Improvements in Screw Propellers with Variable Pitch and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 29th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Screw Propellers with Variable Pitch and
Apparatus therefor.
I, AUGUSTE MARQUE of No. 73 Montague de la Cour Brussels in the Kingdom of
Belgium do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
:-
The object of this invention is an arrangement of screw propeller the pitch of which
can be varied at will by altering the inclination of the blades which for this purpose
are pivotted in a special boss so as to be turned in the one direction or the other by
suitable mechanism worked within the vessel thus varying the pitch of the propeller
from zero up to the maximum practicable for going either ahead or astern. From
this arrangement of the blades capable of being more or less inclined relatively to
their plane of rotation it results that the speed of the vessel can be varied from.
the maximum forward through the phase corresponding to actual stoppage, up to the
maximum astern, according as the blades are turned in the one direction or the
other in the plane of rotation from 0° to 180°, while the engines continue to work in
the same direction with constant speed. This therefore gives means of controlling
the vessels movements by the propeller, quite independently of the engines while
they remain working.
From what precedes it is easy to deduce that if the blades are placed actually in
the plane of rotation forming part of it as indicated diagrammatically by Fig. 1 of
the annexed drawings, the propeller may revolve at any speed whatever without
propelling the vessel, in other words may stop the vessel while the engines are going.
1f, on the other hand the blades stand perpendicular to the plane of rotation as in
Fig. 2, the engines being stopped, the vessel can sail without being retarded by the
propeller blades.
1+
A slight inclination of the blades to the plane of rotation, as in Fig. 3. will permit
of slowly getting under way without shock to the engines, and this inclination can..
be gradually increased so as to increase the pitch of the propeller to suit the
maximum speed determined by the conditions and the waters in which the vessel
floats. For going astern, the inclination of the blades has merely to be reversed, all
the other actions remaining the same. It will therefore not require the long or
difficult operations attending reversal of the engines. Hence result many practical
advantages which greatly facilitate the navigation of screw steamers.
Fig. of the annexed drawings represents, as an example a construction for
practically altering the inclination of the blades pivotting on the boss. The boss B
consists of two halves bolted together by cross bolts after having mounted the blades
by their inner ends in hollows formed to receive them in the halves of the boss. The
boss is fixed on the shaft J by keys I thickened towards the middle to prevent
shifting. The ends of the blades are in the form of pivots or journals C, each having
a collar E which prevents the blade from being detached from the boss on which it
bears firmly by its circular flange turning on a corresponding seating on the boss.
To the collar is fixed a crank arm F to which is jointed a rod for turning the blade
in the one direction or the other. Instead of the crank arm, the collar may be
toothed as a pinion gearing with a rack. Y; this arrangement being preferable
practically. The working whether of the crank For the toothe pinion is effected
in the same way, that is to say the rods G or rack rods Y are attached to a
disc H which can slide axially on a key K. of the shaft J, so that the disc and its
connections revolve along with the shaft J and the propeller. The position of each
blade being properly set in the first place, it results from the arrangement described
that if the disc H is moved to or fro the blades are correspondingly turned and the
pitch of the screw is altered in the one direction or the other. In order that the
.
.

page_text: disc H may be moved to or fro as required, its edge is fitted to turn within an
internal groove formed in a cast metal casing enclosing the whole and consisting of
several parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.. The parts 1 and 2 are fixed to the vertical bulkhead MI at
the stern of the vessel, and the boss B hears against the face of the part 1. The
parts 3 and 4 can be moved longitudinally sliding along the part 2, and for this
purpose they are attached to a gun metal tube S which is externally threaded and has
two longitudinal key ways fitting feathers in two stationary bridles N N between
which a wheel nut X can be turned to make the tubo S move to or fro, and along
with it the casing, 3, 4, 5 and the disc H, according as the wheel X is turned in the
one direction or the other.
Into the casing 5 opens a nozzle R to which is connected by a pipe a lubricator
situated several feet above the level of the water in which the vessel floats. By this
is supplied oil för lubricating all the sliding and revolving parts of the propeller and
its mechanisin. To prevent leakage of water or oil into the vessel the casing
enclosing the mechanism is provided with suitable stuffing boxes P and Q.
It is obvious that instead of working the nut wheel X by hand, it may be arranged to
be worked by suitable engines or gear provided for this purpose in case the angular
shifting of the blades should require too much power for being applied by hand
with the desired rapidity.
Dated this 13th day Mark' 1880
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Screw Propellers with. Variable Pitch and
Apparatus therefor.
