Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Wheels for Propellers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th June, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Wheels for
Propellers.
I, PETER JENSEN, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents of 77, Chancery
Lane, in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(which has been communicated to me from abroad by Harold Green Underwood,
of Number 66, Wisconsin Street, in the City and County of Milwaukee, and State
of Wisconsin, United States of America, Patent Solicitor,) to be as follows:-
The invention consists, primarily, in a reversible wheel for propellers, having a
hub and a series of blades secured thereto, the opposite sides of each blade of
said wheel being exactly alike in all respects, the thinnest part of each blade
being at the center, and increasing therefrom in thickness in every direction,
particularly towards the sides, and especially the corners, so that each surface of
each blade embodies a double curve, and so that a line drawn from the upper left
hand corner to the lower right hand corner of each blade will meet a straight or
plane surface of the blade, while the opposite side of the blade, between these
points, will show a concave surface, and secondly, the said invention consists in
forming the said blades with straight side edges equidistant apart throughout the
entire length of each blade, and beveling the said side-edges, the bevel of one side-
edge being on the opposite side of the blade from the bevel of the other side-
edge, and further, the said invention consists in arranging these blades spirally
around the hub, and providing their outer or end edges with flanges and securing
a band to said flanges, and also in adjustably securing flanged blade-extensions to
the outer surface of said band.
.נ69.1:נם
£ Contomhon 1900.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Wheels for
Propellers.
I, PETER JENSEN, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents of 77, Chancery
Lane, in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
which has been communicated to me from abroad by Harold Green Underwood,
of Number 66 Wisconsin Street, in the City and County of Milwaukee, and State
of Wisconsin United States of America, Patent Solicitor, and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The invention has for its object the construction of a reversible wheel for
propellers, and it consists primarily, in a steam-ship wheel having a hub and a
series of blades secured thereto, the opposite sides of each blade of said wheel
being exactly alike in all respects, the thinnest part of each blade being at the
center, and increasing therefrom in thickness in every direction, particularly
towards the sides, and especially the corners, so that each surface of each blade
embodies a double curve, and so that a line drawn from the
left hand corner
upper
to the lower right hand corner of each blade will meet a straight or plane surface
of the blade, while the opposite side of the blade, between these points, will show
a concave surface, and secondly, the said invention consists in forming the said
blades with straight side edges equidistant apart throughout the entire length of

page_text: each blade, and beveling the said side-edges, the bevel of one side-edge being on
the opposite side of the blade from the bevel of the other side-edge, and further,
the said invention consists in arranging these blades spirally around the hub, and
providing their outer or end edges with flanges and securing a band to said
flauges, and also in adjustably securing nanged blade-extensions to the outer surface 5
of said band, all as is more fully explained hereinafter, in connection with the
accompanying drawings.
hanges, and also in adjustably securing nanged blade-extensions to the outer surface
of said band, all as is more fully explained hereinafter, in connection with the
accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wheel embodying the invention.
Figure 2 is a face view of one of the blades.
Figure 3 is an edge view of the same.
Figure 4 is an outer end view of the same.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the blade on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, and
Figure 6 is a detail view of one of the blade extensions.
A is the hub of the propeller, to which are secured the inner flanges of the
blades B, which latter have straight side edges a a, so that the width of the blade
is the same throughout its length, the said edges being beveled their entire length
on opposite sides, as shown at c c. This improved wheel is reversible, and there-
fore the opposite sides of each blade are exactly alike in all respects, the thinnest
part of each blade being at the center d, increasing therefrom in thickness in every
direction, particularly toward the sides, and especially the corners. This is a
feature of the greatest importance, as thereby the greatest possible resistance is
presented to the water, extending over the entire surface of the blade, and hence
the moment the wheel begins to turn, power is instantly developed, and the actual
propulsion of the vessel to which the wheel is attached begins with the very first
revolution of said wheel, which result is consequent, chiefly, upon the said
construction. Each surface of the blade embodies a double curve, as best shown
in the edge view, Fig. 3, and transverse section, Fig. 5, and a line drawn from the
upper left-hand corner (beginning with the inner edge of the bevel of the left
side) to the extreme edge of the lower right-hand corner on the side facing the
observer will meet a straight or plane surface of the blade, as shown by the full
line e e, Figure 2, while the opposite side of the blade between these points will
show a concave surface, as indicated by the dotted curved line ff, and the opposite
is true with a line drawn from the upper right-hand corner to the lower left-hand
corner, as indicated by the full curved line gg, showing the concave surface on the
side facing the observer, and the dotted straight line h h, showing the straight or
plane surface between these points on the opposite side of the blade, in Figure 2.
In Figure 1, the propeller-wheel is shown provided with a band C, and con-
sequently the blades B are here provided with outer end flanges D, for the purpose
of receiving said band, and affording a means of securing the band to the blades;
but it will be understood that in many instances-as, for instance, in cases where
the navigation will be obstructed by weeds, grass, and the like-the propeller-
wheels are made without bands, and hence the blades would then be made without
the flanges D; but where they and the band C are employed it is usual to attach
blade-extensions E (formed on exactly the same principle as the blades B and
having attaching-flanges ) to the outside of the band, normally directly in line
with the blades and forming merely continuations thereof, as shown in Fig. 1.
In the drawings, four blades B are shown, but their number is immaterial, and
when the band C is dispensed with, five blades are commonly employed, their
flanges & forming a continuous collar around the periphery of the hub A.
In the operation of the wheel, by reason of the described construction with the
straight edges a, the blades take the water evenly along their entire length, (instead
of carrying it in a diagonal channel across the blade and discharging it at one
point,) and distribute it evenly in the same way, so that the power is equally
distributed throughout the blade, and there is therefore just as much power

