IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING THE THRUST OF SHAFTING IN MOTION to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: I, LIONEL BURY WELLS, of Northwich, in the County of Cheshire Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING THE THRUST OF SHAFTING IN
MOTION to be as follows:-
"
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus and arrangements
for taking the thrust of rotating or rotary shafts, against or by moving or moveable
parts or surfaces in place of fixed or stationary (as in the case of the ordinary
thrust collars on the shaft and fixed bearings or surfaces which they bear against
and work on) and so arranged as to receive the thrust on such moving or moveable
parts or surfaces, whether in the case of screw or other engines worked or arranged
to work in either direction the engines inay be rotated in the contrary direction
or not.
In carrying my invention into practical effect for example in the case of the
shafts of screw propellers; I do away with the fixed thrust collars on the shaft and
the fixed thrust bearings and blocks belonging to the same, as ordinarily used, and
substitute a surface or surfaces formed out of, or attached to, a suitable part or
parts of the shaft or shafts, which bears or bear, against suitable moving or moveable
parts which may be friction rollers or pullies with suitably formed bearing surfaces,
or parts, mounted on bearings of their own so arranged as to be adjustable placed
at right angles to the screw shaft and secured to a foundation or foundations or
portion or portions, which is, are, or may be, firmly attached to the hull of the ship,
and so placed as to transmit the thrust of the screw propeller to the ship whether
she is going ahead or astern or they may consist of balls of steel or other suitable
material or materials placed between, against or alongside the enlarged parts.
Those portions of the part or parts of the shafting which bear against the moving
or moveable parts or surfaces, friction rollers, pullies, or balls, may be provided
with surfaces of steel, phosphor bronze, manganese, bronze, or other suitable hard
material or materials, and so arranged as to be formed or provided with suitable
grooves or parts for these moving or moveable parts, or surfaces, to work in, on, or
against, and arranged to be readily removed and replaced when required.
I do not purpose to employ this arrangement necessarily at only one part of the
screw shaft as is now the general arrangement with the ordinary thrust collars and

page_text: bearings, but to apply it as well to those parts of the shaft where it is supported
by bearings, as is usually now done or to any other part as may be convenient by
which means the thrust of the screw propeller will be more evenly distributed over
the length of the shafting, and steadier and more even working with less wear
and tear, is believed to be obtained thereby.
In some cases I turn down the thrust collars on the shaft leaving only the two
outer or end ones, and place the moving or or moveable surfaces balls or rollers 80
that the inside surfaces of the said two collars may work or bear on or against
them and a suitable bearing formed and placed so as to fill the space between the
said collars, and take the thrust, removeable hard or hardend bearing surfaces
being applied as hereinbefore described if desired or preferred.

page_text: COAL LIM
DIECIFICATION.
I, LIONEL BURY WELLS of Highfield House Northwich in the county of
Cheshire do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for “IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING THE THRUST OF SHAFTING IN
"
MOTION and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement reference being had to
the accompanying 5 sheets of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked
theroon:-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus and arrangements
for taking the thrust of rotating or rotary shafts, against or by moving or moveable
parts or surfaces, in place of fixed or stationary (as in the case of the ordinary
thrust collars on the shaft and fixed bearings or surfaces which they bear against
and work on) thereby reducing friction and so arranged as to receive the thrust on
such moving or moveable parts or surfaces, whether in the case of screw or other
engines worked or arranged to be worked in either direction the engines may be
rotated in the contrary direction or not.
In carrying my invention into practical effect for example in the case of tho
shafts of screw propellers I do away with tho fixed thrust collars on the shaft and
the fixed thrust bearings and blocks belonging to the same as ordinarily used, and
substitute a surface or surfaces formed out of, or attached to, a suitable part or
parts of the shaft or shafts which bears or bear on, or against suitable moving or
moveable parts, which may be friction rollers or pullies with suitably formed
bearing surfaces or parts, mounted on bearings of their own, so arranged as to be
adjustable placed at right angles to the screw shafts and secured to a foundation or
foundations or portion or portions, which is, are, or may be firmly attached to the
hull of the ship or other vessel, and so placed as to transmit the thrust of the
screw propeller to the ship or other vessel, whether going ahead or astern, and they
may consist of spheres or balls, of steel, or other suitable material, or materials,
placed between, against or alongside of the enlarged or other parts with which
they come in contact.
Those portions of the part or parts of the shafting which bear against the moving
or moveable parts or surfaces friction rollers, pullies, spheres or balls, may be
provided with surfaces of steel, phosphor bronze, manganese bronze, or other
suitable hard material or materials, and so arranged as to be formed or provided
with suitable grooves or parts for these moving or moveable parts or surfaces to
work in, on, or against and arranged to be readily removed and replaced when
required.
I do not purpose to employ this arrangement necessarily at only one part of the
screw shaft as is now the general arrangement with the ordinary thrust collars and
bearings but to apply it as well to those parts of the shaft where it is supported by.
bearings as is usually now done or to any other part or parts as may be convenient

