Improvements in and relating to Propellers of the Screw Type, applicable for the Propulsion and Steering of any Vessel or Body on or in Water or Air.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Propellers of the Screw Type,
applicable for the Propulsion and Steering of any Vessel or
Body on or in Water or Air.
I, JOHN MACHAFFIE of Dalshannan Cottage, near Airdrie, Dunbartonshire,
Mechanical Engineer and Draughtsman do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in and connected with that class
of propellers known as "citropellers," applicable for the propulsion or steering of
any vessel or body on or in water or air."
A citropeller is similar in some parts of its construction to that class of propellers
commonly called "screw-propellers," wherein radial, helical, or angled blades or
floats are secured to a common centre or boss, and caused to revolve with that centre,
on & with a revolving shaft but is dissimilar in its mode of application and action,
in so far as though it consists of radial, helical, or angled blades or floats, secured
to a common centre or boss, yet those blades or floats, when propelling, do not
always revolve, or not always with the same angular velocity, as a revolving,
driving shaft on which they may be placed, but under certain conditions, wabble
on and with a portion of said revolving driving shaft which portion is at a suitable
angle to the general axis of the shaft's revolution, so that by a combined action of
rolling contact of edge of boss of blades on a suitable fixed part of ship, the boss
being otherwise loose on its bearing, cach of the floats performs a curved,
Oscillatory-reciprocative path, in the direction of the line of the desired propulsion,
at the same time feathering, so that their impelling effect is maximised and their
retarding effect minimised and under certain other conditions, when the said boss
is clutched to said shaft's portion which is at an angle to the general axis of rotation,
the blades revolve and propel similarly to a screw-propeller, thus producing opposite
propulsions though said shaft revolves in same direction continuously in both
instances.
The present invention consists in placing or fitting radial, helical, or angled
blades or floats on a suitable boss or centre, which boss is placed loosely on a
suitable and suitably bent or cranked portion of a revolving driving shaft so
that either an inner or outer or both inner and outer end or face or edge
(of some suitable peripheral surface designed to produce a slow revolutionary
motion of same,) of the boss engages in rolling contact with some suitable and
suitably fixed either inner or outer or both inner and outer portion (also with
some suitable peripheral contact surface to impart a slow revolutionary_action
to said floats of the ship, or any sailing or floating vessel or body, according as
the case may be, and whether at any one instant propulsion is forward or reverse,
whereby, when the said shaft revolves, the said floats perform a curved oscillatory-.
reciprocative, slow revolutionary path, in or near the direction of the desired.
propulsion at the same time feathering to effect that propulsion. There either may
be so placed over a shoulder on the bend or crank of the said shaft, a clutch tube,
which may overlap on to said inner fixed part of said ship or vessel or body and boss
of citropeller, or said boss may be made to pivot or roll, as the case may be on
said outer fixed part of said ship or vessel or body, so that, when, by any suitable
device, the said shaft is moved either inwards. or outwards in the line of its
revolutionary axis, the said boss may either be engaged in rolling contact with
either the inner or outer fixed part of said ship, or vessel, or body, or clutched to
said shaft, or pivoted in line with said shaft's revolutionary axis or be left free
and loose on its bearing, all at the will of the manipulator, who may be one of

page_text: many in any convenient part or parts of said ship or vessel or body. Said device
for manipulating or operating said shaft may be so connected with the, or some
appliance for governing the engines or other, motor mechanism or mechanisms, that
the power developed by said engines or mechanism or mechanisms, will be in
proportion to the work desired to be expended by the citropeller or citropellers,
as the case may be.