page_text: developed from a point adjacent to the hub (in proportion to the speed or motion
of the entire wheel) as at the outer ends of the blades, all parts thereof performing
proportionally equal and full duty.
In order to increase or lessen the speed of the wheel, blade extensions E are
preferably made adjustable as best shown in the detail view, Figure 6, wherein the
flange i is shown with a central hole for the pivotal bolt m, which secures the
flange i to the band C, and with other holes jj arranged near the ends of said flange,
so that the blade-extensions may be turned on the pivotal bolt m and adjusted at
any desired angle to the ends of the adjacent blades B, and then secured by the
other bolts nn, passed through the required holes jj and through the holes in the
band C and the registering-holes oo in the blade-flanges D, the pivotal bolt m
passing through a like hole in the band and the central registering-hole p in said
flange D, there being of course just the same number of holes in the band C and
flange D always in register with each other, but a greater number of holes jj (or
a slot in place thereof, if preferred) than holes o beneath, to permit the desired
adjustment. This is a valuable feature, as in towing, for instance, power rather
than speed is desired, and according to the adjustment of the blade-extensions more
power with less speed, or the reverse, may be quickly and easily obtained at any
time.
By reason of the two sides of the blades being made exactly alike the wheel
may at any time be reversed without the slightest change in either power or speed,
and thereby a fruitful source of accident and collision is averted, for with these
wheels the instant the engine is reversed the blades catch the water equally as well
and promptly as when running in the original contrary direction.
Another valuable feature of this wheel lies in the fact that in case one of the
blades becomes broken a new blade can be quickly and readily supplied without
removing the wheel from the boat.
By reason of the beveled shape of the edges of these blades they run through
the water without creating a vacuum behind them, and hence the forward motion
of the boat is not retarded.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim, is :-
1. In a propeller-wheel, the combination with the hub, of a series of blades
thinnest at their centers, spirally arranged around said hub, and having straight
side edges equidistant apart throughout the entire length of the blade.
2. In a propeller-wheel, the combination, with the hub, of a series of blades
thinnest at their centers, spirally arranged around said hub, and having straight
side edges equidistant apart throughout the entire length of the blade, said side
edges being beveled their entire length, and the bevel of one side edge being on
the opposite side of the blade from the bevel of the other side edge.
3. In a propeller-wheel, the combination, with the hub, of a series of straight-
edged blades of equal width throughout their length, spirally arranged around said
hub, said blades having double-curved outer surfaces and being thinnest at the
center and increasing in thickness therefrom in every direction and especially
toward the sides and corners.
4. In a propeller-wheel, the combination, with the hub, of a series of straight-
edged blades of equal width throughout their length, spirally arranged around said
hub, said blades having their two faces of precisely the same construction and
being thinnest at the center and thickest at the sides and corners and presenting a
plane surface on a diagonal line extending from the upper left-hand corner to the
lower right-hand corner, and a concave surface on a diagonal line extending from
the upper right-hand corner to the lower left-hand corner of each face.
5. In a propeller-wheel, the combination, with the hub, of a series of straight-
edged blades thinnest at their centers, of equal width throughout their length,

page_text: spirally arranged around said hub, and having laterally-projecting outer-end flanges,
and a band surrounding said blades and secured to their said end flanges.
6. In a propeller-wheel, the combination, with the hub, of a series of straight-
edged blades thinnest at their centers, of equal width throughout their length,
spirally arranged around said hub, and having laterally-projecting outer-end flanges,
a band surrounding said blades and secured to their said end flanges, and a series
of flanged blade-extensions adjustably secured to said band adjacent to the ends of
said blades.
Dated this 18th day of June 1801
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.