IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PROPULSION AND STEERING OF VESSELS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Angell, of 51, Compton Street, Clerken-
well, in the County of Middlesex, Silversmith, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PROPULSION AND STEERING OF
VESSELS."
Sealed the 28th July 1871, and dated the 16th February 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Angell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th February 1871.
I, GEORGE ANGELL, of 51, Compton Street, Clerkenwell, in the County
of Middlesex, Silversmith, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PROPULSION AND STEERING
or VESSELS," to be as follows :-
My Invention relates to the construction and mounting of screw or
other propellers in combination with or in lieu of the rudders of vessels,
so as to obtain greater steering power and to avoid the loss of propelling
power occasioned by putting over the rudder. For this purpose I mount
the propeller within a space in the rudder or projecting beyond the

page_text: rudder and drive its shaft by bevil wheels, one of which is on the propeller
shaft and the other is on a vertical shaft having its axis corresponding
to that on which the rudder turns. This vertical shaft or the bevil
wheel on it may be caused to revolve by bevil gearing acting on it from
a shaft corresponding to the ordinary screw shaft; or the vertical shaft
may be driven from the upper part of the vessel, the joints of the rudder
being made tubular for its passage. When it is desirable to have a
balanced rudder I employ two propellers one on each side of the vertical
axis of the rudder. As the propeller in either case when it is set
obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the vessel propels more or less
transversely to the vessel a rudder surface is not necessary for steering,
the propeller itself acting as a rudder; instead, therefore, of mounting
the propeller in or on a rudder I sometimes mount it in a hinged
framing capable of being turned on its vertical axis like a rudder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Angell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ANGELL, of 51, Compton Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex,
Silversmith, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Angell, Her special licence
that I, the said George Angell, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Angell, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 APPARATUS
FOR THE PROPULSION AND STEERING OF VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Angell, my executors or administrators,

page_text: 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Angell, do hereby declaro
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
the following statement :-
My Invention relates to the construction and mounting of screw or
other propellers in combination with or in lieu of the rudders of vessels
so as to obtain greater steering power and to avoid the loss of propelling
power occasioned by putting over the rudder. For this purpose I mount
the propeller within a space in the rudder or projecting beyond the
rudder, and drive its shaft by bevil wheels, one of which is on the
propeller shaft and the other is on a vertical shaft having its axis corre-
sponding to that on which the rudder turns. This vertical shaft or the
bevil wheel on it may be caused to revolve by bevil gearing acting on it
from a shaft corresponding to the ordinary screw shaft; or the vertical
shaft may be driven from the upper part of the vessel, the joints of the
rudder being made tubular for its passage. When it is desirable to have
a balanced rudder I employ two propellers one on each side of the vertical
axis of the rudder. As the propeller in either case when it is set
obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the vessel propels more or less
transversely to the vessel a rudder surface is not necessary for steering,
the propeller itself acting as a rudder; instead, therefore, of mounting
the propeller in or on a rudder I sometimes mount it in a hinged framing
capable of being turned on its vertical axis like a rudder.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a side view of apparatus for the propulsion and
steering of a vessel constructed according to my Invention.
a is part of the stern frame of the vessel; b, the rudder shaft
extending upwards to be worked by a tiller or otherwise in the ordinary
way; c, the rudder or a framing which has an open space within it for
the reception of a screw or other like propeller d; d¹ is a bevil wheel
fixed to the propeller; 6' is another bevil wheel revolving loosely on the

page_text: rudder shaft 6 and gearing with the wheel d¹; f is the propeller shaft
driven by the engine power within the vessel, and having fixed on it a
bevil wheel f¹ gearing with the wheeb 61. The propeller d is caused to
revolve by the power acting through the shaft and the bevil gear f¹, b',
and d³, and the rudder with the propeller mounted in it can be turned
by its shaft b so that the axis of the propeller is made to lie obliquely to
the longitudinal axis of the vessel. The propulsive effect of the pro-
peller can thus be directed more or less transversely for the purpose of
steering the vessel without loss of efficiency.
Fig. 2 represents in side view an arrangement where the propeller is
mounted so as to project beyond the rudder, and the power is trans-
mitted to it from a vertical shaft. a is part of the stern frame of the
vessel; c is the rudder having a tubular shaft 6 through which passes
the vertical driving shaft f; f¹ is a bevil wheel fixed on to the vertical
driving shaft and gearing with a bevil wheel d¹ fixed on the shaft of
the propeller d. The rudder and propeller can be turned by tiller or
otherwise acting through the hollow rudder shaft 6 while the propeller d
is caused to revolve by power communicated through the vertical shaft
and the bevil gearing f¹ and d¹.
Fig. 3 represents in side view a rudder balanced or nearly so, with
propellers mounted in it and driven by a vertical shaft. a is part of
the stern frame of the vessel; c is the rudder or a framing constructed
with spaces in it for the reception of two propellors d and a fixed on
one shaft, one on either side of the vertical axis of the rudder; b is the
tubular shaft of the rudder through which passes the vertical driving
shaft pivoted on a step f'; supported from the base of the rudder f¹ is
a bevil wheel fixed on the driving shaft and gearing with a bevil
wheel d¹ fixed on the shaft of the propellers. The propellers are made
curved in outline to allow greater space for the bevil gearing between.
them.
Fig. 4 represents in side view a balanced rudder containing two
propellers mounted on separate shafts; a is part of the stern frame of
the vessel; c is the rudder or framing made with spaces for the reception
of the propellers, and having a tubular shaft 6 worked by a tiller 6* or
otherwise, through which passes the vertical driving shaft f having fixed
on it a bevil wheel f¹. This bevil wheel gears with two bevil wheels d'
and d³ fixed respectively on the shafts of the two propellers d and d².
The vertical shaft f being caused to revolve, the two propellers d and d²

page_text: are driven in opposite directions, and they are therefore made handed in
their pitch. Power may be communicated to the vertical shaft ƒ by bevil
gearing f* and g¹ from a main driving shaft g lying at any convenient
angle within the vessel, and the same applies to the vertical shafts
represented in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus the horizontal stuffing box necessary
for the ordinary propeller shaft and for the driving shaft represented in
Fig. 1 is dispensed with.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner it is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details or proportions represented in the Drawings,
as these may be varied to suit different cases without departing from
the principle embodied in my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Angell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
GEORGE MESSENGER,
28, Great George Street,
Westminster.
GEORGE ANGELL. (L.s.)