IMPROVEMENTS IN UNIVERSAL JOINTS FOR SCREW PROPELLERS AND PROPELLER SHAFTS
Year: 1885

page_text: I SALVATORF ORLANDO of Livorno, in the Kingdom of Italy, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UNIVERSAL JOINTS
FOR SCREW PROPELLERS AND PROPELLER SHAFTS" to be as follows
-
This invention relates to improvements in universal spherical joints for screw
propellers and propeller shafts the object of the invention being to enable vessels
to be more easily steered or worked
The invention consists in providing the screw propellers with an universal joint
so constructed that the screw can operate when moved to the right or left hand
side of its ordinary position thereby giving to the vessel an impulsion in a right
or left hand direction at the stern whereby much more prompt and rapid evolutions
can be effected
In order that the force of the propeller shall be communicated to the screw shaft
and consequently to the vessel by means of a sufficiently large surface instead of
by oscillating pivots as has hitherto been the practice in ordinary universal joints,
a spherical form of joint is employed which by allowing the shaft to oscillate in
any required direction can without any disadvantage transmit the power in a
better manner than hitherto
In carrying out the invention, the Joint is constructed of a sphere, made in one
piece with the propeller shaft, which passes into the body of the vessel and is
operated by the engine. In the said sphere is made a groove the plan of which
passes through the geometrical axis of the shaft and of the sphere In the said
groove slides a semicircular strip or tongue, which is provided at its ends with two
cylindrical trunnions or journals, the geometrical axis of these two trunnions
passes through the centre of the sphere and as will be well understood this will
always be the case whatever may be the position of the semicircular strip_or
tongue To the sphere is adapted a hollow spherical socket consisting of a
hemispherical shell and a ring, which is fixed on the said shell by means of bolts
It serves to transmit to the vessel the force of the propeller behin l, and can be
disconnected, the hemispherical shell, on the contrary transmits the force forward.
To the hemispherical shell is connected the shaft, which carries the propeller and
which by means of the rudder or otherwise, can be caused to move to one side or
the other by turning around the centre of the sphere. Two bearings are provided

page_text: which are rectangular on their exterior and fit into recesses in the hemispherical
shell, the said bearings receive the said two trunnions. Around these trunnions
the hemispherical shell and the shaft, can oscillate and by means of the groove,
they can turn around an axis normal to the former By this means a universal
Joint is obtained, and the two trunnions will not cause any strain in the direction
of the axis of rotation and will only cause the rotary movement to be transfitted
to the propeller shaft.
In a modification of the arrangement the sphere is not formed in one piece with
its shaft, but is connected thereto by means of a conical end, a key and a nut, the
outer surface of which is spherical. In the sphere are formed two grooves rect-
angular in section in which work two rollers These rollers are provided at their
centre with a hole into which work pivots, screwed into the hemispherical shell,
which is in one piece with the screw shaft. The shell is terminated in the interior
by a hemispherical surface and the remainder of the spherical surface consists of a
ring, serving to transmit the pressure for the backward movement and connected to
the shell by means of a screw thread. The improved spherical joint is applicable
also to any point of a screw shaft in order to allow of following the instantaneous
alterations of position to which a vessel is subjected in a rough sea and in calm
water
Where the oscillations are not very great, the sphere is provided with a sleeve
which embraces the shaft on which it is fixed, by means of a key and two bolts
The socket connected to the screw shaft is as herein before described in two pirts,
which are screwed together The bolts operating like trunnions are fixed on the
sphere and on the propeller shaft, they are provided on their upper end with a
roller working in a groove in the sphere In this case also the pressure either in
a forward or backward direction is transmitted by means of the spherical surfaces
and the trunnions only serve to transmit the movement of rotation
The hereinbefore described number of trunnions may be increased or diminished
so long as the required effect is produced, that is to say, to transmit the required
force solely by the spherical surfaces and to render the trunnions absolutely
independent of this force

