England’s first woman of technology, Henrietta Vansittart, and how her invention revolutionized ship propeller design, excerpted from Inventing a Better Mousetrap: 200 Years of American History in the Amazing World of Patent Models
England’s First Woman Engineer
No woman epitomizes the idea of the new woman inventor more than Henrietta Vansittart (1833-1883) of Richmond, England. Henrietta is known as England’s first woman engineer, and her improvements in propeller design is probably the most important nautical invention by a woman of the 19th century.
Ship Propulsion Design
Her ship propulsion design is especially noteworthy because it is such an unusual area of invention for a woman of her time. In 1838, Henrietta’s father, James Lowe, patented his idea of a submerged stern-mounted propeller to replace the partially submerged side-mounted paddlewheels then in use.
Although the Lowe propeller was fitted on many British warships, James Lowe never saw any financial benefits from his invention. Infringement battles prevented him from any monetary reward, and as a result, he died penniless in 1866.
Following her father’s death, Vansittart carried on his pioneering work on the development of the screw propeller for steamships. The experience of her father appears to have been a driving force in Henrietta’s pursuit of her invention. Determined to win the recognition for her father that had eluded him during his lifetime, she began to experiment, and in 1868, she was awarded British patent #2877.
Her propeller was later used in many warships and liners, including the Scandinavian and the Lusitania. She took out both English and American patents for her invention.
Henrietta Vansittart was awarded United States patent #89,712 on May 4, 1869 for her Method of Construction for Screw Propellers. In the United States patent papers, Vansittart states:
“The object of this invention is to economize the power required in driving steam-propellers for ships or other vessels. This is effected by so modifying the form of the blades of screw-propellers, as to cause them to act more effectually on the water, and to prevent them from “churning,” or uselessly stirring the water near the centre of motion.
In carrying out the invention, the blades of the propeller are so shaped, that when viewed in edge view, and in cross-section, instead of forming portions of the thread of a screw, they will present a compound curved line, curling in opposite directions from the centre to the edges. The blades may be set at any desired angle on their boss, and, for convenience, they may be cast with the boss, which by preference, is made in the form of a truncated sphere or barrel.
The propeller may be constructed with two or more blades and these blades may taper either to or from the boss.”
Improved Technology, Better Construction
In 1869, Henrietta Vansittart received a U.S. patent for her improved method of construction for screw propellers. Her propeller allowed ships to go faster, with less fuel, less vibration and better steering in reverse.
For more information on the history of patent models, take a look at my book Inventing a Better Mousetrap: 200 Years of American History in the Amazing World of Patent Models, available now on Amazon. Read an excerpt here.
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