IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW PROPELLERS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Burgess Young, of Instow, in the County
of Devon, Engineer, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW
PROPELLERS."
Sealed the 20th June 1871, and dated the 23rd December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Burgess Young
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd December 1870.
I, HENRY BURGESS YOUNG, of Instow, in the County of Devon,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN SCREW PROPELLERS," to be as follows :-
The nature of this Invention consists in the hereafter described
improvements in screw propellers, whereby without rendering the
propeller weak I am enabled to give feathering action to the blades,
that is, change the position in a ready and effectual way, that is to
say, I adopt arrangements substantially or in effect of the following
character-On the after end of the screw propeller shaft I key or other-

page_text: wise fasten a hollow boss, and into suitable holes in this boss I insert
the shanks of two screw propeller blades. These shanks extend across
the diameter of the boss and the propeller shaft passes longitudinally
between them. They are retained in the boss. by levers which project
from their sides. These levers also gear into a large nut which is
caused to travel and consequently to alter the angle or pitch of the
blades by means of a large screw to which motion can be given either
by a rod extending into the vessel or by bevilled wheels and a rod
worked from the deck and brought into action when required. There
are also stops to determine the extent of the arial movement of these
shanks.
Another of my arrangements for carrying out my Invention is as
follows: The blade shanks, which extend only partly across the
diameter of the boss, are inserted in suitable central sockets formed in
it. Each shank has a collar formed on it at about the middle of its
length. One annular face of this collar rests upon a shoulder formed in
the socket, and a deep gland in two halves is seated upon the other
annular face of the shank collar and is firmly bolted down to the boss.
On the end of each shank is a projecting pin. On the propeller shaft
inside the boss is a sliding piece which is caused to travel by means of
a large screw. There are two short grooves formed in the sliding piece
into which the projecting shank pins gear. If this sliding piece be
made to travel by means of the before mentioned large screw, to which
motion can be given by a rod extending into the vessel or by bevilled
wheels and rod worked from the deck the pitch or angle of the blades
will be altered.
I sometimes should prefer to put blocks on the shank pins to slide in
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Burgess Young in the Great Seal Patent 30
Office on the 23rd June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BURGESS YOUNG, of Instow, in the County of Devon, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 35
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Burgess Young, Her special licence
that I, the said Henry Burgess Young, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Burgess Young, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SCREW PROPELLERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Burgess Young, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Burgess Young, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:
The object and purpose of my Invention is to provide a feathering
screw propeller which is not rendered weak in consequence of feathering
arrangements being adopted.
One method of carrying out my Invention illustrated in the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and which I now proceed to describe is as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
:-
Fig. 1 shows a sectional plan; Fig. 2 a side view partly in section ;
Fig. 3 a transverse section; Fig. 4 a transverse central view partly in
) section; Fig. 5 a transverse section; Fig. 6 an exterior view of the
propeller boss; Fig. 7 is a sectional plan; Fig. 8 a plan of boss with
blades removed.
A screw propeller shaft a has fixed upon it a hollow boss b, which
contains a screw c and nut d. The shanks e of two blades ƒ (one only
5 is shown in the Drawing,) being inserted in the boss b are supported by
the bearing holes g and are retained in it by the shank arms h. These

page_text: shank arms gear into gabs or grooves in the nut d; i are stops in the
blade shanks which determine the extent of their axial movement; k
are portions of the stern frame of a ship. To illustrate the action of
this feathering mechanism assume the blades f to be at their propelling
angle. The key rod 7 must be set out into the square socket of the
boss screw c, and being then rotated or turned round it will cause the nut
to travel and force the blades round upon their axes into the fore and
aft or feathered position. To restore the blades to their propelling angle
the key rod must be rotated in the reverse direction, when if the key
rod has been withdrawn inboard clear of the boss the propeller may be
put in rotation.
Another method of carrying out my Invention is shown by Figs. 9
and 10. The blade shanks a are inserted in suitable central sockets in
the boss b. A portion of the side of each socket is removed to allow
the shank pins to travel sufficiently to feather the blades. Each shank
has a collar c formed on it at about the middle of its length. One
annular face of this collar rests upon a shoulder formed in the socket,
and a deep gland din two halves is seated upon the other annular face of
the shank collar, and these faces are bolted down to the boss. On the
end of each shank is a projecting pin e. On the propeller shaft k
inside the boss is a sliding piece f which is caused to travel by means
of a large screw g. There are two short grooves formed in the
sliding piece into which the projecting shank pins gear.
piece be made to travel by means of the large screw g, to which motion
can be given by a rod extending into the vessel or by bevilled wheels,
and rod, or other suitable appliance worked from the deck, the pitch or
angle of the blades will be altered. I sometimes should prefer to put
blocks on the shank pins to slide in the grooves.
If this sliding
The Invention is equally applicable to screw propellers supported by
stern and rudder post bracket bearings and driven by a cheese coupling,
and also to propellers fitted in lifting frames. It may also be applied
in cases when it is required to change the angle of the blades during
the rotation of the propeller. Instead of the blades being feathered by
a key rod extending into the screw alley or engine room they may if
required be feathered from the deck or other part of the ship.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, and in what manner the same may be
performed or carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the

page_text: Invention of "Improvements in Screw Propellers," as the same is herein-
before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Burgess Young, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
WILLIAM YOUNG,
Instow,
Devon.
HENRY BURGESS YOUNG. (L.S.)