The invention further relates to the construction of the boss of the citropeller which
is made, internally to provide a suitable ball-bearing to ensure rolling contact and
actuating effect with the bent or cranked extremity of the driving shaft, and,
externally, to secure either an inner or outer, or both inner and outer, end or face
or edge rolling contact surface with either the inner or outer thrust block in
order to transmit "thrust" either to said inner or said outer block, as the case
may be, and other peripheral contact surface or surfaces, with either or both of
the said inner and outer thrust blocks, in order to check the off sliding tendency
of tlie citropeller boss during any propulsion and also externally either to secure
a clutch contact with the clutch-tube, or pivot action about axis of said shaft's
revolution, and present as little surface as possible to detract from the impelling
effect of the citropeller; and in a novel arrangement of a pivot-pin rigidly attached
to said ship or vessel or body. The invention also relates to the construction of
both the inner and outer thrust-blocks, rigidly attached to said ship or vessel or body
on either or both of which blocks, as the case may be, the boss of the citropeller may
roll and round which inner block said clutch-tube may revolve, in order to secure
suitable rolling contact of the said boss, and clutch-tube, and the driving shaft and
which may be made to accommodate a suitable stuffing-gland to keep back (in the
case of a marine ship or vessel or body, including torpedoes, which float either
in or on water) sea or other water; and with suitable lubricant holes; and to
certain other details of construction..
.
In carrying out my invention the outer extremity of the driving shaft of the
citropeller, is made or bent or cranked to an angle with the general line of the
shafting, and at the bend there is a solid tapering or lobe-sided shoulder, so made
or tapered or lobe-sided, that the boss, thrust block and the clutch-tube if used are
retained in suitable relation to the shaft, and to each other, and to aid in counter-
balancing the necessary eccentricity or bend or crank of the outer extremity of
the shaft. The feathering blades of the citropeller are preferably similar in shape
to the ordinary screw-propeller blades, the twist or angle of the blades being
dependent on the angle to which the outhung extremity of the driving shaft, is
bent to the general line of the driving shaft, or to the general line of propulsion.
The hub or boss of the blades is preferably fitted with a series of balls, partly
sunk in the driving shaft's bent portion, thus enabling the citropeller boss to be
operated simultaneously with the shaft, the boss engaging with and propelling and
rolling upon the face of the thrust-block, which block is fitted on the steru post of
any ship, vessel, boat, or any. similar craft, while the driving shaft revolves freely
within the boss, when it with shaft is drawn inwards; and said boss engages with
the clutch-tube, thereby revolving with said clutch and shaft and causing the
citropeller to propel a reverse direction, when the shaft is pushed outwards.
The apparatus for causing the inward and outward movement of the shaft may be
of the construction hereinafter described. The boss is also preferably fitted with
balls to ensure rolling contact with the bent part of the shaft and with the shoulder.
Over the shoulder, the clutch-tube, if used, is fitted, so as to have sliding contact
with the shoulder, which shoulder is of a polygonal, (regular or irregular,) external
form so as to drive the clutch-tube round with it, when the shaft revolves.
clutch-tube is, preferably, fitted with balls to ensure rolling contact between it and
the thrust-block. The clutch-tube is preferably made with a solid collar to retain
it in fixed relation to the thrust-block so that when the driving shaft is moved
inwards or outwards or held in a mid-way or neutral position as hereinafter described
the boss is engaged in rolling contact with the thrust-block or clutched to clutch-
tube or is-left free-as the case may be so that the shaft can revolve freely within
The

page_text: the boss, or the boss may revolve with the shaft, thereby propelling forwards or
backwards or not propelling at all, while the engine and driving shaft may be
revolving continuously in one direction in all three cases.
The clutch-tube is also made or fitted with an eccentric collar, to ensure clutching
action with an eccentric face, made on the boss, when the shaft is pushed outwards,
and the clutch-tube may preferably, be made more lobe-sided than its designed
mechanical effects require, so that extra weight so placed, may aid in counter-
balancing the necessary eccentricity or bend, or crank, of shaft; and moreover the
clutch-tube may be made of more than one piece or of special shape, so that it may
be put suitably into its required position.
Plugs are used for filling the holes through which the anti-friction balls are
inserted.
The thrust-block is or may be fitted with a series of balls, to ensure rolling contact
with the shoulder, on the shaft, and it may be hollowed out at its inner end & closed
with any well known and suitable form of packing, so as to form a stuffing-box
through which the shaft works. The stuffing-box which is provided with a stuffing-
gland prevents leakage of water into the ship, or vessel, or boat, or any other craft,
as the case may be, floating on or in water.
