IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Kyle, of Binghill, in the County of
Aberdeen, North Britain, late Colonel in the 26th Regiment, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Kyle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
December 1860.
I, ALEXANDER KYLE, of Binghill, in the County of Aberdeen, North
Britain, late Colonel in the 26th Regiment, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
PROPELLING SHIPS OR VESSELS AND BOATS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery
or apparatus for propelling vessels or boats. Under one modification applied as
a stern propellor, the keel is prolonged beyond the stern post, and on this
prolongation is fitted a footstep to receive the lower end of a vertical shaft,
the upper end of which terminates inside the vessel, where the driving gear is
arranged. The lower end of the shalf has six or other suitable number of
radial arms keyed thereto, and a corresponding number of arms are arranged

page_text: above; at the outer extremities of these arms there are fitted vertical adjustable
blades. Each of the blades or vanes has fitted to it a vertical shaft, by means
of which the angle of the blade or vane may be altered as required. The
several shafts are carried up through an arrangement of radial arms on the
upper part of the central shaft, and have cranks fitted to their upper ends,
which are connected one with another by means of a metal ring. Instead of
a crank one of the propeller shafts has fitted to it a spur wheel, which is
connected to the ring above by means of a stud pin set eccentrically in the
face of the wheel. The central or driving shaft works out through a cross-
head or other corresponding arrangement, the upwardly projecting end being
connected by means of bevel gearing with the engine. On the main propeller
shaft is fitted loosely a spur wheel, which drives an intermediate wheel in
gear with the one that is connected to the several cranks on the blade or vane
shafts. With this arrangement by turning the wheel on the main shaft, more
or less, the angles of all the propelling blades are thereby altered, and may be
retained in that position as long as necessary by means of pawls or other
convenient contrivance. The wheel on the propeller shaft is shifted round by
means of hand levers for the purpose of adjusting the angles of the blades
without interfering with the motion imparted to the driving shaft from the
engine or other prime mover. Upon the propeller being put in rapid motion;
the blades as they come round continually alter their angular position by
reason of the mechanical arrangement above, so as to catch hold, as it were, of
the water and urge it forcibly astern, without, however, creating any surge or
disturbance of the water, because as the propelling blades move round the
face of each is gradually turned upon its axis, so that its full force is exerted
on the water when it is moving in the direction opposite to the vessel's course;
the moment this is effected the blades alter their position, and pass through
the water edgewise. In this way the ship or boat is propelled rapidly forward
with a small expenditure of power, and by altering the angles of the propelling
blades the head of the vessel may be caused to veer to the starboard or port
sides as required. An external casing of wood or metal surrounds the main
portion of the propelling shaft and its connected parts; this casing is preferred
to be of a conical form. These horizontal action submerged propellers may
also be arranged on each side of a vessel amidship in lieu of the ordinary
paddle wheels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Kyle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th June 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
KYLE, of Binghill, in the County of Aberdeen, North Britain, late Colonel
in the 26th Regt., send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, 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 Alexander Kyle, Her special license that I, the said Alexander
Kyle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alexander Kyle, my executors, administrators, or 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS OR VESSELS AND BOATS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Kyle, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Kyle, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-.
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery
or apparatus for propelling vessels or boats; under one modification applied as
a stern propeller the keel is prolonged beyond the stern post, and on this
prolongation is fitted a footstep to receive the lower end of a vertical shaft,
the upper end of which terminates inside the vessel where the driving gear is
arranged. The lower end of the shaft has six or other suitable number of
radial arms keyed thereto, and a corresponding number of arms are arranged

