Improvements in the Manufacture of Steamship Propeller Shafts.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Steamship Propeller Shafts.
I, JOHN REED FOTHERGILL, of 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:.
Ordinary propeller shafts are constructed of iron or steel and provided towards
their outer and inner ends with liners or sleeves of brass or other suitable and
similar material. With this construction considerable deterioration, principally
corrosion, rapidly takes place where the shaft is unprotected by the sleeves and
more particularly at the immediate termination of the sleeves, with the result
that such shafts are frequently fractured whilst at sea, thereby causing great
inconvenience and loss of time and money.
Now this invention has for its main object to prevent the rapid deterioration
and consequent fracture of propeller shafts such as above referred to. For this
purpose I completely cover and protect that portion of the shaft usually left ex-
posed between the liner or sleeves, by coiling or wrapping it with a wire or
ribbon, or wires or ribbons, of suitable metal of rectangular, T, V, or other
suitable section: or the usual liners or sleeves may be dispensed with
and the wrapping be extended towards the extremities of the shaft; or the
ordinary liners or sleeves may be shrunk on over the wrapping or coiling. As
will be obvious various arrangements of wrapping or coiling may be adopted and
one, two or more wrappings may be applied. When more than one wrapping is
applied, the second one is preferably so applied that its convolutions will cross
those of the other. For this purpose the coiling of one wrapping may be com-
menced at the opposite end to that at which the coiling of the adjacent wrapping
was commenced. The wire or ribbon before being coiled on the shaft should be
lightly and evenly coated with solder or other metal or alloy having a low
fusing point. As each length of wrapping is completed, it should be heaten to
fuse the solder or other metal or alloy and so securely and permanently bind
the whole together as a solid body. The fusing of the solder
alloy can be effectively done by pouring melted solder or alloy of the
same kind as the wire or ribbon or wires or ribbons may be coated with, over the
wrapping, or over each wrapping, and wiping off." This method ensures the
filling in of any interstices which may possibly occur between the coils or
convolutions.
or
The wire or ribbon should be coiled on the shaft under a regulated and con-
tinuous tension whilst the shaft is revolving, as in a lathe, so as to ensure a
close connection with the shaft. The wire or ribbon can be heated sufficient to
melt the solder. during the process of coiling.
1007

page_text: I, JOHN REED FOTHERGILL, of 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting 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:-
:-
Ordinary propeller shafts are constructed of iron or steel and provided towards
their outer and inner ends with liners or sleeves of brass or other suitable and
similar material. With this construction considerable deterioration, principally
corrosion, rapidly takes place where the shaft is unprotected by the sleeves and
more particularly at the immediate termination of the sleeves, with the result
that such shafts are frequently fractured whilst at sea, thereby causing great]
inconvenience and loss of time and money.
Now this invention has for its object to prevent the rapid deterioration
and consequent fracture of propeller shafts such as above referred to. For this
purpose I completely cover and protect that portion of the shaft usually left ex-
posed between the liners or sleeves, by coiling or wrapping it with a wire or
ribbon, or wires or ribbons, of suitable metal of rectangular, T. V, or other
suitable section; or the usual liners or sleeves may be dispensed with
and the wrapping be extended towards the extremities of the shaft; or the
ordinary liners or sleeves may be shrunk on over the wrapping or coiling. As
will be obvious various arrangements of wrapping or coiling may be adopted and
one, two or more wrappings may be applied. When more than one wrapping is
applied, the second one is preferably so applied that its convolutions will cross
those of the other. For this purpose the coiling of one wrapping may be com-
menced at the opposite end to that at which the coiling of the adjacent wrapping
was commenced. The wire or ribbon before being coiled on the shaft should be
lightly and evenly coated with ordinary solder or other metal or alloy having a low
fusing point, so that the whole can, by heating, be united together so as to form
a solid body.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows in side elevation an ordinary pro-
peller shaft. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 show several methods of coiling or wrapping such
a shaft with wire or ribbon according to this invention in order to protect that
portion of the shaft beween the liners from deterioration, principally corrosion.
Fig. 2 is drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4 to a still larger
scale.
Referring to Fig. 1,-1, 2, 3 is an ordinary iron or steel propeller shaft having
a coupling flange I at one end, a tapered portion 3 at the other end which receives
the propeller, and an exposed intermediate portion 2 located between the usual
brass liners or sleeves 4. The intermediate portion 2 of the shaft is particulariy
liable to deterioration which is most serious at the parts 5 adjacent to the inner
terminations of the liners or sleeves.
Fig. 2 shows one method of protecting the intermediate portion of the shaft
by wrapping or coiling thereon wire or ribbon as shown at 6 and 7. One ribbon
only may be used as shown at 6 but preferably a second ribbon 7 is applied sc
that its convolutions will, as shown, cross those of the other and serve to break
joint therewith.
In Fig. 3 is shown a ribbon 8 with tapered sides wound round the shaft so as
to leave sufficient space between the convolutions to admit of there being wound

page_text: therein another ribbon 9 of similar section but with the tapered sides inclined in
the opposite direction.
Fig. 4 shows another form of wrapping composed of ribbon 10 of inverted tee
section, the joints between the several convolutions being covered by a ribbon 11
of rectangular section. It will be obvious that wire or ribbon of various other
sections can be employed if desired.
The wire or ribbon may advantageously be of copper or brass or any alloy to
which ordinary solder readily adheres; steel or iron may be used and, as herein-
before stated it should be evenly and lightly coated with ordinary solder or other
metal or alloy having a low fusing point. As each length of wrapping is com-
pleted, it should be heated to fuse the ordinary solder or other metal or alloy and
thereby securely and permanently bind the whole together as a solid body. The
fusing of the solder or alloy can be effectively done by pouring melted solder or
alloy of the same kind as the wire or ribbon or wires or ribbons may be coated
with, over the wrapping, or over each wrapping, and "wiping off."
This method
ensures the filling in of any interstices which may possibly occur between the
coils or convolutions.
The wire or ribbon should be coiled on the shaft under a regulated and con-
tinuous tension sufficient to ensure its being wound tightly on the shaft whilst
the shaft is revolving, as in a lathe, so as to effect a close connection with the
shaft. The wire or ribbon can be coiled upon the shaft in a cold state, or it can
he heated during the process of coiling sufficiently to melt the solder or alloy
thereon. The ends of the wire or ribbon forming the wrapping may be secured
in any convenient way as for example, by soldering them to the adjacent brass
liners the ends of which may for this purpose be reduced in diameter, and coated
with solder to facilitate the connection, countersunk screws being employed to
further secure the parts together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do
not claim broadly the wrapping or coiling of wire upon a propeller shaft as I
am aware that ordinary wire has been coiled over canvas or the like for retaining
the same in place around a shaft but that what I do claim is :-
:—
1. Covering or protecting exposed portions of propeller shafts. especially the
portion between the liners or sleeves, by wrapping or coiling thereon under a
regulated and continuous tension, metallic wire or ribbon coated with ordinary
soller or other metal or alloy having a low fusing point, and suitably heating the
wrapping so that the whole will become permanently united together as a solid
body, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A steam-ship propeller shaft having one or more protecting wrappings con-
structed and applied substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dotal 466 9h day at Juomat 1909
Dam IN DI
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields. London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.