The thrust block and boss are faced end wise so as to ensure that they have
required end or edge rolling contact between them to transmit, "thrust" as well as
produce a slow revolutionary action of citropeller, and may be also faced peripherally
so as to ensure that they have the required peripheral (practically) rolling contact
between them to check the off sliding tendency of boss while said surfaces are in
rolling action.
A hole may be made at a slant through the thrust-block and the post of a ship,
vessel, boat, torpedo or any water craft so as to communicate with a groove made
around the inner surface of said block, for lubricating purposes. The shaft is also
preferably bored with a channel which communicates with the groove and as the
shaft revolves carries lubricant to the several bearings of the citropeller. Lubricant
is supplied to the channel or hole from any suitable source of supply through a tube
or pipe.
The thrust-block may be secured in position to a ship's, vessel's, boat's, torpedo's
or any crafts post by means of studs.
For drawing in, thrusting out, and holding in a neutral position the driving shaft,
there is provided at any suitable part of a ship, vessel, boat, or any craft, as the
case may be, a cylinder having a piston, connected to or fitted or made as part of the
shaft. The piston has preferably cup-leathers on each side, but any well-known
and suitable cylinder or piston packing may be used. The general construction of
the cylinder with its valve, ports and the other necessary appurtenances, is of any
well-known and suitable type. The driving shaft passes right through the cylinder,
and works pressure-tight in stuffing boxes, at each end of the cylinder. The slide
valve is made and fitted so that in one position the pressure (somewhere aboard
conveniently accumulated and ready for use) can act freely on both sides of the
piston, thus retaining the shaft in a non-propelling relation with the citropeller, or
in other positions, so that the pressure acts on one side or other of the piston, thus
throwing the boss in contact with either the clutch tube or the thrust-block,
according to whether a forward or reverse propulsion is desired. The slide valve
is operated by a lever which is connected by a rod with the engine's or motor's
valve or valves or regulator or regulators, and also by means of suitable rod, and
lever or cog wheel or other suitable connections, with the engine room or rooms,
helmsman's cabin, the deck or any other suitable part or parts of a ship, vessel.
boat or any craft as the case may be, so as to be operated by the engineer,
helmsinan or commanding officer or any other officer, any of whom can, by operating
the valve, start, stop or reverse the ship's, vessel's, boat's or any other crait's
propulsion or course, as the case may be, independently of one another, and without
stopping or reversing the engines or driving shaft or shafts, according as to whether
one or more citropellers may be used thus saving time in avoiding collision or

page_text: certain other accidents to which swift moving ships or vessels, or boats, or similar
craft, are exposed.
The anti-friction balls and clutch-tube may be omitted, and a pin or pivot be
attached rigidly to the vessel or body so that if in any case the peripheral contact
of the boss and the thrust block is found to be, or is designed to be, of sufficient
check to the off, sliding tendency of boss, so as to practically cancel the sliding
friction in bearings due to strains caused by the bent or cranked extremity of shaft,
while propelling, and also if in any case said pin or pivot is preferable to the clutch
then the omission of the balls and clutch and insertion of a pivot affords or provides
a simpler construction without any detrimental effects or changes to or in the
practical working of the citropeller or its applications. The stern-post or "dead-
wood"
may accommodate the pivot and the citropeller floats. There may be a
series of holes or equivalent around boss so that the pivot will enter one in all
positions of citropeller.
Instead of having the arrangement hereinbefore described the boss of the
citropeller may be made with a projecting part having an inclined contact face
which, when the citropeller is thrust out, rolls on a thrust block having a corre-
sponding face fitted to the stern-post or its equivalent.
The citropeller may be adopted as a helm, for this purpose there may be used
a telescopable link connected to the propeller blade by means of the ball and
socket, (or any equally universal and suitable arrangement) joint, and connected to
a hoop or helm by means of a non-revolutionary ball and socket (as for instance a
ball and socket with a suitable internal-feather) but any suitable non-revolutionary
universal joint may be used in lieu of the ball and socket.
