Improvements in the Propelling of Ships, Submarine Boats, and Torpedoes.
Year: 1887

page_text: [Communicated from abrowd by AxpreW STENHOven, Shipwright, and He
FENOULHET, Engineer, both of Auckland, in the Colony of New Zealand.]
FENOULHET, Engineer, both of Auckland, in the Colony of New Zealand.]
Improvements in the Propelling of Ships, Submarine Boats, and
Torpedoes.
I, AMBROSE MYALL, of 21 Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, in the county of
Middlesex, Civil 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:-
:
My invention relates to an improved means of propelling ships, submarine boats
and torpedoes, substantially as hereinafter described and illustrated by drawings.
In the construction of my apparatus, I employ two or more wheels, which are
revolved within water-tight bulkheads, and the peripheries of which are flush with the
bilge of the vessel. Suitably formed blades are fixed on spindles mounted on the
said wheels, the blades alone projecting beyond and through spaces cut in the vessel's
sides and bottom. The said blades may be so arranged that they can be removed or
adjusted to any angle, while the vessel is at sea. The necessary power to drive the
said wheels is supplied through main shafis passing through stuffing boxes in the
bulkheads. The blades are set at an angle on going outboard and placed vertically, or
feathered, on coming in-board, by means of cams or eccentrics. The propellers may
be placed in any part of the ships length, on both sides.
In order more clearly to illustrate the nature of my invention, I will now proceed
to further and more particularly describe the same by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which big. 1, is the cross section of a vessel through the water-tight
bulk-heads, shewing the two wheels W W with blades B, B, B, B, B, D, firmly secured
to spindles A, A, A, A, A, A, on which are fixed bell-cranks D, D, D, D, D, D, with
friction rollers, also shewn on Figs. 2 and 3. The said bell-cranks D, D, are actuated
in their path round the centre by cams C, C, C, C, which set the blades at an angle on
descending and place them vertically on ascending; the arrows denote the direction
of the wheels in Figs. 1 and 4, the latter also shews by an arrow the direction in
which the vessel is propelled, and the blades B, B rising vertically and descending at
an angle. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section through part of the vessel, shewing a
section of the bulk-heads, wheel W, cams C, C, and stuffing-boxes K, K, also the
spindle A, with blade B, and bell-crank D in elevation, also the shaft S, grooved at T
to take the thrust. Fig. 3 is a section on the line . y. Fig. 1, shewing at the top the
blade B, rising vertically from the well formed by the bulk-heads, and maintained in

page_text: that position by the friction-rollers on bell-crank D touching the faces of cams C, C.
The blade B at the bottom of the section is shewn at an angle, held so by the bell-
cranks D, D, and cams C. C, as in the former case.
Fig. is a plan of Fig. 1 shewing a horizontal section of the water-tight bulk-
heads and wheels W, W, with blades B, B, B, B. those rising through the well or race,
formed by the water-fight. bulk-heads, are shewn in a vertical position, those
descending, at an angle.
C, C, C, C, are the cams actuating the bell-cranks, attached to the spindles on which
the blades are secured. The arrows denote the direction of the wheels, also the
direction of the vessel's motion. Fig. 5 is the deck plan of a vessel, shewing position
of propellers, as placed by preference, but the said propellers may be placed in any
other desired part of the length of the vessel, the arrows denote the direction of the
wlicels and the ship respectively.
I place bars projecting from the ship, as shewn on Figs. 1 and 4, at E, E, to protect
the blades, should the vessel be working in shallow water, or when lying alongside a
wharf, also a curtain is provided, as shown on Figs. I and 4, at N,N, to protect the
blades and wheels from shot, in men-of-war.
It being well understood that the tips or ends of the blades of an ordinary screw
propeller do the most work, I use the ends of the blades only, mounted on wheels or
spokes,that revolve within the vessel; the said blades projecting through part of both
sides and bottom of the vessel, as hereinbefore described and shewn, I consider that
by means of my invention, the greatest handiness in manoeuvreing a vessel is obtained.
By reversing one wheel, while the other is going ahead, I enable a vessel to be turned
in her own length, and as the blades are so deeply immersed, the engines will not race
in the roughest weather, morcover the blades work entirely in unbroken water and not
in the wake of the vessel. My invention also leaves the rudder free to work in
,unbroken water. The uppermost blade being above the load line, access can be had to
the blades from manholes in the ship, while at sea, or in the case of smaller propellers
being used, which would be altogether below water, access could be had to the upper-
most blade by forcing the water out by à pressure of air. The blades can be
unshipped, while at sea, as in the case of a man-of-war, when it is required to use the
sails only. The blades of the propellers can be adjusted to any required angle, so that
the pitch can be adapted to suit varying circumstances. In applying my invention
the lines of a vessel may be but slightly altered from the accepted forms, and that
only for a short space leading up to, and away from, the bulk-head section containing
the propellers, the deck beams need no alteration, thus enabling an existing vessel to
be fitted with these propellers.
I wish it to be understood that in carrying out my invention into practice, I do not
necessarily confine myself to the precise details of construction, as herein set forth,
provided that in all cases the essential features of the invention be retained.
$
1-do not claim as my invention any of the separate parts of the apparatus, which I
have shewn and described; but 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.) The improved construction of ship's propellers in which the tips or ends only
of the blades of two or more screws are used.the.centres of the said screws being
within the vessel and revolving within water-tight bulk-heads the blades alone
projecting beyond and through spaces cut in the vessel's sides and bottom, substantially
as herein described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
(2.) The method of feathering the blades of the said improved screw propellers,
substantially as herein described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.