I, AUGUSTE MARQUE of No. 73 Montague de la Cour, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, 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:-
:-
The object of this invention is an arrangement of screw. propeller the pitch of
which can be varied at will by altering the inclination of the blades which for this
purpose are pivotted in a special boss so as to he turned in the one direction or the
other by suitable mechanism worked within the vessel thus varying the pitch of the
propeller from zero up to the maximum practicable for going either ahead or astern.
From this arrangemont of the blades capable of being more or less inclined relatively
to their plane of rotation it results that the speed of the vessel can be varied from the
maximum forward through the phase corresponding to actual stoppage, up to the
maximum aştern, according as the blades are turned in the one direction or the other
in the plane of rotation from 0° to 180° while the engines continue to work in the
saine direction with constant speed.
This therefore, gives means of controlling the vessels movements by the propeller
quite independently of the engines while they remain working..
From what precedes it is easy to deduce that if the blades are placed actually in
the plane of rotation forming part of it as indicated diagrammatically by Fig.. 1 of
the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification, the propeller may revolve
at any speed whatever without propelling the vessel, in other words may stop the
vessel while the engines are going. If on the other hand the blades stand per-
pendicular to the plane of rotation as in Fig. 2. the engines being stopped, the vessel
can sail without being retarded by the propeller blades.
.
A slight inclination of the blades to the plane of rotation as in. Fig..8 will permit
of slowly getting under way without shock to the engines, and this inclination can be
gradually increased so as to increase the pitch of the propeller. to suit the maximum.
speed, determined by the conditions and the waters in which the vessel floats.
going astern the inclination of the blades. has merely to be reversed, all the other
actions remaining the same. It will therefore not require the long or. difficult
For

page_text: operations attending reversal of the engines. Hence result many practical
advantages which greatly facilitate the navigation of screw steamers.
Fig. 4 of
the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specon. represents as an example
a construction for practically altering the inclination of the blades pivotting
on the boss. The boss B consists of two halves bolted together by cross bolts after
having mounted the blades by their inner ends in hollows formed to receive them in
the halves of the boss. The boss is fixed on the shaft J by keys I, thickened towards
the middle to prevent shifting. The ends of the blades are in the form of pivots or
Journals each having a collar E which prevents the blade from being detached
from the boss on which it hears firmly by its circular flange turning on a corre-
sponding seating on the boss. To the collar E is fixed a crank arm F to which is jointed
a rod for turning the blade in the one direction or the other. Instead of the crank
arm, the collar may be toothed as a pinion gearing with a rack Y; this arrangement
being preferable practically. The working, whether of the crank F or the toothed
pinion is effected in the same way, that is to say the rods G or rack rods Y. are
attached to a disc H which can slide axially on a key K of the shaft J, so that the
disc and its connections revolve along with the shaft J and the propeller. The
position of each blade being properly set in the first place it results from the arrange-
ment described that if the disc H is moved to or fro the blades are correspondingly
turned and the pitch of the screw is altered in the one direction or the other. In
order that the disc H may be moved to or fro as required, its edge is fitted to turn
within an internal groove formed in a cast metal casing enclosing the whole and
consisting of several parts 1, 2, 34, 5.
The parts 1 and 2 are fixed to the vertical bulkhead M at the stern of the vessel,
and the boss B bears against the face of the part 1. The parts 3 and 4 can bo
moved longitudinally sliding along the part 2 and for this purpose they are attached
to a gun metal tube S which is externally threaded and has two longitudinal key
ways fitting feathers in two stationary bridles N N between which a wheel nut *
can be turned to make the tube S move to or fro, and along with it the casing 3, 4, 5,
and the disc H, according as the wheel X is turned in the one direction or the other.
Into the casing 5 opens a nozzle R to which is connected by a pipe a lubricator
situated several feet above the level of the water in which the vessel floats. By
this is supplied oil for lubricating all the sliding and revolving parts of the propeller
and its mechanism. To prevent leakage of water or oil into the vessel the casing
enclosing the mechanisin is provided with suitable stuffing boxes P and Q.
It is obvious that instead of working the nut wheel X by hand, it may be
arranged to be worked by suitable engines or gear provided for this purpose in case
the angular shifting of the blades should require too much power for being applied
by hand with the desired rapidity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. A screw propeller having its pitch varied by the alteration at will and
automatically of the inclination of its blades relatively to the plane of rotation of
the propeller, thus permitting the speed of the vessel to be controlled at will without
in any way affecting the movement of the engines.
2. For effecting the change of inclination of the blades above referred to, the
mounting of the blades by pivots in the boss B made in halves, the pivots C
having either crank arms or pinion teeth moved respectively by rods G or racks Y
attached to a disc H which can be s'id along the shaft by means of a nut wheel X
acting on a screw threaded tube S connected with the casing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, which
encloses the whole of the mechanisın.