A New or Improved Apparatus for Propelling and Steering Boats, Canoes, and similar Vessels, applicable also for Propelling Motor Cars and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Propelling and Steering Boats,
Canoes, and similar Vessels, applicable also for Propelling Motor
Cars and the like.
I EDWIN AUGUSTUS MCLACHLAN of 55 Brighton Road Stoke Newington in the
County of Middlesex Electrical 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 object of this invention is to construct an apparatus suitable for propelling
boats canoes and similar vessels motor cars and the like by means of electricity.
Now according to this invention as applied to propelling boats canoes and similar
vessels I provide a suitable electric motor the armature shaft of which is vertical
and connected to an intermediate shaft which extends downwards to nearly the level
of the propeller shaft.
The propeller shaft may be connected to the intermediate shaft by means of bevil
gearing or by means of a piece of flexible shafting.
The intermediate shaft and propeller shaft are enclosed in a suitable tube which
is provided with pintles, which drop into the ordinary rudder eyes the said tube
being provided at the top with a foundation plate to which the motor is secured
suitable gearing being provided between the motor and intermediate shaft to reduce
the speed of the latter.
When applying my invention to Motor cars I use the same motors gearing and
intermediate shafting as above described but the motor and intermediate shaft may
be either horizontal or vertical.
In some cases I make the same apparatus available for propelling boats and motor
cars.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I will proceed to
explain the same with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 represents an electrically driven apparatus for propelling boats canoes and
other similar vessels constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 2. is section of same.
Fig. 3. is section of thrust bearing.
Fig. 4. shews plan of adjustable bottom pintle.
Fig. 5 shews section of part of apparatus with bevil gearing substituted for the
flexible shaft shewn in Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is plan of reducing gearing.
Fig. 7 is section of same.
Fig. 8 is section of modified form of same.
Fig. 9 shews my invention as applied to Motor Cars.
Fig. 10 is elevation of a motor cycle fitted with an apparatus for propelling the
same constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 11. is front view of same.
Fig. 12. is plan of same.
The same numbers denote the same parts in all the firs

page_text: 1 is a metal tube having pintles 2. 3 attached thereto.
The tube 1 is preferably made in two portions a. a¹ as shewn the said portions
being connected by flanges 4. 4. The upper portion a contains the intermediate
shaft 5 and the lower portion a¹ contains the propeller shaft 6 and thrust bearing. 7 is
the propeller of any suitable shape and size.
The shafts 5 and 6 may be connected by a piece of flexible shafting 8 shewn at
Fig. 2. or by bevil gearing as shown at Fig. 5.
Attached to or formed in one with the tube a is a rudder 9 the bottom of which is
held in lugs 10. 10 formed on the tube a¹.
The upper pintle 2 may be either formed in one with the tube a or attached
thereto by any suitable means.
The lower pintle 3 is preferably formed in one with or attached to a bar 11 having
a longitudinal slot therein. 12 is a clip which is secured round the tube al by bolts.
This clip is provided with ears 13 furnished with bolt holes the holes in the said ears
nearest the body of the clip taking the form of curved slots. Suitable bolts passing
through the ears 13 and slots allow the bottom pintle to be adjusted to a convenient
distance from the tube al in order to allow the tube 1 to be vertical when the
apparatus is attached to the stern of a boat. The slotted bolt holes allow the
bottom pintle to be placed at a slight inclination to the tube 1 to suit the rudder eyes.
The thrust bearing I prefer to use is a double ball bearing constructed as shewn
at Fig. 3.
14 is a casting of steel or other suitable material fitting the end of the tube a¹. 6 is
the propeller shaft to which shaft are secured by pins or otherwise hard steel
cones 15 and 16. 17 are the usual hard steel balls. 18 is an adjusting cone
screwed into the casting 14. The casting 14 may be secured in the tube a¹ by
screws or other suitable means and the cone 18 may be prevented from rotating
when adjusted by any of the well known methods.
As shewn at Fig. 5 the tube 1 is straight and terminates in a gear box 19 made
in halves containing a pair of bevil wheels which may be either mitre wheels or so
arranged as to reduce the speed of the propeller shaft relative to the speed of the
armature shaft in any desired ratio.
Attached to or formed integral with the tube 1 is a flange 20 which forms the
sole plate supporting the motor.
21 is the frame of the motor, 22 the armature, 23 the armature spindle, 24 is an
internal spur wheel attached to the shaft 5 the boss of which wheel forms part of a
ball bearing as shewn at Fig. 2. The bottom of the armature shaft is supported on
a centre 25 in the said boss.
Secured to the armature spindle is an excentric sheave 26 rotatating in a spur
pinion 27.
To the said pinion is attached a rod or arm 28 moving in a guide 29 so as to
prevent the pinion from rotating.
The pinion bas one tooth less than the spur wheel so that for every revolution of
the armature shaft the spur wheel and shaft 5 are rotated a fraction of a revolution
equal to the number of teeth in the spur wheel so that if the spur wheel has 12 teeth
and the pinion 11 teeth the armature spindle will revolve twelve times to one
revolution of the shaft 5.
A modification of this gearing as shewn at Fig. 8 where the rod or arm 28 is
dispensed with.
In this case I use two internal spur wheels 24 and 30 of equal diameters and
having the same number of teeth in each the uppermost of these wheels 30 is cast
with or rigidly secured to the frame 21 of the motor and the lower wheel 24 is
secured to the shaft 5 as before. The pinion is made wide enough to gear with both
spur wheels.
As the armature revolves the pinion will be rotated a fraction of a revolution by
the fixed wheel and will cause the wheel attached to the shaft 5 to rotate an equal
fraction of a revolution as herein before described.

page_text: The tube 1 has formed in one therewith or attached thereto a socket 32 into
which is fitted a tiller 33 secured in the said socket by means of a pin.
The said tiller carries the switch 3-4 by means of which the propeller is stopped
started and reversed.
The bottom end of the shaft 5 is made square as shewn at Fig. 2 and drops into
a corresponding recess in a coupling 31 to which the flexible shaft 8 is attached.
This arrangement enables the above described apparatus to be attached to motor
cars in the manner hereinafter to be described.
The motor and gearing are enclosed in a dust proof dome or cover 35 secured to
the flange 20.
When applying my invention to motor cars in order to still further reduce the
speed of the driving wheel or wheels the end of the shaft 5 may have a worm 36
attached thereto which worm gears with the worm wheel 37 which runs loose on the
axle 38 and forms part of the usual compensating gear.
The apparatus may in this case be arranged horizontally (underneath the car) or
vertically if desired and may be secured to the body or frame of the car by clips or
otherwise.
In some cases I make the same apparatus applicable for driving motor cycles and
motor cars and boats canoes and the like so that the owner of a motor cycle and
boat has only to unship the apparatus from the boat or the like and attach it to the
motor cycle or car and couple up the motor to the storage or other batteries in order
to travel by water or land.
One method of applying my invention to a motor cycle is shewn at Figs. 10. 11. 12.
This cycle is preferably three wheeled having two driving and steering wheels 40 in
front and a single trailing wheel 39 behind the accumulators being carried in boxes
on each side of the back wheel 39.
As shewn at Fig. 10 the steering pillar is connected to the frame of the machine
by a bolt or pin 42 passing through lugs or ears 43 attached to the said pillar.
The said pillar is also provided with eyes 44 to receive the pintles so that the same
apparatus may be used for propelling boats or cycles the rudder being held between
lugs or ears 45 keeps the apparatus steady.
The motion of the armature is transmitted to the shaft 5 in the manner
herein before described and the end of the said shaft drops into a socket in the worm
shaft 46 which worm gears with a worm wheel forming part of the ordinary
compensating gear or the compensating gear may be at one end of the driving axle
and the worm wheel secured thereto.
A seat 47 and foot rests 48 are provided. The accumulators are carried in boxes 41
on each side of the back wheel the leads from the accumulators are brought up to
the stopping starting and reversing switch 34 and from thence to the motor.
When it is desired to use the apparatus for propelling a boat canoe or the like
the tube I is disconnected by removing the bolts from the flanges 4 and connecting
the portion a to the portion a¹ carrying the propeller and its shaft it being
understood that two portions a¹ are provided one for the propeller and one for the
worm gearing the worm gearing and its shaft and tube a¹ being permanently
attached to the cycle.
In some cases the said apparatus in its entirety may be used for propelling motor
cars or cycles and boats by removing the propeller and attaching the worm 36 to
the propeller shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In an apparatus for propelling Motor cars cycles boats canoes and the like the
tube 1 having an electric motor attached to one end thereof and adapted to be
secured to the vehicle boat or other vessel to be propelled by means of pintles clips
1

page_text: said motor at one end and connected to a shaft having a propeller or a worm or
other suitable gear at the other end for the purpose stated.
2. In an apparatus for propelling and steering boats canoes and other vessels
the combination of a shaft 5 connected by suitable gearing to an electric motor
with a propeller shaft 6 the shafts 5 & 6 being connected by means of a flexible
shaft 8 or bevil gearing substantially as herein before specified and for the purpose
stated.
3. In an apparatus for propelling and steering boats canoes and similar vessels
the combination with a shaft 5 geared to an electric motor a flexible shaft 8 or
bevil wheels and a propeller shaft 6 of a tube 1 containing the said shafts having a
rudder 9 formed thereon and provided with pintles 2 and 3 and a socket 32 to
receive a tiller 33 all substantially as hereinbefore specified and for the purposes
stated.
4. In an apparatus for propelling and steering boats canoes and the like the
construction and arrangement of parts forming a thrust bearing for the propeller
shaft substantially as hereinbefore specified and shewn by Fig. 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. In an apparatus for propelling and steering boats canoes and the like the
adjustable pintle 3 constructed and attached to the tube 1 substantially as
herein before specified and shewn by Figs. 1 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
6. In an apparatus for propelling Motor Cars Cycles Boats Canoes and the like
the combination of an Electric Motor having an eccentric sheave 26 formed on or
attached to the armature shaft a spur pinion 27 on the said sheave a guide rod 28
attached to or formed in one with the pinion 27 and reciprocating in a guide 28 an
internal spur wheel 24 gearing with the said pinion and a shaft 5 keyed or otherwise
secured to the wheel 24 all substantially as hereinbefore specified.
7. In an apparatus for propelling Motor Cars Cycles Boats Canoes and the like
the combination of an Electric Motor having an eccentric sheave 26 formed on or
attached to the armature shaft an internal spur wheel 30 fixed to the frame of the
motor an internal Spur wheel 24 a shaft 5 keyed or otherwise secured to the said
wheel 24 and a spur pinion on the said sheave and gearing with the wheels 30 and 24
all substantially as herein before specified and shewn by Fig. 9 of the accompanying
drawings.
8. In an apparatus for propelling Motor Cars Cycles Boats Canoes and the like
the combination of a tube 1 made in two portions a and a¹ adapted to be secured
to the frame of a motor car or cycle or to the stern of a boat canoe or the like a
shaft 5 geared to the motor a shaft 6 attached to the propeller or gearing for
actuating the driving wheels of a motor car or cycle a flexible shaft 8 or bevil
wheels conneeting the shafts 5. 6 and 8 revolving in the said tube and an electric
motor attached to the said tube all substantially as herein before specified.
9. In an apparatus for propelling Motor Cars Cycles Boats Canoes and the like
the method of and means for enabling the motor, tube 1 and shaft 5 to be used for
propelling either motor cars Cycles Boats Canoes or the like at will substantially as
hereinbefore specified.
10. The specific combination of parts forming an apparatus for propelling Motor
Cars Cycles Boats Canoes and the like constructed arranged and operating as
hereinbefore specified.