The citropeller may be adopted as a helm in combination with a citropeller
proper, to effect this object a telescopable link is also used, but the non-revolutionary
universal joint is in this case on the boss of the citropeller proper. The joint is
preferably a ball and socket one, but any suitable form of universal joint may be
used. With this arrangement the citro-helm acts perfectly in unison with the
citropeller proper, and thereby has all its advantages in common with the citro-
peller, and besides when thus acting the blades of the steering propeller, perform
an oscillatory-reciprocative-feathering-propelling action, in whichever direction
caused by the angle of the hoop or helm to which it is connected turning on its
hinges, thus steering or assisting in propulsion, or both, by thrusting the stern of
the ship, or vessel, or boat or similar craft as the case may be, to the one side or
the other, or straight forward, or astern. The blades of the steering propeller are
similar in every respect, to the blades of the citropeller proper. The blades, of
which there may be any convenient and suitable number, are attached to the
said telescopable link.
It is to be understood that my improved propeller is applicable for the propulsion
or steering or combined propulsion and steering of ships, vessels, torpedoes or any
other vessel or body sailing or floating on or in water or air.
Dated this 15th January 1891
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Propellers of the Screw Type,
applicable for the Propulsion and Steering of any Vessel or
Body on or in Water or Air.
I; JOHN MACHAFFIE of Dalshannan Cottage, near Airdrie, Dumbartonshire,
Mechanical Engineer and Draughtsman' do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 certain improvements in and connected with that class

page_text: of propenCIS
Crotopeners applicable for the propulsion or steering or
any vessel or body on or in water or air.
In the Specification of my prior Patent No. 12361 dated 7th August 1890, I
have described the construction and action of a "citropeller." As therein stated,
a citropeller is similar in some parts of its construction to that class of propellers
commonly called "screw propellers" wherein radial, helical, or angled blades or
floats are secured to a common centre or boss and caused to revolve with that
centre on and with a revolving shaft but is dissimilar in its mode of application and
action, in so far, as, though it consists of radial, helical, or angled blades or floats,
secured to a common centre or boss, yet those blades or floats, when propelling, do
not always revolve, or not always with the same angular velocity, as a revolving
driving shaft on which they may be placed but under certain conditions, wabble on
and with a portion of said revolving driving shaft which portion is at a suitable
angle to the general axis of the shaft's revolution, so that by a combined action of
rolling contact of edge of boss of blades on a suitable fixed part of ship, the boss
being otherwise loose on its bearing, each of the floats performs a curved-oscillatory-
reciprocative path, in the direction of the line of the desired propulsion, at the
same time feathering so that their impelling effect is maximised and their retarding
effect minimised, and, under certain other conditions, when the said boss is clutched
to said shaft's portion which is at an angle to the general axis of rotation the blades
revolve and propel similarly to a screw-propeller, thus producing opposite
propulsions though said shaft revolves in same direction continuously in both
instances.
The present invention relates to certain improvements on my aforesaid invention
No. 12361 of 1890 and it consists in placing or fitting radial, helical, or angled
blades or floats on a suitable boss or centre, which boss is placed loosely on a
suitable and suitably bent or cranked portion of a revolving driving shaft so that.
either an inner or outer, or both inner and outer end or face or edge (of some
suitable peripheral surface designed to produce a slow revolutionary motion of same)
of the boss engages in rolling contact with some suitable and suitably fixed either,
inner or outer or both inner and outer portion (also with some suitable peripheral
contact surface to impart a slow revolutionary action to said floats,) of the ship or
any sailing or floating vessel or body according as the case may be, and,
whether, at any one instant, propulsion is forward or reverse, whereby, when the
said shaft revolves, the said floats perform a curved-oscillatory-reciprocative slow
revolutionary path, in or near the direction of the desired propulsion at the same
time feathering to effect that propulsion. There either may be so placed over a
shoulder on the bend or crank of the said shaft a clutch tube, which may overlap
on to said inner fixed part of said ship or vessel or body and boss of citropeller,
or said boss may be made to pivot or roll, as the case may be, on said outer fixed
part of said ship or vessel or body so that, when, by any suitable device, the said
shaft is moved either inwards or outwards in the line of its revolutionary axis, the
said boss may either be engaged in rolling contact with either the inner or outer
fixed part of said ship, or vessel, or body or clutched to said shaft or pivoted in
line with said shaft's revolutionary axis, or be left free and loose on its bearing, all
at the will of the manipulator, who may be one of many in any convenient part or
parts of said ship or vessel or body. Said device for manipulating or operating
said shaft may be so connected with the or some appliance for governing the
engines or other motor mechanism or mechanisms that the power developed by
said engines or mechanism or mechanisms will be in proportion to the work
desired to be expended by the citropeller or citropellers as the case may be.
