Improvements in the Electrical Propulsion of Boats and Vessels.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th Feb.. 1896-Accepted, 29th May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Electrical Propulsion of Boats and Vessels.
We, ANTHONY GEORGE NEW and ARTHUR JAMES MAYNE, both of Palace
Chambers, in the City of Westminster, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the electrical propulsion of boats and
vessels by means of an electrical motor contained in a rudder casing.
According to the present invention the motor consists of a circular ring type
armature having its core projecting in the form of teeth between the coils wound
round it. The armature is stationary and encloses a revolving field magnet which
is shaped somewhat similarly to the Siemens H armature adopted in some forms of
small motors. The shaft upon which the armature is mounted carries revolving
brushes or the like in a suitable holder which make a sliding contact with a fixed
commutator (which may be disc shaped) having fixed collector rings.
The motor is so constructed and arranged that it may be enclosed in a watertight
casing similar in shape to a torpedo, the object being to render the motor as
compact and efficient as possible.
At one end of the rudder the shaft projects through a stuffing box and carries a
propeller. Suitable attachments are made with the casing to enable it to be applied
to any form of boat or vessel.
:
We may add at the stern or elsewhere suitable fius for assisting the steering
capabilities of the apparatus, and we may also employ a system of gearing somewhat
on the lines of that adopted in the back gearing of a lathe for enabling the spindle
to revolve at a greater rate of speed than the propeller.
Dated the 20th day of M 1005

page_text: Fig. 4 is a detail of same, and
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are respectively front elevation, plan, and side elevation of a part
of one of the brush holders.
The motor consists of a ring shaped stationary armature 1, having its core
projecting in the form of teeth 1 between which are held the coils 2. The
armature 1 is supported between end plates 3 secured together by bolts 4, which
plates also form bearings for the shaft 5. The shaft supports a revolving field
magnet 6 which is shaped somewhat similarly to the Siemens H armature adopted
in some forms of small motors, and a brush holder 7 which consists of a long and a
short arm, each carrying an open ended box 8 bolted thereto in which are blocks
or brushes 9, 9, forced outwards by means of a suitable spring. One of these
blocks makes contact with the commutator 10 which consists of as many segments
(say twelve) as there are coils in the armature. The other block presses against a
collector ring 11 which is secured to a disc 11 supported by a casting 12.
A second ring 11 is also secured to the disc and with this one of the brushes 9
carried by the shorter arm makes contact, the other brush making contact with the
commutator. The rings 11 and 11° carry terminals 13, 13. The shaft is carried
at either end in suitable bearings, that at the propeller end having a stuffing box
the packing of which is kept tight by means of a spring 14.
The parts are surrounded by water tight casings 15, 15, of sheet metal which are
so formed as to render the whole similar in shape to a torpedo and which are
attached to rings 16, 16, and to blocks 17, 17, such blocks being retained by the
parts 18, 18, 19, 19, respectively. Suitable packing rings 20, 20, of rubber or like
material are provided to prevent the access of water to the interior of the case.
To attach the motor and casing to an upright shaft we employ a ring 21 having a
socket 22 which abuts against and meets the hollow upright shaft 23, connection
between the two being made by means of a collar 24 into which they are screwed.
A set screw 24" is also provided which passes through the collar and into the
socket. The shaft 23 is held in a bracket composed of the fixed arms 25, 25, and
the two adjustable arms 26 (one only of which is seen). The arm 26 is attached at
one end to the vertical rod 27, a pair of adjustable arms 28 on which, carry
adjustable pads 29 which abut against the stern of the boat or vessel and prevent
the rod 27 from turning. A pintle 30 is attached to the bracket carrying the
arms 28, and a second pintle 30 is carried at the bottom of the rod 27, these being
for hanging the rudder and frame to the boat in the usual way. The rudder is
controlled from a yoke 31, attached to the top of the shaft 23. To allow of the rudder
shaft and yoke being removed without removing the other parts the shaft is held in
collars 32, 32, of the arms 25, 25, by a removable bar 33, one end 34 of which is
dropped into a slot in the collar while the other end is secured by a bolt and thumb
nut 35 which may be readily removed so that the bar 33 may be lifted out to allow
the shaft 23 to be drawn forward. When the motor is not working we prefer to
assist the steering powers of the rudder by means of a board or fin 36 which may
be dropped into a grooved strip 37 attached to the part 18 while its other end
is secured by clamping collars 38, 38, on the nut 24. Other forms of fins or vanes
and other methods of temporarily affixing same may however be employed,
7
The battery or source of supply is situated in the vessel and the wires from same
are divided and braided or covered to form lines for the yoke for steering purposes,
which lines pass through metal discs 38, 38, screwed into slotted metal plates 39, the
slots allowing the lines to be removed from the yoke if the discs are first unscrewed
from same. The wires for the field magnet pass down the shaft 23 to the
terminals 40, 41, contact being made by means of springs 42, 43, with the collector
collars 44, 44, of the magnet and the wires for the fixed armature pass to the
terminals 13, 13* of the collector rings.
The current from the terminals 40 and 41 passing through the springs 43, 42 to
the revolving collector rings 44, 44, traverses the windings of the field magnet 5
always in the same direction in spite of the fact of its rotation while the current for
the stationary armature passing by the terminals 13 and 13*, the collector

page_text: rings 11 and 11, and through the revolving brushes 9, 9, 9, 9, to the fixed
commutator 10, commutes the current in the coils of the armature in advance of the
revolving field magnets, exercising consequently upon these latter a torque which
causes them and the propeller shaft 5 to rotate.
In place of employing a motor with a commutator as shown, the casing 15 may
be provided with a commutatorless polyphase motor. We may also employ a system
of gearing of some suitable form such as the sun and planet type or a modification
of same for enabling the shaft to revolve at a greater rate of speed than the
propellor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a rudder motor the arrangement and construction of a torpedo shaped
casing for carrying the motor and propeller substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. In a rudder motor the arrangement and construction of the motor substantially
as described and illustrated.
3. The arrangement and construction of the rudder motor substantially as
described and illustrated.