Improvements in Propelling Apparatus for Torpedoes and other Navigable Vessels.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1892-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Propelling Apparatus for Torpedoes and other
Navigable Vessels.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention (which invention has been communicated to me from abroad by the
"Société Anonyme des anciens établissements Hotchkiss & Co." of 21, Rue Royale,
Paris, France) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to propelling apparatus for marine torpedoes and other
navigable vessels by which any variation in the speed of rotation of the propeller
shaft automatically varies the pitch of the propeller blades, thus equalizing the
speed of the torpedo or other navigable vessel throughout its course.
For the purposes of this application, the invention is shown as applied to a self
propelling torpedo, in which the motive power is obtained from a source of energy
by the torpedo, such for example as the fly wheel described and shown in the
United States Letters Patent No. 121,052, granted to John A. Howell, dated
November 21, 1871, to wit: a fly wheel, to which a very rapid movement of
rotation is imparted by any power extraneous to the torpedo, but the inventor does
not limit himself to its use with such a motor, or with a marine torpedo, as the said
device: may be used in any motor and in all navigable vessels in which such
requirements may arise.
The speed regulating mechanism which when used in a self propelled torpedo, is
designed to counteract the gradual decrease in the speed of the torpedo due to the
gradual loss of energy of the motor, is located in the tail section of the torpedo, in
a chamber open to the passage of the water, part of its mechanism being exterior to
the torpedo shell. It consists essentially of a moving frame called the pitch frame,
connected with the propeller blades which are revolvubly mounted in their hubs in
such wise that a movement of the frame varies the pitch of the propeller blades.
The frame is actuated by a stud engaging in a cam groove of a cam plate, the gear
of which is automatically thrown into engagement with the propeller shaft on the
torpedo striking the water. The angle of the cam groove is so proportioned to the
decreasing speed of revolution of the propeller shaft that the pitch frame, in
following the groove, proportionately increases the pitch of the propeller blades and
thus maintains the original speed of the torpedo.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention:
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the tail of a torpedo on the line 1–1
of Figure 2;
Figure 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the same on the line 2-2 of
Figure 1; and
Figure 3 is a modification of a revoluble mounted propeller blade adapted to be
used with the speed regulating mechanism.
AA are the propeller shafts. A' is a worm loosely mounted upon one of the
shafts, and having clutch jogs a¹ at one end. A is a clutch collar mounted on a
feather a on the propeller shaft A and turning with the latter, but having a
longitudinal motion on the feather, so as to be thrown in and out of engagement
with the clutch on the worm A'. A³ is a trigger with an enlarged disc shaped
head mounted in suitable bearings on the horizontal fin and having an eccentric
shank a which works in a square face collar a in a groove a³ on the clutch
collar A³ & a second arm a having a post a' which fits in a socket in the worm A¹

page_text: preventing the latter from turning when the trigger is held forward by the spring A
on its shank. a is a spring catch to hold the trigger when thrown back. B is a
cam gear having a removable cam plate B2 with a cam groove b, and is operated by
the worm A through the gears B B C is the horizontally moving pitch frame
sliding in suitable bearings c, c secured to the tail section and having a stud C
which engages with the eccentric cam groove b of the cam B*. Rods CC'
extending from the pitch frame C are provided at their outer extremities with a
pitch fork e having studs c² which engage with grooves in the cam collars C
which are mounted and slide longitudinally on feathers on the propeller
shafts A, A. The cam collars C* which have flat sides, one for each of the propeller
blades D are connected to the latter by the blade lever C4, one end of which has a
post travelling in a transverse groove c in the cam collar side, while the other
end is securely fastened into the base of the propeller blade D. The latter which
are screw threaded at the base d, screw into their seats d' in the hub D', so that
each blade is free to turn about its pitch axis, according as the blade levers C* are
moved by the cam collar grooves co. The hub D' is cut out to allow for the angular
throw of the blade levers C as shown at d³.
