of Ships and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1898.
of Ships and the like.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
-
The present invention has for its object to increase the speed of vessels and
also their power of manoeuvring and to enable them to travel with safety in stormy
weather.
By means of this invention a great economy of fuel is obtained and consequently
there is a considerable saving in the cargo space. Moreover the efficiency exceeds
that of all propelling mechanisms hitherto known, such as screws, paddles and so
forth, consequently by aid of this new method of propulsion a greater speed can
be obtained than has hitherto before been reached.
The propelling mechanism is arranged in the front part of the ship at an inclina-
tion of five to ten degrees to the longitudinal axis of the ship and placed close
to the bottom of the ship.
The accompanying drawing illustrates the constructional form of the invention,
in Figure 1 in elevation and in Figure 2 in plan view.
In these drawings a indicates the hold of the ship, the propelling cylinders,
c the forked-tube, and behind each of the cylinders there is placed a valve d.
e indicates the ends of the propelling cylinders which are connected with orifices
or mouth-pieces. f denotes valves the object whereof will be hereinafter described,
g indicates the stuffing boxes, h indicates the steam cylinders of the propelling
motor, i the cross heads of the piston rods. indicates the connecting rods, the
crank discs, m the bed-plate, the bearings, o the crank axle, the propelling
piston rods, q the pistons of the steam cylinders. The pistons of the propelling
cylinders b are connected to the pistons 9 of the steam cylinders. In this arrange-
ment the pistons of the steam cylinders are directly connected to the pistons of
the propelling cylinders, the driving or steam cylinders hh being placed at the
same angle and in the same longitudinal axis as the propelling cylinders b, b.
By means of the arrangement of the working parts at a five to ten degree angle as
aforesaid in the front part of the ship, the ship receives the impulse to raise itself
somewhat in front, which assists the division of the water and increases the speed
of propulsion. Owing also to the placing of the propelling mechanism in the front

page_text: part of the ship bottom, the propulsive power is not influenced by storms or waves;
moreover the consumption of coal is not injuriously effected by the force tending to
raise the ship. The two double propelling cylinders b, each pair of which-is con-
nected with one of the two forked tubes c, which are themselves also placed at a
five to ten degree angle (Fig. 2) operate alternately. When the one pair of pistons
moves outwards the other pair moves back owing to the return of the steam
cylinder piston, and the water which is flowing in to the cylinder helps the
motion, because the piston rods of the two double cylinders 6 are connected with
the pistons of the steam cylinders hand these are connected together by means of
the crank dises and the axle o. So that in view of the great pressure of water
which acts upon the retreating piston the forcing forwards or propelling of the
ship is very much assisted. The above described propelling cylinders are
terminated, as already stated, at the one end, by the forked tubes c, and at their
other ends by the closing pieces c. The latter are closed by means of the slide
valves d, which are operated by means of racks and pinions. On the forked tubes
are placed valves f; these valves f are continually held open at the side at which
the piston makes an empty stroke, so that no back pressure of the air contained therein,
can take place. The slide valves are opened or closed according to the desired
direction of motion. When progressing forwards or backwards, the water passes
from the outside through the orifice e into the propelling cylinder, and is then on
the backward stroke of the piston forced out, and in consequence of the resistance
and of its own gravity, and that of the mass of water opposed to it, the ship receives
an impulse forwards."
By this arrangement of the propelling mechanism a greater number of strokes
per minute are attainable than hitherto possible by other devices.
For the purpose of transmitting the power, in addition to the base m, the
bearings with the axle o act for this purpose.
The following relates to the calculation of the motion of the ship:-
If we assume that the propelling cylinders have each four metres length, and
one and a half metres diameter, that the orifice has one and a half metres diameter,
then it would follow that each stroke of the piston would give eight metres
progress in two double cylinders, as shewn in Figure 2; consequently on one
revolution of the axle o, we should have sixteen metres progress of the ship. We
may assume a number of revolutions of from eighty to one hundred and upwards
per minute. Taking the number of revolutions as seventy-six per minute, at
sixteen metres each, this equals 72960 metres per hour, that is over 39 knots
per hour reckoning 1855 metres per knot. Taking the number of revolutions
81 per minute at 16 metres per piston stroke, we have 1296 metres per minute,
77760 metres per hour, equals 42 knots less 150 metres. In smaller ships and
vessels which will naturally have smaller cylinders, the number of revolutions may
be increased to double and even triple the above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to be by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim. is:-
:-
1. Improved re-action propeller for sea and river ships characterized by the
construction that the propelling mechanism is placed at an angle of five to
ten degrees to the longitudinal axis of the ship and at the front part thereof, and
consists of two propelling cylinders b attached to a forked tube c also placed at
a five degree angle and this latter connected at the bottom of the ship by means
of a suitable connecting tube leading to the outside thereof.
2. A constructional modification of the propelling mechanism set forth in
Claim 1 wherein the forked tube c of which all the three orifices are of the same
diameter determines the speed of propulsion. The steam cylinder pistons being
connected by means of the rod k to a crank disc on an axle o so that when the one
piston moves back the other piston moves forward substantially as described.
3. The placing of the mechanism set forth in Claim One in such a position in

page_text: the ship that the division of the water by the ship is assisted and on the other hand
the operating thereof is not affected by stormy weather, substantially as described.
4. The improved apparatus for propelling vessels substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 13th day of tu 1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.