IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR TURNING, DIRECTING, AND STEERING STEAM SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur William Lovell Reddie of the Office for Patents
66 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR TURNING, DIRECTING, AND STEERING STEAM
SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS A communication from abroad by John Ericsson
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur William Lovell
Reddie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th April 1882.
ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR
TURNING, DIRECTING AND STEERING STEAM-SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS."-[A com-
munication from abroad by John Ericsson of the City and State of New York,
United States of America]
The object of this invention is to provide more effectively than has heretofore
been done for the directing and turning of navigable vessels of all kinds, either
while under headway or when they have no headway as for instance in case of
disablement of the ordinary propeller or propelling engine or machinery.
The invention relates to the employinent of one or more screw propellers in
a transverse passage which is provided in the hull of the vessel near the stern or
bow, thereof and through which currents of water are, by the revolution of the
propeller or propellers within it, caused to flow in such manner as to produce
the turning or change of direction of the vessel.
The invention consists in the combination with the hull of a vessel, of a
cylinder which may be called a "propeller-cylinder" fitted to opposite openings
in the sides of the hull to form a transverse passage there through, and one or
more screw propellers arranged in said cylinder and having its or their shaft or
shafts arranged concentric with said cylinder in bearings provided on a framing
supported within said cylinder.
The invention also consists in providing for the driving of a propeller or
propellers within a propeller cylinder applied to a vessel as above mentioned, by

page_text: gearing the shaft or shafts of such propellers by bevel gearing with a rotary
driving shaft which enters the said cylinder from the hull of the vessel through a
stuffing box on said cylinder, the said driving shaft deriving motion from a special
engine applied within the hull of the vessel.
The invention also consists in providing for the driving of a propeller or
propellers applied as above mentioned by means of a crank or cranks on the
shaft or shafts of the said propeller, and one or more reciprocating rods which form
a part or parts of or derive motion from one or more special engines in the bull of
the vessel, the said rod or rods working through a stuffing box or stuffing boxes on
the propeller cylinder, and being connected in any suitable manner with the crank
or cranks on the shaft or shafts of the propeller or propellers. The connection
between each of the piston rods above mentioned and its respective crank may be
made by means of a connecting rod and a guide-piston, the latter working in a
guide-cylinder attached to the propeller-cylinder.
The invention further consists in the combination within a propeller cylinder
such as is abovementioned of two screw propellers of opposite pitch, and an engine
or engines for so producing their rotation that one will rotate in the opposite
-direction to the other.
--This-invention..may be used to serve the purpose-of-an-ordinary-rudder-and
steering apparatus by connecting a steering wheel with the stopping starting
and reversing gear of the engine or engines employed to drive the propeller or
propellers placed in the aforesaid propeller cylinder; or the invention may be used
as an auxiliary steering apparatus or used only when the ordinary steering gear is
disabled, or used-only-when-the-ordinary propelling apparatus of the vessel is
disabled so that the vessel cannot be steered by a rudder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur William Lovell Reddie in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th October 1882.
"
Arthur William LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR
TURNING, DIRECTING AND STEERING STEAM SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
A coin-
munication from abroad by John Ericsson of the City and State of New York,
United States of America
The object of this Invention is to provide more effectively than has hitherto
been done for the directing and turning of navigable vessels of all kinds either
while under headway or when they have no headway, as for instance in case of
disablement of the ordinary propeller or propelling engine or machinery.
The invention relates to the employment of one or more scrow propellers in a
transverse passage which is provided in the hull of a vessel near the stern or bow
thereof and through which currents of water are, by the revolution of the propeller
or propellers, within it, caused to flow in such free and unobstructed manner as
to produce the turning or change of direction of the vessel.
The invention consists in the combination with the hull of a vessel, of an open
ended cylinder which may be called a "propeller cylinder" fitted to connect
opposite circular openings in the side of the hull to form a clear cylindrical
transverse passage thero through, and one or more screw propellers arranged in
said cylinder and having its, or their, shaft, or shafts, arranged concentric with
said cylinder in bearings provided on a framing supported within said cylinder.
The Invention also consists in providing for the driving of a propeller or
propellers within an open ended propeller cylinder applied to a vessel as above
mentioned, by gearing the shaft or shafts of such propeller or propellers by bevil
gearing with a rotary driving shaft which enters the said cylinder from the hull
of the vessel through a stuffing box on said cylinder, the said driving shaft deriving
notion from a special engine within the hull of the vessel.