The operation of the invention is as follows: When the torpedo is placed in the
tube ready for launching, the trigger A³ is held forward by its spring A* and all of
the mechanism is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the worm A' dis-
connected from the clutch collar A' and therefore unaffected by the revolution
of the propeller shaft. The cam gear B and the pitch frame C are at rest and the
propeller blades D turned to their set pitch. When the torpedo enters the water,
the trigger A is thrown back by the impact of the disk head on the water and the
trigger catches in the spring catch a. The turning of the trigger withdraws its
arms a from the socket in the worm A' and simultaneously its eccentric shank a
throws forward the clutch collar A2 into engagement with the worm A'; this, in
turn, sets the gear B, B' in operation and the pitch frame being conducted slowly
back by the progress of its stud C¹ in the cam groove of the cam gear B,
pushes the revolving cam collars C³ towards the propeller hubs D¹, thereby moving
the blade arms C and turning the blades D to a higher pitch, as the speed of the
propeller shaft decreases. This movement can also be given by drawing the cam
collar C forward, if the angle of the grooves c in the cam collars is reversed, and
if the cam groove b of the cam plate B' throws in towards the centre from the
periphery, instead of from the centre out, as shown in the drawings.
The augmentation or variation of the pitch depends upon the varying angle or
sinuosity in the cam groove b in the cam plate B' to the transverse line of the "pitch
frame" C, and also to the angle of the grooves c in the cam collars C³ to the blade
levers C. The propeller blades D are formed to a certain pitch and when turned
on their axis, the new pitch varies at each radius from the hub centre to the tip;
when turned to a lower pitch than that for which formed, the pitch increases more
at the tips than at the roots, which, within limits, is considered a favourable
condition, many propeller blades being formed in this way. When turned to a
higher pitch than that for which formed, the reverse variation occurs, which is not
considered a favorable condition, but may be utilized in certain cases for equalizing
speed or expending superfluous power.
i
A variable pitch propeller should therefore be formed for nearly the highest
pitch for which it is to be used and is then an efficient screw-propeller in addition
to its usefulness in varying or equalizing the speed.
It is evident that by merely setting the cam gear at different points in respect to
the pitch frame before the run, the speed can be varied (for a given amount of
power) so that a shorter run at a higher speed would result, or a longer run at a
lower speed, with the same amount of power; also that by replacing the equalizing
cam plate B2 with another having a special groove throwing out from the centre or
from the periphery toward the centre at any point, the speed can be automatically
varied during the run for certain useful objects: For instance in discharging

page_text: torpedoes ahead from bow launching tubes from vessels at high speed, there is
danger of overrunning the torpedoes before the latter gather their way and in this
case, the cam groove could be made to give a speed sufficiently greater than the
average speed (for a,short distance) to avoid such danger, and then to curve in so
as to produce an equalizing speed for the remainder of the course; or it might be
desirable to run a torpedo or boat at a moderate rate of speed for the greater part
of its run and then to cause it to take up an extremely high velocity as a striking
force against nets or other obstructions.
The parts of the variable pitch mechanism outside the tail cone, excepting the
trigger, are screened from passing water by thin metal screens to guide the water
to the propellers.
The inventor does not limit himself to the use of the variable pitch mechanism
or the variable pitch propeller in marine torpedoes alone, as it is evident that the
general system can be applied to any boat in such manner that all operations of
backing or slowing on one or more propellers can be done from the pilot house for
manoeuvring purposes.
In place of screwing in the blades D as shown in Fig. 1, they may be mounted
with a universal joint as shown in Fig. 3. The inventor does not limit himself to
the particular means for pivoting the revoluble propeller blades, as the same may
he greatly varied providing that the blades shall always be capable of varying
their relations to the axis of the propeller hub.
While the trigger A³ has been shown as held by a catch a, it is evident that the
catch may be omitted, and the tension of the spring A so adjusted as to yield
only at a certain rate of speed through the water, and to release the clutch collar
from the worm at a lower speed. Neither does the inventor limit himself to any
particular form of trigger, as it also may be varied in a great number of ways
without departing from the spirit of this invention.
In addition to controlling the speed of the torpedo by varying the pitch of the
propeller blades, the pitch frame C may be utilized for various purposes, such for
example, as holding the rudders at any desired angle for any given time (measured
by the revolution of the propeller shaft) and for controlling a pendulum
immobilizing attachment, as shown in an application of even date herewith.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention
(as communicated to me by my correspondents) and in what manner the same is to
be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1-The combination, with twin propellers having blades pivotally mounted in
the propeller hub, of a pitch regulating device for rotating the blades about a pitch
varying axis, suitable lever connections between it and the blades of each propeller,
and driving mechanism between the pitch regulating device and the shaft of one
of the propellers, whereby the pitch of the blades of each propeller is automatically
and simultaneously controlled, substantially as described.
2-The combination, with a propeller shaft and a propeller having blades
pivotally mounted in the propeller hub, of a pitch regulating device for rotating
the blades about a pitch varying axis, and mechanism driven by the propeller
shaft automatically controlling the pitch regulating device, substantially as
described.