page_text: by which means the thrust of the screw propeller will be more evenly distributed over
the length of the shafting, and steadier and more even working, with less friction
and wear and tear are believed to be obtained thereby.
In some cases I turn down the thrust collars on the shaft, leaving only the two
outer, or end ones, and place the moving or moveable surfaces, spheres, balls, or
rollers, so that the inside surfaces of the said two collars may work, or bear, on or
against them, and a suitable bearing, formed and placed so as to fill the space
between the said collars, and take the thrust and suitable means for adjusting the
parts by slotting the bolt holes, the use of adjusting wedges or other suitable
means is, are, or may be provided.
In order that my improved arrangements and modifications may be more clearly
understood I will now proceed to explain the same by the aid of the following
5 sheets of diagrams, descriptions, and letters of reference marked thereon.
Sheet 1 shows in Figure a front view, Figure 2 a side view, Figure 3 a section
at a b, and a plan, of my improved arrangement for taking the thrust of shafting
in motion, on or by moving or moveable parts or surfaces and, as herein before
described, illustrating the employment of friction rollers, sheaves, or pullies placed
on spindles or axes supported in fixed bearings of their own which spindles or axes
are at right angles to the line of shaft and the contact parts or surfaces of such
friction rollers, sheaves, or pullies, formed in my improved manner, and they may
also be made with rounded, oval, elliptic, or parabolic contact surfaces, in place of
Ant or havelled ones or with sither or one of them in ombination
.
Tugs which carry the moving or moveable parts, and are made adjustable
by slots for the bolts or otherwise so as to take up the wear, and conduce-to-the-
proper working of the arrangement and enable the arrangement to be kept in
proper working order.
EE the fixed adjustable parts carrying the bearings D D which support the
moving or moveable parts C. C.
Sheet 2 shows in Figure 1 a longitudinal elevation, and Figure 2 a cross section
and end view on line a b, of my improved arrangement for using the surfaces of
the couplings or enlarged parts in combination with moving or moveable parts here
formed as spheres or balls with adjustable renewable hard metal bearing surfaces
or wearing parts for the spheres or balls to work against which may be formed of
a V section as shown, or other suitable or convenient form to take the thrust of the
screw propeller, or shafting, as hereinbefore described.
A A the moving shafting.
B B the enlarged part or coupling.
CC the moving or moveable parts which receive the thrust as herein before
described.
DD the hard metal renewable adjustable parts, on or against which the parts
CC work.
E E the fixed adjustable parts, on which the fixed or stationary hard metal
renewable parts are carried.
FF the bolts which may pass through hollow or tubular distance pieces, or be
provided with adjusting and locking nuts, or be otherwise suitably arranged to
maintain the fixed parts in the proper position to allow of and conduce to the
efficient working of the arrangement.
Sheet 3 shows in Figure 1 part in front elevation and part in section, and in
Figure 2 a longitudinal elevation and part longitudinal section, of a modification of
my improved arrangement shown in Sheet 2, in which two or more sets, or series,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First The improved combinations and arrangements of parts, in the manner
and for the purposes herein before described, and shown in the accompanying
5 Sheets of diagrams.
Second-Forming the edges or contact surfaces of the moving or moveable
bearing parts, hereinbefore described, and shown in Sheet 1, with the peculiarly
formed bearing or contact surfaces shown in that diagram, or with, or in combination
with, round, oval, elliptic, or parabolic surfaces in place of flat ones, and using two
or more sets of such improved parts, one before and the other behind the enlarged
part or parts, portion or portions of the shafts, so as to take the thrust in whichever
direction the engine or engines may be moving.
Third Placing one or more set or sets or series of spheres, balls, or rollers, as
moving or moveable surfaces at the front and back of the enlarged part or-parts-of
the shaft or shafts, such as the coupling or couplings, where it or they will admit
of it, and arranging and forming the parts as liereinbefore described and as shown
in Sheets 2 and 3 and to take the thrust whichever way the engine or engines may
be moving.
Fourth Placing the spheres, halls, or rollers, used as moving or moveable parts
or surfaces, so as to work on or against the edges or peripheries of the enlarged
part or parts, or coupling-or-couplings, as shown in Sheet 4 and-herein before-
specified.
Fifth Turning down or off; the thrust collars on existing shafts and applying
the improved modifications and arrangements for adjusting shown in sheet 5, to
enable the desired results to be obtained, or forming the shafting and bearing parts
in the same way-as-and-for-the-purposes-hereinbefore described.and.shown.
Sixth-The improved manner, method, or mode, of forming and applying hard
-metal-renewable-bearing-surfaces-as-herein before-described-and-shown.-
Seventh Employing several of these improved bearings of the kind hereinbefore
described-and-shown, at various parts of the length of moving shafting, to distribute-
the thrust more evenly throughout that length, and prevent it from being
concentrated at any one point.
Eighth—Providing suitable means of adjustment for the several parts of these