Improved Means for Manoeuvring Ships.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Manoeuvring Ships.
We, EDWARD SMETHURST, Agent, and JAMES KNIGHT, Butcher, both of
71 Cathedral Square, Christchurch, in the Provincial District of Canterbury, in
the Colony of New Zealand, 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 to provide means whereby ships may be turned
round or put from one course to another more readily than hitherto.
Such means consist in the employment of one, or a plurality, of screw propellers.
upon a shaft which is at right angles with the keel of the vessel and placed either
near the bows, or, near the stern; so that in operation it, or they, will have the
effect of forcing the end of the vessel in a lateral direction whereby the course may
be altered or the vessel turned completely round as desired.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and
Fig. 2 a plan, partly in section, of the forward end of a vessel illustrating the
employment of this invention.
Similar letters are used to indicate the same parts in both figures.
The screw propellers (a) (b) are fixed, one upon either end of the crank shaft (c).
which is mounted at right angles to the keel of the vessel and is free to be revolved
in either direction by the engines (e) which are provided with ordinary reversing
gear and driven by steam from the boiler (f).
Recesses (g) (h) formed in the sides of the vessel as near the bows as practicable
contain the propellers (a) (b) and are of sufficient size to allow free circulation of
the water passing to or from the propellers.
The crank shaft (c) is carried in bearings (1) (m) (n) and passes through stuffing
boxes (i) (k) provided in the ends of the recesses to prevent water from entering
the vessel.
The bearings (1) (m) (n), one or all of which may be constructed with usual.
means to counteract the lateral thrust of the crank shaft; are carried upon a
beam (o) extending from side to side of the vessel.
The propellers are arranged with their screws running in the same direction so
that they will both operate to turn the vessel the same way.
Any ordinary form of sluice valve may be employed to close the ends of the
recesses (g) (h) the shape of such recesses depending to a large extent upon the
contour of the vessel; but where possible it is preferable to make them cylindrical
as shown in the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that.
what we claim is :
1. The means for manoeuvring ships substantially as and for the purposes herein.
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. Screw propellers fixed one upon either end of a motor driven shaft extending
transversely from side to side near the end of a veszel, such screw propellers.
working in recesses formed to receive them in the sides of the vessel substantially

page_text: as and for the purposes herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 27th day of March 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.