The invention further relates to the construction of the boss of the citropeller
which is made, normally, to provide a suitable ball-bearing to ensure rolling contact
and actuating effect with the bent or cranked extremity of the driving shaft, and,
externally, to secure either an inner or outer or both inner and outer, end or face or
edge rolling contact surface with either the inner or outer thrust-block in order to
transmit thrust either to said inner or said outer block, as the case may be, and

page_text: other peripheral contact surface or surfaces, with either or both of the said inner
and outer thrust-blocks in order to check the off sliding tendency of the citropeller
boss during propulsion; and also, externally, either to secure a clutch contact with
the clutch tube or pivot action about axis of said shaft's revolution and present as
little surface as possible to detract from the propelling effect of the citropeller;
and in a novel arrangement of a pivot-pin rigidly attached to said ship or vessel or
body. The invention also relates to the construction of both the inner and outer
thrust-blocks, rigidly attached to said ship or vessel or body on either or both of
which blocks, as the case may be, the boss of the citropeller may roll, and round
which inner block said clutch-tube may revolve, in order to secure suitable rolling
contact of the said boss, and clutch-tube, and the driving shaft and which may be
made to accommodate a suitable stuffing-gland to keep back (in the case of a marine
ship or vessel or body, including torpedoes, which float either in or on water) sea
or other water and with suitable lubricant holes and to certain other details of con-
struction.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended four explanatory sheets of drawings, whereon
Fig. 1 shows in longitudinal section a citropeller having my improvements applied
thereto.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, of a citropeller, without clutch tube arrangement,
and showing a pivot pin in lieu of same.
Fig. 3 shows a citropeller boss arranged for both a forward and a reverse rolling
action.
Fig. 4 shows a propeller, which is the citropeller, devoid of all reversible
features, or longitudinal manipulation and thus adapted to ordinary manipulations
of engines or motors.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a citropeller, adopted as a helm, in connection with a
screw propeller.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a citropeller, adopted as a helm, in combination with
a citropeller proper.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference letters wherever repeated
indicate similar or like parts.
As will be seen at Fig. 1 the outer extremity A¹ of the driving shaft A of the
citropeller, is made or bent or cranked to an angle with the general line of the
shafting, in a similar manner to the citropeller described in my former Specification
No. 12361 and likewise at the bend there is a solid tapering or lobe-sided
shoulder B, B1 which is so made or tapered or lobe-sided, as shown, that the boss C,
thrust-block D and the clutch tube E, if used, are retained in suitable relation to
the shaft A and to each other, and to aid in counterbalancing the necessary eccen-
tricity or bend or crank of the outer extremity A¹ of the shaft. The feathering
blades F of the citropeller are, preferably, similar in shape to the ordinary screw-
propeller blades, the twist or angle of the blades being dependent on the angle to
which the outhung extremity A of the driving shaft is bent to the general line of
the driving shaft, or to the general line of propulsion. The hub or boss C of the
blades Fis, preferably, fitted with a series of balls, G partly sunk in the driving
shaft's bent portion A thus enabling the citropeller boss to be operated simul-
taneously with the shaft, the boss engaging with and propelling and rolling upon
face Mof the thrust-block, D, which block is fitted on the stern post X of any
ship, vessel, boat or any similar craft, while the driving shaft revolves freely within
the boss, C, when it with shaft is drawn inwards; and said boss C engages with the
clutch-tube E, thereby revolving with said clutch and shaft, and causing the citro-
peller to propel in a reverse direction; when the shaft is pushed outwards. The
apparatus for causing the inward and outward movement of the shaft A may be of
the construction described in my said prior Specification No. 123610. The boss C
is also, preferably, fitted with balls to ensure rolling contact with the bent
part A of the shaft and with the shoulder B, B. Over the shoulder B, B1, the

page_text: clutch-tube, if used, is fitted, so as to have sliding contact with the shoulder, which
shoulder is of a polygonal, (regular or irregular,) external form so as to drive
the clutch-tube E round with it, when the shaft revolves. The clutch-tube is,
preferably, fitted with balls K to ensure rolling contact between it and the thrust-
block D. The clutch-tube is, preferably, made with a solid collar L to retain it in
fixed relation to the thrust-block D so that when the driving shaft is moved inwards
or outwards or held in a mid-way or neutral position as hereinbefore described the
boss C is engaged in rolling contact with the thrust-block D or clutched to clutch-
tube E or is left free, as the case may be, so that the shaft A can revolve freely
within the boss C, or the boss C may revolve with the shaft A thereby propelling
forwards or backwards or not propelling at all, while the engine and driving shaft
may be revolving continuously in one direction in all three cases.