The Invention also consists in providing for the driving of a propeller or
propellers applied as above mentioned, by means of a crank or cranks on the shaft
or shafts of the said propeller, and one or more reciprocating rods which form a
part or parts of, or derive motion from, one or more special engines in the hull of
the vessel;
the said rod or rods working through a stuffing box or stuffing boxes on
the propeller cylinder, and being connected in any suitable manner with the crank
or cranks on the shaft or shafts of the propeller or propellers. The connection
between each of the piston rods above mentioned and its respective crank may be
made by means of a connecting rod and a guide piston, the latter working in a
guide cylinder attached to the propeller cylinder.
The Invention further consists in the combination within a transverse propeller
cylinder having a free and unobstructed inlet and outlet, such as is above mentioned,
of two screw propellers of opposite pitch and an engine or engines for so producing
their rotation that one will rotate in the opposite direction to the other.
This invention may be used to serve the purpose of an ordinary rudder and
steering apparatus, by connecting a steering wheel with the stopping, starting, and
reversing gear of the engine or engines employed to drive the propeller or
propellers, placed in the aforesaid propeller cylinder or propeller cylinders, or the
invention may be used as an auxiliary steering apparatus, or be used only when
the ordinary steering gear or the ordinary propelling apparatus of the vessel is
disabled so that the vessel cannot be steered by a rudder.

page_text: Fig: 1 in the accompanying drawing is a side view of the after part of a vessel
furnished with a single propeller according to this Invention. Fig: 2 is a horizontal
section corresponding with Fig: 1, but on a larger scale. Fig: 3 is a horizontal
section on the same scale as Figure 2, illustrating the invention with two
propellers. Fig: 4 is a horizontal section illustrating a modification of the driving
machinery for a single propeller.-Fig: 5 is a detail of Fig: 4, as will be hereinafter
described.
A is the hull of the vessel in the sides of which near the stern, where the vessel
is very narrow, there are provided opposite circular openings into which aro
inserted and secured the ends of the open-ended hollow cylinder B, which forms an
unobstructed straight passage directly through the vessel in a transverse direction
below the water line.
Within this open ended cylinder B are arranged the screw propeller or
propellers C. C the shaft or shafts a. a. of which are concentric with the cylinder B
and with the openings provided in the sides of the hull for the insertion of the
said cylinder.
The external diameter of the propeller or propellers is so nearly equal to the
-internal-diameter of the cylinder B that the propeller or propellers will just turn
freely within the cylinder or cylinders.-The journals of the shaft or shafts of the
propeller or propellers are supported in journal boxes i. i. on a skeleton framing b.b
which is provided and supported within the cylinder B.
When two propellers are used as shewn in Fig: 3 they are to have separate
shafts that they may be capable of turning in opposite directions, the one to the
other, and the blades of one are to-be pitched in the opposite direction to those of
the other.
To drive the propeller or propellers C. C. arranged and supported as above
described on the skeleton framing b. b. within the cylinder B, there is provided as
shown in Figures 1. 2 and 3, a shaft D which passes from the interior of the
vessel A into the cylinder B through a stuffing box c. provided on the cylinder.
This shaft may be horizontal or inclined and may be driven by an engine
provided within the vessel A separate from the engine or engines by which the
ordinary propulsion of the vessel is effected.-The said shaft is furnished within
the cylinder B with a bevil gear d. which gears with a bevil gear e. on the
propeller shaft a, when there is only one propeller as shown in Fig: 2, and
which gears with a bevil gear e. on the inner end of each of the two propeller
shafts when there are two propeller shafts (as shewn in Fig: 3) having their blades
of opposite pitch; the bevil gear d. in the latter case being arranged between the
two gears e. e so as to turn the two propellers in opposite directions at the same
time.
When the shaft D. is set in motion, it gives motion to the propeller or
propellers C, C, and so causes a current of water through the open ended
cylinder B from one side of the vessel to the other, and so moves the stern of the
vessel sideways in one direction or the other, according to the direction in which
the shaft D is turned, and so causes the vessel to swing as on a pivot to point its
head in the direction desired.