page_text: AVA
Propeller Shafts
I SALVATORE ORLANDO of Livorno, in the Kingdom of Italy, 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
--
This invention relates to improvements in universal spherical joints for screw
propellers and propeller shafts the object of the invention being to enable vessels to
be more easily steered or worked
The invention consists in providing the screw propellers with an universal Joint
so constructed that the screw can operate when moved to the right or left hand
side of its ordinary position thereby giving to the vessel an impulsion in a right or
left hand direction at the stern whereby much more prompt and rapid evolutions
can be effected
In order that the force of the propeller shall be communicated to the screw shaft
and consequently to the vessel by means of a sufficiently large surface instead of
by oscillating pivots as has hitherto been the practice in ordinary universal joints,
a spherical form of, joint is employed which by allowing the shaft to oscillate in
any required direction can without any disadvantage transmit the power in a
better manner than hitherto
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the
same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 represents a
longitudinal section of a universal Joint constructed according to my invention for
screw propellers and propeller shafts the sphere being formed in one piece with one
part of the propeller shaft and the two parts of the shaft being shewn in a line
with each other, figure 2 is a transverse section partly in elevation and figure 3
1s a longitudinal elevation of the same shewing the two parts of the shaft at an
angle to each other, figures 4, 5 and 6 are similar views to figures 1, 2 and 3 but
shewing the sphere formed separate from the shaft and connected thereto, figure 7
is a longitudinal section, figure 8, a transverse section and figure 9 a longitudinal
elevation illustrating the manner in which the joint can be applied to any point of
a screw shaft Figures 1 to 3 are drawn about one fourth full size and figures 4
to 9 about one eighth full size
In carrying out the invention which I will first describe by reference to
figures 1, 2 and 3 the joint is constructed of a sphere a, made in one piece with the
propeller shaft b, which passes into the body of the vessel and 18 operated by
the engine. In the said sphere is made a groove the plan of which passes through
the geometrical axis of the shaft and of the sphere In the said groove slides a
semicircular stip or tongue d, which is provided at its ends with two cylindrical
trunnions or journals d¹, the geometrical axis of these two trunnions passes
through the centre of the sphere and as will be well understood this will always
be the case whatever may be the position of the semicircular strip or tongue d
To the sphere is adapted a hollow spherical socket consisting of a hemispherical
shell e, and a ring f, which is fixed on the said shell by means of bolts. It serves

page_text: to transmit to the vessel the force of the propeller behind and can be disconnected;
the hemispherical shell e, on the contrary transmits the force forward To the
hemispherical shell e, is connected the shaft g, which carries the propeller_and
which by means of the rudder or otherwise can be caused to move to one side or
the other by turning around the centre of the sphere Two bearings h, are
provided which are rectangular on their exterior and fit into recesses in the
hemispherical shell, the said bearings receive the said two trunnions d Around
these trunnions the hemispherical shell and the shaft g, can oscillate and by means
of the groove c, they can turn around an axis normal to the former By this
means a universal joint is obtained, and the two trunnions will not cause any
strain in the direction of the axis of 1otation and will only cause the rotary
movement to be transmitted to the propeller shaft
In a modification of the arrangement as shown in figures 4, 5 and 6, the sphere h,
is not formed in one piece with its shaft l, but is connected thereto by means of a
conical end, a key and a nut n, the outer surface of which is spherical In the
sphere are formed two grooves rectangular in section in which work two rollers q
These rollers are provided at their centre with a hole into which work pivots p,
screwed into the hemispherical shell m, which is in one piece with the screw
shaft v
The shell m, is terminated in the interior by a hemispherical surface and
the remainder of the spherical surface at a, consists of a ring o, serving to transmit
the pressure for the backward movement and connected to the shell m, by means
of a screw thread. As shown in figures 7, 8 and 9 the improved spherical joint 18
applicable also to any point of a screw shaft in order to allow of following the
instantaneous alterations of position to which a vessel is subjected in a rough sea
and in calm water
Where the oscillations are not very great, the sphere x, is provided with a sleeve
which embraces the shaft u, on which it is fixed, by means of a key and two
bolts k The socket connected to the screw shaft w, 18 as herein before described in
two parts y and, which are screwed together The bolts k, operating like
trunnions are fixed on the sphere and on the propeller shaft u, they are provided
on their upper end with a roller 3, working in a groove in the sphere In this case
also the pressure either in a forward or backward direction is transmitted by means
of the spherical surfaces and the trunnions only serve to transmit the movement of
rotation
The herein before described number of trunnions may be increased or diminished
so long as the required effect is produced that is to say to transmit the required
force solely by the spherical surfaces and to render the trunnions absolutely
independent of this force
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 18-
The improved universal joints for screw propellers and propeller shafts sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 22nd day of February 1886