The clutch-tube is also made or fitted with an eccentric collar M, to ensure
clutching action with an eccentric face N, made on the boss C, when the shaft is
pushed outwards, and the clutch-tube E may, preferably, be made more lobe-sided
than its designed mechanical effects require, so that extra weight, so placed, may
aid in counterbalancing the necessary eccentricity or bend, or crank, of shaft A;
and moreover the clutch-tube E may be made of more than one piece or of special
shape, so that it may be put suitably into its required position.
Plugs are used for filling the holes through which the anti-friction balls are
inserted.
The thrust-block D is or may be fitted with a series' of balls P, to ensure rolling
contact with the shoulder B, B', on the shaft, and it may be hollowed out at its
inner end and closed with any well known and suitable form of packing, so as to
form a stuffing box through which the shaft A works. The stuffing-box Q which
is provided with a stuffing gland R prevents leakage of water into the ship or vessel,
or boat, or any other craft, as the case may be, floating on or in water. The
features of the citropeller as hereinbefore set forth with reference to this figure, are
all substantially similar to the like parts described in my said prior Specification.
They are merely reiterated here with a view to a clearer understanding of my
present invention.
27
Under this invention the thrust-block D and boss C besides being faced end wise
at M' (as in my prior Specification) so as to ensure that they have required end or
edge rolling contact between them to transmit "thrust as well as produce a slow
revolutionary action of citropeller are also faced peripherally at N¹ so as to
ensure that they have the required peripheral (practically) rolling contact between
them to check the off sliding tendency of boss while said surfaces are in rolling
action.
The thrust-block may be secured in position to a ship's, vessel's, boat's, torpedo's
or any crafts post X by means of studs D¹.
In Fig. 2 it will be observed that the anti-friction balls P and H and also the
clutch-tube E shown in Fig. 1, are, here, omitted, and a pin or pivot P is shown as
attached rigidly to the vessel or body, so that, if in any case, the peripheral
contact N of the boss C and the thrust-block D is found to be, or is designed to be, of
sufficient check to the off sliding tendency of boss C, so as to practically cancel the
sliding friction in bearings due to strains caused by the bent or cranked extremity A¹
of shaft A, while propelling, and also if in any case said pin or pivot s is
preferable to the clutch E, then, the omission of the balls P and H and clutch E
and insertion of a pivot Po affords or provides a simpler construction without any
detrimental effects or changes to or in the practical working of the citropeller or its
applications. The stern-post or "deadwood" may as shown accommodate the
pivot and the citropeller floats, but this may not necessarily be the method or
design in all instances. 16 are a series of holes made all round boss C so that the
pivot will enter one in all positions of the citropeller.
Instead of having the arrangement herein before described the boss C of the
citropeller may be made, as shown at Fig. 3, with a projecting part or head A*
having rolling contact faces M2 and N which, when the citropeller is thrust out,

page_text: rolls on a thrust-block D¹ having corresponding faces, fitted to the stern post X.
The faces M2, N2, are similar in design and purpose to faces M' and N' of Figs. 1
and 2 likewise the block D' is similar in design and purpose to combined block and
bearing D of Figs. 1 and 2.
