Improvements relating to the Propulsion of Ships or the like and Means therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Propulsion of Ships or the like and
Means therefor.
I, ANTOINE VOLTOR, of Barcelona, in the Kingdom of Spain, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in the propulsion of ships or the like
and means therefor. One or more flat wings are mounted on a short shaft
arranged transversely to the main or motor-shaft of the boat, the said shaft
being connected to a plate provided with two holes wherein pins are introduced
which are fastened on the one ends of two bars the other ends of which are
provided with pins engaging in a groove cut in a socket mounted on the main
or motor-shaft.
!
The rod or rods connecting the wing or wings with the socket, are housed
in the motor shaft and turn with the same and, by means of their pins engaging
in the groove, they receive a longitudinal movement the effect of which is to
turn the shaft carrying the wings for 90° so that these wings are placed at
right angles to or in alignment with the plane of their rotation.
The motor or main shaft is seated transversely to the longitudinal axis of the
boat and its two ends project from the sides of the ship sufficiently so as to
allow the movements of the winged propellers one of which is arranged at each
end of the shaft. The motor shaft is driven by any suitable engine.
The socket mentioned hereabove can be given a half turn in order to have
together with its groove two different positions, in one of which the respective
wings of a propeller are square to the plane of rotation during their half turn
underneath the shaft, whilst during their half turn above the latter they are in
alignment with said plane; in the other position of the socket the position of
the wings is reversed. This allows the forward or backward movement of the
boat without changing the direction of rotation of the motor.
In the annexed drawing an example of construction of this invention is
shewn.
Fig. 1 is a transversal section of the boat and the bearings of the main shaft.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the end of the main shaft.
Fig. 3 is a section on the line of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a section on the line of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 5 a longitudinal section of the extremity of the motor-shaft.
The motor and also the bearings of the shaft a can be of any system and con-
venient disposition, but the motor shaft is always placed transversely that is to
say from port-side to starboard instead of being seated from prow to stern as
screw shafts. The shaft projects outside the two sides of the boat for a length
necessary to allow the mounting of the winged propellers.
In Figs. 1 and 4 two wings b diametrically opposite each other are represented,
the shaft a carrying the same on each extremity. These wings are composed
of a flat part b and a cylindrical part 61 and are arranged so that they can be
fastened or fixed by their sockets by means of pins 6 on to the ends of a

page_text: short shaft & arranged at right angles to the shaft a.
vided with a circular plate e perforated by two holes e¹.
The short shaft d is pro-
The ends of shaft a are shaped as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 forming a bearing
for the short shaft d and the plate e, and for the plate e securing the shaft d by
means of plate e allowing the shaft to rotate. The form and arrangement of
the plate
e can vary according to the case.
The plate e is connected with two rods f arranged in the channels hollowed
out in the motor shaft, the pins of these rods engage in the holes e¹ of the
plate e and the pins g of these rods engage in the groove t¹ cut in the inside
of the socket t; by means of the rotary movement of the shaft the rods f
receive an alternate longitudinal movement, the effect of which is to make the
short shaft d and consequently the wings b turn for 90° thus placing the respec-
tive wings in alignment or at right angles to the plane of rotation.
The main socket Figs. 1 and 3 is mounted on the supports 4 and 5 and
closely embraces the motor-shaft a.
:
The socket can take two positions; that is for forward or backward move-
ment of the boat it is sufficient to change the position of this socket in order to
cause the respective wings to come into alignment with the plane of rotation
above or below the shaft a.
In order to be able to turn the socket the. 180° necessary for the changing
of the movement direction, the socket carries a toothed crown t¹ influenced by
an endless screw h whose axle carries a fly-wheel h¹.
The socket is provided on its interior surface with a groove t¹ large enough
to allow the pins 9 of the rods f to engage easily therein. The course of the
groove is according to the rapidity of shifting movement of the wings b.
The socket can be divided into two parts in order to facilitate the mounting
of the same on the motor shaft and on each part the corresponding part of the
groove is hollowed out. The course of the groove is such that for 120° of
the inner circumference of the socket t, the groove is parallel to the exterior
edge, then it inclines gradually going away from the edge for a course of 60°
then it is again parallel to the border for a further course of 120° then inclining
again approaching the border for 60° in the reverse direction in order to close
the course of the groove.
e makes
By means of this arrangement the shaft a when turning draws with it the
rods flodged in the longitudinal grooves of the latter at the same time as
the ping runs through the helical groove t¹ and the socket t remaining stationary
the circular movement of the pin is transferred into the longitudinal move-
ment of the rod f whose other pink lodged in the hole e¹ of the plate
the short axle d of the wings, turn for 90° that is to say that during one, revo-
lution of the shaft a, the wing & remains square to the plane of rotation for 120°;
then in the 60° following it turns in order to take a position in alignment with
the rotation plane and it remains so for 120°; then in the remaining 60°. it turns
in the opposite direction and resumes its original position.
If the socket t it turned in its support for half a revolution, the position of
the groove will be reversed so that without changing the direction of the move-
ment of the motor it results that the wings repel the water above or under the
shaft that is to say that without changing the direction of the rotation either
of the motor or the shaft the boat can be made to travel forwards or backwards
which gives a great facility in the manoeuvering of the same.
The shaft a is arranged in a bearing
with a stuffing box n n extending
to the support 4, 5 of the socket a second stuffing box being arranged after
this support.
The short axle d lubricates itself by its turning movement of 90° at each
revolution of the shaft a. For this purpose, the top of the shaft is provided
with a channel m extending to the axle-tree and also in communication with a
conduit o abutting at a spot of the shaft corresponding with the inner part of
the boat. The outer extremity of the conduit m is stopped in order to avoid a

page_text: loss of oil. By any mechanical means oil is injected into the groove of the
shaft occupied by the rod f and the excess of oil is taken back through the
groovings mo which conduct it toward the interior of the boat in order that it
can be used again.
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. Improved means for propelling ships or the like consisting in the combina-
tion therewith of a motor shaft a arranged at right angles to the length direc-
tion of the boat that is to say from port-side to starboard and carrying at each
end one or several flat wings & mounted on a short shaft d provided with a plate e
in combination with one or more rods f housed in grooves hollowed out in the
motor shaft a these rods carrying two pins one on each end, one of which is
engaged in a hole of the plate e and the other one is engaged in a cam groove t¹
hollowed out in a socket which remains stationary during the rotation of the
shaft in order that the wings turn 90° at each revolution of the shaft so that
the same are placed respectively at right angles to and in alignment with the
plane of their rotation substantially as described and illustrated in the annexed
drawings.
2. In the improved means as in Claim 1 the arrangement of a socket t arranged
on the motor shaft a and provided inside with a cam groove t¹, wherein the pin
of the end of one or two rods f is engaged, which gives the wings 6 the turning
movement; the said socket being lodged in a support which prevents it follow-
ing the movement of the shaft but which allows it to make at the desired
moment half a revolution round the shaft; in order that the wings take a posi-
tion at right angles to, or in alignment with their plane of rotation either above
or below the motor shaft and produce by this fact the forward or backward
movement of the boat without it being necessary to change either the direction
of rotation of the shaft or the direction of the movement of the motor, substan-
tially as described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Dated this 16th day of Santam har 1800
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C.