Improvements in means for Propelling and Steering Vessels by Air Jets.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in means for Propelling and Steering Vessels by
Air Jets.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention (a communication to me by Albert Alexander
Graham, of Topeka, in the County of Shawnee, and State of Kansas, United States
of America), to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the propulsion of vessels, and a main object is to pro-
vide means for such propulsion in which the engine power required is compara-
tively small, thus saving fuel, and in which the propelling power may be employed
for steering the vessel.
one rear-
The invention consists in the employment of an air-blast for propelling the
vessel and in means for causing and applying such blast. A series of fans is
employed for generating an air blast, the fans being rotated at different speeds,
as a blast thus generated will be of great force and pressure, that is, the air will
become more and more compressed as it travels outward, thus causing a more
solid impact with the water. In one example, there are several sets of fans
arranged side by side, each set comprising a number of fans in a row,
ward of another, and all discharging into an air duct, the air ducts communicating
with a common passage way leading through the stern of the vessel which is
curved rearward and upward, the passage way being located just above the keel
so that the air blast will strike the water near the bottom of the vessel and by its
expansion and pressure against the stern of the vessel will force the vessel along.
The fans may be arranged in the lower portion of the vessel's hull, but it is
obvious that if desired they may be placed on deck.
The several fans of a set are rotated at different speeds by band connections
with a cone or step pulley which is driven preferably from an electric motor.
In the outer end of the air duct is a vertically sliding gate that may be operated
from the deck or pilot house and is designed to be closed when the vessel is in port
or at anchor to. prevent the entrance of water. A vertically swinging gate is
also provided for the end of the air duct. This gate is counterbalanced or poised
so as to swing open easily under the air blast pressure when the fans are in opera-
tion, and to automatically close should the air blast cease and thus prevent the
entrance of water to the duct.
The passage way with which the air ducts communicate is divided longitudinally
by a vertically arranged swinging partition pivoted on a post and operated from
the pilot house so that it may be swung transversely of the passage way in order
to direct a greater amount of air blast to one side or the other to steer the vessel.
This partition therefore serves as a rudder, and as it is wholly within the passage
there is no danger of its being broken, and as it does not drag in the water it does
not offer any resistance to the movement of the vessel.

page_text: Hinged to the upper wall of the passage at opposite sides of the said partition
are deflector plates, each comprising two hinged sections operated from the pilot
house, so that when these plates are in their upper position the air from the fans
will force the vessel forward, but when said plates are lowered, the air will be
deflected forward beneath the vessel and thus move the vessel backward.
There may be two tiers of the fans, each tier comprising a number of rows of
fans, and each row discharges into a duct independent of all the other ducts. All
of these ducts discharge into the passage-way, and each duct has an end closure,
that may be operated from the pilot-house. The several fans of different tiers are
operated by band connection with pulleys on different shafts which are geared
together. The operation is under complete control of the pilot and considerable
power may be obtained with a comparatively small amount of fuel.
Dated this 10th day of July 1897
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.
COMPLETE DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in means for Propelling and Steering Vessels by
Air Jets.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention (a communication to me by Albert Alexander
Graham, of Topeka, in the County of Shawnee, and State of Kansas, United States
of America), 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 the propulsion of vessels, and a main object is to pro-
vide means for such propulsion in which the engine-power required is compara-
tively small, thus saving fuel, and in which the propelling power may be employed
for steering a vessel.
The invention consists in the employment of an air-blast for propelling the
vessel and in means for causing and applying such blast as will be hereinafter
specified and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the stern of a vessel, shewing
my invention as applied thereto. Figure 2 is a vertical section shewing a modifica-
tion. Figure 3 is a section through the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a
rear elevation, and Figure 5 is a horizontal section. Similar characters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
In carrying out my invention I employ a series of fans for generating an air-
blast, the fans being rotated at different speeds, as a blast thus generated will be
of great force and pressure, that is the air will become more and more compressed
as it travels outwards, thus causing a more solid impact with the water.
In the example of my improvement shewn in Figure 1 there are four fans (A)
arranged in a row, one rearward of another, and all discharging into an air-duct (a)
which communicates with a passage-way (A¹) leading through the stern of the
vessel (A), which is shewn as curved rearward and upward and the passage-
way (A) is located just above the keel so that the air-blast will strike the water
near the bottom of the vessel and by its expansion and pressure against the stern
of the vessel will force the vessel along. I have shewn the fans as arranged in
the lower portion of the vessel's hull, but it is obvious that, if desired, they may
be placed on deck as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. The several fans are

page_text: rotated at different speeds by band connections with a cone or step pulley (A³)
which is driven preferably from an electric motor. In the outer end of the air-
duct (a) is a vertically-sliding gate (a) that may be operated from the deck or
pilot-house of a vessel by means of a chain (a2), and is designed to be closed when
the vessel is in port or at anchor, to prevent the entrance of water. A vertically-
swinging gate (a³) is also provided for the end of the air-duct (a). This
gate (a³) is counterbalanced or poised so as to swing open easily under
the air-blast pressure when the fans are in operation and to automatically close
should the air-blast cease through some accidental or other cause and thus prevent
the entrance of water to the duct. The passage-way (A) is divided longitudinally
by a vertically arranged swinging partition (B), pivoted on a post (b) so that it
may be swung transversely of the passage-way in order to direct a greater amount
of air-blast to one side or the other to steer the vessel. This partition therefore
serves as a rudder and as it is wholly within the passage (A) there is no danger of
its being broken by coming in contact with floating objects and, further, as it
does not drag in the water it does not offer any resistance to the movement of the
vessel. The partition may be deflected from the pilot-house by means of chains
or connections (61) engaging with arms extended from the pintle of the partition.
Hinged to the upper wall of the passage (A¹) at opposite sides of the partition (B)
are deflector plates (B) each comprising (as shown more clearly in the enlarged
view Fig. 2) two hinged sections operated by connections (62) extending from these
plates (B) to the pilot house so that when these plates are in their upper position
the air from the fans will force the vessel forward but when said plates are
lowered, as indicated in dotted lines, the air will be deflected forward beneath the
vessel and thus move the vessel backward.
In the example of my improvement shewn in Figures 2 to 5 I have shewn two
tiers of fans (B2, B3) each tier comprising a number of rows of fans and each row
discharges into a duct (63) independent of all the other ducts. All of these
ducts (6) discharge into the passage-way (A¹) and each duct has an end closure (b)
that may be operated from the pilot-house. The several fans (132, 13) are operated
by band connection with pulleys (65, 66) on the shafts (67) which have gear con-
nections (68, 69).
It will be seen that a vessel equipped with my invention is under complete con-
trol of the pilot and that a considerable power may be obtained with a compara-
tively small amount of fuel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
:-
1. The combination with a vessel having an air-passage leading through its
stern, means for forcing air outward through said passage, a vertical partition in
the outer portion of said passage and mounted to swing, means for swinging said
partition, a vertically sliding gate in said passage forward of said partition, and
means for operating said gate substantially as specified.
2. The combination with a vessel having an air-passage leading through its
stern, of a series of fans for forcing air through said passage, means for operating
the fans, a vertical partition at the outer portion of the passage and mounted to
swing laterally, a vertically sliding gate for said passage rearward of the fans,
means for operating the same, and a swinging gate for said passage designed to
be moved to an open position by the air-pressure from the fans substantially as
specified.
Dated thie 23rd day of Fahmu 1808
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.