page_text: above; at the outer extremeties of these arms there are fitted vertical
adjustable blades. Each of the blades or vanes has fitted to it a vertical shaft,
by means of which the angle of the blade or vane may be altered as required.
The several shafts are carried up through an arrangement of radial arms on
the upper part of the central shaft, and have cranks fitted to their upper ends,
which are connected one with another by means of a metal ring. Instead of
a crank, one of the vertical propeller shafts has fitted to it a spur wheel, which
is connected to the ring above by means of a stud pin set eccentrically in the
face of the wheel. The central or driving shaft works out through a cross-
head or other corresponding arrangement, the upwardly projecting end being.
connected by means of bevel gearing with the engine. On the main propeller
shaft is fitted loosely a spur wheel, which drives an intermediate wheel in gear
with the one that is connected to the several cranks on the blade or vane
shafts. With this arrangement, by turning the wheel on the main shaft, more
or less, the angles of all the propelling blades are thereby altered, and may be
retained in that position as long as necessary by means of pawls or other con-
venient contrivance. The wheel on the propeller shaft is shifted round by
means of hand levers for the purpose of adjusting the angles of the blades
without interfering with the motion imparted to the driving shaft from the
engine or other prime mover. Upon the propeller being put in rapid motion,
the blades as they come round continually alter their angular position by
reason of the mechanical arrangement above, so as to catch-hold-as-it-were-of-
the water and urge it forcibly astern without, however, creating any surge or
disturbance of the water, because as the propelling blades move round the face
of each is gradually turned upon its axis, so that its full force is exerted on
the water when it is moving in the direction opposite to the vessel's course;
the moment this is effected the blades alter their position, and pass through
the water edgewise. In this way the ship or boat is propelled rapidly forward
with a small expenditure of power, and by altering the angles of the propelling
blades the head of the vessel may be caused to veer to the starboard or port
sides, as required. An external casing of wood or metal surrounds the main
portion of the propelling shaft and its connected parts; this casing is preferred
to be of a conical form. These horizontal-action submerged propellers may
also be arranged on each side of a vessel amidship in lieu of the ordinary
paddle wheels.
And in order that my said Invention of improvements in propelling ships or
vessels and boats may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe
the illustrative Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which I have

page_text: hereunto appended for the purpose of showing certain modifications under
which my improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice, that
is to say:-
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a partially sectional
elevation of the after part of the bull of an iron vessel having one modification
of iny improvements applied thereto; and Figure 2 is a plan corresponding to
Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partially sectional elevation of a portion of the
gearing detached to show more clearly the mode of setting the propeller blades
at any required angle.
In arranging and constructing the hull of a vessel' to be propelled at the
stern according to my improvements, a well or circular aperture A is formed
at the after part of the hull. The casing of the well A may be composed of
iron or wood, and it is carried up through a corresponding aperture, which is
made in the deck of the ship. This arrangement of the after part of the hull
necessitates the removal of the stern post forward of its ordinary position,
which in ships of war is an important advantage, as it is less exposed to shot;
and, moreover, my improved propeller is in nowise dependent upon the
integrity of the stern post. The keel B of the vessel is prolonged outwards
beyond the stern post, and it has fitted near its extremity a foot step bearing,
the centre of which falls within a vertical line drawn through the centre of the
well A. Motion is communicated to the propeller by means of the shaft C. In
the modification shown in the accompanying Drawings the driving shaft is
shown carried forward above the deck of the vessel, and is supposed to be
connected to an engine on the deck, but it is obvious that the position of the
shaft, as well as the arrangement of the gearing, must be modified and
adapted to the size and purpose for which the vessel is intended. The after
extremity of the driving shaft C is supported in a pedestal bearing, which is
carried in a short vertical standard cast in one with the radial framing D. To
the extremity of the shaft C is keyed the bevel spur wheel E, which gives
motion to the wheel F on the upper end of the vertical shaft G. The
footstep bearing of this shaft is arranged in the projecting portion of the
keel B, as herein-before described, whilst the upper portion of the shaft passes
through a collar bearing fitted in the radial framing D of the upper part of
the propeller. On the shaft G are keyed three radial frames H, the circular
rims of which have six or other suitable number of eyes formed therein, and
through the central frame II the vertical propeller shafts I pass, the eyes in
the lower and upper frames serving as footstep and collar bearings for the
propeller shafts. The lower part of the shafts I have vertical blades, which

