IMPROVEMENTS IN SOREW PROPELLERS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Claughton, of Dunbarton, in the County
of Dunbarton, North Britain, Naval Architect, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOREW PROPELLERS."
Scaled the 14th September 1869, and dated the 17th March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Claughton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th March 1869.
I, HENRY CLAUGHTON, of Dunbarton, in the County of Dunbarton,
North Britain, Naval Architect, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW PROPELLERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing screw propellers with the novel
feature of folding blades, that is to say, the blades are jointed or hinged
to the boss or its equivalent in such a manner that they can be folded
into a fore-and-aft position, and, without impairing the steering qualities
of the ship, offer, little or no resistance to her progress through the water
when under canvas, or they can be folded more or less and thereby
adjusted to suit the power applied and speep desired.

page_text: Many arrangements of mechanism can be applied for folding the
blades, but in practice I prefer to carry a shaft, hereafter called the
adjusting shaft, through or alongside the driving shaft and by a screw
thread formed on the said adjusting shaft gearing with toothed projections
on the inner ends of the blades, or by other means, such as excentrics,
cams, side levers, or rack and pinion. I expand the blades when the
shaft is pushed outwards and fold them when it is drawn inwards. When
the blades are expanded links may be used to hold them securely in
position, and when folded up they may be secured to a cleat on the
rudder post, and the whole steadied by a shutter let down from the
deck.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Claughton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CLAUGHTON, of Dunbarton, in the County of Dunbarton, North Britain,
Naval Architect, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Ier Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Henry Claughton, Her special license that I, the
said Henry Claughton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry Claughton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREW PROPELLERS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Claughton, my
exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Claughton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by tho
following statement, reference being had to the two Sheets of Drawings
appended hereto, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say:-
My Invention consists in constructing screw propellers with the novel
feature of folding blades, that is to say, the blades are jointed or hinged
to the boss or its equivalent in such a manner that they can be folded
into a fore-and-aft position, and without impairing the steering qualities
of the ship offer little or no resistance to her progress through the water
when under canvas, or they can be folded more or less, and thereby
adjusted to suit the power applied and speed desired.
Many arrangements and combinations of mechanisın can be applied
for folding the blades, and on the accompanying Sheet of illustrative
Drawings which I now proceed to describe several are delineated.
DESCRIPTION OF TILE DRAWINGS ON SHEET 1.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 represent a two-bladed propeller with the blades
expanded into the position they occupy when the vessel is under steam,
Fig. 1 being a sectional side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan view, and Fig. 3 an
end clevation. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent the same propeller with the
blades folded, Fig. 4 being an outside side elevation, Fig. 5 a plan view,
and Fig. 6 an end clevation.
The arrangement shewn by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and the mode of
operation thereof is, it being understood that like letters denote the
same parts in all these views, as follows:-
Through the centre of the propeller shaft A an adjusting shaft or
rod B passes. The said adjusting shaft is fitted with means or appliances
for pushing it outwards or drawing it inwards and its outer end is fitted
with two pins C, C. Each of these pins is connected into links D, D.
The other ends of the said links are connected to pins E, E, one being
fitted into cach screw blade, and each blade being hinged to the boss by
a pin F. When the adjusting rod B is drawn inwards the blades are
moved thereby into the position shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or as
slicwn in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. By the arrangement just described there is
no strain on the adjusting rod when the propeller is being driven by the
engines. In going ahead the strain tending to cause the blade to

page_text: revolve round pin F is taken on the boss at M, and when going astern
the strain is a compressive one on the links D, D.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ON SHEET 2.
Various methods by which the falding of the blades can be effected
are delineated on this Sheet.
Figs. 7, 8, and 9 represent a two-bladed screw propeller, the blades
being shown in the position they occupy when the vessel is under steam,
Fig. 7 being a sectional side elevation, Fig. 8 a plan view, and Fig. 9 an
end elevation. Figs. 10 and 11 shew the appearance of the same two-
bladed propeller when the blades are folded, Fig. 10 being an end view,
and Fig. 11 a sido elevation. In these views, that is, from 7 to 11
inclusive, like letters denote the same parts, and these parts are combined
and operated in manner following:-Each blade is cast with a disc G.
Part of the inner faces of these discs is recessed and has a bevel rack
cast thereon. A joint pin F passes through the boss and the two
discs G. On the end of the adjusting shaft is fitted a bevel pinion I.
By revolving the adjusting shaft B the blades are folded or unfolded.
Figs. 12 and 13 show an arrangement with a screw rack formed on
the inner end of the blades, a screw worm K being formed on the
adjusting shaft B. By revolving the adjusting shaft B the blades are
'folded or unfolded.
Figs. 14 and 15 shew an arrangement with a toothed rack formed on
the inner ends of the blades and a rack L made on the end of the
adjusting rod B. By drawing in the adjusting rod B the blades are
folded, and by pushing it out they are unfolded.
Figs. 16, 17, and 18 shew an arrangement with links, and a crosshead
on the end of the adjusting rod B. On each end of the crosshead N is
a pin C. To each pin O is connected one end of links D. The other
ends of the said links are connected to pins E, one in each screw blade.
By drawing in the adjusting rod the links, pins, and blades assume the
position shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 16.
Figs. 19 and 20 illustrate a simple arrangement of the adjusting rod
and blades. A crosshead N, with pins C, C, near each end thereof, is
formed on the end of the adjusting rod B. One of these pins fits into
a slot in each blade. By pushing out the adjusting rod B to the
position shewn 'by dotted lines in Fig. 19 the blades are folded, and
by drawing in the said adjusting rod B they are unfolded.
S

page_text: Appliances of various kinds can be adopted at the inner end of the
propeller shaft for operating the adjusting shaft, but these not being
an essential feature in the Invention I have only shewn two modifications
of mechanism for the purpose, namely, one for moving it endways seen
in Figs. 1 and 7, Sheet 1, and another for rotating it scen in Figs. 12 and
21, Sheet 2.
It will be obvious that although I have described and illustrated my
Invention in combination with a two-bladed screw only, it may bo
applied to propellers with three blades.
If desired, the blades when folded may be secured by a cleat attached
to the rudder and steadied by a shutted let down from the deck; but in
practice I do not deem these requisite.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and particu-
larized the same by several practicable arrangements of parts, I would
have it clearly understood that I do not confine myself to any particular
construction, arrangement, or combination of parts for folding the screw,
nor do I confine myself, as intimated above, to any particular means for
moving the adjusting shaft out and in, or for rotating it. What I do
claim is, so combining or arranging the blades of a screw or submerged
propeller relatively to the propeller shaft that the blades can be folded
and unfolded for the purpose herein set forth. -
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Claughton, have hereunto
set my band and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
In the presence of
JOHN WYLD,
Of Dumbarton,
Bank Acct.,
Witness.
J. MICHIE,
Of Dumbarton,
Writer,
Witness.
HENRY CLAUGHTON. (L.s.)