This operation may be effected either while the vessel is being propelled forward
or backward by the ordinary means of propulsion, or when the ordinary means of
propulsion is rendered inoperative by accident, or while its operation is purposely
suspended temporarily. It may be remarked that while the single propeller
shewn in Fig: 2 may be sufficient for vessels of many kinds, the two propellers
of opposite pitch, geared to turn in opposite directions as shown in Fig: 3, will
be more effective, as being capable of drawing in and forcing a greater volume of
water through the open ended cylinder B at each revolution of the shaft D.
In the modification of the Invention illustrated in Fig: 4, the propeller C, instead
of being driven by gearing, is driven by direct connections from a steam, air or gas
engine the cylinder or cylinders of which is or are suitably arranged within the
hull of the vessel.

page_text: The shaft a. of the propeller is furnished at its ends with two cranks j. j. set at
right angles to each other, and these cranks are connected by connecting rods h. k.
with the piston rods Z. L. of the engine. These piston rods work through stuffing
boxes m. m. in guide cylinders n. n. which are secured to the in-board side of the
propeller cylinder B, and these guide cylinders have fitted to them guide pistons p. p
which form connection between the piston rods 6. and connecting rods k. k. The
guide cylinders n. n. are open at their rear ends which connect with the propeller
cylinder B.
The guide pistons p. p may have holes o. o. through them, as shewn in Fig: 5,
which is a face view of one of the said pistons, for the free passage of water to
prevent any obstruction to the free movement of the said pistons by the formation
of a vacuum or by the collection of air, gas or water between the pistons p. p. and
the inner ends of the guide cylinders n. n.
This method of driving the propeller by a direct connection with an engine may
be applied to the driving of the two propellers applied as shewn in Fig: 3 each
propeller shaft a. in such case having a crank at its outer end, and the two engine
cylinders from which the said cranks derive motion through the piston rods l. land
connecting rods h. k, having their valve gear so organized that the said shafts a. a.
will be caused to rotate in opposite directions.
When this invention is applied in either of the modes hereinbefore described to
a vessel which carries a subinarine gun like that described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to Henry Edward Newton, dated December twenty first One
thousand eight hundred and eighty, No 5363, which vessel is merely a floating
gun-carriage, the invention may be considered as an hydraulic training gear to
said carriage and may be employed to direct the gun towards the object of attack
while at a distance therefrom preparatory to runuing the vessel or gun carriage
directly forward by the ordinary means of propulsion to make the attack.
When the invention is applied to an ordinary vossol of war or merchant vessel it
may be used to serve the purpose of an ordinary rudder and steering apparatus by
connecting a steering wheel with the stopping, starting and reversing gear of the
engine which drives tho shaft D or it may be used as an auxiliary steering
apparatus, or be used only when the ordinary steering gear is disabled, or only
when the ordinary propelling apparatus is disabled, so that the vessel cannot be
steered by a rudder; and in the latter case it will serve to keep the vessel's hoad
to the sea or wind.
Having now set forth the nature of the said Invention of "Improvements in
means for turning, directing and steering steam ships and other vessels" as com-
municated to me by my Foreign Correspondent, and having explained in what
manner the same may be carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood
that I claim.
First The combination with the hull of a vessel of the open ended propeller
cylinder B set transversely of the said hull, one or more scrow propellers CC
arranged within the said open ended cylinder, and having its or their shaft or shafts
in bearings in a skeleton framing such as b. arranged within the said cylinder,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
Secondly The combination with the open ended transverse propeller cylinder B.
provided in the hull of a vessel, of one or more propellers C. arranged within said
cylinder, and a driving shaft entering said cylinder from the interior of the vessel
through a stuffing box in said cylinder and geared by bevel gearing with the
shaft or shafts of said propellers, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described.
Thirdly The combination within the open ended propeller cylinder B arranged
transversely of the hull, of two screw propellers C. C. of opposite pitch and an
engine or engines for so producing their rotation that one will rotate in the opposite
direction to the other substantially as and for the purpose herein described with
reference to Figure 3 of the drawing.
Fourthly The combination with the propeller C having two cranks j j on its

page_text: shaft of the piston rods . the connecting rods k. k guide pistons p. P, guide
cylinders n. n, stuffing boxes m. m, and transverse propeller cylinder B substantially
as herein described with reference to Fig: 4 of the drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Arthur William Lovell Reddie have hereunto
set my hand and seal the twentyfourth day of October in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.