3-The combination, with a propeller shaft and a propeller having blades
pivotally mounted in the propeller hub, of a pitch regulating device for rotating
the blades about a pitch varying axis, mechanism driven by the propeller shaft to
control the pitch regulating device, and a device for connecting and disconnecting
the driving mechanism and the propeller shaft, substantially as described.
4-The combination, with a propeller shaft and a propeller having blades
pivotally mounted in the propeller hub, of a pitch regulating device for rotating
the blades about a pitch varying axis, mechanism driven by the propeller shaft to
control the pitch regulating device, and a device automatically operated by the

page_text: impact of the water for throwing the driving mechanism into and out of gear with
the shaft, substantially as described.
5-The combination, with a propeller shaft and a propeller having blades
pivotally mounted in the propeller hub, of a collar revolving with and sliding
longitudinally on the propeller shaft, lever connections between the collar and the
blades and automatic driving mechanism between the collar and the propeller
shaft to slide the collar along the shaft, whereby the blades are rotated about a
pitch varying axis, substantially as described.
6-The combination, with a propeller shaft and a propeller having blades
pivotally mounted in the propeller hub, of a collar revolving with and sliding
longitudinally on the propeller shaft, lever connections between the collar and the
blades, a sliding pitch frame, transmitting connections between the pitch frame
and the collar, a cam device engaging with the sliding pitch frame to govern its
rate of motion, and driving mechanism between the propeller shaft and cam device,
whereby the pitch of the propeller blades is automatically varied, substantially as
described.
7-The combination, with a propeller shaft and a propeller having blades
pivotally mounted in the propeller hub, of a sliding pitch frame, suitable trans-
mitting connections between the pitch frame and the propeller blades, a cam device
engaging with the pitch frame to govern its rate of motion, & driving mechanism
between the propeller shaft and the.cam device, whereby the pitch of the blades is
automatically varied, substantially as described.
8-The combination, with a propeller shaft and a propeller having blades
pivotally mounted in the propeller hub, of a sliding pitch frame, suitable trans-
mitting connections between the pitch frame and the propeller blades, a cam device
engaging with the pitch frame to govern its rate of motion, driving mechanism
between the propeller shaft and the cam device and an automatic device released
by the pressure of the water to throw the shaft and driving mechanism into and
out of gear, substantially as described.
9-The combination, with a propeller shaft, of a sliding frame, a cam device
engaging with the sliding frame and driving mechanism between the propeller
shaft and the cam device, whereby the cam device automatically controls the rate
of motion of the frame, substantially as set forth.
10 The combination of the propeller hub D' having the screw threaded
recesses d', the blades D having the threaded bases d, the propeller shaft A, the
cam collar C³ having flat sides opposite each blade and sliding longitudinally on
the feather c¹ of the shaft A and the lever arms C₁ secured at one end to the base
of the blades and having at the other end the posts engaging in grooves c³ in
the cam collar sides, substantially as set forth.
11 The combination of the propeller hub D' having the screwthreaded
recesses d', the blades D having the threaded bases d, the propeller shaft A having
the feather c', the cam collar C³ sliding longitudinally thereon, and having flat
sides grooved at co, the lever arms C secured to the blades and having the posts c³
travelling in the cam collar grooves, the longitudinally sliding pitch frame C, the
arms C³ connected to the pitch frame and having the pitch forks c¹ seated in the
groove c³ of the cam collar C³, the cam gear B having the sinuous cam groove b
engaging with the stud C¹ on the pitch frame, the driving gear B¹ B' meshing
with the cam gear, the worm A¹ loosely mounted on the propeller shaft, and
meshing with the driving gear, the clutch collar A³ mounted on the shaft A and
sliding longitudinally on the feather a³, and the trigger A having an enlarged
head, and eccentric shank a³ engaging in the groove a of the clutch collar, an
arma, with post a engaging with the worm and spring A', substantially as
described.
12-The combination, with the propeller shaft A, of the worm A' loosely mounted
thereon, the clutch collar Asliding on the feather a² on the shaft A, the trigger A³
having an enlarged head, an eccentric shank a³ engaging in the groove a³ of the

page_text: clutch collar, an arm a' with a post a' engaging the worm and spring A', whereby
the clutch collar is thrown into and out of engagement with the worm by the impact
of the water on the trigger head, as described.
101 1ful 1900
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham.