Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
We, THOMAS WASHINGTON SOUTHINGTON, Hotel-keeper, and JAMES
TILLEY MITCHELL, Land Owner, both residing at Locust Valley, in the
County of Queens, and State of New York, United States of America, 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:-
This invention relates to propellers, and the object thereof is to provide an
improved device of this class for use in connection with steam vessels, whereby
greater propelling power is secured, together with less vibration, and a minimum
amount of back action. This object we accomplish by means of propelling blades
of peculiar and novel construction, which constitutes the chief featuro of our
invention, and the invention is fully disclosed in the following specification of
which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of our
improvement are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the
views, and in which ;-
Fig. 1, is an end view of my improved propeller;
Fig. 2, a side view thereof; and,
Fig. 3 a transverse section of one of the blades on the line 3, 3, of Fig. 2.
In the practice of our invention we provide a propeller which comprises the usual
tubular head 5, through which the propeller shaft passes, and said tubular head
is provided with a plurality of blades 6, which are preferably three in number, and
which are of the form and construction bereinafter described.
The blades 6, are secured to the head 5, in any desired manner, or may be
formed integrally therewith, and said blades constitute plates which are set.
diagonally to the head 5, and which project radially therefrom.
These blades are curved longitudinally as shown, each of said blades being
provided centrally and longitudinally thereof with a forwardly directed curve 7.
the sides of the blades being curved longitudinally so that they are segmental
in cross section, the fronts thereof being convex as shown at 8, nud the opposite
edges thereof being each directed forwardly, and the opposite side of the blades
are correspondingly formed, being provided centrally and longitudinally with a
groove 9, and the sides of tho blades adjacent to said groove being convex in cross
section as shown at 10.
The end of each of the blades is split for about one quarter of its length, and
the separate parts or wings 11, thus formed are bent in opposite directions, that
part or wing connected with the upper edge of the blades being bent forwardly,
aud that portion connected with the lower portion of the blade being bent
backwardly; and the inclination of these parts or wings 11, with reference to the
head 5, of the propeller is such, that if said parts or wings and said head were
projected, they would form an angle of about 45º.
It will also be seen that one of the blades is formed on or connected with the
head 5, adjacent to the rear end thereof, the next succeeding blade is formed on
or connected with said head near the centre thereof, while the next blade is
connected with or formed on said head near the end opposite to that adjacent
to which the first blade is formed or secured, and the propeller thus operates as
& screw.

page_text: It will be apparent that this arrangement of the blades may be modified as
described, the chief feature of this invention consisting of the form of the blades
as herein before described.
By means of this construction we secure a great inoroase of power, while at the
same time, the vibration caused by the propeller is largely reduced, and the back
action which accompanies the operation of propellers as usually constructed, is
entirely avoided.
The word "forward" as used in the foregoing description, refers to the direction
in which the propeller turns, in order to propel the vessel, while the word
"backward" is used to designate the opposite direction, or that in which the
propeller turns when backing a vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A propeller provided with blades which project radially from the head
thereof, and which are secured obliquely thoreto, said blades being curved
longitudinally as described, and being split at their ends, and the wings or
parts thus formed being turned in opposite directions, substantially as shown and
described.
2. A propeller provided with blades which project radially from the head
thereof, and which are set obliquely to said head, said blades being bent centrally
and longitudinally to form a forwardly directed portion, at each side of which they
are segmental in form in cross section, the edges thereof being directel forwardly,
substantially as shown and described.
3. A propeller the blades of which project radially from the head thereof,
and are curved longitudinally so as to form a forwardly directed central portion,
the sides of each blade adjacent to said central portion being segmental in
form, in cross section with the edges thereof directed forwardly, and the outer
ends of each blade being also split for a portion of its length, and the separate
parts thus formed being turned in opposite directions, substantially as shown and
described.
4. A propeller provided with blades which project radially from the head
thereof, and which are secured obliquely thereto, said blades being curved
longitudinally, as shown and described.
Dated this 1st day of April 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.