Yes finally could fly! fellow
    1. +2
      28 July 2017 12: 13
      Do:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0566msBy8UI
  3. 0
    28 July 2017 20: 25
    Many thanks to the author.
  4. +3
    29 July 2017 03: 39
    The thing did not float. And the propeller-driven bullets did not fly.
    The main thing is the boldness of thought. Helmets did not work in this case.
    Here is a nuclear reactor bomber - that’s the scale. A circle of ship-modelers ... No, this is not the scale.
    Give, he says, his wallet, he has a knife.
    Is this a knife? HERE KNIFE - and an impressive slag in the frame. Something "Crocodile Dundee" recalled.

















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