In Fig. 4 the citropeller, which is shown as adapted to the ordinary manipula-
tions of ship's, vessel's, boat's, torpedo's or similar craft's shaft and power
developing mechanism, and having no appurtenances, has the contact faces M', N'.
As shown at Fig. 5 the citropeller may be adopted as a helm, for this purpose
there may be used a telescopable link S', having blades F thereon, connected to the
propeller blade R' by means of the ball and socket joint P4 (or any equally universal
and suitable arrangement) and connected to a hoop V2 or helm by means of a non-
revolutionary ball and socket 13 (as for instance a ball and socket with suitable
internal-feather T) but any suitable non-revolutionary universal joint may be used
in lieu of the ball and socket P³. The method of telescoping the parts ss, of the
lines is shown clearly at Fig. 7. The telescope arrangement admits of the link
being lengthened or shortened as the hoop or helm V' is turned from side to side on
the hinges V.
As shown at Fig. 6 the citropeller may be adopted as a helm in combination with
a citropeller proper, to effect this object the telescopable link S' with blades F''
thereon is also used, but the non-revolutionary universal joint P3 is, in this case, on
the boss C of the citropeller proper. The joint is preferably a ball and socket one
as shown, but any suitable form of universal joint may be used. The ball and
socket joint P is in this case revolutionary and attached to the hoop V*.
With this arrangement the citropeller adopted thus as a helm acts perfectly in
unison with the citropeller proper, and thereby has all the aforesaid advantages in
common with the citropeller, and besides, when thus acting, the blades of the
steering propeller, perform an oscillatory-reciprocative-feathering-propelling-action,
in whichever direction caused by the angle of the hoop or helm V2 to which it is
connected turning on its hinges V, thus steering or assisting in propulsion, or both,
by thrusting the stern of the ship, or vessel, or boat or similar craft as the case may
be, to the one side or the other, or straight forward, or astern. The blades F¹ of
the steering propeller are similar in every respect, to the blades of the citropeller
proper. The blades F', of which there may be any convenient and suitable number,
are attached to the said telescopable link S.
It is to be understood that my improved propeller is applicable for the propulsion
or steering or combined propulsion and steering of ships, vessels, torpedoes, or any
other vessel or body sailing or floating on or in water or air.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
CE
1. In a feathering bladed propeller or citropeller," making the thrust block or
combined thrust block and bearing, as the case may be, with rolling surfaces (M', N',)
so that the boss of the citropeller may roll both end or edgewise and peripherally,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
56
2:
2. In a feathering bladed propeller or citropeller a pivot pin P³, or its
equivalent, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
3. In a feathering bladed propeller or citropeller" a boss having holes or
recesses, therein, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
4. In a feathering bladed propeller er "citropeller" a boss having a head A², or
its equivalent, with rolling surfaces thereon substantially as and for the purpose
herein before set forth.
5. In a feathering bladed propeller or "citropeller," the combination with a boss
having a head A2, or its equivalent, thereon of an outer thrust-block D¹, or its
equivalent, for said head to roll on when a reverse propulsion is desired, substantially
as hereinbefore set forth.
6. The combination with any propeller whatever (R) of the link, S¹, the non-

page_text: revolutionary ball and socket, or equally universal joint P³, and blades, F¹, fitted to
said link S, so that when the said propeller, (R), is in motion, the blades F¹
perform an oscillatory-reciprocative feathering, steering, or propelling, or both
steering and propelling, action, in whichever direction caused by the angle of the
hoop V2 turning on its hinges V and either forward or reverse according to, and in
unison with, the direction of rotation of the screw-propeller (R¹), substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
**
7. The combination with a feathering bladed propeller or citropeller" of the
telescopable link S¹, non-revolutionary ball and socket, or equally universal joint P³,
and blades F fitted to said link S', so that when the citropeller proper is in action,
the blades F perform an oscillatory-reciprocative, slow-revolutionary, feathering,
steering, or propelling, or both steering and propelling, action, in whichever direction
caused by the angle of the hoop V2 turning on its hinges V, and either forward or
reverse according to, and in unison with, the direction of the propulsion and action
of the said citropeller" proper, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 27th day of October 1901
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.