Improvements in or connected with Steam and other Motive Power Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Steam and other Motive Power
Engines.
We, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, Senior, and HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, Junior,
both of the Orleans Boat House, Teddington, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineers and ROBERT RINTOUL SYMON, of 20 Abchurch Lane, in
the City of London, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
to be as follows:-
These improvements relate more especially to steam and other motive power
engines employed for propelling vessels or boats; but part thereof may be
applicable to engines employed for other purposes.
The first part of these improvements has reference more particularly to twin
engines driving two shafts such as the propeller shafts of a vessel or boat whether
such shafts are parallel to each other or standing at an angle to one another, and
the object is to connect the two engines together in such manner that if and when
required the reciprocating parts of one engine shall balance the similar reciprocating
parts of the other engine, or that if and when desired the two engines may be
coupled together so that the crank of one engine shall stand at right angles with
the crank or cranks of the other (and this is specially applicable in cases where
each engine has only one crank) or if and when required the two engines may be
disconnected so that each will work independently of the other.
For these purposes the crank shafts of the engines are connected together by
toothed gearing in such manner that the two engines will run together at the same
speed. The said gearing is connected to the crank shafts by means of clutches so
arranged that the two engines may be coupled together so that the piston of onc
engine may be going up while the piston of the other engine is going down; or
that the pistons of both engines are going up or going down at the same time, or
that the crank of one engine may stand at right angles to the crank of the other
engine. The gearing and clutches are also so arranged that the engines can be
disconnected from each other and be worked independently, or one be allowed to
remain stationary while the other is working.
The second part of the improvements relate to the thrust blocks of marine
engines, more especially to small engines driving launches, torpedo boats, and so
forth, and consists in making the thrust block in two halves with the dividing line
vertical instead of horizontal as heretofore. The two halves of the thrust block are
bolted between two joggles, or thrust ribs, on the bed plate of the engine or on
another plate suitably secured to the hull of the vessel or boat. By this arrange-
ment either half of the thrust block can be removed for examination, cleaning, or
repair, even while the engine is running, the other half of the thrust block
remaining in place in the meantime, and transmitting the thrust to the vessel
or boat.
Dated this 15th day of September 1892.

page_text: COME LEIE DIEVITIATION.
Improvements in or connected with Steam and other Motive Power
Engines.
We, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, Senior, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, Junior, both
of the Orleans Boat House Teddington, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Engineers, and ROBERT RINTOUL SYMON, of 20 Abchurch Lane, in the City of
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
sheet of drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
These improvements relate more especially to steam and other motive power
engines employed for propelling vessels or boats; but part thereof may be
applicable to engines employed for other
purposes.
The first part of these improvements has reference more particularly to twin
engines driving two shafts such as the propeller shafts of a vessel or boat whether
such shafts are parallel to each other or standing at an angle to one another, and
the object is to connect the two engines together in such manner that if and when
required the reciprocating parts of one engine shall balance the similar reciprocating
parts of the other engine, or that if and when desired the two engines may be
coupled together so that the crank of one engine shall stand at right angles with
the crank or cranks of the other (and this is specially applicable in cases where
each engine has only one crank) or if and when required the two engines may be
disconnected so that each will work independently of the other.
For these purposes we employ the arrangements illustrated in the annexed
drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of so much of a pair
of twin screw engines as is necessary to elucidate the invention, and Figure 2 is a
corresponding plan of the material parts. The crank shafts A A' of the engines
are connected together by toothed gearing B B1 B2 B3 in such manner that the two
engines will run together at the same speed. In the arrangement shown in the
drawing the wheel B is secured permanently to the crank shaft A', the wheel B
however is fitted to the shaft A so that it can either run loosely thereon or be
connected therewith by means of four keys CCCC adapted to slide in corre-
sponding grooves formed in the shaft A. The wheels B B2 are carrier wheels
turning on studs D' D² secured to the framing, or if preferred, the said carrier
wheels may be mounted on axes or shafts adapted to rotate in suitable bearings
provided for them. If preferred, the carrier wheels B' B² may be dispensed with
and the two shafts be connected together by spur wheels gearing together directly
as indicated by the dotted circles B B³, or the shafts may be connected together
by any other suitable arrangement of tooth gearing. The aforesaid sliding
keys C C C C form a kind of clutch in the following manner :-The heads of the
four keys take into a groove E in a sheave E¹ which can be moved to and fro
longitudinally of the shaft A. The wheel B has keyways formed in it corresponding
to the keys C and when these four keys are pushed into the keyways in the said
wheel by means of the sheave E, as shown in Figure 2, the wheel B is connected
to the shaft A and revolves with it. When however the keys C are drawn back
by the sheave E, free of the keyways in the wheel B, the latter is free to revolve
on the shaft A. The four keys C and the four keyways in the wheel B being
placed 90° apart round the circumference of the shaft, admits of the wheel B
being fixed to the shaft A in any one of four positions so that the two cranks A³ A³
may be placed, as above described, in either of four positions with reference to
each other. As the keys C revolve with the shaft A their heads revolve in the
groove of the sheave E, and the keys are thereby held in or out of gear with the
keyways in the wheel B according to the position of the sheave E. In order to
retain the keys C in the grooves of the shaft A the said grooves may be made of

page_text: dovetail shape and the keys to correspond, or the keys may be retained in their
grooves by any other suitable means. The connection of the wheel B to the
shaft A and its disconnection therefrom may be effected by any other arrangement
of clutch that may be found suitable, and in some cases the toothed wheels may be
loose on both shafts and both be provided with clutches for connecting them to and
disconnecting them from their shafts.
By the above described arrangements the two engines may be coupled together
so that the piston of one engine may be going up while the piston of the other
engine is going down; or that the pistons of both engines are going up or going
down at the same time, or that the crank of one engine may stand at right angles
to (and either before or behind) the crank of the other engine. The gearing aud
clutch are also so arranged that the engines can be disconnected from each other
and be worked independently, or one be allowed to remain stationary while the
other is working.
The second part of the improvements relates to the thrust blocks for the propeller
shafts of marine engines, and consists in making the thrust block F in two halves
with the dividing line more or less vertical instead of horizontal as heretofore.
The two halves of the thrust block are preferably bolted down between two suitable
joggles or thrust ribs on the bed plate of the engine or on another plate suitably
secured to the hull of the vessel or boat by means of the bolts H and the vertical
joint is held together by bolts I passing through lugs or flanges at the top of the
thrust block. By this arrangement either half of the thrust block can be removed
for examination, cleaning or repair even while the engine is running, the other half
of the thrust block remaining in place in the meantime and transmitting the thrust
to the vessel or boat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In twin engines for driving screw propellers, or for other similar purposes,
connecting the two crank shafts together by gearing so that the two engines
are caused to rotate together at the same speed, substantially as hercinbefore
described.
Second. In twin engines for driving screw propellers or for other similar
purposes, connecting the two crank shafts together by gearing, and a clutch or
clutches, whereby the engines may be caused to rotate together, or separately, or
one to remain stationary while the other is at work, and whereby the cranks of the
said engines may be disposed in various positions with relation to each other,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the annexed drawings and
for the purposes specified.
Third. Constructing the thrust block of a screw propeller engine in two halves
with the dividing line more or less vertical instead of horizontal, as heretofore,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the annexed drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1893.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1893.
H. A. HOUSE, SENIOR,
H. A. HOUSE, JUNIOR,
R. R. SYMON,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.