IMPROVEMENTS IN THRUST BEARINGS FOR PROPELLER SHAFTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THRUST BEARINGS FOR PROPELLER SHAFTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."—A
communication from abroad by E. S. Renwick, of 335, Broadway,
New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 22nd February 1861, and dated the 27th August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield'
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th August 1860.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THRUST BEARINGS FOR PROPELLER SHAFTS, AND FOR OTHER
PURFOSES," to be as follows:-
Attempts have been before made to counteract the end thrust of shafts by
fluid pressure, but it is believed that such attempts have been but partially
successful, and the method has never come into general use. And it is believed.
that the obstacles to the successful application of fluid pressure to this purpose
have arisen mainly from the want of a convenient means of keeping up a supply
of fluid to make up for leakage, and from the want of suitable means of regu-
lating, the supply of fluid to the exigencies of the case..

page_text: The object of this Invention is to provide suitable means for both these pur-
poses. And the Invention consists, first, in combining the shaft whose thrust is
'to be counteracted with a'fluid chamber and a steam boiler, in such manner that
*the pressure of the fluid in the chamber against the thrust of the shaft is derived
from the pressure in the steam boiler through a connection between the boiler
and the fluid chamber.
The object of the second part of the Invention is to regulate the amount
of fluid forced into the fluid chamber whether by the direct pressure of the
boiler or by other means so that the shaft whose end thrust is to be counter-
acted shall not be moved endwise in opposition to the thrust beyond a
predetermined limit, and this part of the Invention consists in combining a
valve in supply pipe of the fluid chamber with the shaft in such manner that
the movement of the shaft controls the supply of fluid; and that the further
supply of fluid is stopped whenever the shaft reaches the predetermined
.position.
The Invention consists further in combining the first and second parts above
specified togetlier so as to enibody in the apparatus the advantages of both
the preceding parts of the Invention, which may otherwise be used separately.
The operation of this apparatus is as follows:-When the steam boiler is put
into operation. the steam therefrom passing. through the connecting pipe and
the valve port into the fluid chamber, condenses therein, and fills the chamber
and the connecting pipe with a fluid of the same pressure, as the steam in
the steam boiler. When this pressure exceeds that of the thrust of the shaft
the latter is moved endwise outwards in the fluid chamber, and this movement
of the shaft. permits a spring to move and close. the valve as soon as the shaft
has moved endwise to a position predetermined by the adjustment of the valve.
Whenever from the leakage of the stuffing box of the fluid chamber the shaft
is moved endwise by the thrust pressure into the chamber the pressure of its
shoulder against a lever or suitable mechanism: opens the valve and permits
a fresh quantity of fluid to enter the chamber and force the shaft back again
to its position. Hence while the steam boiler furnishes the fluid pressure, the
movement of the shaft regulates the supply.
The above described application of the Invention embodies all its parts;
the first part of the Invention--may however be used separately from the
remainder thereof. when the endwise position of the shaft is maintained
by other means. If the effective area of the end of the shaft in the fluid
chamber be so, small that the pressure from the boiler is not sufficient to
counteract the whole end thrust, the first part of the Invention may be used
in connection with a collar-bearing against, a stationary bearing to counteract

page_text: the surplus thrust, On the other hand, if the effective area of the end of the
shaft in the fluid chamber be so large that the pressure from, the boiler exceeds
the end thrust.of the shaft, the first part of the Invention may be used in
connection with a collar bearing against a stationary bearing to counteract.
the surplus pressure from the boiler. On the other hand the second part of
the Invention may be used separately from the remainder thereof by using it
in connection with a pump to supply the requisite fluid. But it is believed
that the best effects will be obtained when all parts of the 'Invention are.
employed, and in case the Invention is applied to the shaft of the propeller of
the steamer, the boiler of the steam engine that drives the propeller should
be the one that is combined with the fluid chamber. .
The Invention is described, as applied to the end of, a shaft, but it is obvious:
that it may be applied at some point intermediate between the ends of the
shaft, by arranging the shaft to pass through the fluid chamber, and permitting
the fluid pressure therein to act upon a collar of sufficient area secured to the
shaft. In all cases the fluid chamber must of course be maintained in.its.
position by a stationary bearing of sufficient strength.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed?
by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office-
on the 27th February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,, GEORGE:
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton,. in the County of
Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the. Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of
our Lord One. thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and.grant
unto me, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, Her special licence that I, the
said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and: no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within. the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRUST BEARINGS FOR PROPELLER SHAFTS