page_text: are either cast thereon or fitted to the shafts. In passing through the water
the propellers have a feathering action imparted to them, so that the flat surface
of each blade is only presented to the water at one particular part of the
rotatory movement. This feathering action is obtained by means of the
arrangement at the upper part of the propeller shafts. Five of the propeller
.shafts have fitted to their upper extremities a crank the several pins of these
cranks are connected to the metal ring J. This ring is connected by an
:eccentric pin to the spur wheel K, which is keyed to the remaining shaft I.
The object of this arrangement is to permit of the propeller blades being
adjusted in regard to their angular position, so that the vessel may be steered
as well as propelled by the blades I; this is effected by means of gearing
arranged to give motion to the wheel K, so that the propellers may be
simultaneously set at the required angle to cause the head of the ship to turn
in the desired direction. Opposite and parallel to the vertical standard, which
.supports the end of the shaft C, is a second standard carrying the bearings of
a short worm shaft, on the after extremity of which is fitted the hand steering
wheel L. This worm shaft gives motion to the worm wheel M, which is fast
to a short vertical spindle, carrying at its lower extremity a spur pinion N in
gear with the wheel 0; this portion of the arrangement is more clearly shown
-in-the-detached view, Figure 3. The wheel O runs loosely on the shaft G,
and it is formed with a deep tubular boss, having at its lower part a spur
pinion o¹, which gears with the intermediate wheel P, that is carried on a stud
fixed in one of the arms of the upper ring H. This intermediate wheel is in
gear with the wheel K, which is made exactly double the size and with double
the number of teeth contained in the pinion o¹, so that when the steering
wheel L is placed either starboard or port, the motion is imparted to the
wheels M and N, and through the latter to the duplex wheel O; but as this
wheel is arranged loosely on the shaft G it does not interfere with the
continuous rotatory movement of the propellers. The pinion o¹ gives motion
through the intermediate wheel P to the wheel K, and this wheel being
attached by the eccentric pin to the ring J, it follows that the other shafts I
are moved about their axes to a corresponding extent. By this means the
propellers may be instantly set to any angle, so as to cause the water to be
driven away to the right or left, and so turn the ship's head starboard or port,
as desired. The central shaft G is enclosed from the base upwards, with an
inverted conical casing Q, which prevents the rising of the water within the
well A caused by the rapid rotation of the propeller. The upper part on
deck is also enclosed by the casing R, the steering wheel L being alone visible

page_text: externally. The cranks on the propeller shafts are so arranged that the
propelling blades on the port side are brought into action on the water
immediately after passing the keel line, so that the central blade on the port
side is acting with its full force on the water. Directly after passing this'
point the blade in its rotation about its axis begins to present its edge towards
the water, which is moving in a backward direction. During the progress
of each blade through the starboard half of the rotation the edge of the blade,
or a very small portion of its angular surface, is presented to the water which
is flowing aft, so as to cause little or no drawback to the speed of the vessel.
The improved propeller is also applicable to vessels as a side propeller, where
such an arrangement is preferred. In this modification of my improvements
the lower part of the hull of the vessel is constructed with a semicircular recess
on each side below the water line. These recesses are arranged so that about
one half of the propeller is sunk within the recess, thus leaving one half of the
series of blades projecting beyond the face of the hull, to act upon the water
and drive it astern. The vertical shaft of each propeller is fitted in footstep
and collar bearings, and motion is communicated to the propellers by means of
bevel gearing driven from the engine or pair of engines in the ordinary way.
The blades of the propeller are so adjusted that they begin to act fully on the
water the moment they pass the boundary or margin of the recess, so that the
water is driven directly astern. The propellers being wholly submerged and*
moving through the water without breaking it up, their efficiency is so much
increased that the diameter of each propeller may be greatly reduced below
what is ordinarily required. For vessels of war, also, it is obvious that such
an arrangement, whilst possessing advantages over the paddle in point of
efficient action, is at the same time wholly beyond the reach of shot, because
the lower part of the side propellers would not be much above the keel line.
The reversing of the motion of the propellers would at the same time reverse
the adjustment of the blades, and as this may be done instantaneously, the
vessel would be driven astern with even greater facility than with ordinary
paddle wheels. This modification of duplex side propellers may also be
arranged to assist in steering the vessel, or take the place of the helm should
the rudder from any cause be disabled. This may be accomplished by having
an engine to drive each propeller and stopping one or the other whilst the
vessel is put about, or its direction altered by the one kept in motion. Or in
lieu of this the driving wheel of either the port or starboard engine may be
thrown out of gear, as may be required, and so assist or supply the place of
the helm. In this way ships may be propelled with greater speed, and with
far less liability to injury of the propellers than heretofore.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said.
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereiu-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the system or mode of arranging and constructing propellers, the
several parts of which are combined as herein-before described, or any mere,
modification of the same.
Second, the system or mode of adjusting the blades of the propeller or
propellers, and setting them to any required angle by means of the mechanical
arrangements herein-before described, or any mere equivalent therefor.
Third, the system or mode of propelling and steering ships or vessels by
means of the adjustable propeller or propellers, whether arranged as a stern.
propeller or in lieu of paddle wheels, as herein-before described, and partially
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Kyle, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-one.