page_text: AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," a communication to me from abroad by E. S. Renwick;
of 335, Broadway, New York, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, 'my executors
or administraters, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and. ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal: Patent Office within six
calender months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters:
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
in which Figure 1 represents a sectional view of an apparatus embodying the
Invention applied to the shaft of a screw propeller, and Figure 2 represents.
an end-view of the same.
Previous to this Invention, attempts have been made to counteract the
end thrust of shafts by fluid pressure, but so far as I am aware of, such
attempts have not been practically successful, and the method has never come
into general use. I have reason to believe that the obstacles to the successful
application of fluid pressure to this purpose have arisen mainly from the want.
of a convenient means of keeping up a supply of fluid to make up for leakage,
and from the want of suitable means of regulating the supply of fluid.
The object of this Invention is to provide suitable means for both these
purposes; and the Invention consists, first, in combining the shaft (whose
thrust is to be counteracted) a fluid chamber and a steam boiler together in
such manner that the pressure of the fluid in the chamber against the
thrust of the shaft is derived from the pressure in the steam boiler through a
connection between the boiler and the fluid chamber.
:
* The object of the second part of the Invention is to regulate the amount of
fluid, forced into the fluid chamber, whether. by the direct pressure of the
boiler, or by other means, so that the shaft whose end thrust is to be counter-
acted shall not be moved endivise by the pressure of the fluid in opposition to the
thrust beyond a predetermined limit. This part of the Invention consists in
combining a valve in a pipe supplying fluid under pressure to the fluid
chamber with the shaft in such manner that the movement of the shaft.
controls the supply of fluid, the valve being kept open while the supply' is
deficient; and the further supply of fluid into the fluid chamber being stopped
whenever the shaft reaches the predetermined position.

page_text: remainder thereof, when the endwise position of the shaft is maintained by
other means, as, for example, by a collar or collars, and a stationary bearing.
If the effective area of the end of the shaft in the fluid chamber be so small
that the pressure from the boiler is not sufficient to counteract the whole end
thrust, the first part of the Invention may be used in connection with a collar
bearing against a stationary bearing to counteract the surplus thrust. On the
other hand, if the effective area of the end of the shaft in the fluid chamber
be so large that, the pressure thereon from the boiler exceeds the end thrust of
the shaft, the first part of the Invention may be used in connection with a
collar bearing against a stationary bearing to counteract, the surplus pressure
from the boiler. On the other hand, the second part of the Invention may be
used separately from the remainder thereof by using it in connection with a
pump or some other contrivance to supply fluid under pressure to the fluid
chamber. But I believe that the best effects will be obtained when all parts
of the Invention are employed; and in case the Invention is applied to the
propeller shaft of a steamer, the boiler of the 'steam engine that drives the
propeller should be the one that is combined with the fluid chamber.
I have described and represented the Invention as applied to the end of a
shaft; but it is obvious that it may be applied at some point intermediate
between the ends of the shaft by arranging the shaft to pass through the fluid
chamber, and permitting the fluid pressure therein to act upon a collar of
sufficient area secured to the shaft. In this latter case the fluid chamber
must have two stuffing boxes, the one around the shaft and the other around
the collar, and the collar must be long enough to slide to and fro in the
stuffing box as far as the shaft may move. In all cases the fluid or thrust
chamber must of course be maintained in its position by a stationary support
of sufficient strength.
The Invention is not confined-to the practical construction of the valve or
other parts of the apparatus, as any species of valve or cock that will control
the supply of fluid may be employed, so long as it is combined with the shaft
in such manner as to operate when the shaft moves endwise. Moreover, the
fluid supply pipe may be connected with the water space of the boiler, in
which case the water from the boiler will pass directly into the fluid chamber.
I do not, however, deem such a connection as advantageous as a connection
with the steam space," because the water in the boiler frequently, contains earthy
or saline matter, the presence of which in the fluid chamber would be objec-
tionable, while the water from condensed steam is free from these impurities.
What I claim as the Invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is
the combination of a shaft whose end thrust is to be counteracted with a fluid

page_text: A convenient mode of applying the Invention to the propeller shaft of a
steamer is represented in the accompanying Drawing, where the crank A of
the steam engine is represented as located between the main propeller shaft B
and the fluid chamber C. The fluid or thrust chamber C consists of a cylin-
drical. vessel fitted with a stuffing box d through which the end of the short
piece of shaft g is introduced, so that the pressure of the fluid in the chamber
against the end of the shaft, as a piston, tends to force the shaft endwise in the.
direction indicated by the arrow in the Drawing. The fluid chamber is con-
nected by a pipe e, e, with the boiler of the steam engine, and a valve chamber
h is located in this pipe between the boiler and the fluid chamber to contain a
valve c, by whose opening, and closing the supply of fluid through the pipe is
regulated and cut off. The valve in this instance is a slide valve, and is
operated by means of a valve stem m, whose outer end is connected with one
arm of a lever l. The shorter arm of this lever is fitted with a brasso that
bears against a shoulder of the propeller shaft B, and the fulcrum pin of the
lever is supported by a stationary bracket n. The valve stem m is fitted with
a spring t, arranged in such manner that it tends constantly to close the valve,
and it is of sufficient strength to effect this operation whenever it is permitted
to effect this purpose. The stem is also fitted with adjusting nuts' 5, 8, §; §, sò
that the, valve may be set to cover its port when the shoulder of the propeller
shaft has attained any desired position.
•
The operation of this apparatus is as follows:-When steam is generated.in.
the boiler, it passes through the connecting pipe e, e, and the valve port into
the fluid or thrust chamber C, condenses, therein, and fills the chamber. and
the connecting pipe with a fluid of the same pressure as the steam in the.
steam boiler. When the pressure against the end of the shaft in the
chamber C exceeds that of the thrust of the shaft B, the, latter is moved end-
wise.outwards, from the butt of the fluid chamber, and this movement of the
shaft permits the spring t to move and close the valve i as soon as the shaft
has moved endwise to a position predetermined by the adjustment of the valve
stem, thus stopping the further movement of the shaft in opposition to the
thrust. Whenever from the leaking, of the stuffing box of the fluid chamber
the shaft is moved endwise by the thrust pressure into the chamber, the
pressure of its shoulder against the lever . -opens the valve i, and permits. a.
fresh quantity of fluid to enter the chamber, and force the shaft back again to
its position. Hence, while the steam boiler furnishes the fluid pressure, the
movement of the shaft regulates the supply of fluid under pressure. :::.
9
The above described application of the Invention embodies all its parts;
the first part of the Invention may, however; be used separately from; the

page_text: chamber and with a steam boiler, so that the end thrust of the shaft is
counteracted in whole or in part by pressure derived from the boiler through
a connection between the boiler and the fluid chamber, substantially as
described.
I also claim the combination of a shaft whose end thrust is to be counter-
acted with a fluid chamber, and with a valve in the supply pipe thereof, so that
the supply of fluid is controlled by the movement of the shaft, substantially as
described; and this I claim, whether the supply of fluid under pressure be
furnished to the fluid chamber by the boiler, or from some other source.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.